Laptop random LAN disconnection

SteveP

Member
Hi folks

Would appreciate a little help if you don't mind.

I have a PCS Clevo laptop that's a quite good spec. The OS has recently had a clean install.

Windows 10 Pro x64. Laptop was behaving the same (disconnecting at random) before upgrade from W10 Home to W10 Pro.

Ethernet card is a Killer E2400 Gigabit Controller. Driver version is 9.0.0.46

The LAN connection drops momentarilly without warning and there's no consistency to it.
I set my IP lease to 10 days.... still no change... I still get the odd DC. I have a new ethernet cable plus I tried a spare one as well.

BT Super hub..... tried different ports. Still disconnects randomly.
A second PC, connected to the same BT box does not drop it's connection when mine does.

I set up a constant ping to 8.8.8.8 and to 192.168.1.254 simultaneously and these both disconnect together just for 3-4 seconds then re-connect.
Nothing in Event viewer. Sometimes I wll go for hours without a disconnect.

The wireless connection (Intel) is fine. No drops in connection.
 

Oussebon

Multiverse Poster
There'll be an option on the network adapter properties somewhere to disable allowing Windows to turn the device off to save power. Does checking that make any difference?
 

SteveP

Member
I've unticked the "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" option, on the adapter properties, Power Management tab. I'll test and update this thread tomorrow.
 

Tony1044

Prolific Poster
If that hasn't worked also try setting a static IP address as I had dhcp issues one my business hub back in the day
 

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
In addition to the above (and the 'turn off this device....' is a known gotcha) are you certain that the LAN disconnects and that you're not just seeing a pause because the PC is busy doing something else?
 

SteveP

Member
The dropped ping (general failure during constant ping test) to the BT hub and external address indicates is not just a pause.
The hub even log shows this as well. To me it feels like my NIC that's the cause as another device, connected via a cable, doesn't drop it's connection.
 

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
The dropped ping (general failure during constant ping test) to the BT hub and external address indicates is not just a pause.
The hub even log shows this as well. To me it feels like my NIC that's the cause as another device, connected via a cable, doesn't drop it's connection.

Did you try with a static IP assigned?
 

SteveP

Member
I should have mentioned this earlier..... Yes I do have a static IP assigned to the connection.

I've also recently raised a ticket with Killer, for which I am waiting on a response.

I now have a USB 3.0 to Ethernet adapter connected which I will now use until it's resolved.

BTW... thanks to all who look at this... "having more than one pair of eyes helps"
 

Oussebon

Multiverse Poster
My PC at our office had a static IP set up on the BT hub, and kept on dropping its connection in a not dissimilar manner to the above. Turned out the hub was trying to give the IP address to another device (for which, allegedly, no IP address was reserved)... I told the hob to dynamically assign my PC an IP address as I didn't have time to mess around further and it didn't really need a static IP. The problem vanished...
 

SteveP

Member
Before I assigned a static IP to my ethernet connection, my laptop had a dynamically assigned one. The disconnects were present then.
 

Tony1044

Prolific Poster
To be honest the DHCP server that was in my BT Business Hub was pants - it never seemed to be able to hand out many IP addresses and would also occasionally duplicate the IP, despite the fact that a DHCP server should look up in its own lease table first, then ping the addresses it thinks are free and finally assign them if no response.

That said though, Windows usually warns if it finds a duplicate address on the network itself.

Of course, both of those states require that both devices respond to ping. However, this is why best practices is to set DHCP to only a certain number of addresses in the range, and assign static ones outside this range (e.g. DHCP gives out x.x.x.100 - x.x.x.250 and static is x.x.x.1 - x.x.x.99)

One thing I don't think you've tried yet is another cable? Is this possible?

If it were a wireless connection, I'd suggest binning the BT Hub altogether but this is a wired connection.

Have you seen that there is a package (with drivers) available specifically for Windows 10 x64 1803? https://www.killernetworking.com/driver-downloads

Reading the readme, it only got released on June 15th.
 

Tony1044

Prolific Poster
I have tried an alternative cable as I mentioned earlier.

Ah indeed you did - apologies, I missed that.


Although I am no fan of BT kit, a quick Google doesn't seem to show any results for compatibility issues.

Slightly older date than the package I pointed you to, but may well be the same version of driver within in.

Looking to me like a compatibility issue between your BT Hub and the Killer card at this point, or simply a faulty card.
 

Tony1044

Prolific Poster
I've been following this thread with interest and this has been my thinking too, are you by any chance using the 5GHz channels? Try downgrading your Killer card to 2.4GHz and see whether that works better (assuming your router can use both). 5GHz doesn't have the same wall penetration as 2.4GHz and that could possibly be an issue for you.

Ubuysa... the wireless works ok - it's wired that's dropping the packets :)

EDIT: Yeah...bottom of the first post (the same post, I missed that the OP tried a new cable!): "..The wireless connection (Intel) is fine. No drops in connection.."
 

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
I wonder whether running a packet sniffer that can capture the Ethernet frames (like Wireshark) might help? If you see a disconnect with no Ethernet (or TCP/IP) communication to explain why then it would have to be either the card or the router, and since the router works with other devices my bet would be on the card.
 

SteveP

Member
As an update.... I called BT today to get them to test the "Super" Hub..... A replacement is going to be dispached to me as their engineer said it failed some tests. He didn't elaborate on the details.
I will keep you updated which may take a week or so.
 

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
As an update.... I called BT today to get them to test the "Super" Hub..... A replacement is going to be dispached to me as their engineer said it failed some tests. He didn't elaborate on the details.
I will keep you updated which may take a week or so.

Ah... now that's encouraging... :)
 
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