New computer keeps losing internet connection...

[raammartin]

I think everyone here would agree how important it is to have internet access so you can DIS all the time. We've had our new laptop for about 3 weeks now (a Dell Inspiron 6000) and we also still have our desktop set up. For the last day or so we will lose our internet connection about every 10 minutes. We have dial up unfortunately, but that is our only choice right now. We live about 4 miles from a major highway where every other type of internet would be available to us and dial up is all that is offered right now in our area. Anyway, we also have someone building a house about 100 yards from us. Could it be their construction? Could it be our computer? The laptop is the only one that keeps disconnecting, the desktop does fine. Could it be something else? Help!

Thanks!

 

[goofyfatherof2]

If only the laptop has the problem, then it is the laptop and not your internet connection. The laptop could have a virus,spyware, or a problem with hardware malfunction. BTW is it a wireless connection?

 

[raammartin]

It has wireless capability, but we do not have a wireless connection. For now we can only get dial up where we live.

 

[Topper]

Try deleting and rebuilding the dialer.....

 

[raammartin]

Try deleting and rebuilding the dialer.....

Um, what?

 

[Topper]

Have you tried calling your ISP? They can help you with what I suggested.

 

[kendall]

If it doesn't help to uninstall and reinstall the connection, and your desktop doesn't show any problem (and you are using the same settings to connect as your desktop), it may be the modem on the new laptop. I would call Dell customer support, be prepared to describe your problem, indicate what you have tried to do to fix it, and most importantly, that other computers in your house can successfully dialup and they do not drop the connection.

One more idea - try swapping the phone cord out - it could be a bad connector on the end of your phone cord. The other possibility is the phone jack in the wall - same jack as the desktop? Try connecting your laptop through your desktop's jack and cord.

 

[kendall]

one more thing to try: check if your new laptop is set to automatically disconnect after a certain number of minutes:
Start
Control Panel
Internet Options
Connection tab
in the window, click on your dial up to turn it blue, click settings
Advanced
and see if the connection is set to "disconnect" - uncheck those two options.

 

[drclaws]

Somewhat obscure, but it happened to me...check your e-mail client software to see if it's set to conect, collect messages and then logoff. I kept wondering why I was fine until I started my Outlook Express.