I remember some threads like this on DSLreports but sadly they are gone. :-( Anyway...
Quick background: Optimum only for internet; have the least expensive standard tier which is 25 up/5 down (forget what they call it nowadays, it's rack rate, not a promo.) Cable comes in from the street (pole mounted) to a splitter on the outside of the house, then through that wall into the unfinished basement. Meets a white COAX cable that runs up through a hole in the basement ceiling into the 'office' room and into the back of my owned Arris 1602 modem which I bought online from Arris in January 2020.
Ethernet cable connects the Arris modem to a TP/Archer A6 router. Another cable connects the router to the desktop CPU. All this equipment is on a desk unit within less than 3 ft of each other; no long cable runs. The desktop computer is ALWAYS on the hardwired connection, never wifi. There are no other computers, tablets, etc in the house. In fact, the wifi is only turned on when I'm streaming to the Roku box which is in a room about 25 feet away. If the tv's not on, the wifi is off. So in practical terms the computer is hardwire-ethernet only.
About 3 weeks ago my existing Windows 10 desktop (Dell 3050) began exhibiting signs of terminal illness. Reinstalling Windows didn't help much, so I bit the bullet and ordered a new machine. Dell Optiplex/Windows 11 Pro. It was shortly after setting up the new machine that I began having random very brief internet outages. They typically last less than 10 seconds - often only about 5 or 6 - before the connection is re-established. But it's really annoying and never happened with the old desktop. However, I didn't want to jump to the conclusion that it's a bad ethernet adaptor or port before trying some simpler things, so:
- Replaced both of the ethernet cables with new Beldens, just in case. Didn't solve the problem.
- Visually checked the splitter on the outside of the house. Impossible to tell anything or to check the connections because it's so tight against the siding that it's literally immovable.
- Disconnected and reconected the incoming COAX and the interior COAX run in the basement. Did the same with the COAX connected to the modem.
- Reset the modem and the router.
Looked in Device Manager under Network Adapters and I see the following:
Intel (17) I219-LM
RealTek RTL8852BE WiFi 6 802.112ax PCle AD
So I google the RealTek and notice that there are some complaints about this card speed and/or dropped connections. A common suggestion is to disable Energy Efficiency, Wake on Magic Packet, and Wake on Pattern (all of which were enabled by default), so I did that last night.
All was fine until a few hours ago when a mini-dropout occurred as I was using a shopping cart. Usual thing: Suddenly no internet, then 5-6 second later it's back. Might drop out right away again, might not. Aaaagh!
The no-ethernet status is so brief that I usually don't have time to roll my chair to the side to see what the lights on the modem are doing; to see the router status lights I'd need to get up and walk a few steps. By that time it's usually back. But damn it is annoying. Especially if it never happened before.
I realize that Optimum is only responsible for the connection from the pole to the house and if they were to even set one foot inside the house I'd be charged $$$. (Had a bad experience with them in 2020 where the problem was outside but the tech wrote up the call claiming he went inside when he did not, resulting in a $100 charge that took me 3 months to escalate to corporate before they took it off; once burned twice shy.) Also realize that the problem might be with the ethernet card or port on this brand-new computer. I don't know which is worse, Dell Support or Optimum's, lol
I looked in Event Viewer for errors and warnings and found one that corresponded exactly to the disconnection that occurred while using the shopping cart:
Warning 2/2/2025 2:45:07 PM e1dexpress 27 None
Intel(R) Ethernet Connection (17) I219-LM
Network link is disconnected.
And immediately before that:
Warning 2/2/2025 2:45:07 PM NDIS 10400 None
The network interface "Intel(R) Ethernet Connection (17) I219-LM" has begun resetting. There will be a momentary disruption in network connectivity while the hardware resets. Reason: The network driver detected that its hardware has stopped responding to commands. This network interface has reset 2 time(s) since it was last initialized.
Great, I can find the event(s), but this still doesn't tell me the cause. :-( Are there any other logs I can check, or online test that I can do, that might either trigger these events or figure out what's lurking in the woodshed and causing them?
Many thanks for any suggestions! :-)