Internet Connectivity Issues

[steaky360]

Hi Folks!

I'm having some weird internet connectivity issues here.

I can connect to the wifi at home fine on several devices and download things, watch netflix/youtube etc. with no issues (no abnormal stuttering, slow playback, buffering etc.). However occasionally my phone (and Mrs360s phone) throws up a message saying 'the wifi device is not connected to the internet' (or similar, I can't recall the precise phrasing)... but its clearly fibbing. I definitely AM connected to the web.

In addition to this, my gaming PC now is having issues connecting to the Windows Update server, Steam seemingly doesn't want to download anything and I can't connect to Uplay or epic (neither wants to connect/get updates). Yet again, I can stream/watch youtube/etc. on more than one device at home fine with no issues.

I'm using the BT Whole Home disc's as a wireless mesh network and they've worked really well since I got them a few year ago and they're all seemingly still connected together fine.

Any thoughts on what I can do to remedy? I'm at a bit of a loss really. Its not going to be convenient or practical to run a cable to my gaming PC (I'd need to disconnect it and take it to the router... which is not really feasible).

Specs below (snipped some irrelevant info) - ultimately the specs are kind of irrelevant imo as its more of an issue with the internet I think rather than the computer (given it is causing a problem across a few devices)...

Case
CORSAIR OBSIDIAN SERIES™ 500D SE CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT 12 Core CPU (4.7GHz/70MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (4 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
10GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3080 - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 520 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 2500MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 520 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 4400MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Processor Cooling
Corsair H115i RGB PLATINUM Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]

 

[SpyderTracks]

Hi Folks!

I'm having some weird internet connectivity issues here.

I can connect to the wifi at home fine on several devices and download things, watch netflix/youtube etc. with no issues (no abnormal stuttering, slow playback, buffering etc.). However occasionally my phone (and Mrs360s phone) throws up a message saying 'the wifi device is not connected to the internet' (or similar, I can't recall the precise phrasing)... but its clearly fibbing. I definitely AM connected to the web.

In addition to this, my gaming PC now is having issues connecting to the Windows Update server, Steam seemingly doesn't want to download anything and I can't connect to Uplay or epic (neither wants to connect/get updates). Yet again, I can stream/watch youtube/etc. on more than one device at home fine with no issues.

I'm using the BT Whole Home disc's as a wireless mesh network and they've worked really well since I got them a few year ago and they're all seemingly still connected together fine.

Any thoughts on what I can do to remedy? I'm at a bit of a loss really. Its not going to be convenient or practical to run a cable to my gaming PC (I'd need to disconnect it and take it to the router... which is not really feasible).

Specs below (snipped some irrelevant info) - ultimately the specs are kind of irrelevant imo as its more of an issue with the internet I think rather than the computer (given it is causing a problem across a few devices)...

Case
CORSAIR OBSIDIAN SERIES™ 500D SE CASE
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT 12 Core CPU (4.7GHz/70MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
ASUS® ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING (USB 3.2 Gen 2, PCIe 4.0) - ARGB Ready!
Memory (RAM)
32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3600MHz (4 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
10GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3080 - HDMI, DP, LHR
1st M.2 SSD Drive
500GB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 520 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 2500MB/W)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
2TB SEAGATE FIRECUDA 520 GEN 4 PCIe NVMe (up to 5000MB/R, 4400MB/W)
Power Supply
CORSAIR 850W RMx SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Processor Cooling
Corsair H115i RGB PLATINUM Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless Network Card
WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 2,400Mbps/5GHz, 300Mbps/2.4GHz PCI-E CARD + BT 5.0
Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KUK-00001]

I've had loads of issues over the years with BT DNS getting flaky at times.

Try setting an alternative DNS of 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1 (cloudflare) or 8.8.8.8 and 8.4.4.8 (Google) on the PC LAN configuration

 

[steaky360]

I've had loads of issues over the years with BT DNS getting flaky at times.

Try setting an alternative DNS of 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1 (cloudflare) or 8.8.8.8 and 8.4.4.8 (Google) on the PC LAN configuration

ISP is not BT its Vodafone, will check DNS settings.

Edit:

Also, this is a new issue (within the last few weeks) as it wasn't occurring before I went away and had not occurred previously.

I've not had any issues with getting to websites either (which is usually indicative of a DNS issue...).

Currently DNS on all devices is set to automatic. I'll change on my gaming PC see if it makes any difference.

 

[steaky360]

Changed IPv4 DNS settings from Auto to Cloudfare then Google - no change in symptoms from what I can tell.

 

[Scott]

I hate issues like this. It's an absolute nightmare trying to pin down the issue.

I'm fairly certain you'll have done everything I would do but my very first step in situations like this, that often leads to solving the problem without identifying it, is to literally turn everything off... and then back on.

Couple of weeks back I had a nightmare with my home plug setup. The LAN plug just wouldn't allow anything else to connect. I tried everything, I reset the blighter and all sorts. Nothing worked. I had exhausted my troubleshooting with it so I contacted Amazon who arranged a return/refund (less than a year old). While sitting pondering what had gone wrong I just got annoyed, got up and switched absolutely everything off. When I turned it all back on it was working. I narrowed the problem down to a gremlin in one of the receiving plugs. No idea which one or what the issue was, but resetting the system cleared the issue.

It presented as a problem with the LAN plug, but that's not where the issue was afterall. It could be something connected to your network that's conflicting with something so I would simply disconnect the lot and see what happens

 

[Scott]

Oh, I also have a schedule on my router to reboot everything every night/morning around 4am. This clears so many issues that I previously had. Reminds me of Windows 95 and having to wipe the system every month to keep it in good working order.

Not sure what Routers hold onto but in my experience they start to get a ton of issues if they aren't rebooted regularly. It's like clearing the cache solves a world of problems.

 

[steaky360]

Router & Wholehome hubs both been rebooted today ... sadly nae helping so far

 

[B4zookaw]

Router & Wholehome hubs both been rebooted today ... sadly nae helping so far

A factory reset worth a try? A pain to have to reconfigure everything but might be an option. Would Windows update or steam use any ports other than 80 or 443? Just wondering if a change to firewall settings might have blocked certain traffic?

 

[steaky360]

Its probably worth a try, I've not given that a shot yet... No idea regards port settings or what not but I've not made any firewall changes.

 

[leea123]

i had a issue before, and for some reason it was caused by my anti virus package which was total av . i removed it, but still issues , i then ran maleware bytes and it found some things from total av still on system . Deleted them, pc all ok from that day no internet issues .

I then left a review, they said was fake , then supplied proof of purchase, never heard from them again .

May not be issue for you , but thought would mention it

 

[steaky360]

i had a issue before, and for some reason it was caused by my anti virus package which was total av . i removed it, but still issues , i then ran maleware bytes and it found some things from total av still on system . Deleted them, pc all ok from that day no internet issues .

I then left a review, they said was fake , then supplied proof of purchase, never heard from them again .

May not be issue for you , but thought would mention it

I'm fortunate in that I've never had a third party AV on my system, appreciate the feedback though.

 

[Scott]

Have you separated the bands? This can sometimes cause conflicting issues (similar with channels etc). I've been pondering what could cause intermittent issues and this is all I've came up with. Just thinking that perhaps a neighbour has recently started using a similar channel/bandwidth.

Also..... does the microwave set it off?

 

[steaky360]

So just to clarify, I don't lose connection to the internet, throughout all of this, my laptop, phones, PC all remain connected and can watch YouTube/stream Netflix and what not.

It seems to be a few programs that are struggling to connect.

I've not separated the bands or anything, I don't believe I've got the ability to control the wholehome discs or change the channel or anything like that. I could be wrong, I'll need to do a bit more digging.

 

[Scott]

Ahh yes. With that in mind then it suggests either DNS or firewall. I don't think it's likely to be the DNS as you've already tried that.... and services such as Netflix rely on the DNS for location information.

This would only really leave the firewall. The fact that it's happening across different devices suggests that it's the firewall on the hub that's causing the issue.

A small investigation into the firewall settings might uncover something obvious, if not a full reset would be a fair shout as that way you know there's nothing untoward.

The only change I can think of to cause this would be a firmware upgrade. Not sure if the hub will show when this was done, the log would but again not sure how easy it would be to get to.

 

[steaky360]

If/when I get to the bottom of the issue(s) I'll report back

There is a fibre upgrade in the area going on (Cityfibre installing the actual FTTP lines) but doubtful that would actually cause this kind of issue...

 

[steaky360]

Okay... might have been a pebkac error - I've just installed W11 and all my woes are gone...

Thanks to all for the assistance earlier

 

[B4zookaw]

Okay... might have been a pebkac error - I've just installed W11 and all my woes are gone...

Thanks to all for the assistance earlier

But how would that solve you and your wife's phone connection issues with the wifi?

 

[steaky360]

But how would that solve you and your wife's phone connection issues with the wifi?

Not sure, it frankly couldn't on its own, the phone issues may still be there to be fair, its just we've not noticed yesterday evening.

 

[Scott]

I've had gremlins like that happen before. I believe it normally comes when the system in question locks up ports due to configuration errors.

I genuinely can't articulate it any better than that though as it's just my mechanical way of describing blocked pipes

 

[steaky360]

First apologies for the thread necro, but its my thread and its the same issue so figure its ok... Thanks to all for the suggestions and help thus far. The above issue(s) which I thought had gone away appears to have not gone away entirely. It also appears to only be an issue on wifi (at least from what I can tell, although ultimately I need to do more testing to find out)...

I have a Vodafone router, which I've reset the DNS on to use cloudfare DNS for both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, but the wifi is managed by BT Whole Home Discs (a wireless mesh system I have from my previous IP). I've tried factory resetting these and re-establishing the network but the issues are persisting. I've also tried using the wifi direct from the router but the issues are persisting.

Non-computer issues (ie phones/tablets etc.) are minimal, websites occasionally load slow (as in it takes a while for the phone to 'start' loading then they seem to load and operate normally... and I've noticed when I open email (I use the gmail app) on my phone it takes a while (few seconds) to display anything but once it does it then seems to operate normally. Not sure about Mrs360, she's not complained about any issues since. Occasionally the phone(s) (certainly mine, and I've noticed hers on occasion too) show a little warning saying that the wifi network we are connected too, is not connected to the internet ... which typically isn't the case.

Few additional things I've noticed but not sure how best to describe them, so will just go for it and see what folk think.

• When I was changing the DNS settings on the router, it took a long while for me to be able to connect to the router, I tried on the PC wired into the router and also on a PC connected via wifi. Neither would connect for the longest time (I was using the correct IP and what not). What ended up working was if I typed "https://" before the web address it seemed to work (I got a warning saying my connection wasn't secure which I proceeded through at my own risk, but its my router...). I figure this might be an issue with the other 'connectivity type things but its hard to diagnose given I'm no expert in such matters (frankly I'm not even a novice).
• I notice on a game (Nazi Zombie Army 4) I can't play the game's weekly events and what not nor do any of the DLC packs appear on the in-game menus... yet I can play multiplayer over the internet with no problems/lag/etc. There could be issues like this on other games but I've not noticed them.

The most interesting thing I've noted recently is that if I use a VPN (I use Private Internet Access) some issues appear to stop on my gaming PC. I've noticed Steam seems to download updates no problem (no 'connection time out' or anything like that) and certainly in NZA4 the weekly event appears. What is more intriguing is that in testing just this morning (I'd never thought to try till I was writing this post) that NZA4 appears to still show the event even after turning off the VPN (although Steam immediately showed an issue 'syncing with the cloud' so there's definitely some weird gremlins still.

I've not noticed any of these issues on the PC connected directly to the router, although admittedly I don't use that PC for much browsing and what not other than YouTube and watching media (its basically a HTPC in the living room), but this is why I mentioned I think this is a wifi issue, although that could be a red herring for now till I get a chance to perform further testing.

Final thing to note, I'm set to finally get FTTP, its due to be installed on 9th May, so all of this (theoretically) might go away after that... It all started when CityFibre started installing the fibre cables into my estate (although that could just be a coincidence I guess). But I'm not changing my router (Vodafone insist its the same router for the new fibre connection).