Network connection timing out

For the last couple of weeks my network connection appears to be timing out for some reason.

When I say timing out, I mean that if I haven't used IE7 for a while, next time I go to use it, IE7 says it isn't connected to the internet. My email client has also disconnected.

It isn't my broadband connection as other computers are still connected. It isn't the network card or router as I have substituted those.

What setting in Windows XP could have been changed to produce this timing out or dropping out problem? It's just one computer doing it.

All three computers are connected to the internet via an adsl router and the other two are fine.

Any suggestions gratefully received as it's got me stumped - I even reinstalled IE7 in case that helped, but it didn't.

Cheers,

Ray D

In case you still have the problem, I have just one suggestion. It's a real 'long shot' to be honest as I can't think of any other cause at the moment. Try going into Device Manager and viewing the properties of the network card. Select the 'Power Management' tab and un-check the option that allows Windows to switch off the network card as a power-saving measurement.

On a similar note, change the system's Power Management settings so that it doesn't go into standby at all. Reboot, log in, connect your web browser and email client and then leave it for an hour (or however long it should take to know if the problem was still apparent).

Let us know if that helps

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DJNafey
http://www.FutureSystems-Sussex.Co.UK
Future Systems (Sussex) - IT services to homes and small businesses

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Thanks for the response, but I had already explored that avenue. The powersave box is definitely unticked.

One thing I have discovered which may be a pointer. I configured 'Network Connections..Internet Gateway..Internet Connection' so that it put an icon in the tray. I figured that I could hover over the icon to see if the internet connection was stopping at this point.

It didn't - in fact with the icon in the tray, packets were being continually sent out from the computer. However, over a period of a couple of hours, IE and my email client both stayed connected.

Which begs the question of why, when the Internet Connection icon s in the tray - or the window open - does it send continual packets? And, a second question, if it isn't in the tray and no packets are being sent, why does IE disconnect?

I must admit I never really understood what the Internet Connection thing is for as it doesn't actually seem to do anything, apart from the above.

Cheers,

Ray D