Frequent disconnections with XP.

I've recently upgraded from Windows 2000 to XP Pro (Clean install of XP Pro), now I use BitTorrent a lot (mostly for larger file downloads, etc.) and while I am on DSL, its a lower end DSL (256k), so I usually leave my downloads on 24/7, which was fine on Windows 2000, and I also usually leave my Instant Messengers online 24/7 as well, but since I have upgraded to XP it appears that if I am not using my PC, after a while, it disconnects me, and while I haven't actually seen it do so myself, I find that in the morning when I get back to my PC, all of my downloads have stopped, and that I have been disconnected from my IM clients, and everything else, however, it still says I am online, and my IM client is configured to reconnect on disconnect, but it only reconnects when I get back to the Computer, at first I thought it was a power saving thing, but I disabled all of that, the only thing that comes up when idle now is my screensaver, I know it is not my DSL or a router configuration as my other systems connect fine (I am connected via Cat5, not wirelessly, by the way.), I cannot figure this out, but it is getting annoying, my 98 and 2000 systems connect perfectly fine, there has been a few things in the event viewer that have appeared once, but not anymore times since I've been disconnected.

I've gotten these messages:

The IP address lease 192.168.1.100 for the Network Card with network address 0013D31325DE has been denied by the DHCP server 192.168.1.1 (The DHCP Server sent a DHCPNACK message).

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

and:

Your computer was not able to renew its address from the network (from the DHCP Server) for the Network Card with network address 0008540EBE7D. The following error occurred:
The semaphore timeout period has expired. . Your computer will continue to try and obtain an address on its own from the network address (DHCP) server.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Does anyone have any information about this? Or a way to fix it? Any help would be greatly appreciated, also, may it have something to do with renewing the IP address? (My router was set to have the local IP's renewed every 24 hours.)

 

The simplest solution would be to assign a static IP address to your PC. The best solution would be to track it down and find the problem.

If you could please post the make and model of your router, network card, and any firewall software that you are using, that would help a lot.

I suspect that you need to go to the web site of the network card manufacturer and download their latest drivers. If the network card is built into the motherboard, then I would install the latest BIOS for the motherboard as well.

 

I'm using a WRT54G Linksys router (newest revision.) I am using both an onboard VIA Rhine II based NIC, and a PCI VIA Rhine III NIC card, I'm running Sygate personal firewall 5.6 (for now, going to switch to Kerio soon.) - My motherboard is running the latest BIOS, also I had no problems with 2000 on this PC, but I am running the most current drivers for this system.

Thanks for responding, any help would be greatly appreciated, I'd love to get this issue resolved one way or the other.

 

You will probably need to enter your IPs DNS servers, if there is more than one?

 

Win XP also needs auto disconnect disabled by a registry hack, check it out on Google.

 

I think it has to do with DNS servers, but I will enter them soon to test it, also I don't think it has to do with renewing the IP address either, I tested it lastnight and I stayed connected during it but got disconnected a few hours later (I was afk, just going by different logs, etc.).

Arup - Is this the registry hack you're talking about? http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/194/

 

I don't think its the registry hack either, I changed it, and I still get disconnected. I really would like to figure out this problem, it doesn't make sense. - Its like I get disconnected due to idleness, because my IRC logs say when I get back to my system that I reconnect as soon as I get back onto my system (I lock my system everytime I leave it, but that is not what is disconnecting me, it seems liek it disconnects on idle.) Any help on this would be greatly appreciated, and thank you to everyone that has suggested different things.

 

You did not say what version of the NIC drivers you have. You can download the latest versions here:

http://www.viaarena.com/default.aspx?PageID=2&OSID=1&CatID=1190

I recommend installing/reinstalling the latest driver from the manufacturer.

I also recommend making sure that you have the latest chipset drivers for the motherboard from the manufacturer. Although they may on the surface seem unrelated, you would be surprised.

While you are diagnosing this problem, I strongly recommend that you temporarily disable your software firewall (Sygate). You want keep the connection between your computer and the router as simple as possible.

Also make sure that the Windows firewall is disabled as well.

I also do not recommed hacking the registry. If you do modify the registry, carefully document the change so that you can undo it if it does not work.

The hack mentioned above is referenced here:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;138365

My autodisconnect value is set to 15 minutes (0x0000000f). I can assure you that I never get disconnected after 15 minutes of idle time. You can set yours to -1 for infinite connect, but change it back if this does not work.

I have more ideas/thoughts on this, but please try these for now.