Windows 7 laptop keeps losing internet connection, but not wifi

Question

I have a Windows 7 laptop (a Toshiba if that makes any difference) connected by WiFi to my ISP router, everything is set up automatically (IP & DNS, DHCP enabled). Most of the time, it works just fine:

Every so often however, I lose my internet connection, but not the connection to the WiFi router:

Here's what I tried so far to no avail:

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.

C:\>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

   Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : xxxxxxxxx
   Primary Dns Suffix  . . . . . . . :
   Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
   IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
   WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection 2:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft Virtual WiFi Miniport Adapter
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 2C-D0-5A-C6-E7-5B
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 2:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : TAP-Win32 Adapter V9
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-FF-F5-A1-81-72
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection:

   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8723AE Wireless LAN 802.11n PC
I-E NIC
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 2C-D0-5A-C6-E7-5B
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
   Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::9d35:bacc:befd:ab62%14(Preferred)
   Autoconfiguration IPv4 Address. . : 169.254.171.98(Preferred)
   Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
   Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
   DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 455921754
   DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . : 00-01-00-01-18-ED-28-B9-7C-05-07-32-6B-15

   DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : fd3c:d8a7:f41f:0:c23e:fff:fe24:1154
   NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . : OQCF09.com
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 7C-05-07-32-6B-15
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter isatap.{5849E7F7-6522-4F47-99BB-5E9FD0048B07}:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter isatap.{F5A18172-F7A6-4991-99FA-61112AF08491}:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #2
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes


   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Tunnel adapter isatap.{F5A18172-F7A6-4991-99FA-61112AF08491}:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #2
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes


C:\>ipconfig /release

Windows IP Configuration

No operation can be performed on Wireless Network Connection 2 while it has its
media disconnected.
No operation can be performed on Local Area Connection 2 while it has its media
disconnected.
No operation can be performed on Local Area Connection while it has its media di
sconnected.

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection 2:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 2:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection:

   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::9d35:bacc:befd:ab62%14
   Autoconfiguration IPv4 Address. . : 169.254.171.98
   Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
   Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . : OQCF09.com

Tunnel adapter isatap.{5849E7F7-6522-4F47-99BB-5E9FD0048B07}:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

Tunnel adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

Tunnel adapter isatap.{F5A18172-F7A6-4991-99FA-61112AF08491}:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

C:\>ipconfig /renew

Windows IP Configuration

No operation can be performed on Wireless Network Connection 2 while it has its
media disconnected.
No operation can be performed on Local Area Connection 2 while it has its media
disconnected.

C:\>ipconfig /release6

Windows IP Configuration

No operation can be performed on Wireless Network Connection 2 while it has its
media disconnected.
No operation can be performed on Local Area Connection 2 while it has its media
disconnected.
No operation can be performed on Local Area Connection while it has its media di
sconnected.
An error occurred while releasing interface Loopback Pseudo-Interface 1 : The sy
stem cannot find the file specified.

No operation can be performed on isatap.{5849E7F7-6522-4F47-99BB-5E9FD0048B07} w
hile it has its media disconnected.
No operation can be performed on Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface while it has
its media disconnected.
No operation can be performed on isatap.{F5A18172-F7A6-4991-99FA-61112AF08491} w
hile it has its media disconnected.

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection 2:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 2:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection:

   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::9d35:bacc:befd:ab62%14
   Autoconfiguration IPv4 Address. . : 169.254.171.98
   Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
   Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . : OQCF09.com

Tunnel adapter isatap.{5849E7F7-6522-4F47-99BB-5E9FD0048B07}:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

Tunnel adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

Tunnel adapter isatap.{F5A18172-F7A6-4991-99FA-61112AF08491}:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :

C:\>ipconfig /renew6

Windows IP Configuration

No operation can be performed on Wireless Network Connection 2 while it has its
media disconnected.
No operation can be performed on Local Area Connection 2 while it has its media
disconnected.
^C
C:\>ipconfig /flushdns

Windows IP Configuration

Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.

C:\>ipconfig /registerdns

Windows IP Configuration

Registration of the DNS resource records for all adapters of this computer has b
een initiated. Any errors will be reported in the Event Viewer in 15 minutes.

Any other suggestions? As I said, it's an intermittent problem and the only solution I have found so far is to reboot.

TheNerdyNerd · Accepted Answer · 2016-11-24 16:10:56Z

This issue can have lots of causes.

From your ipconfig /all I can see you were handed an IP address of:

169.254.171.98

This usually means Automatic Private IP Address (APIPA)

By default, when you connect your computer to network device your computer is set to obtain IP settings from DHCP server. If your computer is unable to locate DHCP server or your computer fail to start DHCP Client, then the APIPA service will assign itself a 169.x.x.x IP address.

Source: http://www.1selfcare.com/win/169ipw/

I would recommend trying to first update your wireless adaptor drivers. Making sure they are compatible with the version of windows 7 you are on. They can be found here: http://www.toshiba.co.uk/support/drivers/laptops/

Once these have been verified and updated run for a while and see if the error occurs again.

Try using a mobile or another device and see if you get the same issue? If the issue doesn't occur with the other device like a mobile or other laptop then you know it's specific to your toshiba device. If it follows then the issue is likely to be your router and DHCP.

If the error still occurs trying configuring a static ip address to your toshiba laptop. Make sure you use the address range etc that you have when it is connected and working fine. And see if that works.

Otherwise try logging into your router and check out the DHCP settings, making a note of what they are before changing anything. Once noted, verify and make sure they are correct. Something like this should be correct:

IP Address pool 192.168.1.100 to 192.168.1.200
Gateway - should be it's own address (routers address)
Subnet - should be correct for it's network address in the case of above 255.255.255.0 as a default.

Hope that helps

Thanks, I checked my wireless adapter drivers and apparently they are up to date. I don't get the same issue with any other device connected to the same network, so it's definitely that laptop. I will try the static IP address next. — am304, Commented Nov 28, 2016 at 12:51
Well, it's taken me a while but after a lot of frustation, I eventually connected to the router via an ethernet cable, and set a static IP address, and also disabled IPv6, which doesn't appear to be supported. Not sure if that makes a big difference or not, but I read somewhere that it can help. Since then, it has been almost perfect, and I seem to be able to remain connected for long periods of time. Based on this, I will accept this answer. — am304, Commented Jan 23, 2017 at 15:57

user663311 · Accepted Answer · 2016-11-14 22:33:35Z

0

This nasty 'intermittent error' happens to me 'intermittently' too. My resolution consists of: having Windows Network Center "solve problems", until it resets my WIFI-Adapter. That, up till now, always fixes the problem, albeit 'intermittently', not permanently. For what it's worth, just letting you know you're not the only one.

answered Nov 14, 2016 at 22:33

user663311

11 bronze badge

Thanks, I tried the Windows thing but it failed to solve anything.
– am304
Commented Nov 28, 2016 at 12:50

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