Internet connection issues

[Pyroclase]

I recently moved into a new house, and took my desktop PC (which connects to the internet with a wireless card, and runs Windows 8.1) with me. We have a new router and a new internet connection. My computer is in the basement, and the router is on the ground level fairly close to where it is.

The router works, and I was able to connect to it without trouble, but my internet frequently fails for short periods of time without warning. I can load a webpage near-instantly sometimes, but other times it doesn’t load at all, either permanently in a “loading” state or rarely giving me an error message. This isn’t specific to web browsing, either. It feels like my internet is not working more often than it is.

Windows doesn’t give any indication that the connection is down. If I run the internet connection diagnostic wizard tool thingy, it usually says that there’s no problems it can detect. Nobody else seems to be having any problems of this sort. I did once or twice get an error message from the aforementioned diagnostic tool saying “Your computer is correctly configured, but the device or resource (DNS Server) Is not responding”.

My best guess is either that the wi-fi signal is too weak/being interrupted, or that there’s something funny going on with my computer itself.

This is extremely frustrating. Any help at all would be hugely appreciated.

[Kairouseki]

Try specifying a DNS server rather than using the default. Try Google’s DNS servers. To use them right click your internet connection, go to status, then properties, go to the properties of Internet Protocol 4. I don’t remember if you need to set up a static IP address but I don’t think you do.

Edit: When your internet isn’t working does Windows still show you’re connected?

[Pyroclase]

@Kairouseki

Edit: When your internet isn’t working does Windows still show you’re connected?

It does. The DNS server stuff sounds like a good idea. I actually tried to set a static IP address earlier, but the tool I was using didn’t work.

Edit: Just set it to google’s as suggested. It’s working so far!

Edit: It’s still proving to be an issue. I can momentarily make it work if it’s acting up by disconnecting and reconnecting to the router, for some weird reason.

[Kairouseki]

Try checking the channel on your router. I think most default to 6, which can cause issues. If it’s not 1 or 11 try changing it to 1 or 11.

[Pyroclase]

I’ll try that, but I actually have no idea how to access my router’s settings. I’ll google it in the morning.

[Pyroclase]

Didn’t work. I’ve noticed something weird, though: there’s apparently three different, very similar wireless channels being put out by my router:

They’re listed as ‘co-channel’, which google suggests is bad. Anyone have any idea what’s going on here?

Edit: I’ve been doing some digging. When my internet fails, everything looks as though it’s still connected, but there’s next to zero data actually coming through. Nobody else on the network seems to be having connection problems.

[Kairouseki]

I don’t know what a co-channel is but in your image (assuming Banaszak is your connection) it’s on channel 1, which should be fine. You can try changing it (not the co-channel, the channel in between signal and security) to channel 11 and seeing if that helps.

Issues like these are really kind of difficult to pin down.

[Pyroclase]

It doesn’t seem to be an issue with the channels. I’ve moved it to another room and I’m wondering if the issue may simply be that the connection doesn’t reach downstairs.

Edit: Moving to the same floor as the router seems to have fixed it.