Comcast router loses connectivity to internet

[Chauncey]

Hello there, I have a small home network which is consist of a desktop computer and a laptop. The operating system on the desktop is Windows XP while on the laptop it is Windows 7. Comcast wireless router is used to connect both the computer to internet. The problem is Comcast router loses connectivity to internet when the Windows 7 laptop is connected to it. I cant figure what is causing such a problem and hence need your help in solving the issue. Any suggestions/solutions regarding the issue are more than welcome. Thanks in advance.

[Wguy2008]

I would suggest you to check the configuration of the router first. If the router is not configured properly then the devices which are connected to it will not be able to access all the resources of the network. Therefore login to the router and open the configuration page. Once the configuration page is visible, contact your ISP and get the proper settings for the router. Check if the settings which are provided by the ISP are matching the settings which are entered into the router. If there are any changes to be made, do it and then save the configuration. Once the configuration is saved, reboot the router and try connecting the laptop to the router.

[Wyvern]

It is possible that the router is not able to handle the load of both the computers connected together to it. Router has a predefined algorithm. All the functions of the router are dependant on the Algorithm. If the algorithm of the router is simple then it wont be able to handle the traffic which is created when many devices are connected. To solve such a problem you will have to upgrade the firmware of the router. To upgrade the firmware of the router, connect the router to the computer using console cable and then download the latest firmware which is available for the model of the router which you are using from the official website and install it on the router. Once the firmware is updated, configure the router and then try to connect the laptop to the router.

[Lemog]

If the DHCP on the router is not working properly then the devices which are connected using wireless connection will face some problems while connecting. DHCP is responsible for assigning IP addresses to all the devices which are connected to the router using Wifi. If the DHCP is not working then the router will not be able to assign the IP address to the devices and hence will create problems while maintaining connection. Connect the router to the computer using console cable and then open the configuration page. Disable the DHCP of the router. Once the DHCP is disabled, you will have to login again in to the router. Login again and then enable the DHCP. After enabling DHCP, try connecting the laptop to the router and see if it loses the connection or not.

[Abdullah30]

Scan the laptop with an updated antivirus and as there is high possibility that the laptop is infected with some virus. Some virus's have the tendency to broadcast lot of information on the communication channel which results in flooding of the communication channel. If the communication channel gets flooded then the router will disconnect the device. Hence scan the computer and check for the infected files on the computer. If there are any infected files then try to repair/quarantine them. Do not delete any file as it may lead to system failure. After repairing the infected file check if the router is able to maintain connectivity or not.

[Shen]

The problem which you are facing is due to the protocol mismatch. The default IP version of Windows 7 operating system is IPv6 while the default IP version of Windows XP is IPv4. When two computers running on Windows XP and Windows 7 are connected on the same network, it creates problem as the protocol do not match. To be able to connect both the computers on same network you will have to disable the IPv6 support of Windows 7. To disable the IPv6 support of Windows 7, open the network connection wizard and right click on LAN. Go to TCP/IP utilities and then remove the check mark from "Enable IPv6". Once done, save and apply the settings. Now check if the laptop is able to connect to the router or not.