ICH9 Chipset & Network Drops

[Sunin]

I've been battling this issue where it just randomly drops the network connection nothing will revive it. I did the following process to correct it:

1. Ensure power savings is off
2. Go under Device Manager and properties and uncheck allow windows to put this device into power savings mode.
3. Re-installed the ASUS drivers
4. Re-installed Nvidia drivers
5. Finally went to intel's website and grabbed the ICH9 updated chipset driver for Vista 64bit
6. I also did the ipconfig /release and /renew to no avail
7. Reinstalled the network lan drivers
8. Performed the Mojo dance!
9. Changed network cables
10. Changed the location on the network

Status:

The box has made it nearly 12hrs without shutting off the network connection. Hoping it stays that way...

Suggestions anyone? Anyone else with this chipset having it do this?

Also none of the above did anything except #5... that seems to have been the key so far so good!

 

[tkam]

Hmm this is not an issue I've seen before. What motherboard are you using, and what bios version? I would also get rid of any software that came with the mobo aside from drivers of course .

 

[Xilikon]

ICH9 have nothing with the networking. No Intel chipset include a network controller so motherboard manufacturers put a third-party chips (usually Realtek, Marvell or Intel). Look more on the network chip driver and for that, we need to know what is the board model. Also, did you do a bios update ?

Usually, if the network drop without rhyme or reason, something is defective or your overclocking is a bit too much for the motherboard to handle. I have various boards (IP35-E, P5K-E, Maximus Formula and P5E-VM HDMI) and none exhibit this behavior at all.

 

[Sunin]

Asus P5E-VM HDMI current bios.

It didn't used to do it... some patch by microsoft or the installation of the nvidia 177.35 drivers has caused this issue.

Only 2 changes made to the computer for the 5 months or so that it has been folding.

Also could be a heat issue or a PSU issue as its running on a 380w Earthwatts drawing about 225W... should be ok.. but still pushing the PSU obviously.

If it keeps up I might swap a 430 in there.

NIC ids as Artheros or something close to that from memory.

 

[Xilikon]

Tried a different network cable ?

 

[Sunin]

Tried a different network cable ?

yep, even moved it to a different part of the network.. no change in behavior. (add it to my server room.

 

[Xilikon]

Yup, the P5E-VM HDMI use a Atheros networking chip. I have the same board and it works fine for me under Vista Home Premium x64.

Try a BIOS reset ?

 

[Sunin]

I'll consider that after I remove the overclock. Temps are not out of wack though... hotest it hits is 55c...

That's well below specs and the chipset hovers at 40-50c..

 

[BassTek]

I had the same issue with the same exact motherboard under Server 2008 (same drivers as Vista 64). It was fine at 400FSB until I added the 8800GT, then as soon as I started both my VMs and the GPU client the network would drop a few seconds later. I just figured it was a hardware issue and ordered a separate NIC which has been working alright. I suppose I could have dropped the FSB and raised the CPU multiplier but a new NIC is more fun. Tried reinstalling drivers, different drivers etc with no luck.

 

[Sunin]

worst case I could get install a usb nick card... /shrug... anyways lets see what happens today.

 

[Pocatello]

I had the same problem in early June 2008. Vista 64 and 32 bit boxen. Something in the update changed my "power" settings so the computer was going into sleep mode. It took me a few weeks to figure out this mess. It only happened to my Vista boxen.

Ever since then, and my changes back to no-sleep mode, I have been rockin!

 

[tgxiii]

Hi Sunin,

Are you running any network-heavy applications on that system (e.g. BitTorrent, another p2p app)?

 

[Sunin]

Nope and I have a nice sized pipe coming in and a near enterprise class router, note that the other 8 boxes don't hae a single issue with the network.