Network cards, also known as network interface cards (NICs), are essential components of any computer system. They are responsible for sending and receiving data over networks such as the Internet. Unfortunately, even the most reliable hardware can occasionally experience problems, leading to dropped connections.
If your NIC seems to be dropping its connection regularly, there are a number of measures you can take to identify the root of the problem and rectify it. The solutions range from basic troubleshooting steps to more complex system adjustments.
1. Check Your Physical Connections
The first step should always be to check that all your connections are secure. Make sure all cables are firmly inserted into their respective ports, that no cables have been damaged, and that all external devices such as modems or routers are properly powered on.
If your cables are all in good order, reboot your system and see if this solves the issue. If not, move on to the next step.
2. Disable Power Saving Options
If your NIC has power saving features enabled, this could be the cause of your connection dropouts. To disable these features, open the Device Manager on your PC, find the relevant NIC entry, and double-click it. From here, you can uncheck the box next to “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power”.
3. Adjust Your Network Adapter Settings
Next, you should make sure that the settings of your network adapter are compatible with your network. Generally speaking, a “Standard” configuration should work, but if you want improved performance, consider changing your network adapter settings to “Maximum Performance” or something similar.
Like with power saving options, you can access your network adapter settings via the Device Manager.
4. Reset Your TCP/IP Stack
A broken TCP/IP stack could also be behind your connection dropouts. You can reset it easily by opening the Command Prompt with administrator privileges and entering “netsh int ip reset resetlog.txt” (without quotes).
5. Update Your Network Drivers
Even if the physical connections and settings are correct, having outdated or incorrect drivers can lead to regular disconnects. To update or reinstall your network drivers, open the Device Manager, find the relevant network device, right-click it, and select “Update Driver” or “Uninstall”.
6. Check Your Antivirus Settings
While we don’t recommend disabling your antivirus entirely, it’s possible that certain settings may be interfering with your connection. For example, some software may classify certain websites as “dangerous” and block them, causing your connection to drop.
To check your antivirus settings, open the relevant configuration window and look for anything that might be preventing your connection from staying active.
7. Change Your Network Card
If all else fails, you may need to replace your network card. After all, physical damage, age, or simply a low-quality product could be the cause of your connection woes. If you suspect this is the case, you should invest in a higher-end card that better fits your needs.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are several steps you can take when dealing with a network card that keeps dropping its connection. While not all of these solutions will work for everyone, it’s important to try each one in order to narrow down the potential culprit and resolve the issue.