Virus Disables Internet Access

[wurzel]

My laptop is infected with something that periodically disables internet access. It happens about 5 times a day & it drives me nuts as I have to close down everything I'm doing & restart the machine. Then everything is ok until the next time.

Internet connection itself is fine as my other machine doesn't get the problem. I've run AVG & SuperAntiSpyware with all the latest definitions & they find nothing. I've also done a netstat & reconciled the PIDs of established connections & nothing untoward there.

It also messes up debugging any web projects I'm currently working on - I get a socket error from Visual Studio.

OS is Vista Home Premium. Anyone got any ideas? I'm running out of patience. TIA.

[Spacecadet]

are you sure its a virus and not a dodgy driver?

[wurzel]

are you sure its a virus and not a dodgy driver?

hmm, it's a possibility. I've recently installed some bluetooth stuff (for my HDC device), not sure that this coincides with the start of the problems though.

[thunderlizard]

You could go back to a recent System Restore Point. Sometimes viruses block that option too, but you might still be able to access it from a windows installation disc.

[northernladuk]

Oh using free virus and spy tools. Good idea. That will sort it (grabs tin hat and ducks!)

So many people blame viri for their machine acting weird when it is nothing to do with it. Why would a virus only drop your internet connection? Have you searched the web to see if there is actually a virus that does this? My netbook does this at work using the wireless alot which is a pain but I can't find an answer. No where does anyone mention viri. I have also had a (very) quick search on the web using virus internet drops and mix of keywords and many many posts come up asking the same but the answers never have anything to do with viri.

Get the latest network drivers for a start and try the manufacturers support. Try it on different networks to see if it is your laptop or your net connection etc.....

[doodab]

I have found that some windows autoupdates that require a restart cause my internet connection to fail until the machine is restarted.

How does the connection fail exactly? Can you still ping the default gateway? Do you get any error messages?

[Spacecadet]

Oh using free virus and spy tools. Good idea. That will sort it (grabs tin hat and ducks!)

McAfee, Norton et al do more harm than good.
Microsoft Security Essentials + plenty of backups is the best method (I use acronis for backing up)

All IMO of course

[Fred Bloggs]

I'd try avast! anti virus. IMO if that doesn't fix it, then it isn't a virus. I did catch an infection just like that 2 years ago. After a few days of losing WiFi periodically, a click box came up which I did click out of frustration and all hell broke loose on the PC opening up dozens of browser pages. On that occiaion avast! caught it but only managed a part fix, the malicious code still ran riot on the PC. I reformatted it and started again. That's the only time avast! let me down really.

[northernladuk]

McAfee, Norton et al do more harm than good.
Microsoft Security Essentials + plenty of backups is the best method (I use acronis for backing up)

All IMO of course

We will all have an opinion of course. My two penneth is Norton has worked for me from day dot and don't regret a penny I pay for it. I have not, touch wood, had a single minute of problems due to virus despite reams of detections.

I have to say though it has gotten too complex now. I want an antivirus, nice and simple. The rest of the gubbins they put in now is starting to become a pain.

When my connection goes down my wirless connection doesn't. I just get the yellow exclaimation mark (Windows 7) so technically the connection hasn't dropped but communication has. I think when I did an investigation it is something to do with DHCP connection and an IP address. Never solved it though.

Have to giggle at the Avast story. Surely the idea of these things is to protect you and if it doesn't it failed. Avast failed you so isn't fit for purpose?? Its like saying I have a reliable car that broke down once. Just being a pedant and having a giggle so no flaming

[Fred Bloggs]

Fine, feel free to giggle. I have used avast! pretty much since it was first released. Currently I have it on 8 PC's. I call one partial failure in that time pretty darned good TBH. We all have our war stories. Mine is that whenever I have used avast! to clean up machines formerly "protected" by Norton, it has usually found several items of malware that Norton missed. Choice is yours to be honest, trying avast! costs zero other than your time and it works for me and many others where Norton doesn't.