I've been experiencing a frustrating issue where my internet drops whenever I close a video game, and I'm hoping someone can help me figure it out. I have Verizon Fios fiber internet, and while it doesn't happen every time, there's a noticeable pattern. When it occurs, the internet goes down for all devices in the house and typically reconnects after about five minutes. This has happened across various games, both multiplayer and single-player, so I don't think it's tied to any specific title. My setup includes an ONT, a new ASUS router, and I connect my modern gaming PC via Ethernet, though I've noticed the issue occurs over Wi-Fi as well. I've replaced my old router and checked the ONT lights during an outage, and they seem normal. I've contacted internet support, but they couldn't detect any issues. My hunch is it might be a bad cable or some odd overload linked to my PC's performance, but I'm not entirely sure. Has anyone experienced similar problems or have any theories on what might be causing this?
3 Answers
Have you checked your system tray for any indication that the ethernet connection is dropping? You can also look into the Windows Event Viewer for any network-related errors during the time of the disconnect. Look for Event IDs 27, 4201, and 4202 to see if they correlate with the moments you're having issues.
Have you tried reimaging your machine? It might help to rule out any software issues causing the disconnect. If that's not an option, I get that it's a hassle, especially if you're working on something important.
I haven't done that yet, mainly because I don’t want to risk losing my current video sources. It's definitely something I'm considering if I can't resolve this issue with other troubleshooting tips.
Does this issue happen when you close all games or just specific ones? Maybe try something simple like closing Solitaire and monitoring your connection during that. You could also run a continuous ping test to see if the connection drops at the same time you close a game.
Great suggestion! I think it happens with most games, including both high-demand titles and lighter ones like Roblox. I’ll give it a shot this week when I have some time to test it without affecting others in the house.
Thanks for the tip! I’ll definitely check the Event Viewer to see if I can find anything relevant next time the issue happens. Currently, the logs don't show anything matching the disconnection times, but I’ll dig deeper.