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I have a bizarre problem that has been bugging me for a while. I have one computer, which is my HTPC basically, that seems to be causing some problems on my home network. What happens is that when I begin to play a show on Netflix with this computer, either through a web browser or the Windows 10 Netflix app, it will start playing a little bit and cut out, or just not play, and then the internet in my house no longer works on any computer or device. Most of the time this occurs right after starting to play something, but sometimes it does take 5 minutes or so before it cuts out.
Then at that point I have to power cycle the cable modem (Cisco DPC3216) to get things working again. It won't work again until I do that. I have tried power cycling the router instead, and that does not help. I have a wireless router (Netgear WNDR4000), and this computer and another are connected by wire. Other devices we have are two Mac laptops, two iPhones, and a QNAP NAS.
This problem computer can browse the web just fine, play Youtube videos, Amazon video, download updates, whatever. But as soon as I play Netflix, it kills the internet. It sounds ridiculous.
In my testing, I have tried Netflix on my phone, on the other desktop computer, on a laptop, and they all work fine.
Now, I have actually seen a conflicting IP address error notification on that computer a few times, but most of the time there is no message. So I looked at the Windows Event Logs for System and about all I can see is "Network link is disconnected". Nothing seems to stick out. I don't know how the IP conflict is possible since DHCP is on for the router and I've made sure everything is set to "obtain automatically". Nothing really special is set up. I have also turned off every device except this computer, checked that this computer was the only thing connected to the router in the router web admin, and then tried to play Netflix and the same thing occurs!
So there's my troubleshooting so far. For any recent changes that might have played into this... the only thing I can think of is upgrading the two desktop computers from Win7 to Win10.
Any help is greatly appreciated!
UPDATED, more troubleshooting-
Trying to disable UPnP in my router had no effect on the problem. Assigning a static IP to the computer in question had no effect on the problem. I tried finding the modem logs, and I was able to log in, but there is no log information. I connected the computer in question directly to the modem and power cycled things - and Netflix works fine.
Troubleshooting to continue...
mikato
Posted 2016-09-22T18:16:28.380
Reputation: 176
Only thing that springs to mind for me is UPnP - a setting on the router, try turning it off... – djsmiley2k TMW – 2016-09-22T18:19:29.193
"I have actually seen a conflicting IP address error notification on that computer a few times" - assigned the problem computer a static ip address. See if that helps. – Ramhound – 2016-09-22T18:38:35.733
@djsmiley2k No luck with disabling UPnP. It failed right away. Then it worked for a while. Then it kept failing within 5 minutes on further tests after that. – mikato – 2016-09-23T18:58:44.490
Have you checked the modem logs if possible? usually 192.168.100.1 admin/password – Yorik – 2016-09-23T19:31:11.850
@Yorik I logged in after searching for default modem login for my ISP (Charter) since the modem is supplied by my ISP, but there aren't any options there. It seems to only display status information and no logs of any kind :( – mikato – 2016-09-24T00:10:18.080
@Ramhound Thanks, but no luck with a static IP either. Same thing, internet cuts out shortly after starting to play Netflix video. – mikato – 2016-09-24T00:34:00.703
All right, I have connected the computer in question directly to the modem, power cycled everything, and then Netflix plays just fine. Maybe this is a hint the problem is with the router? But why does the modem stop working? Strange, only is caused through one computer, only with Netflix, I have to power cycle the modem before the internet works again, but everything works fine when that computer is connected directly to the modem. I guess I can try getting another modem from my ISP to rule that out. Then I'd be left with the computer or the router, and probably trying another router. – mikato – 2016-09-26T14:21:55.813
Oh, I will try switching out cables too. I did use a different cable in my last test when it worked hooked directly to the modem. – mikato – 2016-09-26T14:28:31.427