We all know those "balloon notifications on the Windows Explorer Toolbar. For example, one balloon might open to say that you have an Internet Connection and the quality of the signal strength. Well, I want to know the kinds of reasons that a balloon would open to tell you (repeatedly throughout the day) that you have an Internet Connection and the quality of the signal strength is excellent. My ISP and I have been fighting for years about repeated drops of service. I contend that the balloon notification would not continually open to tell me I have an Internet Connection, unless the service drops out and comes back (thus, the balloon opens). Am I right? Note this is not the only "symptom" of being dropped; the notification is just one reason I know the connection was temporary/intermittently dropped. For example, I can be "on" a web page and ask to go to a different page...but it doesn't load fast... then, the notification pops open...then the page loads fast or loads if I do refresh. I had plain wireless, modem only--- lots of signal problems. They put in a router with the modem. It hasn't helped much. Therefore, the ISP contends that "something" must be dropping the signal between the modem and computer. Note: I am less than 3 feet from the modem and router. Previously, I was 8-10 feet away, direct line of sight (no obstacles), with the same symptoms occuring. We also tried a hard-wire directly to the computer. I contend it is not a problem with my computer because this is the 4th laptop over the past 4 to 6 years, and with each laptop (different manufacturers) the intermittent problem has remained the same-- some days better, some days worse. Any ideas? Any ideas for how I can prove to the company that it is their problem/ their equipment dropping the signal? Judy

Whenever I have this problem, I switch to my gmail account and all is well ... yet you're using gmail so I have no clue as to what may be causing this - But I'd be willing to bet it's at the ISP level. If you're using your gmail to circumvent this, then knowing your ISP might help someone on this list to help you. If yours is Comcast - the only highspeed available to many outside the large metropolitan areas in the U.S. - then the problem is them ... no matter what modem you have, the speed will only be at 8MB because they refuse to up-date their wiring ... if you switch to satellite for television service, the satellite folks will switch the wiring to highspeed - & free to you - so you may enjoy their service ... this may work for internet service as well yet if not recommended by them - as here - I would advise following their advice. This leaves us 'up a creek without a paddle' ;-) Good luck, On Fri, Jan 15, 2010 at 9:31 AM, J.A. Florian <cageycat@gmail.com> wrote: > We all know those "balloon notifications on the Windows Explorer Toolbar. > For example, one balloon might open to say that you have an Internet > Connection and the quality of the signal strength. > > Well, I want to know the kinds of reasons that a balloon would open to tell > you (repeatedly throughout the day) that you have an Internet Connection > and > the quality of the signal strength is excellent. > > My ISP and I have been fighting for years about repeated drops of service. > I contend that the balloon notification would not continually open to tell > me I have an Internet Connection, unless the service drops out and comes > back (thus, the balloon opens). Am I right? Note this is not the only > "symptom" of being dropped; the notification is just one reason I know the > connection was temporary/intermittently dropped. For example, I can be > "on" > a web page and ask to go to a different page...but it doesn't load fast... > then, the notification pops open...then the page loads fast or loads if I > do > refresh. > > I had plain wireless, modem only--- lots of signal problems. They put in a > router with the modem. It hasn't helped much. Therefore, the ISP contends > that "something" must be dropping the signal between the modem and > computer. Note: I am less than 3 feet from the modem and router. > Previously, I was 8-10 feet away, direct line of sight (no obstacles), with > the same symptoms occuring. We also tried a hard-wire directly to the > computer. > > I contend it is not a problem with my computer because this is the 4th > laptop over the past 4 to 6 years, and with each laptop (different > manufacturers) the intermittent problem has remained the same-- some days > better, some days worse. > > Any ideas? > > Any ideas for how I can prove to the company that it is their problem/ > their > equipment dropping the signal? > > Judy >

Judy, The "balloon notification" only tells about the wireless connection from your computer to the router. It doesn't tell you about the service. My notebook also pops up the balloon occasionally. I'm not sure why. Most likely there was a burst of interferrence (from any number of sources) that momemtarily disrupted the connection or it may just be reconnecting after a period of inactivity. If your balloon opens repeatedly throughout the day you may have an appliance or somethng near you that is causing a periodic burst of interferrence. The best way to check the actual internet service is to look at the cable modem lights. In general if the "Cable" "Online" and "Power" lights are steady on the service is connected. If one or more of them are blinking the service was dropped and is reconnecting. Under normal connected conditions the "Ethernet" light should be the only one blinking. There may be some differences depending on the specific modem but most cable modems work this way. Pages loading quickly after a (sometimes very long) delay can have many causes, including the above. Many of these causes are outside your ISP's control. Identifying the exact cause may be very difficult. Jim Rickenbacker ----- Original Message ----- From: "J.A. Florian" <cageycat@gmail.com> To: <rootsweb-help@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, January 15, 2010 9:31 AM Subject: [ROOTSWEB-HELP] ISP//Connection question > We all know those "balloon notifications on the Windows Explorer Toolbar. > For example, one balloon might open to say that you have an Internet > Connection and the quality of the signal strength. > > Well, I want to know the kinds of reasons that a balloon would open to > tell > you (repeatedly throughout the day) that you have an Internet Connection > and > the quality of the signal strength is excellent. > > My ISP and I have been fighting for years about repeated drops of service. > I contend that the balloon notification would not continually open to tell > me I have an Internet Connection, unless the service drops out and comes > back (thus, the balloon opens). Am I right? Note this is not the only > "symptom" of being dropped; the notification is just one reason I know the > connection was temporary/intermittently dropped. For example, I can be > "on" > a web page and ask to go to a different page...but it doesn't load fast... > then, the notification pops open...then the page loads fast or loads if I > do > refresh. > > I had plain wireless, modem only--- lots of signal problems. They put in > a > router with the modem. It hasn't helped much. Therefore, the ISP > contends > that "something" must be dropping the signal between the modem and > computer. Note: I am less than 3 feet from the modem and router. > Previously, I was 8-10 feet away, direct line of sight (no obstacles), > with > the same symptoms occuring. We also tried a hard-wire directly to the > computer. > > I contend it is not a problem with my computer because this is the 4th > laptop over the past 4 to 6 years, and with each laptop (different > manufacturers) the intermittent problem has remained the same-- some days > better, some days worse. > > Any ideas? > > Any ideas for how I can prove to the company that it is their problem/ > their > equipment dropping the signal? > > Judy