My internet has episodes where it will just turn off and on for a couple of seconds.  It happens on my new Mac, my mom’s old dell laptop, and a homemade desktop that runs Windows Vista.  The laptops are connected through a wireless connection and the desktop through ethernet.  It seemingly happens at random times no matter what I’m doing.  When it happens, I see my Mac’s airport searching for a connection for a couple of seconds and then it goes back to.  For the desktop sometimes it SAYS its connected locally only but not on the internet.  I have to refresh/resend what ever I’m doing at the time to continue what I was doing.  These episodes are never long, just maybe 5 seconds if that, but it still interrupts what I’m doing and totally messes it up.

Examples -

For a simple task like checking my Facebook, it’s simple as just refreshing the page again.  However when it comes to downloading updates for my computer, it will stop a couple minutes through and say I am not connected to the internet.  When this happens, I’ve never noticed my Mac searching for a connection - it says I already have one.  Regardless I’m sure it’s the same problem causing the scenario. 

While video chatting on Skype it will just totally DISCONNECT saying the connection was lost.

While streaming a live radio show via the internet, it will CUT off while I’m listening, and sometimes it won’t even start back up even when I attempt to reconnect to it.  When it does, it will stream for not even a song’s length and stop again.

While trying to play League of Legends, (a PVP game you download to your computer), it will search for a match forever, but when I cancel the search it says I’m in a game and can’t back out, but it never actually joins.  If I wait a minute try canceling the search again it cancels as NORMAL.  If I join a custom game, very often I will see no chats, until send a chat and then all the chats that were sent from other people during this episode of internet wackyness will come up.  I can never connect to a custom game.  I understand this could be my antivirus/firewall causing this problem, but I think it’s the internet. 

I have no problems when trying to play xbox live on the 360.  It says my nat setting is not “Open”, but other than that nothing is wrong. 

Please note this is not a problem with my antivirus/firewall(although it may be for the PVP game).  This happens on all 3 computers for various tasks. 

I use a Verizon modem/routerGT704WG all in one unit (not the gt704wgB). 

If anyone has any knowledge/advice/information/solutions I would be extremely grateful for your time and effort with the utmost appreciation.  Thank you.  You say this happens on a wired ethernet connection as well. This would lead me to believe the problem is with your modem, router, or signal from the cable company. Have you reset both the modem and router? If so, do you have another router you can try just as a test - OR - connect the desktop directly to the modem (bypassing the router) and see if the problem continues. Quote from: Allan on June 06, 2011, 11:13:57 AM

You say this happens on a wired ethernet connection as well. This would lead me to believe the problem is with your modem, router, or signal from the cable company. Have you reset both the modem and router? If so, do you have another router you can try just as a test - OR - connect the desktop directly to the modem (bypassing the router) and see if the problem continues.