I have a strange problem which I've never encountered in 10 years in Second Life. (Funny that the forum labels me as a newbie, but whatever!)
For the last few days, every time I log onto SL on my main desktop, I lose the computer's Internet connection entirely after two or three minutes. This does not just affect SL, but all my applications on this particular computer. Once SL crashes the connection, my web browser and any other connected software are also useless.
I can only get the connection back by rebooting the computer entirely. This is a wired Ethernet connection running through a typical router setup (Netgear Nighthawk AC1900). Meanwhile, I can log on with no trouble using my laptop on a Wi-Fi connection. How weird is that?
I normally use Firestorm, but I checked and the same problem is also happening with the Linden viewer.
Steps I have taken so far without solving the problem:
Uninstalled and reinstalled both Firestorm and the Linden viewer. (Latest versions, clean install.)
Tried a Windows system restore to roll everything back to an earlier point, which repeatedly failed to complete.
Updated router firmware.
Updated drivers for ethernet and graphics cards.
Fiddled with Firestorm bandwidth settings (had been 1500, dropped as low as 900).
Kept an eye on system temperatures – nothing looks out of the ordinary.
Called my cable provider who came to the house yesterday and installed a brand-new modem which is now getting me speeds in the range of 110 mbps down/10 mbps up.
System information: Windows 7 64-bit; Intel Core i7 4770; 16 GB DDR3 RAM; EVGA GeForce GTX 960Ti; Samsung 840 EVO SSD; EVGA 750 watt power supply; two Dell monitors.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.