New Connectivity Problem

I lost network connectivity several times with my new Realtek RTL8188EU N150 wireless USB 2.0 adapter, so I plugged a Netgear WNA3100 N300 wireless USB 3.0 adapter into the same USB 3.0 port. Again I lost connectivity several times. Once, after I lost connectivity with the Netgear adapter, I did a shut down, but after installing an update to the resident Windows 7, the system crashed, and I got the blue screen of death with the following message:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.

BUGCODE_USB_DRIVER

If this is the first time you've seen this Stop error screen, restart your computer. If this screen appears again, follow these steps:

Check to make sure any new hardware or software is properly installed. If this is a new installation, ask your hardware or software manufacturer for any Windows updates you might need.

If problems continue, disable or remove any newly installed hardware or software. Disable BIOS memory options such as caching or shadowing. If you need to use Safe Mode to remove or disable components, restart your computer, press F8 to select Advanced Startup Options, and then select Safe Mode.

Technical information:
*** STOP: 0x000000FE (0x0000000000000008, 0x0000000000000006, 0x0000000000000006, 0xFFFFFA8005E17C80)

Collecting data for crash dump...
Initializing disk for crash dump...
Beginning dump of physical memory.
Dumping physical memory to disk: 100
Physical memory dump complete.
Contact your system admin or technical support group for further assistance.
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So it sure looks like I've got a bad USB port (which is why I posted this here in the Hardware Forum). BUT I'm pretty sure I've lost connectivity with each of these two wireless adapters plugged into two other ports as well (no, the two adapters were never plugged in at the same time), although the system never crashed those times.

For what it's worth, Device Manager says all USB ports are working properly, and their drivers are installed and enabled. But two odd points: USB ports #2 and #4 have their "Disable" button 'grayed out', so that these ports can't be disabled, and Device Manager lists SEVEN USB ports, not just the six that I can see. (The manufacturer's specs say there are supposed to be six USB ports.)

It would be nice to be CERTAIN what the precise problem is, and with a minimum of time, effort and expense. Any suggestions about how I could get a reliable report of the status of each of the USB ports?

Just in case I'm wrong about this being a NEW connectivity problem, here's my thread for my OLD connectivity problem:

can't connect to internet
Any help would of course be most appreciated.

 

This is a decent program for narrowing down blue screen crashes:

http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/whocrashed_free_home_edition.html

Gives you a much better idea what is causing the issue - hardware or software - and it points you to the particular culprit in those categories. I've found it a valuable tool. I've usually been able to determine the issue using this app.

 

Thanks, Spad.

WhoCrashed produced this report:

Following that link leads to:

By reading all of the above, as written, it seems ambiguous to me whether or not the writers intend "enabling crash dumps" and "configuring one's system to write out crash dumps" to be understood as one and the same thing. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm gonna assume that they DO intend them as one and the same. Therefore, continuing on with this text:

I'm willing to look into this page file issue, but rather than risk screwing things up by researching it and trying to set the page size myself, I'd like to ask the MG gurus to just TELL me how to do this.

The last two conditions don't pertain, as there is over 178 GB free.

I of course won't do this last one without being told to do so.

Suggestions?

 

It's best to let Windows manage the Page File.

Open Control Panel > System > Advanced system settings > Advanced tab > Performance Settings > Advanced tab > Change.
Check the box next to Automatically manage paging file size for all drives.
Click OK > OK > Apply > OK > Apply > OK and restart your PC.

 

OK, I did that, but now, with no dump to see, should I just wait to see if the system crashes again, or should I have WhoCrashed deliberately cause a crash to force it to analyze how the crash occurred?

 

You best wait for a crash.
Even without a BSOD, WhoCrashed will record it.

 

I'm probably being 'dense' here, but what's a 'BSOD'?

 

The dreaded Blue Screen Of Death.

 

LOL!

 

OK, I've discovered something that's happened at least a few times, and I guess it's what's happening EVERY time I lose connectivity.

For some mysterious reason, my wireless network adapter simply get sets to 'Disable', right in the middle of surfing the net, without me doing anything to initiate it, or anything happening like a crash or anything. I just go into Device Manager and click on 'Enable', and it comes right back on. What the hell...?!

 

Incidentally, for what it's worth, in the past I would sometimes lose connectivity, and I would just unplug the wireless adapter and then plug it back in, and then it would work. I meant to mention that before, but I forgot. But that doesn't seem to work now.

 

Never mind, I just lost connectivity again, and this time the adapter WASN'T disabled, but I reconnected after unplugging the adapter and plugging it back in.

 

The problem is almost certainly with the wireless adapter.
I had the same issue with my previous mobile USB modem. But, as it only happened once a month, it wasn't really an issue.

 

But this happened with two different wireless adapters, a Realtek RTL8188EU N150 wireless USB 2.0 adapter, and a Netgear WNA3100 N300 wireless USB 2.0 adapter (above I said that the Netgear was a USB 3.0 adapter, but it's actually 2.0).

The range is about 40 feet from the router, through four interior walls (6" thick, wooden stud and drywall construction, no insulation, so basically hollow), on the same floor. The Netgear is for small to medium sized homes (my house is medium-small), and I couldn't find a range for the Realtek, but Windows 7's Control Panel > Network and Sharing shows both of them as receiving a strong-to-maximum signal strength (4 to 5 out of 5 bars).

Plus, the problem is very intermittent. The connection could be good for hours, and then suddenly it's lost without the computer being moved (it's a desktop, not a laptop).

Occasionally my computer sees the neighbor's WiFi connection, but it's very weak, so I don't think it's interfering with my connection, if such a thing is possible.

Of course, all of that doesn't prove that it ISN'T the adapter. But is there any way to be sure?

 

OK, what I think is happening is the Netgear adapter is bad and the Realtek is having trouble with the range. I'll try one of those 'range extenders' with the Realtek.

 

I should have researched this option earlier, but I just discovered I can get a 50-foot CAT5e ethernet cable at my neighborhood Walmart for $7.17 (or on eBay for $2.99, for which there's not even any sales tax), so for that kind of money, and since I'm pretty sure it'll be a lot faster than a WiFi connection anyway, and since I'm confident that I can set up the cable where nobody will trip over it, I'll just go with the cable.