Vista - Cannot Download anything - Connection stalls

I am at my wits end. I have searched every single board out there and I see that some people have similar problems and I have tried almost every single recommendation out there and still nothing has worked. I have been on the phone with my ISP for days... nothing.

I am just shy of uninstalling vista and reverting back to XP... but I kind of like Vista so I don't want to do that.

System:
Acer Laptop
Vista Ultimate 64
Marvell Yukon 88E5053 PCI-E Ethernet Controller
I do NOT have wireless... I am wired with my ethernet cable directly to the laptop from my router.

Up until a week ago, I never had an issue with any connection or downloads. Everything was quick/easy/efficient. A week ago I noticed my connection kept dropping on my internet. We were having a storm and thought maybe that was the reason but then it kept happening. Called my ISP they sent a 2nd level technician out and said nope no problems on my line.

The connection kept dropping every so often. I could browse no problem and then after about 10 minutes couldn't open a new page, connection dropped. When I try to download something the connection stalls. Something simple like a Vista update or a document from gmail... stalls the connection.
I have disconnect the connection and then reconnect because my computer and DSL line still think I am connected when in fact I am not. (If I only have the download window open and nothing else, I can download but it takes a really long time.)

I have tried the following:
- disabled TCP/IPv6
- Winsock reset
- reset TCP/IP
- uninstalled adapters... reinstalled
- updated driver for the NIC
- reset the router - hard-reset, changed cables etc...
- cleaned the registry with registry mechanic
- I even got out my old PC with XP hooked it up to the router. It worked like a charm. No problem browsing or downloading at all.

My ISP said it must be my NIC that is faulty, but why can I browse for awhile, but I can't download and browse at the same time. If the NIC was faulty I shouldn't be able to connect at all right???

Please tell me it's a simple patch for Vista. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. I really don't want to do a reformat.
Let me know if you need any other info.

go to Speed Test - dslreports.com and do a speed test.... the speed is not important this time round.. what im interested in is your latency upon posting this it showed my latency at 63ms.... to me that is normal.... if it is exceeding 100ms then this could be indicating a fault with you network card if it is you network card then i would expect to see it jumping into the thousands
i cant see it being your router or modem or you would have seen it with your XP system
you might also want to try updating you nework driver or you routers firmwar if you have one

Thank you so much for getting back to me so quickly.

I am at work, and posted the thread at work so that's why the latency thing is okay.

I have done speedtests over the past week on my computer at home.

Sometimes I get about 5500kbps for download and about 780 for upload. Sometimes I only get 2000kbps and sometimes I can't do any of the tests at all because the network stalls.

I have updated my drivers directly from the manufacturers website, and my ISP guy helped me to update the firmware on the cable modem.

I am thinking it has to be a software conflict??? If it was the NIC or hardward problem would I still be able to browse at all?

yes you can still browse with a hardware that may be faulty... i had a nework card that would let be browse for about 10 mins till the latency became too much that it became almost impossible to browse
it would really help to determine where the problem lies if you could do the speed test from the site i gave you and see what the latency ms numbers are... it should calculate this before the speed test gets underway

i you could get a seconed netwrok card and try that then it would help to pinpoint the problem...if you see an inprovement with the new card then your old network card is the problem... if there is no improvement then the problem will lie from your modem or your isp. a cheap network card should be no more than a few ££ so that shudnt break the bank.... however by doing that will give you ammunition to fire at your ISP

I am having the same problem at home and at work, both with the new AT&T... I am about to change to comcast at home as the last time AT&T sent me a tech, he told me the problem was my flood lights!

LOL, Astalavista?? You a member of the box network

Okay... I did the test 4 times:
Latency to server was 142ms
DL – 2075 Kb/s
UL – 621 Kb/s

Latency to server was 254 ms
DL – 1362 Kb/s
UP – 683 Kb/s

Latency to server was 168 ms
Then the connection timed out before the rest of the results showed up. Network said I was still connected. Had to disconnect and then reconnect.

4th try

Latency to server was 141 ms
DL – 184 Kb/s (yup that’s 184)
UP – 645 Kb/s

ok the latency doesn't seem all that high to be honest but all the same still high enough to cause a problem...
now i still do think it may be your network card and a replacement you can try would be good... maybe you knoe some1 with a spare network card...
in the mean time you could try this....

1. Click on Start button.
2. Type Cmd in the Start Search text box.
3. Press Ctrl-Shift-Enter keyboard short cut to run Command Prompt as Administrator. Allow elevation request.
4. Type netsh winsock reset in the Command Prompt shell, and then press the Enter key.
5. Restart the computer

In my first post I mentioned I did a winsock reset with no luck.

I am thinking it's a network card problem. Off to buy a new one. I can return it if it still happens. I have been avoiding this issue because I didn't want to take apart my laptop to change it.

Thank you! I will let you know what happens

sorry i must have overlooked the winsock reset.... Doh!

well i do hope that a new network card sorts it out for you...