Network ("bandwidth") stalling

In case this might save someone from a few hours of headaches (or worse, an unusable SL) .

Symptoms (wired network):
* logging on works fine (sim crossings work fine, see below)
* after log-on View / Statistics Bar shows bandwidth spikes as things rez, but after a (very) short while it falls flat (10-20kbps) and movement becomes impossible

IMs continue to work for a few more seconds (if after about a minute and a half either the sim or the client haven't seen a ping from the other they'll drop the connection). Oddly enough, opening the map will give it an extra minute or so (but only once). After that (and even weirder) each switch from full-screen to windowed (or the other way around) will "reinvigorate" the network connection, allowing movement for a short time (for 10-30 seconds at a time).

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The actual cause (in this particular case?) seems to be a setting on the network card and not any firewall/router/ISP/etc settings:

* Start menu / Run: ncpa.cpl
* right-click on the one you use for your internet and pick "Properties", then click "Configure"
* under the Advanced, set "Task Offload" to "Off"
(It's possible it's called any of the following in which they all need to be set to "Off": Offload TCP Segmentation, Offload Receive TCP Checksum, Offload Transmit IP Checksum or Offload Transmit TCP Checksum)

Swapping the network card for another one *might* work (assuming it doesn't have the capability to have certain things be handled by the network card instead of the puter) which is what eventually led me to blame the network card rather than all the other dozen things I'd tried so far .

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SL was literally the one and only thing that wouldn't work (so I'm still inclined to blame LL more than anyone else ) and I have absolutely no idea why it works, but the above was the only thing that made any difference/fixed it.

(In this case it was a wired network, but wireless network cards may have the same setting so I would try the same solution there as well before deciding that SL just won't play nice with it)

Not sure if this is my problem, but it definitely sounds like it..and i have about 2 weeks of headaches
I'm not very pooter savvy, so please bear with me.
I have an old desktop on xp running a crappy graphics card, I have and still do run sl on this with no problems.
I have just purchased a new laptop running vista ultimate, I plug the laptop into the same router that my old pc is plugged into, and have no problems connecting to the internet and have successfully played online games.
But.....
When I try to use sl...I can log in but after 5 - 10 minutes I get logged out, with no error message, I just can't move, or won't stop moving. I have the statistics bar up and notice the bandwidth goes to zero when I am logged out....I can stay on longer by teleporting somewhere, but eventually can't do that either.
I have updated the graphics card drivers, have tried windlight as well, but the same thing happens...I have submitted a ticket..with no answer...have talked to several tech dudes and have one coming to my house next week to check everything...I have also taken the laptop down to the computer shop and connected there, logged into sl and had the same thing happen.
Thanks in advance for any help...and I can provide specs or anything else needed....I think
cheers

Sorry but I'm not sure what a network card is...or if I even have one....will your solution help me?

You have a network card, or you wouldn't be able to get to the internet at all .

One thing that weirdly enough worked for me as well was that as soon as I stopped being able to move (or to stop moving) switching from full-screen to windowed give a very short "grace period" (press and hold Ctrl, then the enter key to switch between the two).

What happens when you log on to a fairly prim-heavy area with the statisics bar open? The bandwidth indicator should spike high as soon as you log (downloading everything), but then go near flat and doesn't recover and things obviously never finished rezzing fully.

If that's the case for you, you're probably having a similar problem, although I guess there's no guarantee the solution would work for you as well... even though it's worth a try . It's not going to break anything either way, and if changing the setting didn't work you can just change it back to what it was.

(If the steps were confusing or things seemed different than I was describing, please let me know too and I'll try to find another way to walk you through it)

Right, I kinda guessed I would have one...lol
I haven't tried switching from fullscreen to windowed, although I am running sl in windowed mode, because when I tried to run it in fullscreen everything looked weird - too big.I will try that today - but I would like to stay on as long as I like...haha.
Ok, I am probably lasting a bit longer than you and have managed to stay on for about 25 minutes if I keep teleporting.
I've tried testing this in very busy places and places with lots of prims. The bandwidth goes nutty when I first log in, I guess while everything rezzes, then I try walking around, flying, chatting, opening inventory, etc...and at any time the bandwidth goes to 0, it can be in 1 minute or 15, and it can be while I'm trying to do something or when I'm doing nothing at all. Sometimes everything gets to rez, sometimes not, depends how long I last.
Right, so I'm going to try your suggestion now, I am willing to try anything at this point, your instuctions are pretty clear, I will let you know how it goes.
Wish me luck
and thank you heaps for replying so quickly.
cheers

woooooooooooohoooooooooooooooo....>does crazy victory dance, and a few Toyota jumps. Headache has miraculously disappeared> Yiiiiiiiiiipeeeeeee!!!

WOW!!!!! You are my new best friend.....how can I repay you? You have solved all of my problems, have been on for 2 hours with not one crash....and both pc's on sl at same time.
Can't believe it after everything I have tried....think I'm in shock still.
A million thank you's, if there is anything you want or need just ask me.
cheers

P.S Wish I could buy you a beer or something

Whoo, great!

Happy it worked for you as well .

PS: I don't actually like beer . But if you wanted to give me choc-chip cookies, I wouldn't turn those down .

Truckloads of Decadent choc chip cookies coming your way.
Thanks again
cheers