Downloads stopping prematurely

I have been having a problem with downloads stopping midway through. This occurs on Firefox and IE. I know this happens at home, on my laptop, where I connect to the internet via a USB 2.0 cable. It doesn't happen to my desktop at home. Offhand, I don't recall if I have this problem with the laptop at work; I just know it is maddeningly aggrevating me at home. Other than this, I have noticed no other problems with the internet connection. Any suggestions?

EDIT--I had considered using a download manager, but since it occurs in both IE and FF, I was thinking it was a hardware problem.

 

Can you use an ethernet port to connect to the internet with your laptop and not use USB?

If your ISP stuck you with a router that is USB only call them and tell them that you need one that has an ethernet port. (If you ever need to add a router, you will thank me -- finding a USB capable router is not fun in the USA, the choices are limited and expensive.).

 

Yes, Bill, I can use an ethernet cable if I want to--its just that we only have one ethernet cable, and that connects the desktop to the modem, so I need the usb cable to connect the laptop to that same modem (rather than constantly plugging and unplugging the ethernet cable into the two computers).

Would the USB actually hurt the d/l connection? I was under the impression that it was a provided a higher quality connection than the traditional ethernet cable.

 

It provides a higher speed connection to your modem (not the internet) but of lower quality. The speed of which is irrelevant as either ethernet at 100mbs or your USB 2.0 connection is several multiples faster than your broadband connection.

The issue, I believe without a shred of any research on my part, is that USB is not true full duplex (bidirectional port), and it is switching from sender to receiver in half duplex that your issues arise.

Your own experience is confirming: no issues at Work, and no issues for the Desktop.

You can purchase inexpensively (under $US 10 online shopping) a broadband router and allow both your desktop and notebook ethernet connections.

 

Thanks for clarifying that.

I'm not sure what you mean with "sender-reciever "--my webpage loads are rather quick--its only when I'm downloading a file that the goofup occurs. How could any cable goof up a file, but load a page correctly? Is it just the larger size (of the files) that makes it more noticeable?

 

I never said it was the cable. I said it was the Duplex setting. USB in this context is half-duplex.

Constantly during the download their are ACK/NACK protocol conversations between you (as client) and the remote server as host.

It is during the transitions forced by the half-duplex nature of the communications that your USB is breaking down. Rather than a cable issue, I would strongly suspect your USB controller chip and/or the chipset level drivers.

There are some very lousy USB chipsets out there.
VIA VT83C572 -- A problematic chipset
CMD -- A problematic chipset

 

OK. Thanks. I'll see if I can hook up two ethernet cables to the router, then.

 

OK, I'll look into that over the holiday, if I can find an extra ethernet cable around the house.