(tl;dr at bottom.)
I have absolutely no idea how this is happening. This isn't a support request, as I've obviously identified the problem, but more a question of how this is actually possible.
About seven years ago I met with a friend of mine who partook in dumpster diving as a hobby. He'd find all sorts of cool shit, and one time he happened to pick up a working minifridge. It was old as hell, a GE model. Probably 80s, judging by the fact it has that ugly faux wood paneling along the front. He said he was going to just toss it back in the dumpster because he had no use for it, so I should take it, and I did! Never touched it, just threw it in my closet.
About three years ago, I moved, and decided I had some drinks I wanted to keep separate from the main fridge so other people wouldn't drink them. Luckily, I'd been dragging this ancient minifridge around with me for half a decade, and so plugged it in and was happy as hell. It actually ran! Not only did it run, it ran great. Ice cold. It was perfect. I loaded it up with drinks and was pleased.
A day later, I was playing a game online on my desktop. I play with headphones, usually listening to music. Suddenly, I was disconnected. Didn't think anything of it, it happens sometimes.
An hour later, I was disconnected.
An hour later, I was disconnected.
I started noticing that it was at the exact same minute that I was disconnected every time. I called my ISP to ask what was up. Nope, no outage, and they don't see any disconnects on their side. I told him to wait a bit. 15 minutes later, at the exact same minute, my internet cut out for 2-3 seconds, then immediately popped back online. Again, the tech on the other end said there was no disconnection. I asked to speak to a supervisor, and the same thing. They didn't see any disconnects, and refused to believe that I was having the problem I was claiming.
Figuring my ISP was simply useless, I ignored it. It was extremely frustrating that I now had this issue, but I could live with it. I just had to start planning better. I live somewhere that has an ISP monopoly, so I had no other option but either deal with disconnects every hour, or have no internet at all.
The issue persisted for quite a while. Finally, about eight months ago, I moved again. Same town, just about a mile down the road. I was excited, because I thought for sure whatever issue was going on would be fixed.
And then it wasn't. I couldn't believe it. In a new home, in a new neighborhood, with a new router, and a new modem, I had the exact same issue. Every hour, at the same minute every time, my internet would cut out. I thought for sure that it had to be my computer. So I cracked into my savings, and built a new gaming PC.
And had the same problem. Every hour. At the same minute. The Network on my PC would change to "No Connection" for 2-3 seconds, then would find the network and pop back online like nothing happened. Every single hour. I had replaced literally everything in my home, including the house itself, and had the same issue. I absolutely could not believe what I was seeing.
For some reason, four days ago, I was on my PC, playing around online and wasn't wearing headphones. I always do, but for whatever reason, I just wasn't feeling like listening to music, or playing a game, so I kept my headphones off. Sure as shit, I heard my minifridge rattle as it powered off, and noticed that my internet had disconnected. Two seconds later, it came back up.
Holy shit.
So I left it plugged in. Sometime during that hour, it had powered itself back on to cycle, and there it went again; exactly one hour later, I heard the rattle of it turning off, and my internet disconnected. The next hour, same thing. I was astonished. It was my fridge this whole time.
Since then, I've unplugged it, and I haven't had an internet drop ever since.
But I still have no idea how this is possible. I realize how absolutely outlandish this sounds, but by some miracle I actually found someone else who had the exact same problem who was never able to find a solution. Only difference in his case is it happened when it turned ON and off. Mine was only when turning off.
Their suggestion was brownout, but that isn't it. My fridge is on a different outlet than my PC. Additionally, the router and modem are in an entirely different room. Plus, this only happens when my fridge turns off.
It isn't a hardware issue on my PC, because two completely different computers, one being absolutely brand new, had the exact same problem. It isn't software because it is obviously the fridge turning off that causes it, and it isn't networked to my PC, clearly.
I doubt it's something like static discharge, because the fridge is on the opposite end of my room, and the ethernet cable never touches it or gets anywhere near it. Same with the router, which is in an entirely different room.
So I have absolutely no idea, and I'm wicked curious to see if anyone can diagnose this. I have literally NO idea how this is physically possible.
tl;dr: An ancient minifridge from the 80s or 90s turning off on the other end of my bedroom causes my wired desktop PC connection to disable itself for 2-3 seconds. This happens on two PCs, one being brand new, on a new modem/router, and even in a new house. How is this physically possible?
Submitted May 27, 2016 at 02:46PM by PM_ME_HOLE_PICS http://ift.tt/20JuoMp techsupport
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