Lenovo Windows 7 causes Westell 7500 modem to reboot every 5-6 minutes

[Joeuhd]

My laptop running Lenovo Windows 7 causes my Westell 7500 modem/router to reboot every 5-6 minutes.

I'm using a new  Lenovo 3000 G530 laptop running the Windows 7 Home Premium OS that was preinstalled on the laptop.   Other laptops running other software do not cause the modem/router to reboot.  Is there some utility in Windows 7 or in the Lenovo software that sends a message to the modem every 5 or 6 minutes that might be causing this problem?

[IPnaSh Guru]

What interface use? Ethernet or USB?

[Joeuhd]

using ethernet or wireless (Wi-Fi) interface,  in either circumstance the modem/router reboots everey 5-6 minutes.

[yigit]

- try to remove any application installed for wireless network management and use windows itself.

- try to flash firmware update if there's available for your modem.

[Joeuhd]

The modem firmware is the latest version available, so we cannot upgrade the firmware.

With the Wi-Fi adapter turned off, by moving the switch on the front of the laptop to the left, and using an ethernet cable to connect the laptop to the modem/router,  the problem still occurs, i.e. modem rebooting every 5-6 minutes, so I doubt that Lenovo wireless software, i.e. "Lenovo ReadyComm 5", is causing the problem.   Is there any other Lenovo software installed that affects the ethernet connection?   If you still recommend removing "Lenovo ReadyComm5" I can remove it.

I am helping a friend, who is on the opposite side of the U.S. to resolve this problem, so there may be some delays in removing the software and in my response.

In the meantime, I will arrange to download and install "Wireshark" software so that we can monitor and record the traffic on the ethernet connection and note what data is transferred just prior to the moment when the modem begins the reboot process.   I will let you know what we learn, if anything!

[IPnaSh Guru]

Ummmm... And this happens only if you use Windows 7? Can you try with a Live CD (for example, Ubuntu) to discart any software problem?

[Joeuhd]

I communicating with the laptop user from 3000 miles away so, unfortunately, I'm not able to run a live CD (Ubuntu) to check it out.  In a week or so I might be able to have a friend run a live CD on the laptop.  Previously, the friend has connected his own laptop to the modem and had no problem with the modem rebooting each  5-6 minutes.  However, his laptop was running Windows XP.   In the meantime, I had the user download and install and run wireshark while using the wireless connection to the modem.   We recorded the traffic and stopped recording just after the modem began rebooting.   At that point the modem had most recently sent three messages to the laptop  described as:

Protocol TCP  info danf-ak2 > http [SYN] ....

and the laptop had sent  a message to 239.255.255.250   protocol SSDP  info NOTIFY * HTTP/1.1

In the limited period in which we were recording packets, these were the first messages  having the info "danf-ak2".

In the next day or two I will try and arrange to record the messages over a longer period of time to see if the "danf-ak2" messages always coincide with the modem rebooting.

[Joeuhd]

With the Lenovo laptop (running Windows 7) connected to the Westell 7500 via a wireless connection, I have recorded the packets being sent and received by the laptop( using Wireshark) over a period of  16-17 minutes during which time the Westell modem rebooted three times.  If it would be useful, I could send to you the file in which the packets are recorded.   I did notice that immediately before each reboot (with perhaps one intervening packet) the laptop sent a packet  SSDP  NOTIFY * HTTP/1.1 to the destination 239.255.255.250.  However, this same packet also was sent at  other times when the modem did not reboot.  I will still try and arrange for a test of the laptop using a "live" CD. 

[yigit · Accepted solution]

- if readycom installed, remove it.
- if you have mcaffe, disable the firewall and/or phishing filters, or just un-install it.
- disable ipv6 connection protocol.
- run command prompt with admin privileges and type "netsh int tcp set global autotuninglevel=disabled" enter.

[Joeuhd]

Success!   I don't know which of the three changes that you suggested did the trick (we had previously disabled ipv6), but we made the three changes and the Westell 7500 modem/router is now stable and no longer reboots every 5-6 minutes.  Which of the three changes was most likely the fix?

Thank you for your patience and suggestions.