Constant 3-5 second internet drops. Affects hardwired PC (direct to Verizon router) and Wi-Fi (TP-Link Decos) simultaneously. Help!
Hey everyone,
I’m dealing with an incredibly frustrating issue and could really use some expert eyes on this.
My home network keeps experiencing random drops where the internet goes completely out for exactly 3 to 5 seconds, and then immediately comes back on its own.
My Setup:
- ISP: Verizon Fios
- Desktop PC: Connected directly to the Verizon router via an Ethernet cable.
- Wi-Fi: A TP-Link Deco mesh system with a node in each floor (4 floors). The Decos are currently configured to run in Access Point (AP) mode, so routing is completely handled by the Verizon router.
The Symptom:
Whenever these random drops happen, BOTH my hardwired desktop PC (ethernet is connected to the verizon router) and all wireless devices on the Deco Wi-Fi drop offline at the exact same millisecond. Because my PC bypasses the Decos entirely and goes straight to the Verizon hardware, this rules out the Deco mesh network as the culprit.
Since it affects the entire house simultaneously but only lasts a few seconds, it feels like a hardware negotiation glitch, an IP conflict, or an issue between the Verizon ONT box and the router.
What I've tried/verified so far:
- Confirmed the Decos are definitely in Access Point mode.
- Power-cycled the entire network chain.
- Disabled the wireless radio/turned off Wi-Fi broadcasting from the verizon website router settings page
Has anyone with a similar Verizon setup experienced these micro-drops? Are there specific settings in the Verizon gateway (like IPv6 bugs or network card checksum offloading conflicts) that I should change?
Any troubleshooting advice would be massively appreciated!