Is remote access still possible after a Win10 Network Reset+Reboot on remote PC?

Hi all. I operate a truly remote and headless and unatended PC 6.000 miles away from me. I lately experience some LAN/WAN connectivity problems on that remote PC running Win10. My PC runs Win7. Usually it was connected via WiFi 5GHz without a problem. I now asked someone there to connect it via ethernet-cable and regained connection.......but unstable. Sometimes when I click on the Network Icon at the bottom right taskbar of the remote screen, the screen freezes and mouse won't do anything anymore, but ambient sound I can still hear, so there is a connection. I than try to reboot the remote PC, and at first nothing happens, but later on (minutes), it disconnects, reboots and appears back in my local Teamviewer GUI window.

I checked as much as possible, and I am now considdering using the Network Reset option on the remote Win10 PC...........but will Teamviewer (it is set to start as a service at start) restart and remote PC come online again? If not, I'm in big trouble..........

Can't find any info on this anywhere, and the Network Reset message says, I quote: "......You might need to reinstall other networking software afterwards, such as VPN client software or virtual switches........."! Well, that is for me physically impossible to do.

Please help?

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bartlanz

Ok, so I just tried the Reset Network thing on a VM. You should be safe as long as you don't have a VPN or Virtual Switch. It took about 7 min for it to reconnect. After you click the Reset Network and confirm it. the system will reboot in 5 min. then it is the normal amount of time for a reboot. After the reboot, it showed up as it normally does on my list.

Now that being said, I really don't think this is a computer issue nor a TeamViewer issue. What island is the computer you are working on, on? My experience with a couple of customers I have worked with on islands (in the caribian) has been that the broadband isn't broad (your numbers are better than most) and the reliability has been inconsistant. I would wonder if the under sea cable is having issues, if they have lost a link that they once had that was providing redundancy or something like that... if the island is provided internet by satellite... then that is a whole different story... but not better.

A quick bit of googlefu and I cam accoss this piece of software https://www.softinventive.com/total-network-monitor/ (they do a 60 day free trial) or http://download.cnet.com/Net-Uptime-Monitor/3000-2085_4-75616566.html (which will run for an up to an hour) that you might want to try out. Set it up to monitor the various steps in your internet path and see what it reports back. I'd check from your pc to your router, to your gateway, ideally something in your ISP's network (maybe find this with a trace route), then Google, and a couple of other easy to monitor websites. Unfortunately, I do not know of anything that TeamViewer publishes that you could monitor of theirs.

All comments

bartlanz

When you connected the remote PC by ethernet, did you disable your wireless connection? I have had redundant connections like that cause issues with streaming type services (TeamViewer would in this instance classify as this). If you have not, I would suggest trying that.

I am unsure what the "Network Reset" option you are talking about is. Could you give me some more info on that?

TeamViewer is not natively dependant on a VPN client althogh it does have the ability built in to create one. Are you running any virtualization systems (VMware, or what ever windows gives you now) on this remote computer? If not the risk of Virtual Switches is pretty low in my opinion.

Without the info I have requested my recomendation is the following... Look at the overall system, outside of the PC and ask what has changed. Did the site it is at change their ISP? Did they replace a router? Are they using a new DNS provider? Have they moved your computer to another network, or subnet? Is the ISP doing maintenance to the system causing issues? Has a network wire been changed/replaced? Was the wireless access point you are connected to replaced with a different make/model? ...Give me time I am sure I can come up with more. I regularly fight similar challanges. I provide services to companies across the world that run "unattended" weighing systems. The sites change constantly and the conditions are often less than ideal when it comes to the hardware and people to help.

bartlanz

Oh I had another one that it could be... are there any fiber runs? If so are they stull running in Full Duplex? If you have a Half Duplex fiber run that causes weird issues with lots of stuff.

Also when they plugged your computer in by eithernet, was that to the same switch that the wireless AP was plugged into? If so, there is a good chance that it could be an issue upstream of that. IE the fiber, a switch, or router upstream from the switch your hardware is connected too.

GuidoT

Hi Bartlanz,

First.....thank you for replying!

Let me answer your questions. Yes, both WiFi connections (2.4&5GHz) appear visible but idle in the list of available WiFi networks.

The Network Reset option you can find by going here (Win10 Home): Settings>Network & Internet>Status>Network Reset (link just above "Have a question?").

I'm running the remote PC on basically a "virgin" Win10 Home version, with zero exotic programs whatsoever, and nobody does anything with it, don't even touch it. It has no keyboard, no monitor, only a HP printer and a webcam. I only use it for scanning and printing out documents and ocasionaly starting and viewing the webcam image for short periods of time, so the usage is bare minimum, but I need the reliability of that PC just always being on full stand-by. further more, I don't really know what VPN or Virtual Switches are, so I guess don't realy need or use them.

Physically nothing has changed inside or around the PC since initial set-up. Also router/cable modem (Arris Gateway) etc. is all the same. ISP is monopolist on the island, so no changes there neither. AT the moment, because of the problems I'm having, I had the printer and webcam disconnected and moved closer to the Router in order to connect the ethernet-cable. Also did a soft-reset/reboot of the router.......problem still occur from time to time. I informed ISP to come and check gateway and outside cable integridty all the way into the neighborhood node. All appeared to be okay. I did some Speedtests, ping was okay, download between 30 and 50 Mbps variable, upload 1 to 9 Mbps variable during the whole day. I did suspect a problem with the upload side of it all and informed therefore the ISP to check that, but no response so far........ans I'm 6000 miles away, so it's hard to deal with them.

Does all this give a better picture for you? Please let me know. Thanks again!

GuidoT

Hi Bart,

Thank you for trying out the network reset funcion, that was what I needed to know.

In the meantime, all seems okay, so most likely, like you said, the problem is with the ISP. I'll keep monitoring.

Other off-topic question: why does my mouse wheel not scroll on remote PC when e.g. in the Settings window? It works fine in e.g. web-browser window on remote PC, which by the way has no keyboard or mouse (never) connected to it. Can;t find suitable explanation on the web, there it all relates to certain mouse software or hardware, which does not apply here. I welcome you comments on this, and really thank you for the previous help.