[jaybag]

I've signed up for the $30/month tethering plan and it's been okay but spotty. But over the last few days something really bizarre has been happening. After about 5-7 minutes of tethering, I lose my connection. When I go to "disconnect" from AT&T Connection Manager (because it shows me as connected still) it then searches for a signal for a long time and eventually says "No Wireless Device Detected". Usually if I disconnect the Bold and reattach it, it works again - for another 5 minutes. The connection is almost ALWAYS somewhere between 5-7 minutes.

Here's what I've tried to troubleshoot it:
- Reinstalled At&t Comm. Mgr.
- Reinstalled Desktop Manager
- Done a system restore on Vista
- Checked to make sure the power is being sent thru the USB ports - the AT&T guy said that if the computer was sent to shut power off once the Bold is fully charged, that would end the connection. That wasn't the problem because I'm on "high performance" setting.

Nothing has worked. What's worse is, once I did the system restore, Comm. Mgr. no longer tells me I have a GSM connection in my profile even after I reinstalled Comm. Mgr. (so I have to connect through the Windows network - which of course works for 5-7 minutes and then stops).

So somehow I seem to be losing the connection from the Bold to the computer (though Desktop Manager still shows me as connected). The AT&T guy suggested it might be a bad cable, but if that was the case I figure I'd get no connection at all (not the aforementioned 5-7 minutes of fun).

I'm on Vista 64-bit, DM 4.6, AT&TCM 6.10, and my OS is still the original (1.67?) because I'm too scared to try to update it (I know just enough about this stuff to be really dangerous). Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated because I'm ready to throw the Bold thru a wall.