Well, I just now solved my own problem. The answer was so simple it's
almost scarey. I haven't even read your recommendations all of the way
through, yet. WINDOWS UPDATE!
It was originally recommended that I download all of the most
up-to-date software, drivers, etc. for my model computer from the
Shuttle website. That should solve everything, right! Wrong! Just
out of curiosity, I checked Windows for updates. What do you know,
there was suddenly one available that had not appeared before -
"Realtek Semiconductor Corp. - Realtek RTL8139/810x Family Fast
Ethernet NIC." Lo and behold, once installed, my ethernet connection
works! I'm using it right now!
Lesson in life - if you want the best computer that you can possibly
have, learn how to build it yourself, and get all of the instructions
and installation CDs that should come with it. Well, and then always
check for Windows updates. :-) Isn't it funny how we look past the
obvious so easily...
Warren Wrote:
Jen wrote:-
> - Bought a new Motorola SB5100 and replaced the Scientific Atlanta
> rental from Comcast. Hooked this up with the USB connection, called
> Comcast to give info. on the new modem, connected to the internet
> just
> fine.
> - Switched the modem connection from USB to ethernet, following all
> of
> the power off/on routines, of course. Same problem. Obviously not a
> problem with the modem.-
>
> Why did you even hook-up the USB connection if you were going to switch
> to
> Ethernet? Not only can't we rule-out the modem as the problem, it might
> be
> the problem, or have introduced another problem as well.
>
> -
> - Spent forever on the phone with Comcast. Was told that adding my
> new
> router (Linksys Broadband Firewall Router BEFSX41) to the mix may
> either
> eliminate the problem if it has something to do with a "black list"
> or
> at list help eliminate possible sources of the problem.-
>
> What you're saying here doesn't make any sense. Perhaps you
> misunderstood
> what was being said. Also, once you hit the 15 minute mark, the phone
> agent
> has a great incentive to tell you anything that'll get you off the
> phone.
>
> -
> - Hooked up new router using ethernet connection. It worked! I saw
> the Comcast website with all its images for a couple minutes before I
> went to the Linksys website to complete installation per their
> instructions. They had a drop down where I was to select the "Obtain
> an IP Automatically" option and save settings. Upon save, I lost my
> connection and was not able to get it back.-
>
> I find it very strange that you would have seen the Comcast website.
> That's
> not consistant with anything else in this story. And by "Linksys
> website",
> do you mean
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on the Internet, or 192.168.1.1, which is a
> page
> that the router actually serves?
>
> -
> - Spent forever on the phone with both Comcast and Linksys. They
> said
> that something was wrong with my ethernet port hardware, since the
> system could not pull an IP address.-
>
> On your desktop, right-click on My Network Places, and choose
> Properties.
> Pull down the View menu, and make sure the dot is next to Tiles. Now
> look at
> all the icons under LAN or High-Speed Internet. Each should have three
> lines
> of text. The econd line of only one should say Connected, and that one
> should be the one who's third line is the name of your NIC. Right-click
> on
> any other enabled connections, and choose Disconnect. Then right-click
> on
> the icon for your NIC, and choose Repair.
>
> Then go to Start Run, type "cmd" (without the quotes), and click OK.
> Then
> type "ipconfig" (again without the quotes), and press Enter. Near the
> top of
> the results you'll see an IP address.
>
> If the address is 192.168.1.100, you are connecting to the router just
> fine.
> The problem is not the computer, or between the computer and the
> router. So
> if you're getting this IP address, there is nothing wrong with your NIC
> or
> your motherboard.
>
> If the address is 169.254.*.*, then your computer isn't communicating
> with
> the router. Before you can even worry about a Comcast or modem problem,
> you
> have to first solve this problem. It could be the computer hardware.
> It
> could be the OS. It could be the NIC. It could be the cable between
> the
> computer and router. It could be the router. But it's not beyond the
> router.
> (There could be another problem beyond the router, but we can't deal
> with
> that yet.)
>
> If the address is 0.0.0.0, then the problem is the computer. Either the
> NIC
> isn't installed right, there is a problem with the motherboard, or you
> have
> some major OS issues.
>
> If the address is anything else, type "ipconfig /release all". Then
> type
> "ipconfig /renew". Then type "ipconfig", and see what the IP address
> is
> then.
>
> The IP address you're getting at this point will determin which
> direction to
> take the troubleshooting.
>
> BTW... I hope you're using a different computer to access the Internet
> to
> post these messages. If you're still switching between USB and
> Ethernet
> connections on both the modem and your computer, that can make things
> much
> more complex. Note that the steps I've outlined above will disable any
> USB
> networking connection from your computer because that could be a source
> of a
> problem.
>
> You may also need to uninstall any USB networking drivers on the
> computer.
> Switching back and forth can very easily create problems that appear to
> be
> hardware issues, but are simply problems with a flakey USB networking > driver.
>
> --
> Warren H.
>
> ==========
> Disclaimer: My views reflect those of myself, and not my
> employer, my friends, nor (as she often tells me) my wife.
> Any resemblance to the views of anybody living or dead is
> coincidental. No animals were hurt in the writing of this
> response -- unless you count my dog who desperately wants
> to go outside now.
> Care for your landscape with Black and Decker cordless tools
>
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