Cherry Hill, NJ - Comcast

MAC address filtering? WEP or other security problems? Did the laptop work when hooked directly to the modem? Is this Comcast, as the subject suggests, or DSL? Is the router DSL compatabile if DSL? I ask because you said the modem is "touchstone telephone".

Just to be clear - did it work when you connected the cable modem directly to the laptop?

Is this new service? Did you get you modem added / provisioned by Comcast? Is TV working? Did you rest the router to factory defaults?

No. he had it for about a year.

Yes.

Yes.

Why? the only thing different is I enabled DHCP internally. If I reset the router I'll have to reconfigure everything.

No. WEP or other security problems?

I think youmisunderstand, INTERNAL ip address are working fine, it is the IP from the ISP that isn't.

Did the laptop

Yes.

Is this Comcast, as the subject suggests, or DSL?

Comcast.

Is the router DSL compatabile if DSL? I ask because you said the modem is "touchstone telephone".

The modem had that on it, it is conencted to the coax. I'm guessing that is a brand name.

I see another person is also trying to help you, I will back off and let them do their thing and step back in if they fail. One thing at a time will generally get it fixed, me telling you to try one thing, them telling you something else will just get things confused.

I disagree, lay it on me. I'm an IT tech for the past 12 years, I know what I'm doing. hence my confusion. I did this exact same thing here on Comcast in Pennsylvania and it worked. I'm having my brother reset to factory defaults but I don't think that will work. It doesn't make sense as to why it would.

It's Comcast. They use it for VOIP, and I suspect it actually reads "telephony", not "telephone". ;-)

You did not answer if direct connect to the PC is working.

If yes - then it's the router. Try resetting to factory defaults. If that does not work - try a new router.

If no - then it's the cable modem.

Also - when you are doing your tests - you are powering down each time - and not just unplugging Ethernet cables - correct?

Yes it does work.

So, he has to buy a new router?

Correct, powering down.

Do you do the reset as he suggested ?

I have relayed the information, and will let you know what happens.

He didn't get a chance to try it yet. Let's assume it didn't work because it probably won't.

Any other suggestions? I know Comcast won't help because they don't support routers they didn't sell. He also does have the Comcast triple play, the telephone device connects to the phone and the cable modem connects to the computer; both are unrelated.

Well, if it works without the router and doesn't with the router and that's been well established, it's probably the router and whatever can be done to troubleshoot the router should be done. I'd also borrow another router and try that.

You are powering down the cable modem when switching from pc to router - correct? Cable modems get "married" to the device that has the IP address ... so you cannot simply unplug cables but you have to powerdown both the router and the cable modem.

Why are you assuming resetting the router won't work?

I am not sure what other advice anyone can give you - especially since we have not seen, touched, or directly diagnosed the situation.

Bottom line - direct to pc = ok, with the router = not ok

Go to local computer store, get a router that has a 30 day store return policy, test the new router - then you will know for sure.

If it now works - you have the choice of keeping the router or returning it and getting a different / better / cheaper one.

If it does not work - return the router, and back to the drawing board.

And by resetting you mean resetting to factory defaults. You do not mean power down and back up.

Correct. One of the key things achieved by a return to factory defaults is that the modem will then be in a known state, as opposed to the unknown state it's in now. We know from experience that a router set to factory defaults will work properly with Comcast, assuming no other faults exist.

One thing I would have checked, given the symptoms described, and maybe it's been checked and I missed it, is to make sure the router is configured to use DHCP on its WAN port. Resetting to factory defaults will return this setting to DHCP. If it's currently set to PPOE, for example, the problem will be as described by the OP; i.e., the WAN IP will remain 0.0.0.0.

I will ask him to do that; however he came home late yesterday and didn't feel like it. Hurry up and wait. Welcome to my life.

I'm certain I checked that; but I'll have him reset to anyway. Refresh my memory; when a Linksys router is reset to factory what is the default wireless password and SSID?

Yes - earlier in the thread we all clearly stated "reset to factory defaults"

I may have even mentioned "paperclip"

Problem solved - the cable modem has a battery in it.