[SOLVED] Connected but can't get online

[KateCG]

I have a Dell PC running XP SP2, and my ISP is RCN. I haven't been able to access the internet for almost a week now. When I go to network connections my LAN looks like it's running fine - it says it's connected and repairing the connection doesn't change anything. My modem itself seems to be working. All the right lights are on, at least.

My computer thinks it's online and notices when I turn off the modem, yet I can't pull up any web pages or log on to instant messaging.

I tried running cmd and doing ipconfig /release and /refresh, but it brings up a 192 IP address, which the guy at my ISP says indicates I have a router installed, but my modem is plugged directly into my PC.

I've tried power cycling my modem, I've run a virus scan, and I did a system restore back to a point before I started experiencing problems. This is driving me nuts. Any ideas?

[johnwill]

Please supply the following info, exact make and models of the equipment please.

Make and model of the broadband modem.
Make and model of the router (if any).
Connection type, wired or wireless.
If wireless, encryption used, (none, WEP, WPA, or WPA2)
Make/model of network card or wireless adapter.
Make/model of your computer (motherboard if home-built).
Version and patch level of Windows on all affected machines, i.e. XP-Home (or XP-Pro), SP2, Vista, etc.

How EXACTLY are the units wired? Please indicate any legends on the jacks in use, and what is connected to what.


After resetting the modem, try this:

TCP/IP stack repair options for use with Windows XP with SP2.

Start, Run, CMD to open a command prompt.

Reset WINSOCK entries to installation defaults: netsh winsock reset catalog

Reset TCP/IP stack to installation defaults. netsh int ip reset reset.log

Reboot the machine.



Finally, I'd like to see this:

Start, Run, CMD to open a command prompt:

Type the following command:

IPCONFIG /ALL

Right click in the command window and choose Select All, then hit Enter.
Paste the results in a message here.

If you are on a machine with no network connection, use a floppy, USB disk, or a CD-RW disk to transfer a text file with the information to allow pasting it here.

[KateCG]

Thanks for the quick reply. I'll post the needed information tomorrow.

[KateCG]

Modem: Arris TM402G/110
Network Card: Intel(R) PRO/100 VE
PC: Dell Dimension 4600
OS: XP Home SP2
Connection: Cable from wall to modem, network cable from modem to PC

ipconfig:
Host Name - desktop
Primary Dns Suffix -
Node Type - Unknown
IP Routing Enabled - No
WINS Proxy Enabled - No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix -
Description - Intel(R) PRO/100 VE Network Connection
Physical Address - 00-07-E9-7E-9C-DA
Dhcp Enabled - Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled - Yes
IP Address - 192.168.100.x
Subnet Mask - 255.255.255.x
Default Gateway -
DHCP Server - 192.168.100.1
Lease Obtained - Monday, October 15, 2007 10:22:56 PM
Lease Expires - Monday, October 15, 2007 10:23:16 PM

[johnwill]

There is something odd going on, you're getting a DHCP lease time of 20 seconds! That's not right.

I tried running cmd and doing ipconfig /release and /refresh, but it brings up a 192 IP address, which the guy at my ISP says indicates I have a router installed, but my modem is plugged directly into my PC.

The guy at your ISP is an idiot, the Arris TM402G/110 is a VoIP modem and has a NAT layer, which accounts for the private IP address. Do you have VoIP phone service using that modem?

[KateCG]

Yes, although my VoIP hasn't been working for almost two months. My ISP has been similarly helpful about that.

[johnwill]

That should be a BIG clue! If the VoIP isn't work, and the Internet isn't working, you have ISP or modem issues. Time to get ugly with them.

Let's do a simple test.

Try these simple tests.

Start, Run, CMD to open a command prompt:

PING 216.109.112.135

Tell us the results.

PING yahoo.com

Tell us the results.

[KateCG]

Oh, I'm gonna get reeal ugly...

I'll try this and get back to you, thanks!

[John Bush]

I also have the TM402G modem and you should be able to get to a modem status page by going to uri http://192.168.100.1 - If you could post a screen shot the values would tell alot.

[KateCG]

The problem is now more or less fixed, but going to that IP address wouldn't have worked, because I couldn't access the internet in any way, shape or form. What actually happened was that the standby button on the front of the modem was physically stuck, trapping the modem in standby mode. Since I had tried going through the standby and power cycling procedures dozens of times while I was offline, it never occurred to me that that was the problem. It was only a frustrated chuck across the room during my 21st total hour of tech-support calling that knocked the thing loose. Of course, that didn't actually fix whatever flaw caused it to jam in the first place, so I have every confidence that it will break again.

I appreciate the helpful comments here. Even though they didn't end up being related to the actual problem, being armed with information helped me cut through the layers of idiocy at my ISP's helpdesk. They never did stop insisting that it was some unnamed, scan-proof "virus" that caused my problems, and since my modem was technically just in standby mode for two weeks, they've refused to refund my wasted money. And my service got interrupted again four days later.

The moral of this story is RCN is evil, evil, evil. And they employ rude ignorant creeps who don't even know the specs of their own equipment. When I insisted for the tenth time that I didn't have a router and my modem didn't need one, my helpful customer service rep sniffed that I couldn't possibly know what I was talking about, and that I should listen to him, because "(Arrogant nerd-snort) I build computers at home, okay?"

Eh, I should probably take this to Consumerist, so anyway, you guys are great, thank you. I'll remember you in the future.

[John Bush]

Actually Kate that uri is on the private side of the network so as long as the pc network card and cable was good you would have been able to see the modem status.
For future reference the WAN Isolation item in the Status section will indicate the state of what the modem thinks that standby button is. I learned that is the first thing to check the exact same way, I bumped it when I moved the modem and was down 2 days.

[johnwill]

Thanks for the feedback Kate.