Computers

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by andViolins
The connection is (I believe) a USB. It looks just like this:


aV

Nope. That's ethernet. Not sure how you've got things configured. I'd start this way--directly connect the DSL modem to the computer. Take the wireless network off the network. Call up SBC and have them walk you through the configuration steps like you're installing new. See what the problem is. I do bet it's simply that your network settings aren't right--sometimes the computer will "see" the network, but all it's seeing is that it's connected to an ethernet cable but that there's no actual connection to the internet.

[andViolins]

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
Nope. That's ethernet. Not sure how you've got things configured. I'd start this way--directly connect the DSL modem to the computer. Take the wireless network off the network. Call up SBC and have them walk you through the configuration steps like you're installing new. See what the problem is. I do bet it's simply that your network settings aren't right--sometimes the computer will "see" the network, but all it's seeing is that it's connected to an ethernet cable but that there's no actual connection to the internet.

That is what we did this morning. SBC walked my wife through all the set-up/configuration steps and told her that all the hardware was working fine and that it was a driver problem.

aV

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by andViolins
That is what we did this morning. SBC walked my wife through all the set-up/configuration steps and told her that all the hardware was working fine and that it was a driver problem.

aV

I'd try tech support again, and hope you get a better person. I can't imagine what kind of driver microsoft would fuck up that means you can't network your computer. Ethernet drivers are pretty basic to the computer, and are not device specific.

[baltassoc]

Originally posted by andViolins
The connection is (I believe) a USB. It looks just like this:



Goes straight from the modem right into the Computer. I have a wireless router, but unplugged it in an attempt to see if it was a hardware problem. The computer "sees" the network connection. I don't know if I'm phrasing that right, but it does not give me the network unplugged icon and in network connections is showing a connection.



aV

It does sound to me like Burger's right and there's a configuration issue (like your password settings got wiped, maybe).

To make sure we understand, though, when you plug the computer directly into the modem via ethernet, it doesn't work, but if you plug it into your router, it finds the (local) network? That would seem to indicate some problem in getting connected with their systems, and since they've said it's not their hardware, I'm guessing password.

I'd unplug/restart everything, then reinput the login information. And if that doesn't work, restart the modem again (my SBC modem seems kind of finicky, but restarting it often fixes the problem like magic).

If this fails, go out and buy a Mac. I just did, and I couldn't be more pleased.

[andViolins]

Originally posted by baltassoc
It does sound to me like Burger's right and there's a configuration issue (like your password settings got wiped, maybe).

To make sure we understand, though, when you plug the computer directly into the modem via ethernet, it doesn't work, but if you plug it into your router, it finds the (local) network? That would seem to indicate some problem in getting connected with their systems, and since they've said it's not their hardware, I'm guessing password.

I'd unplug/restart everything, then reinput the login information. And if that doesn't work, restart the modem again (my SBC modem seems kind of finicky, but restarting it often fixes the problem like magic).

If this fails, go out and buy a Mac. I just did, and I couldn't be more pleased.

I unplugged everything. Took the router out of the loop. Tried reinstalling SBC Yahoo's software. The Computer apparently "sees" the internet connection, however when I run the SBC Yahoo set-up, it tells me that it does not find the modem. Nor does any other software on the computer find the internet connection.

I know I'm probably not explaining this correctly. It is very frustrating.

aV

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by andViolins
I unplugged everything. Took the router out of the loop. Tried reinstalling SBC Yahoo's software. The Computer apparently "sees" the internet connection, however when I run the SBC Yahoo set-up, it tells me that it does not find the modem. Nor does any other software on the computer find the internet connection.

I know I'm probably not explaining this correctly. It is very frustrating.

aV

That doesn't entirely make sense. What the computer "sees" is that it's connected to a network, which is the connection to the modem. What the modem does is connect to the internet. So, there are two possible problems: 1 ) your computer can't talk to the modem; 2) your modem can't talk to the interet.

1 is probably the problem, and has to be solved first. I would have thought the SBC software would solve that. Do you have another computer you can hook up to the modem to see if it works? Wish I could troubleshoot it this way more effectively, but I can't. Have you tried removing and replugging the cable?

On your current computer, can you see what the IP address it is receiving is? It probably should be something like 192.168.x.x (although you could have a direct internet IP address, like 207.xxx.xxx.xxx). If the computer's not getting the signal from the modem, it may generate its own IP address, like 154.xxx.xxx or 172.x.x.x (this happened when my ethernet card was dead).

[andViolins]

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
That doesn't entirely make sense. What the computer "sees" is that it's connected to a network, which is the connection to the modem. What the modem does is connect to the internet. So, there are two possible problems: 1 ) your computer can't talk to the modem; 2) your modem can't talk to the interet.

1 is probably the problem, and has to be solved first. I would have thought the SBC software would solve that. Do you have another computer you can hook up to the modem to see if it works? Wish I could troubleshoot it this way more effectively, but I can't. Have you tried removing and replugging the cable?

On your current computer, can you see what the IP address it is receiving is? It probably should be something like 192.168.x.x (although you could have a direct internet IP address, like 207.xxx.xxx.xxx). If the computer's not getting the signal from the modem, it may generate its own IP address, like 154.xxx.xxx or 172.x.x.x (this happened when my ethernet card was dead).

I had this thought as well. At least the part about bringing home a laptop to see if it can access the internet through the modem. I certainly don't understand why the computer can verify that there is an internet connection yet cannot communicate through the modem.

aV

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by andViolins
. I certainly don't understand why the computer can verify that there is an internet connection yet cannot communicate through the modem.

aV

I think you're confusing an internet connection with a network connection. An internet connection means you're able to send signals beyond the dsl modem, which you say you can't. A network connection means only that you're connected to a network, which can be merely two computers, or even just one computer and one other device (router, modem, printer). Your computer, I suspect, is detecting only the latter.

[Atticus Grinch]

Originally posted by andViolins
I had this thought as well. At least the part about bringing home a laptop to see if it can access the internet through the modem. I certainly don't understand why the computer can verify that there is an internet connection yet cannot communicate through the modem.

aV

Since you have XP, have you tried right-clicking on the network connection and choosing "Repair" from the pop-up menu? (You can also get to this using the Properties dialog through the Control Panel.) I have found this cures much of what periodically ails my XP machine because it forces the machine to reconfigure, obtain an IP address, etc.

[andViolins]

Originally posted by Atticus Grinch
Since you have XP, have you tried right-clicking on the network connection and choosing "Repair" from the pop-up menu? (You can also get to this using the Properties dialog through the Control Panel.) I have found this cures much of what periodically ails my XP machine because it forces the machine to reconfigure, obtain an IP address, etc.

Tried that. XP won't let my wife click "Repair." She spoke with eMachines customer support, and they want her to ( I assume) reinstall Win XP from the CD-ROM.

aV

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by andViolins
Tried that. XP won't let my wife click "Repair." She spoke with eMachines customer support, and they want her to ( I assume) reinstall Win XP from the CD-ROM.

aV

And as you know, that will wipe every-fucking-thing off the computer. Did you quadruple-check the password and/or reinstall the hardware? I have had to reinstall hardware a few times -- I think the modem -- to get the computer to work.

the chocolate in cb&tl chocolate croissants is way, way too concentrated.

[pony_trekker]

Originally posted by andViolins
I have a cheap E-Machine computer (2004). Hooked up to the Internet through SBC Yahoo. The Computer runs Windows XP. The DSL Modem is a Speedstream 5100 (siemens product). Yesterday, Microsoft advised of a software update. I downloaded and rebooted. After rebooting, the computer can no longer find the modem. SBC Yahoo support ran my wife through a number of different tests and advised that it is not a hardware problem. Everything is working fine. Their (SBC's) thought is that upon downloading the Microsoft updates, I outdated my driver (for the modem I assume). I am not sure how to proceed and do not want to lug the computer over to CompUSA or Circuit City and pay $100+ if anyone has an easy solution. I realize that I need to get an updated driver. I can do that on a different machine, I am just unsure of how to go about doing it.

Any help is appreciated.

aV

Emachines and windows -- a horrible combination. Like driving a Ford Explorer while drinking Jack.

Can't you roll back the driver?

Take this opportunity to switch.

[pony_trekker]

Originally posted by andViolins
Tried that. XP won't let my wife click "Repair." She spoke with eMachines customer support, and they want her to ( I assume) reinstall Win XP from the CD-ROM.

aV

Get used to it. I had that happen once a year with my emachines POS.

See, if you had a mac, you could waltz right over to the nearest genius bar.

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by pony_trekker
Get used to it. I had that happen once a year with my emachines POS.

See, if you had a mac, you could waltz right over to the nearest genius bar.

All glibness aside, this type of fiasco that violins is having is why macs are balls. Microsoft designs software for machines with who-knows-what pieces-parts in them, and there are millions of different combinations of machines. So they create a patch, and inevitably it's going to fuck up someone's machine, and who knows why, and everyone will point at everyone else (Microsoft would say it's SBC's fault.) And it leave violins with a pretty new computer, with the most up-to-date software, and no internet. That just sucks.

Meanwhile, apple has a limited number of machines that its software works on, it can test all of them, and can send out patches with very few problems, and relatively curable ones.

I really believe the more complicated and advanced computers become, the more an OS like apple's will succeed.

[andViolins]

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
All glibness aside, this type of fiasco that violins is having is why macs are balls. Microsoft designs software for machines with who-knows-what pieces-parts in them, and there are millions of different combinations of machines. So they create a patch, and inevitably it's going to fuck up someone's machine, and who knows why, and everyone will point at everyone else (Microsoft would say it's SBC's fault.) And it leave violins with a pretty new computer, with the most up-to-date software, and no internet. That just sucks.

Meanwhile, apple has a limited number of machines that its software works on, it can test all of them, and can send out patches with very few problems, and relatively curable ones.

I really believe the more complicated and advanced computers become, the more an OS like apple's will succeed.

Well, I brought a laptop home and got on with the modem. It is definitely not a hardware problem. From what eMAchines support says, it is a firewall issue. THey cannot seem to solve the problem, even after hours of tech support conversations.

arg.

aV