Broadband works on one PC - not on other!

[DragonQ0105]

Hey, I have a PC and Laptop. I just reformatted my PC last night and reinstalled XP Pro SP2. I cannot get the internet to work correctly. If I install the Modem and activate the connection, it gives no errors and everything seems to be fine. However, when I go to google or any other site, it stays at "connecting to xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx" for 10 seconds or so, then it works.

Then, I can normally have the internet working for about a minute (although it's slow), then I'll just get "Page cannot be found" for everything. It's not even TRYING to find the site I don't think - it comes up straight away.

Sometimes resetting to modem gets it working slowly for another minute or so, then it happens again.


Strangely, when connected to the Laptop (also with XP Pro SP2), it works fine.

Here's some more specific info:

PC:
- MSI KM2M Motherboard
- AMD Athlon 1700+ (266MHz FSB)
- 512MB PC100 SDRAM
- 64MB GeForce2 MX 400 Graphics Card
- 52x52x32 CD-RW
- 50x CD-ROM
- 19GB 5400RPM ATA100 HDD
- 75GB 5400RPM ATA100 HDD
- Netgear Ethernet Card
- On-Board LAN Ethernet
- 6x USB2.0 Ports

On the PC, I've tried:
- Connecting to the Ethernet Port on the Netgear Card
- Connecting to the Ethernet Port on the Motherboard
- Connecting via USB
- IE6 SP6
- Firefox 1.2
- Uninstalling + reinstalling the modem and ethernet interfaces
- Disabling + Enabling the connection many times
- Repairing the Connection many times

No luck.

Laptop:
- Toshiba Satellite Pro 4320
- 6GB HDD
- 32x CD-ROM
- 1x USB1.1

Works perfectly on the laptop, suggesting something is wrong on the PC. However, I've tried all 3 available drivers on BOTH computers (Windows XP ones, the ones on the CD they gave me, and the updated ones on the internet - that are supposed to fix "intermittent connections"!!). They do not affect it at all.

Oh, last thing, it's a Scientific Atlanta WebStar 100 Series Modem on Blueyonder 1Mbps Broadband. I've tried Blueyonder's phone help when I had a similar problem before, and they were useless and told me they couldn't think of anything else to fix it than what I'd already tried.

Can anyone here help me please??

 

[gx3]

Surely you know how to enter a modem just as you would a router. It's the first thing I check on any cable system that I'm on. That way you know for sure who, what and how you're talking to as well as the quality of your connection. At present I'm running ethernet which has one mac address in the modem. If I were to use usb the mac address is different.

 

[bcastner]

aquias,

That is exactly how most cable systems work. I agree it is not true for ADSL, but MAC authentication is common for cable broadband. You knew there had to be a reason that most broadband routers offer a "cloning" feature, and this is why.

 

[gx3]

Sorry, in my previous post I meant to add that the mac addresses that are in the modem are the only ones that normally the cable co's computer will to talk to. If you put in an unknown one it may work for awhile untill the error is discovered.

 

[bcastner]

It is not the modem MAC it is the end point workstation or router or whatever device MAC.

 

[LloydSev]

Right.. I think it should all come done to Dragon making a call to his ISP.

Computer/Network Technician
CCNA

 

[DragonQ0105]

Just double-checked. The Physical Address for both the Laptop and Desktop's USB Connection is exactly the same.

If I call up the Broadband Company, what should I ask them to do?

Also, your theory about the Modem only accepting the first MAC Address cannot be valid here because:

a) I never unplugged it from the Desktop when I started experiencing these problems
b) The MAC Address surely cannot have changed with a reformat?

 

[bcastner]

Just double-checked. The Physical Address for both the Laptop and Desktop's USB Connection is exactly the same.

I would rather eat my left arm then use USB for a networking connection, but I am sure you are right. As I understand it your original connection was through an ethernet adapter, and this is what matters at the moment.

Also, your theory about the Modem only accepting the first MAC Address cannot be valid here because:

a) I never unplugged it from the Desktop when I started experiencing these problems
b) The MAC Address surely cannot have changed with a reformat?

A reformat would not change the MAC. But you have to believe me that most cable systems use MAC authentication. They will not deny you access completely, you most certain would be able to ping a known IP. But you will not get access to their DNS servers and your capabilities will be quite limited. Call them.

 

[DragonQ0105]

Hmmm OK maybe I wasn't clear enough...

I DID use Ethernet, until about a year ago when I found out there was a updated USB Driver which helped connection problems (i.e. I normally had to reset it every week to get it to work). Ever since then I've used USB, and never had problems.

This is why I don't understand why I'm having this problems - the connection hasn't been touched during the reformat AT ALL.

About calling them...what should I ask them to do? The salespersons are REALLY not helpful at all and just read out a list of fixes from a peice of card - none of which ever help?

Also, if the MAC Addresses are the same...and it works on the Laptop but not the Desktop...then surely the MAC Address is not being rejected?

 

[bcastner]

You tell them it works for one but not the other.
Without any attempt to be clever about this, there is an end point authentication that is demanded by most cable systems. Somehow it is failing for you.

A Broadband router would be a very wise choice for you once you sort the issue.

 

[aquias]

Good point Bill...it just goes against the most common sense for networking in my mind...but money doesn't always make sense!

As for calling them, follow Bill's advice. Tell them you have two systems you utilize for web access and that you do this by plugging in and unplugging the modem into each system.

 

[LloydSev]

You know.. if you are using a USB connection as a network connection, generally there is software that comes with the broadband router which installs software to help make the USB connection function properly.

Have you taken a look at that?

Computer/Network Technician
CCNA

 

[DragonQ0105]

No software - only drivers (which I have tried all 3 of).

Please let me make it clear that I do not use the Laptop for internet access generally! (So there's no point in getting a router really). I hate using it on the laptop since it only has 1 USB Port (so if I use the internet, I cannot use my external USB Mouse).

Anyway, I'll call them today if possible.

 

[Jay10826]

Maybe i'm not as knowledgable as a lot of you guys, but has nobody considered that this is a browser issue w/ IE? Since he's able to ping websites fine, and he mentioned that he was able to continue downloading a file even when browsing stopped working. I would say to check the internet options, reset everything, make sure "automatically detect settings" is not checked, and try another browser like firefox.

 

[aquias]

I had thought of that, but there isn't an IE setting that will allow you to work, then begin denial. That is why my first thought was some kind of infection that was beating down his network connection.

It may come back though, that we've all overshot the problem

 

[Jay10826]

I agree there is no setting that does that, but when he said "it stays at "connecting to xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx" for 10 seconds or so, then it works." (then it stopped working totally about a minute later) That should help us diagnose the problem. And since he JUST installed windows and the problem started immediately, its probably not a virus or spyware, right?

 

[bcastner]

It is an authentication issue for the cable system.
You just cannot flip connections around such as desired by this user without interposing a router that will maintain a consistent MAC address to the cable system.

It is just how they work.

 

[DragonQ0105]

Well I just got off the phone with Telewest/Blueyonder Free Support - and had a discussion with a guy who was actually a lot more helpful than the woman I got last time I had to call Technical Support.

Anyway, I uninstalled the modem, then shutdown the PC. Then did a Hard-Reset of the modem. Then restarted the PC, and reinstalled the modem. No change.

He came to the conclusion that it was a PC problem since:

- He tested the network his end and there were no problems
- The modem has a valid IP Address
- The modem's connection is working fine since it can Ping
- The Modem works on the laptop.

So...back to where we started really. He said he was stumped and left me with 2 options:

- Call the Extended Support Line (£1/min)
- Reinstall Windows

Since I don't pay the phone bill, option 1 is out of the window...so Option 2 it is. I'll try a fresh install, and then try using the Internet before anything else. Then we'll see what happens...

I'll report back in a few hours. Cheers for all the advise so far.

 

[LloydSev]

Cool. Advise. Did you ask him about their policy on MAC Address filtering?

Computer/Network Technician
CCNA

 

[bcastner]

I honestly think a resinstall of XP is ill-advised.
While the cable technician could certainly seen your modem end-point, did you as him about what MAC authentication was listed for your account?

 

[DragonQ0105]

Well I went ahead with the reinstall...and it seems to be working fine at the moment (When it wasn't working right, it'd be slow and then stop working all together after 30 seconds or so...at the moment it isn't slow and I've been using it for about 2 minutes)...but we'll see.

Also, I haven't installed SP2 yet, so that may be what caused the problem (although I doubt it since the PC had SP2 on it before the reformat, AND the laptop has SP2 on it). We shall see...