No Internet - Wireless Problem

bucky · Joined: Oct 15, 2003 Posts: 152 Location: Scranton, Pa.

Hi guys...
I have been trying to help my friend with his 2 computers.
I'll try to explain as best as I can. Rolling Eyes

First, one is a Compaq Presario desktop.
The other is a Gateway laptop.
Both are running WindowsXP Media Edition SP2
Both are working off a wireless router.
For some reason, all of a sudden (yesterday morning) he could not connect to the internet. It is a high speed cable connection.
(We did have a bad storm the night before but I live nextdoor to him and my 2 computers were not affected)
I have checked all connections.
Wireless checks say that the wireless is working but cannot connect to the internet.
I tried releasing and renewing the IP address in the command window and this is where I think the problem lies.
I can get it to release, but when I try to renew it tells me it can't because
"MEDIA IS DISCONNECTED" Shocked

Can anyone tell me what the heck that means and how to resolve it?
Thank you, Bucky (AL)

Baby_Tux · Joined: Mar 06, 2007 Posts: 808

Try powering down the modem, router & anything else up to the computers. Wait about 3 seconds then power back on - unplugging will work (exclude the computers)

zlim · Joined: Mar 11, 2005 Posts: 2422

I hope at some point in time he connected one computer to the router and went through the setup. He needed to change the default SSID (username) and password and also turn off remote management. If he didn't, anyone who can see his SSID, can lock him out of his router.

One thing to try also...connect one computer directly to the modem and connect to the internet. If it works, it is a problem between modem and router or router and computer.

Dee101 · Joined: Dec 09, 2007 Posts: 23

Some modem/router setups need to be off longer than 3 seconds. The comcast trick, in example, is about 5 minutes -- time for the dynamic address update to cycle. Turn off the machines, too, in this scenerio.

Turn on the modem first, and wait for it to finish testing/synchronizing. Then turn on the router, and wait for it to finish testing/synchronizing.
Then turn on one of the machines. Connect it by running the repair -- this will flush the DNS Cache. Do the same with the other machines after the first is connected.

Baby_Tux · Joined: Mar 06, 2007 Posts: 808

Dee101 - I'm not going to argue your equipment but 5 minute seems like an awfully long time. - Should, only be a few seconds but if that's what it takes...

Dee101 · Joined: Dec 09, 2007 Posts: 23

BabyTux -- I mentioned this was for Comcast. I actually tested this out with one of their engineers one day. This seemed strange to me too, but I did it at that engineers request.

I have since had to use it with several other locations ... funny thing, the last one I didn't believe the intervval, so I started with 5 seconds, 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 4 minutes, then did the 5 -- and that one worked.

I don't know if it is similar for other providers.

Baby_Tux · Joined: Mar 06, 2007 Posts: 808

Cable here is road runner & DSL is primarily Embarq (there are others but this is the local phone co. so they will be using there copper) All I've tried to power reset took about 30 sec max. But like I said, whatever it takes & whatever way THEY say is what you have to go by, strange as it may seem.

Thanks for the info, if I ever run into that I'll keep that in mind.

zlim · Joined: Mar 11, 2005 Posts: 2422

BabyTux, I too am a Comcast user and yes to recycle modem and router takes longer than few seconds. I'd tend to agree with 5 minutes or longer. Actually, I thought my modem was going. I called Comcast in October 2007, reported the 5 min. resets but the last green light still didn't want to stay solid. He agreed after I told him what I had tried. I let the router and modem off for between a 1/2 hour and hour and went out and bought a new modem. I figured I'd use the old one until my connection dropped again. Well i don't know if it was the long time off; I got a new IP from comcast and the old modem is still working. The new modem is still in the bag.

Baby_Tux · Joined: Mar 06, 2007 Posts: 808

A bit of FYI:
On my router, if I want to change the IP address from the ISP I can go in the router & do it just as I would on the computer (release & renew) but I have only had to do that when I suspicioned that someone was hitting me with a "hack" or I was at a site I didn't want them tracing me back. (rouge)

A vast amount of the time when I reset things I get the same IP address as I had. Maybe that is why it doesn't take as long.

Dee101 · Joined: Dec 09, 2007 Posts: 23

Release / renew works fine on Comcast if you have a connection, but if the connection is not working, it doesn't work either with the button (if you have a Surfboard or Motorola modem) or by sending a command for it from the modem setup itself. Guess that's a difference in ISPs.

Baby_Tux · Joined: Mar 06, 2007 Posts: 808

Hey bucky, now that your thread got hijacked, how you making out? Any headway?

bucky · Joined: Oct 15, 2003 Posts: 152 Location: Scranton, Pa.

ok...I posted a reply but I got a popup that said it was flagged Question

& that an admin has to check it because I used inappropriate words ???????????? Embarassed

I'm confused Shocked

Do I have to wait for him or her to judge me? Question

All I was saying was thank you and that my problem was solved. Smile

and giving some details of what I found out.
I'll try again later.
Bucky

bucky · Joined: Oct 15, 2003 Posts: 152 Location: Scranton, Pa.

I do hope someone is going to tell me what it was I said that was so bad.

Bucky

Baby_Tux · Joined: Mar 06, 2007 Posts: 808

OK, whenever your able. - I'm anxious to know what it was.

Dee101 · Joined: Dec 09, 2007 Posts: 23

Hey Bucky!

Glad to hear this is solved for you.

Might want to start the post with "it's working ... and here's how we did it". Maybe that will let it through.

Perhaps we can surmise from Emoticons sprinkled through the post which items you mean to punctuate.

bucky · Joined: Oct 15, 2003 Posts: 152 Location: Scranton, Pa.

Hi everyone Very Happy

OK, I'll try this again, and I promise I won't use any big, bad, dirty words this time.
LOL Laughing

Ok... I disconnected the router and the cable modem.
I waited about 5 minutes and plugged in the modem, and waited for it to reset itself. Then I plugged in the router and let that reset.
Turned on the computer, clicked repair, nothing. Evil or Very Mad

I did the same things again after waiting 15 minutes and then 30 minutes. Again, no good. Evil or Very Mad

Then, I had to go out for awhile and decided to unplug everything while I was gone. Confused

Well, I was gone about an hour and 15 minutes
I put everything back together again, same routine, and as soon as I clicked on "repair" YIKES! Exclamation

there was the internet!!!! Rolling Eyes

Same with the laptop, everything was fine. Very Happy

My guess is, COMCAST!
BTW, the modem is rented from them also. Razz

Well anyway, thanks for all the help folks, I really do appreciate it. Very Happy

Bucky (AL)

drwho07 · Joined: Nov 29, 2007 Posts: 1134 Location: Central FL, USA

I had a similar problem yesterday.

I had been downloading new drivers for my PC, using a new program.

Then I lost my internet connection. All the icons and indicators said I was online, but nothing on my PC could talk to the internet.

Well, to make the long story short, I pulled the power plug from my Satellite Modem, waited a few seconds and plugged it back in.
Voila! I had my internet back.

I wish I had just tried that first.

Doc Cool

Baby_Tux · Joined: Mar 06, 2007 Posts: 808

louis-the-cat · Joined: May 13, 2006 Posts: 264

An hour and 15 mins is for kids.........I've found I have to leave it for about 48 hours. I'm serious. It has happened 5 times now. On the first occasion I phoned my isp helpline and they took me thro' the script and eventually decided i had a dud router, so they sent me a new one. It was over a weekend so it took three days to arrive, however i was back online in two days. I changed the router anyway on the basis that it was "suspect" and had an intermittent fault.

Same thing happened about 6 weeks later.

I'm back to using the original router and I've got two spares ( one still in the box)

I don't pretend to understand the why's and wherefor's, all I know is if I loose the connection I relax and chill for two days (read a book, read a newspaper, watch tv) and it comes back again in its own sweet time.

Dee101 · Joined: Dec 09, 2007 Posts: 23

Don't know if I'd stand for that kind of downtime from a high speed provider (at the rates they charge). Just for grins, I know the Comcast vombo VOIP/Internet routers have this funky reset and DNS flush sequence that needs to be run in some locations sometimes (I think it has to do with the local switching equiptment). Are you in that kind of area?