Cannot connect to internet with any other NIC (another question)

[Squisher]

Ok, so I installed this 3com card, 905C I think, and this is what the cable company(mediaone) used when they set up my computer and it works fine, but it has its own BIOS and I was trying to speed up my boot up by changing cards so I wouldn't have to wait through the card's BIOS screen. Another reason I want to get rid of this card is it generates three lowd "chugs" that come from the hard drive when it asks you if you want boot from the network. I have tried to install a Linksys card and an Intel(TX) card using just about every setting(IP, Gateways, etc.) available to no avail. Any Ideas?

 

[Que-TiP]

when you put the 3com card back in does it work? if so maybe those fools at your isp limited you to one MAC address. this is kind of a VIN number of a nic, like each car would have only one VIN. anyways..call them up and bitch..hope that helps

-Alex

 

[rectifire]

I think Que-Tips right. Cable modem companies are famous for providing connection authentication by using the MAC address of your specific card (A MAC address can be compared to a virtual fingerprint of each card) Any other card will give a different MAC address, and will be denied internet access by the cable company.

Find the MAC address of your new NIC, and let the cable company know that you are changing out a NIC and that you have a new MAC address. If this is the problem, it should take care of it and you will be surfing in no time.

 

[Squisher]

Yeah, it works when I put it back in. That's exactly what I was wondering, if there was some kinda identification number off of the nic that Mediaone was looking for. Ok, second question, will there be any problems if I go to a router. Will Mediaone allow a router based setup seeing that there could be a Mac address off the router?

 

[pcmark]

Does your cable modem have a reset button on the back? (My Cable modem does)If it does,reset it after you swap NIC's. The cable modem stores your MAC adress of your NIC,not the cable company.

 

[Squisher]

Yes it has a reset, Toshiba PCX1000. Like I would have to push it with a ball point pen.

 

[Wik]

That would be the one. Install the card you want to use then hit that reset button.

 

[Possum]

Ugh, that 1 MAC address per IP thing is such a pain. After I upgraded my @Home cable modem from a Motorola to the same model Toshiba, it took a week for my first NIC change to start working again. I missed a really big Q3CTF match because of it, and I was ready to bitch to @Home when my connection started working at the end of the week.

At the same time, my brother was using the same cable modem with another IP, and didn't have a problem at all since he never changed his NIC. It sucks to think that the only way I could've been connected with my computer for the Q3 match was to install his NIC in my computer and use his IP address.

I think it's just poor designing/engineering how the cable modem works this way, causing great inconveniences.

 

[Squisher]

Are you guys saying that the Mac address is identified in the modem or at the ISP? Is there any chance that by resetting the modem that I will lose my connection?