Internet Connection no longer works without router

[MJ99]

Time Warner RR sevice
SMC 4 port router
Win98/XP
PII 300

My connection is fine while using the router but if I connect the ethernet cable directly from the cable modem to my pc the connection fails. I used to be able to swap the cable this way then start IE and after it went hrough the process of detecting the proxy server everything was fine. Having problems making a VPN connection to work and want to make sure the problem is not with the router as the company's help desk does not support VPN through a router even though it has worked in the past. The only change I can remember making is updating the version of IE, hope that's not the problem. Will try downloading an older version and see what happens.

 

[neopipil]

The problem may lie in that your ISP is using the MAC address from the router for authentication. I know some DSL and cable ISPs do this type of authentication. If this is the case, you would need to ask them to register your cable modem's MAC address with them in order for it to work. But if you do this, your router will not work anymore.

There are many other things that could be wrong. Before you do what I have suggested, try other suggestions. I assume you are using Windows 2k,95,98 or NT because you are using IE. After you have plugged in your cable modem, from the DOS prompt on your machine execute the following commands:

ipconfig /release

then

ipconfig /renew

This will renew the IP lease. It may be that the cable modem doesn't like the old ip.

neopipil

 

[KGB1]

I get the same issue with mine.
NYC Time Warner RR
Toshiba 110USB
P3 600
Lynksys 4 Port Cable/DSL router.
Windows 2000

Last night I tried that too. I used the USB connection, the Toshiba modem was recognized and I put in Drivers. I could not recieve an IP address. Then I tried the Ethernet Cable directly to my system rom the Modem. NO LUCK I could not use the IE explorer. It really hurt my head. Then I plug everything back to the Lynksys 4 Port router and everything worked fine again. This sucks.

 

[neopipil]

I'm pretty sure it has to do with that fact that Time Warner RR is using your router's MAC address for authentication. If you plug in somehting else, it will not work. Can anyone else verify this?

neopipil

 

[MJ99]

I don't think its the MAC address unless RR has just recently gone through and registered then. I did not have the router when I first got RR and even after getting the router I was able to switch back and forth.

Have already tried using Winipcfg to release and renew the IP Address and it the renew fails when not connected to the router.

Will still try
ipconfig /release
then
ipconfig /renew

 

[JackMDS]

Direct connect from the computer, to the Modem is under RR responsibility.

Call them, and make it work. Once it is working Clone the NIC MAC to the Router and it probably work as before.

 

[MJ99]

Thanks for the help,

ipconfig relese and renew did not work, get the following error on adapter 2 & 3

IP ConfigurationError
DHCP server Unavailable: Renewing adapter ""

> Call them, and make it work. Once it is working Clone the NIC MAC to the Router and it probably work as before
Can I clone the router MAC address to the NIC, seems much easier and don't have to mess with the router. The NIC adapter is internal if that makes any difference.

here are the results of renew all.
Windows 98 IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . : MJSHAW
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast
NetBIOS Scope ID. . . . . . :
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . : No
NetBIOS Resolution Uses DNS : No

0 Ethernet adapter :

Description . . . . . . . . : PPP Adapter.
Physical Address. . . . . . : 44-45-53-54-00-00
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . :
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
Primary WINS Server . . . . :
Secondary WINS Server . . . :
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . :
Lease Expires . . . . . . . :

1 Ethernet adapter :

Description . . . . . . . . : PPP Adapter.
Physical Address. . . . . . : 44-45-53-54-00-01
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . :
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
Primary WINS Server . . . . :
Secondary WINS Server . . . :
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . :
Lease Expires . . . . . . . :

2 Ethernet adapter :

Description . . . . . . . . : NOC Extranet Access Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . : 44-45-53-54-42-00
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 169.254.50.218
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . :
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
Primary WINS Server . . . . :
Secondary WINS Server . . . :
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . : 04 25 02 8:09:38 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . :

3 Ethernet adapter :

Description . . . . . . . . : Compaq NetFlex-3 Driver, Version 4.21
Physical Address. . . . . . : 00-08-C7-90-21-A8
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 169.254.125.220
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . :
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
Primary WINS Server . . . . :
Secondary WINS Server . . . :
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . : 04 25 02 8:08:39 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . :

 

[ttn1]

I had the same problem when I had my RR service connected at my new house. Most of the time I had to unplug the modem for about 5 minutes and then plug it back in and then into the computer to get it to pull a new address. I think I even had to disconnect the cable from the modem at one point. I was seriously thinking of sacrificing something at one point. I had to jump through hoops to get my Linux Router Project machine to grab an IP. It is set to update the IP about once every 3 hours, and it would not grab an IP no matter how hard I tried. I left it overnight and restarted the network on the machine in the morning and it grabbed an IP and was fine. I haven't turned it off or disconnected it since.

It may have something to do with my new modem. It is an ericsson PipeRider modem. My old motorola modem never gave me these hassles.

 

[wassupjk]

Well this is my first post, but I am going to give it a shot. Like neopipil said about registering MAC addresses with certain ISP's. Well I did technical support for Road Runner for about a year, and they do require MAC addresses to be provisioned. So I believe you would have to call them up and give them the MAC address of your network card , they already have the cable modem MAC address. Then you should be able to make a direct connection between the cable modem and your network card. And what you could do after you call them and give them the network card mac address, is on most routers you can clone your network card address in the router settings. Doing this allows you to stay connected through your router, but the cable modem will still think it is connected to your network card, because you inputed the network card address in the router setup. But this is only needed if after they register your network card address and the router does not work anymore. Because when I worked for them, I think they only allowed one registered MAC address per account, unless user was subscribed to the home netoworking feature for an additional $9.95 a month. So hope this is not to confusing and some help to your issue. Good Luck

 

[Kravahn]

does your router have auto mdix/mdi ports? if you've replaced the router-to-modem cable, is it a crossover cable and the router auto-switches to correct it? if it's a crossover cable, that would definitely keep it from working correctly when you hook the modem up directly to your nic. another thing to look at...


just saw this post by wheezer... maybe that'll help?

 

[ttn1]

Well the RR service in my area, Charlotte NC, does not require MAC address of the network card. While I was fighting with my new modem, I talked to about 3 or 4 different tech support people. All of them said that MAC address didn't matter. And I did get it to work, it was just finicky.

 

[MJ99]

Got it to work without the router so I don't believe its the MAC address.

I shut down my computer and bypassed the routher (left it shut down over night) then in the morning I disconnected the power supply from the modem for about a minute. Then connected the modem power supply and booted the pc. I am now working without the router and a good VPN connection.

Not sure if it was just leaving it off all night or just resetting the power supply on the modem. I will check it out futher later and report back.

Thanks everyone for all you help!

 

[TMPadmin]

Whenever you change anything with cable modem you MUST unplug the modem for about 1-20 minutes. Same thing with DSL. When I change a network card it actually takes my ISP's system about 1 hour to make the adjustments. Anytime you switch your network card that the modem is connected to you need to power cycle your modem.

Hope I wan't redundant...

TMP

 

[MJ99]

TMPadmin,

You hit the nail on the head. If I unplug the router for about 1-2 minutes and reboot everything works fine.