Limited or No Connectivity

[adave]

Hi, Past few days I have been getting limited or not connectivity problem which is driving me up the wall. I have spoken to numerious technicians at Virgin, numerous calls and still the issue is not resolved. The cable modem was replaced couple of days back but still has not resolved the issue. My computer is connected to the Modem direct with a Ethernet Cable. I have disabled network connections, re-enabled, flushed dns, renewed ip but still does not get a valid ip address. Keeps getting 169 ip address. If I remove the Coax Virgin cable, then my PC get a valid 192 address. As soon as I connect Coax Cable to the modem, it does not get a valid ip address. I have already had a engineer out to look at the cable, signal strength - came, checked and said everything is ok.

I have even formatted my PC last night, re-installed XP, SP3 and still getting the same issue. One of the suggestions from a Virgin Techie was to roll it back to pre-sp3 which I did and still not different.

I now have not had connectivity for past 4 days. Need internet desparately.
Any help will be appriciated. Thanks

[sstainer]

what network does yr pc have ie make of card or onboard card
ie intel
maybe an upgrade to any drivers needed ?
have a look in the device manager see if it says anything about network

[broadbandbug]

Do you know anyone with a lappy you could borrow so that you can prove out the BB connection and tie the problem down to the PC?

[adave]

Hi, I have a onboard intel network card. I have installed the latest driver available from their website. Had a look in device manager, there are no devices showing any issues.

[sstainer]

hmm have you tried using ipconfig, tracert from cmd [run cmd]
see if the network even works slightly if not try solution of many here
http://www.pchell.com/support/limitedconnectivity.shtml

see if they help ?

try also checking the ethernet cable maybe swap its ends ie one at pc to modem & vice versa[prob make no change?]

[Raistlin]

You've probably tried this, but humour me.....

1. Turn everything off
2. Turn modem on - leave for 5 minutes
3. Turn PC on

If that doesn't work, have a look in your network connection settings and make sure that it's set to receive an IP address automatically and that it's set to receive DNS addresses automatically.

Failing that, try a different Ethernet cable.

[adave]

Have used a different cable, have turned off the modem and turned it back on after 5 mins. In network settings, receive IP address automatically is ticked and also received DNS address automatically. Running out of ideas...

[Raistlin]

Did you turn it on with the PC turned off and leave it for 5 minutes?

Do you have a friend with a machine that you can try on your connection? It would also be handy if you could try your machine on someone else's connection.

[PeteTheMusicGuy]

I had a problem like that about two months ago i tried everything. Then I replaced the Ethernet cable and it worked

[whydoIneedatech]

Have used a different cable, have turned off the modem and turned it back on after 5 mins. In network settings, receive IP address automatically is ticked and also received DNS address automatically. Running out of ideas...

What modem do you have and what lights are lit or flashing on the modem.

[moaningmags]

It's possible you have a duplicate NIC mac (mac address for your network card)
This means someone's modem is connecting onto the same place you are.
You both have the same NIC mac and the ubr (where your modem connects to) won't let you both on at the same time.
This could well be the case given that you get a 192ip with coaxial cable out.
Call tech support and ask them to check your physical address (NIC mac) with 2nd line.

HTH
Mags

If it is a duplicate, google how to spoof your mac

[adave]

I have now tried a laptop to make sure it is not my NIC and the laptop is getting the same error. I have disabled on board Intel NIC on my PC and installed a PCI NIC and even that is coming with limited or no connectivity. Very frustrating.

All the lights on the modem ie. sync light, connection light etc are OK as I checked with the techie on Virgin. Any more ideas as this is driving me mad..

[Druchii]

The ethernet port on the modem is dead.

[Angry@VMedia]

Well you have prooved when connecting a laptop to the modem and still getting the same errors, it is not your computers fault!

Try a new Ethernet cable, then if that still dont work, then you know for a fact that it is nothing wrong with your hardware, and it is infact Virgin's problem to deal with!

IF it does turn out to be a problem with Virgins equipment, make sure you complain and try to get a partial credit at least for all the problems you have been having, I know it dont really help at the moment, but its all I can suggest!

[adave]

This is a new replacement modem. I have replaced the ethernet cable.
Knowing my luck, probably have been sent a duff modem. After some angry exchange on phone with Virgin, I have got an engineer booked for the afternoon. Hope he can resolve this. The weird thing is that if you keep rebooting the modem few times, occassionally it will connect. Yesterday I had connectivity for about an hour and then I rebooted and back to same limited or no connectivity. Thanks a lot to everyone who have suggested various things. Hopefully will be online soon at home so I can post back what's going on. At the moment I am having to wait to get to work to get online..

[bayonet]

Ok run this in XP Network connections look for status and support unscrew the coax on the modem and repair check what message you get. If it repairs the issue close that option and check the IP address in details. If the IP is 192.168.100.x issue is network side if it comes back to a 169 IP address the issue is PCside. Strange thing here is 2 pcs area getting the same message

If you get the 192 IP address power the modem off reconnect the coax and reboot the modem Let us know what the engineer does

[adave]

HI, I have just had the engineer to look at it. Strangely he plugged his laptop and it worked. When I plugged my PC on it came with limited or no connectivity. He then rang for help and went through few things and then came back to say that the MAC address is the problem. He says that it has to be unique and that it is already in use and suggested that re-install the software for the NIC where I had to point out that the MAC address is a physical address on the card. I don't think the engineer had much clue. Anyway he has gone and I am still without connectivity. I can't understand how I can have a PC, Laptop and another PCI card I tried all MAC address being used by someone? I am completely lost now as I have no connectivity on my Pc and laptop and the Virgin engineer has told me it is problem with my PC & Laptop. Completely lost now.... Any thing to help please....

---------- Post added at 15:47 ---------- Previous post was at 15:42 ----------

Hi Biyonet, I have done what you have suggested few times. I have disconnected the coax and done a repair and it gets a 192 addresss. As soon as I connect the coax I get a 169 address

[moaningmags]

I suggested a duplicate mac in reply #11

Again i'd suggest a google search on how to change it

[Angry@VMedia]

It could also be that someone has cloned your MAC address and is using it on a cloned modem, but that aint necessarily the case, it just might be

[moaningmags]

It could also be that someone has cloned your MAC address and is using it on a cloned modem, but that aint necessarily the case, it just might be

If that was the case his modem would be constantly rebooting.