[Valerie]

I think this might be worth looking at
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/robin.d...dip.html#ip169

If your IP address is in the range 169.254.xxx.xxx, then this indicates that the DHCP client in your computer failed to contact a DHCP server on the network, and APIPA (Automatic Private IP Addressing) is enabled, and it has automatically assigned you a private IP address in the 169.254.xxx.xxx range. With such an address, you will not be able to work with the public Internet, nor even read the cable modem diagnostic pages. Possible causes for this are:

• Your PC/Mac booted up faster than the cable modem did, and the cable modem was not ready for service by the time the PC/Mac sent out its DHCP request. You should not boot up your PC/Mac until after the cable modem has finished its start-up sequence (see Flashing Lights), or you should leave your cable modem powered on continuously.
• A misconfigured firewall has prevented a DHCP lease being acquired: see Personal firewall configuration for cable modems.
• You have recently swapped the computer or network interface card connected to the cable modem, and the cable modem is blocking your access to the internet: see Swapping computers on the cable modem.
• You do not have a working ethernet/USB connection between your PC/Mac and the cable modem. Check cable and plugs, check ethernet LINK lights are lit at both ends, check ethernet speed and duplex settings.
• Your PC has multiple network interfaces and it is sending DHCP requests on an interface other than the one to the cable modem. Check your network configuration.