wired network not working

mokeybear · 02-09-2005, 11:14

Hi, please be gentle with me as I have been suffering at the hands of ntl for quite some time. Just when I thought they sussed the problem another one pops up.
Okay until Tuesday I had used my Terrayon modem through the USB port. Kept losing the connection and my computer would crash each time this happened. Finally after about 4 visits all by different engineers with a different fix was told to use ethernet port. So I did. Great, no crashing when connection went down. Up until now I had used my computer as a host for 2 others on the network and without the R45 port couldn't. So went bought a new PCI card and fitted it. Now if I plug my modem into that socket it doesn't work and the hub doesn't work either. Spent last night fidlling around with various combinations and according to the device manager everything is fine with no conflicts. I use XP on all 3 computers and they are all less than 5 years old. Any ideas what else I can try please. But tell me in very basic language pretty please. Senior moment and all that.

kfridge · 02-09-2005, 11:57

Sounds like you have plugged the modem into the new network card? If so then:

turn on the computer
turn off the modem
turn the modem back on again

You need to do this because each network card (or any device that connects to the internet) has it own unique hardware address (called a MAC address). The modem uses this MAC address to authorise access to the internet and only allows one MAC address to connect. If this MAC address changes (in your case by changing the network card), the modem doesn't allow it access. By switching the modem off then on again causes the modem to re-check the MAC address that is used to connect...

hope that helps.

mokeybear · 02-09-2005, 12:01

Tried that last night, several times. Tried it again at your suggestion and it works. Thank you, thank you!!

I think my hub might be knackered too as only 2 lights works the other sockets seem dead but I can live with that, lol. Daughter will have to go on an internet free diet!!!!

kfridge · 02-09-2005, 13:03

cool...glad everything is working OK (kind of..!)