This is gonna sound like a really newb question but...

I'm trying to set my computer up at my GF's place. Her internet got set up by her friends dad a long time ago. She has Charter internet, just a standard LAN, no wireless. Any other time I've tried to connect to a connection like that I've just plugged in the cable into my computer and its worked fine.. but for some reason I can't get an IP address. Hers says DHCP or something is giving her the IP address.

Okay I got mine to say DHCP enabled as well, but for some reason I'm not getting an IP address.

Do I have to register my computer with her provider some how? Or what am I missing here.

[Edited on December 11, 2007 at 9:51 AM. Reason : ahh]

12/11/2007 9:49:40 AM

What kind of router are you using?

12/11/2007 10:03:09 AM

this isn't going to end well

12/11/2007 10:08:56 AM

i'm going to take a stab in the dark here but it's very possible that you need to make your router spoof the mac address of the computer that was used to setup the net connection in the first place.

12/11/2007 10:10:35 AM

Uhh - her internet appears to be a cable connection that runs into a charter hub/router looking thing, which from there it goes into a normal LAN wire and her PC. And I've tried using the same IP address that her PC uses, but it still wont let me connect to the internet.

12/11/2007 10:17:31 AM

so the charter thing is a cable modem, but is it also a router? maybe you just need a regular router.

12/11/2007 10:25:13 AM

Quote :

"And I've tried using the same IP address that her PC uses"

Def not what you want to do.
Try logging in to the router's admin menu and see if it's blocking your MAC address.

12/11/2007 10:25:34 AM

Since he's describing something that goes cable-box of sorts-computer it sounds like that "router thingy" is just a cable modem.

You'll need to buy a router to go in between so it goes cable-cablemodem-router-computers. If you don't get a wireless router, the default settings will be fine. If you do get a wireless router, let it walk you through set up and make sure you choose some kind of encryption at least if not also MAC adress filtering. Read the manual/setup guide just for kicks too.

If she already does have a router from the cable company, but only one computer connected until now, she's been paying a 5 dollar a month fee for an extra piece of equipment she hasn't been using. Buy her a basic router, return the router (NOT CABLE MODEM) to the cable company and save her a few bucks a month.

[Edited on December 11, 2007 at 10:31 AM. Reason : ]

12/11/2007 10:29:57 AM

Yeah I guess she doesnt have a router - she just has the cable box thing. It only has one spot for a connection in the back. Is there a way for me to set that up so that it registers my computer and I can access the internet from mine if its plugged in?

12/11/2007 10:36:22 AM

Quote :

"i'm going to take a stab in the dark here but it's very possible that you need to make your router spoof the mac address of the computer that was used to setup the net connection in the first place."

This is what happened with my girlfriend's Internet through Comcast. Why do ISPs do this?

12/11/2007 10:38:15 AM

^^You have to reboot most modems when connecting them to a different machine. Usually you just leave your computer's settings on auto-detect though. But having them set the same way as hers (if you're using one computer at a time) should be fine- just reset the modem first. You can reset it by just unplugging the power cord and plugging it back in.

12/11/2007 10:40:47 AM

Yeah I tried resetting it with the settings set on auto detect, and on her settings. Still didnt work. I plugged my computer into my buddies LAN like three weeks ago and it worked just fine.

12/11/2007 12:49:31 PM

It is possible that when the internet connection was setup, it was made specific to a mac address (your GF's computer). If that is the case then try changing the mac address of your nic card to your GF's mac address (google for instructions). Or, get a wireless router and set the clone mac address to your GF's mac address.

12/11/2007 1:02:29 PM

Okay - I'm going to try messing with the mac address. Thank you everyone who has thrown in suggestions.

12/11/2007 1:08:54 PM

Quote :

"This is what happened with my girlfriend's Internet through Comcast. Why do ISPs do this? "

Because ISP's only want you to have one computer on-line for each account. Or, they want you to pay them for an extra IP. By using a router you can get more than one IP/Computer on-line at a time w/out paying extra.

12/11/2007 5:01:14 PM