If this post does not make any sense, please let me know so I can clarify everything the best I can.

I have RR through TW. When they came to set up the modem the first time, the RJ45 adapter on the modem did not work, so they had to connect it by using a USB cable. This was not a problem until I got new roomates who needed to have internet access, and the router would not connect to the modem by USB.

I called TW and they sent out a technician this morning to install a new modem. The modem connected fine, but when the technician could not get my computer to get a new IP address. He said that if I had windows XP (I currently use 2000 professional) that it would automatically find an IP for me. He then hooked up the modem by USB and said when I hook my router up, it will find the IP address for me.

Is his comment true regarding the router locating the IP address. Or is there a way I can manually locate an IP address so my computer can stay hooked up through the RJ45 ethernet?

Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

7/20/2006 9:57:12 AM

Quote :

"He said that if I had windows XP (I currently use 2000 professional) that it would automatically find an IP for me."

Thats a bullshit excuse for incompetence if I've ever heard one.

Did he install a new modem? If he did, and you're still having problems hooking it to your computer via the RJ45 Ethernet then I would say the problem is with your computers ethernet port, not two modems in a row. Either that or two techs in a row have been dumbasses.

Before you go wasting your time though, you're probably not going to be able to resolve this yourself (based on your post above). I suggest getting someone whos inclined towards these things to take a look for you. If you don't know someone I'm sure someone on this board (present company excluded ) would do it for $20 or less.

7/20/2006 10:48:19 AM

does anyone want to come take a look?

7/20/2006 11:29:04 AM

I agree w/ synapse, the tech was an idiot. TimeWarner has a bunch of troubleshooting information available on their website, such as

http://www.timewarnercable.com/centralny/customer/internet/troubleshootingguides/troubleshoot.html

I'm sure you'll be able to find whatever model cable modem you have listed there. I'd suggest doing a little more investigation. People are much more likely to help if you can show us that you've actually tried to accomplish the problem on your own.

That said, get a friend w/ a laptop/desktop/router to come over and try plugging your modem into their ethernet port. Also, with some cable modems you must use either a straight through ethernet cable or a crossover, and some support both. If you have the former, you may be using the wrong cable type. Hopefully your tech was trained/knowledgable enough to address this issue, but it sounds like that might not be the case.

[Edited on July 20, 2006 at 11:37 AM. Reason : .]

7/20/2006 11:36:29 AM

First: the cable modem wont give out more than one IP address, so if you had your computer hooked up by USB and the router hooked up as well, only one of those two gets an IP address. In this case your computer was hooked up via USB and got the IP first, and the router couldnt get another address.

Second: Windows 2000 will not auto renew your IP address, WinXP will. The tech is an idiot if he doesnt know how to do this manually, from a command prompt window just type in "ipconfig /renew" and that should do it. Also rebooting your machine will automatically renew the address as well.

Third: the cable modem *MUST* be powered off and back on in order to give out a new IP address to a new computer, router, etc. example: if you had your computer plugged in via USB, then switch to using the network card, you must first power off the cable modem, disconnect cables, wait at least 30s, power back on modem, reconnect network cable to your computer (or router), then manually renew the IP address.

Fourth: if you want to use a router with your roadrunner connection, YOUR computer as well as your roommates will all have to be connected to the router. The router's WAN port is the only thing that will plug into the cable modem. This again is because the cablem modem will give out only one IP address, so only the router can be connected to the modem.

[Disclaimer: I may or may not know what I'm talking about, dont bitch if you dont like my advice]

7/20/2006 12:23:23 PM

Do you at least get a link light on your ethernet card/cable modem?

7/20/2006 12:38:02 PM

Yea, the cable modem was all lit up and all the lights were functioning.

Oh yea, the guy tried to tell me my ethernet card thats in my computer was most likely fried due to a lightning storm!?! Everything thats plugged into my computer is hooked up to a surge protector too, which is weird.

I cant wait to get home and sort this all out.

7/20/2006 2:51:31 PM

Could a previously installed USB wireless card be causing this problem?

7/20/2006 6:13:55 PM