[frank1492]

(Somebody please come back....)
OK, I have uninstalled and reinstalled the EA *again* and this time everything went well. I have also searched for the driver, found 3 identical files, tried at least 2, did a rollback and still nothing, although I still am told the "device is working properly."
Is the stack repair that has been suggested the same as doing this? If not I still need to get to SP2 via dialup I think (see below). Where can I find it easily to download? The MS site which tells me I have SP2 doesn't seem to want me to do a download.
I don't think anybody really indicated that the problem not being able to do the "netsh winsock reset catalog" is because I may not have SP2. If I *don't* have SP2 is that the reason for sure that it won't work. Or conversely if (and when) I do have it, will that
surely allow the command?
Sorry to waste so much time on this point but downloading SP2 with dialup is a bit of a pain.
I'll wait for a reply but am ready to spring for a PCMCIA card fairly soon!
Thanks.
Frank

[frank1492]

One final question: If the EA has indeed failed due to lightning or something else, why am I consistently being told that the device is working properly?

[JohnWill]

A lightning strike could easily damage the NIC in a way that the drivers don't know that it's dead.

Just on a lark, did you try changing the socket on the router that you're plugged into?

[TerryNet]

John knows 1,000 times more about this than I do, but I think that your ability to access the internet via dial-up means your stack/WINSOCK is basically OK. Now that you have reinstalled the NIC are you still getting IP 0.0.0.0? Was the reinstall just the driver reinstall that I talked about or do you have a PCI NIC that you physically removed and then reseated?

As an aside (but related), electronics are fragile. About 15 years ago manufacturers learned that they were losing millions of dollars to damage done by static electricity from devices being mishandled. Static electricity is nothing compared to the electrical surges that can result from lightning. Many dial-up modems have been fried by small surges on the phone line.

[JohnWill]

Have you called Verizon yet? I'm not sure why you're trying to avoid it, because the modem is the thing that's in the direct path of lightning.

[frank1492]

The modem tested out just fine by Verizon. I plugged in another computer and the IP came up just fine, so it's not the modem.
I have a laptop and no router.
I tried a new PCMCIA Ethernet card and everything is still zeros, so the internal card is not the culprit.
So where do we go from here??????

[JohnWill]

Well, the 0.0.0.0 IP address is telling us you either have a driver issue, bad NIC, or a duplicate IP address on the network. If you can't access the Internet when connected directly to the cable modem, that eliminates the duplicate IP address.

I'd be looking around for my XP install CD about now.

[frank1492]

Before I reinstall Win, forgive my lack of knowledge, but what is a corrupt stack and isn't it different from the three possible causes that you mentioned in your last post? Please remember that I have not done the stack fix you suggested because I couldn't (supposedly because I didn't have SP2.) So:
(1) What is a corrupt stack and should I continue to try the fix?
(2) How do I download SP2 if the MS site already thinks I downloaded it, even though my computer thinks I have SP1?
I know you have many other questions to address, but I don't seem to be getting all the details I need here. And I really don't want to do a reinstall quite so quickly.
Thanks again.
Frank

[TerryNet]

For (2) see http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,126019/article.html

[BadGoomba]

Can you use USB as an alternative with this modem?
Usually if I can't get a good connection with the NIC I setup the modem using USB instead, most modems have a USB slot for an alternative means of connecting, sometimes you have to install drivers for it to work though which should be on your modem cd/disk the company gave you.
You can also reset the catalog using: Netsh w r
I'm not sure what the difference is between netsh w r, and resetting with netsh reset winsock catalog, but they both tell you the samething, so I assume they both do the samething, but someone recently told me otherwise.

[JesterNH]

Hi,
A friend had this very same issue yesterday.
I rebooted the modem a few times, same for the PC, reset the stacks (both IP and Winsock), updated the ethernet driver, checked the service pack revision and continued to not get a DHCP address.

My Laptop was able to get an address, but was pointed to their website to sign up as a new user.

I brought the "bad" laptop to my place and it worked perfectly using the same cable and ethernet card. This would to me seem to eliminate the stack, cable, card, et al.

I'm unfamiliar with DSL modems boot operation, but a cable modem boots up, POSTS, looks for the downstream, registers on the upstream, grabs the config file via TFTP, loads the config file then allows the CPE to "register"

Verizon is sending a new modem to try, but color me skeptical.
Does the DSL modem have a config file? Does it store registration info?

My next thought would be to put a different card in his laptop (pcmcia) and attempt to circumvent the issue. but that doesn't explain where the hang up is in him getting an IP address.

I may place a hub on the modem and capture the transaction with wireshark.

Best guess? I think the MAC address of his ethernet card is still "registered" with either the modem, or their head end and has gotten into a bad state. He took a power hit at the house that lasted a whole 3 seconds. Sounds like it's not as unique an issue as it appears.

[beldavid]

If all the lights on your modem are red then definitely the modem is defective.Power, dsl, ethernet and internet should always remain green. Sometimes if the internet light becomes red that would only means that it is requiring you to authenticate if you are using PPPoe type of connection. However if it is DHCP your modem needs to be reset and reconfigured.

[JohnWill]

Guys, this is a year old thread, I hope this was solved by now.