Help!

[fmackay]

I am at the moment using dial up as my broadband connection has mysteriously stopped working. I spent the best part of yesterday on the phone(not freephone I might add) or eventually interactive which a complete waste of time. I am thoroughly scunnered. Every connection is where it should be but it keeps coming up with no signal,network connection unplugged,which it's not.
My phone bill will be huge and looks like I will have to try them again.

Anyone any suggestions?
Fiona

[Alcluith]

You may already have been asked to tried this.

Close down all your equipment including your Broadband modem remove all connection from modem.
Reconnect modem and power up, ensure all the light operate as per the manual and you have send and receive flashing lights.
If you use a router or Switch or Hub power that up next.
Finally power up your computer.

You can also try to "ping" a known address this sometimes help kick start especially if you are using intermediate device between you computer and modem.

if using XP

click on Start then Run

type in CMD and press return key

a Black DOS screen ahould appear

Type in "ping 80.40.232.233 -t"

It should display a reply giving bytes; time and TTL values until you stop.

If it comes back with request timed out the address could be wrong or you do not have a connection. Try another known address.

If you let it run with request time out for about 20 goes it may connect.

To stop press Ctrl+C

Hope this helps

[fmackay]

Hi Drew
Thanks for reply - I think I've tried similar things according to the helpline's advice - 4 times i had to phone them all giving slighly different advice.
I'm on windows 2000
I am seriously stressed about this as i am a complete idiot when it comes to pc's etc.
Dreading having to phone them again
Fiona

[Jack]

Hi Fiona,
This might not be the same as your own problem.
My own Broadband connection stopped and they couldn't fix it over the phone (NTL UK helpline is in India...!).
One lady said there were problems in my area, though next day a gent said he didn't know of any....
But an engineer was sent and he discovered that the signal my modem box was receiving was 16 times what it should've been.
He attached a wee thingy to the back of a new modem and this sorted it out.
Jack

[AndrewP]

If you are using your broadband through a standard telephone line, you should have a microfilter plugged into your telephone wall socket, and your modem cable connected into that. If you have another microfilter used for a phone elswhere in the house, try swapping the microfilters and see if (a) the broadband reappears and (b) that the connection to that phone is still live.

All the best,

Andrew Paterson

[STUARTDALGLEISH]

Hi

Another quick one to try if your modem is just polling for a signal is try a "new" USB cable. Sometimes these fail so if you have a newer type printer or scanner you may be able to use one from these. If you are on BT try plugging a phone into the line box without the filters ard the line should sound very slightly fuzzy. This means your signal is still there, and even better, if you have a neighbour or friend with the same equipment, borrow their modem to prove it's ok.

Cheers

Stuart

[fmackay]

Hi all
Thanks very much for all your suggestions - I will give them a go. I have also got someone coming round tomorrow just to make sure everything is as it should be before i tackle broadband provider again. Hitting my head against a brick wall by all accounts - heard some horror stories already so not looking good.
Thanks again
Fiona

[StewL]

Fiona

Last year after my hard drive fried itself. I had connection problems with my broadband too.

After a few phone calls to my isp, it turned out that the modem had reset itself to a "set up" password. The kind tech from my isp, went through the process, including the ping test Alcluith provided, then patiently went through the process of resetting the modem password. As it seems it was specific to my modem and isp? there is no point in trying to go through it here.

But only a suggestion that it may be a modem password issue?

[fmackay]

Hi there
Just thought I'd let you kow that I am now back on broadband again - no thanks to my internet provider,decided I'm going to shift once my contract is up in a couple of months)
Turns out the modem was faulty,(they said it was fine) so my computer mannie sorted it all for me,new modem,connections etc and it's working fine.
Thanks to all of you who gave advice, when it comes to pc's I'm an idiot!
Just SO relieved not to have to tie the phone up for hours etc!!
My kids can speak to me again without getting their heads bitten off!
Fiona =D>

[DavidWW]

Hi there
Just thought I'd let you kow that I am now back on broadband again - no thanks to my internet provider,decided I'm going to shift once my contract is up in a couple of months)
Turns out the modem was faulty,(they said it was fine) so my computer mannie sorted it all for me,new modem,connections etc and it's working fine.
Thanks to all of you who gave advice, when it comes to pc's I'm an idiot!
Just SO relieved not to have to tie the phone up for hours etc!!
My kids can speak to me again without getting their heads bitten off!
Fiona =D>

Hi Fiona

I'll always remember my first international, genealogical trip, to Salt Lake City.

I checked into the hotel, and soon thereafter checked to see if I could access my email, - the result being "NO", - so I phoned my ISP whose help line listened very carefully to my concerns, and then recommended me to check out my modem/telephone cable ........ following which check via the use of an alternate cable, it proved to be the case that the first cable that I'd used was defective !!!! ...................

David