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bachippy · Joined: 28 May 2006 Posts: 28 Location: Kent

I just got an old HP ZT1260 laptop which has had all the OS etc reinstalled so is as new. I've added Service Pack 2 and Microsoft Office.

I have a desktop on wired broadband connection to Virgin Media - set up 2 yrs ago using provided CD and RJ45 (yellow) cable. Modem is Motorola Surfboard SB5101E Cable Modem. Never had any problems since installation and want to keep that connection.

I assumed that if I installed the same CD on the laptop and plugged in the same RJ45 cable taken from the back of the pc I would be able to connect the laptop to the net but it won't do it! Also tried with the blue usb ethernet cable but that too won't play. Keeps coming up with error message about limited/no connectivity and unable to get IP (I think) address. Tried the repair option but no joy.

I then plugged the RJ45 back into pc and it was ok then said no connection then it came back though when I go into connection properties it says lease obtained when I plugged it back in and expires in 4 days time??????
Have since read something about turning the modem off for up to an hour so it forgets the MAC address - can I then install cd and use the RJ45 cable?
If so how will I get the mac address re-established for the pc afterwards?

Help!!!

I only want to connect the laptop to wired connection for now to download all windows updates following the SP2 CD I installed so it is all up to date. Then, when I have a PCMCIA card I can connect at uni on their network.
No wireless at home.

Basic instructions please! New to laptops.

Cheers

vince knight · Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 1:11 am Post subject:

have you enabled the ethernet port on the laptop?
If yes the what is it saying in the propertys box?
Have you tried repairing the connection while the (yellow) rj45 lead is plugged into the laptop so it renews the IP address and dns cache?

Vince

bachippy · Joined: 28 May 2006 Posts: 28 Location: Kent

Haven't specifically enabled the LAN port - how do I do that!

Have tried repairing the connection with the lead in but says it can't repair - can't remember exactly what it said. It was about the IP address though

vince knight · Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 1:20 am Post subject:

go to start, control panel, internet and network connections, network connections.
Then right click on your network adaptor and then enable it.

Vince

bachippy · Joined: 28 May 2006 Posts: 28 Location: Kent

Under Network Connections it says Lan or High-Speed Internet. Then there's 2 icons
1. 1394 connection, connected (though god knows what too, nothings plugged in!)
1394 Net Adapter #2

2. Local Area connection
Network cable unplugged
Realtek RTL8139 family PCI fast Ethernet NIC.

Right clicked on both but neither have an enable option.

When trying to install the cd I tried using both connections when it asked me to choose what I wanted to use.

thescruff · Moderator Joined: 03 May 2003 Posts: 4416 Location: Bath

Nick will be along later today and being a genius I'm sure he can shed some light on the problem.

In the meantime I have 3 laptops all chugging away through the Linksys wireless G and the same router you have.

I took the router cable into a belkin surge protector, and from there into the wireless G router, I plugged the 2 desk tops straight into the wireless router, and the one laptop that didn't have wireless built in, I used the Linksys wireless G 24 GHz notebook adapter, which just pushes into the slot on the side.

Can you actually have an mac account on a windows machine or do you need a parallel desktop installed

bachippy · Joined: 28 May 2006 Posts: 28 Location: Kent

Think last message is on the wrong thread - I haven't got a problem with a router as I don't have one!

Sorry should have said modem, although I use a wireless router through the modem for the laptops.

If you unplug the desktop you would need to register the network card in the laptop, or I had too with blueyonder anyway. But lets see what Nick has to say.

vince knight · Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 1:34 am Post subject:

Sarah, When you right click on the local area connection, is the modem RJ45 plugged into the modem?

vince

bachippy · Joined: 28 May 2006 Posts: 28 Location: Kent

Not any more, it's plugged into pc so I can talk to you!

vince knight · Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 1:40 am Post subject:

You will only be able to repair it when the plug is in and it is seeing a connection.
Give it a try honey as I have got to hit the sack any way and as thescruff says if it dont work our computer wizard will be along later to sort it out for ya.
Hope it works.

vince

bachippy · Joined: 28 May 2006 Posts: 28 Location: Kent

Tried the repair option a few times already and wasn't having any of it so i plugged the RJ45 back into pc so i could get online.

Cheers anyway, think I'm gonna get some sleep too.

NickAskew · Moderator Joined: 03 Nov 2006 Posts: 112 Location: Thirsk

Hi,

I located the manual for your modem here:
http://broadband.motorola.com/consumers/products/SB5101/downloads/SB5101_UG_EN.pdf

There are two ways you could connect your computer to the modem, from what you say I am assuming you are using the RJ45 connector rather than the USB connector. I also assume you installed XP on the lappy because you added SP2? If so, then can I direct you to printed page 30 in the PDF above with the title 'Configuring TCP/IP in Windows XP'.

In one of your posts you mention: [2. Local Area connection, Network cable unplugged.] this indicates your computer is unaware the RJ45 cable is plugged in. Within less than 1 second of the RJ45 cable being connected between your modem and computer you should see the [Nework cable unplugged] message disappear and be replaced with one indicating it is trying to acquire an IP address. If you can see the Network cable unplugged message all the time even when the cable is plugged in then it would indicate the network interface on your lappy is dodgey - check the cable is pushed all the way in as it may be loose. Is the laptop AMD based and if yes, have you installed the VIA Hyperion drivers? (from www.viaarena.com)

RE: Expires in 4 days time:
Your laptop needs to obtain an IP address from the modem so that it can communicate with it, as there are a limited number of IP addresses that your modem can hand out, it provides each IP address for a finite amount of time (it can be an hour, day, week, month etc) and for this reason it is said to provide your computer with a LEASED IP address, don't worry about this, the moment the lease expires your computer will be given another within a couple of milliseconds.

RE: 1394 connection:
This article describes what it is: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307736
In a nutshell the reason it says it is connected is because internally your operating system has negotiated an IP address with the 1394 device (it is a FireWire port) so that if you plug a network aware appliance into the FireWire port it can communicate via TCP/IP without having to negotiate its own IP address.. glad you brought it up eh? This actually demonstrates that TCP/IP is working ok on your PC as it managed to acquire a connection to itself which is why I believe the issue you have is to do with either the driver for the RTL8139 network interface on your computer or a dodgey RJ45 connector in your lappy.

Also Note: When you use an RJ45 cable to connect between your computer and modem you usually do not have to install the software that came with your modem to be able to connect to the internet - the CD usually contains drivers that tell your computer how to recognise the modem when you use it with a USB cable only.

Good Luck

Nick

PS. I hope I can continue to live up to the high opinions of me!!

bachippy · Joined: 28 May 2006 Posts: 28 Location: Kent

Thanks - I think!

Solved the problem yesterday just by unplugging the modem for an hour so it could forget the mac address then installed the broadband cd on laptop and plugged in rj45 cable when told to. Got all updtaes for laptop then reconnected the pc.

Thanks for all the info even if most of it was too technical for me!

All seems to be ok now.

NickAskew · Moderator Joined: 03 Nov 2006 Posts: 112 Location: Thirsk

Well that has to be the best result there is Very Happy