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General discussion

Connected but not Receiving Packets...With a Twist

Jul 10, 2009 11:38AM PDT

So I just moved into an apartment complex and we had our internet turned on earlier today. I was psyched...until I realized my internet had problems.

I have a Gateway from 2004 that is running XP, and whether it be mozilla or explorer or aim, it just doesn't want to run stuff. I read up on here and other sites and checked a lot of the basics: I have an IP that is legit (not 169), repairing the LAN isn't working, it is set to automatically configure/all that good stuff. No internet though (may be important to note also that the internet provider is comcast, and that I ran virus checks and it isn't a virus or trojan)

BUT

My girlfriend's macbook (granted totally different) works perfectly fine when hooked up to the same ethernet cord. She's using it right now.

BECAUSE (and here's where it gets weird for me/not explained in other posts)

I have a Netgear WN121T wireless adapter in my usb. And it gives me internet (granted I'm stealing a neighbors wireless, but whoa). For a while (as in maybe 3-4 hours) I had both the Netgear program and the wireless network on my computer connected, but I came back from dinner and the wireless network on my computer stopped working. So my LAN is connected but not receiving packets and my wireless is connected but not receiving packets BUT my Netgear is connected and receiving packets.

Basically I'm wondering what I have to do to get my LAN network running...help please?

Also, maybe this will help, the network is blocked by the firewall today. Which never happened before to me in 5.5 years of owning this computer. So maybe that's something.

Discussion is locked

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I read your post twice.
Jul 10, 2009 12:09PM PDT

And can't see where your legitimate internet access is. Without that we don't have things to adjust or check.

If it is your neighbor's ask them to set it to WPA and give you a password.
Bob

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Ahhh yeah sorry about that.
Jul 10, 2009 1:23PM PDT

I like in an apartment complex that promises "free internet." They supply us cable modems (Motorola Surfboard 5101 if that means anything) which we connect into the wall to get internet through comcast. And that's that. As I said, works fine for my girlfriend's laptop, works not so fine for my desktop.

And I'm guessing that since my wireless connection gets the comcast internet fine then my network must be messed up and that's why the ethernet variety isn't working. Does that help?

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Still missing a fine detail.
Jul 11, 2009 12:15AM PDT

But here I know of an issue. Let's say this is a cable modem. To change what machine we connect via the ethernet cable we do this.

1. Turn off the cable modem.
2. Move the ethernet to the next machine.
3. Turn on the cable modem.

Details matter here. But those 3 steps are known for the usual cable modem.
Bob

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It worked!
Jul 11, 2009 1:19AM PDT

Sorry I was bad on details...but as soon as I did the off switch computers on thing I started receiving packets! Thank you so much!