AOL cable modem - DHCP only works intermittently

I was trying to get an AOL cable modem (I think it was described as a "model
200") working for a customer whose PC I'd needed to reinstall with XP Home
SP2 after he'd cocked up an upgrade from W2K to XP.

The AOL broadband installation program on the CD installs drivers on the PC
and then, if the modem is connected by USB, creates a network connection
object that looks like a LAN card. Having done this, it tests the connection
oer USB or Ethernet - not sure exactly what tests it performs. Only if this
stage passes does it install the AOL client software.

However the modem was failing to give the PC an IP address, whether
connected by USB or Ethernet: the two computers icon in the system tray
stayed in the "acquiring network address" state for a minute or so before
timing out.

Trying a manual ipconfig /renew showed that the network device (USB or
Ethernet) was eventually being given a 169.x.x.x address.

If I powered the modem off and on, the network device was allocated a valid
192.168.100.x address and could ping 192.168.100.1 which I presume is the
modem. However, left to its own devices, it soon lost the IP address and
then failed to get given it again by DHCP. Also if I re-ran the AOL
connection test, this invariably caused an existing IP address to be
released and then DHCP to fail to assign a new address.


Has anyone experienced this problem and do they know how to fix it? I dare
say the modem has a web interface, but I received a username/password prompt
and all the standard passwords failed ("password", "admin", blank).

I rang up AOL tech support but had the standard cross-purposes conversation
with an Indian person which is becoming a common feature of all PC support.
The person I spoke to hadn't a clue what I meant when I asked whether there
was a web interface to the modem and what the username/password were to
access it.

The modem showed the following steady lights:

- USB or Ethernet light (as appropriate)
- SYNC
- RDY

U/L and D/L lights did not light, apart from a few seconds of activity
whortly after the modem was powered on.

"Martin Underwood" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:437663d8$0$82630$(E-Mail Removed)...
>I was trying to get an AOL cable modem (I think it was described as a
>"model 200") working for a customer whose PC I'd needed to reinstall with
>XP Home SP2 after he'd cocked up an upgrade from W2K to XP.
>
> The AOL broadband installation program on the CD installs drivers on the
> PC and then, if the modem is connected by USB, creates a network
> connection object that looks like a LAN card. Having done this, it tests
> the connection oer USB or Ethernet - not sure exactly what tests it
> performs. Only if this stage passes does it install the AOL client
> software.
>
> However the modem was failing to give the PC an IP address, whether
> connected by USB or Ethernet: the two computers icon in the system tray
> stayed in the "acquiring network address" state for a minute or so before
> timing out.
>
> Trying a manual ipconfig /renew showed that the network device (USB or
> Ethernet) was eventually being given a 169.x.x.x address.
>
> If I powered the modem off and on, the network device was allocated a
> valid 192.168.100.x address and could ping 192.168.100.1 which I presume
> is the modem. However, left to its own devices, it soon lost the IP
> address and then failed to get given it again by DHCP. Also if I re-ran
> the AOL connection test, this invariably caused an existing IP address to
> be released and then DHCP to fail to assign a new address.
>
>
> Has anyone experienced this problem and do they know how to fix it? I dare
> say the modem has a web interface, but I received a username/password
> prompt and all the standard passwords failed ("password", "admin", blank).
>
> I rang up AOL tech support but had the standard cross-purposes
> conversation with an Indian person which is becoming a common feature of
> all PC support. The person I spoke to hadn't a clue what I meant when I
> asked whether there was a web interface to the modem and what the
> username/password were to access it.
>
> The modem showed the following steady lights:
>
> - USB or Ethernet light (as appropriate)
> - SYNC
> - RDY
>
> U/L and D/L lights did not light, apart from a few seconds of activity
> whortly after the modem was powered on.
>

This lso happens a lot with wireless routers. I suspect it is down to a
problem with Windows XP.

"mark" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
news:w%udf.8899$(E-Mail Removed):

> This lso happens a lot with wireless routers.

What does? It's not clear to what you are referring.

> I suspect it is down to a problem with Windows XP

Where "it" = what precisely?
And what makes you suspect XP to be the culprit for "it"?

In message <Xns970D1F7DAB4Ajny@80.5.182.99>, Jenny Talyor
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>"mark" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
>news:w%udf.8899$(E-Mail Removed):
>
>> This lso happens a lot with wireless routers.
>
>What does? It's not clear to what you are referring.
I suspect he doesn't know either because the OP didn't mention wireless
at all.

--
Clint Sharp

>I was trying to get an AOL cable modem (I think it was described as a
>"model
> 200") working for a customer whose PC I'd needed to reinstall with XP
> Home SP2 after he'd cocked up an upgrade from W2K to XP.
>
> The AOL broadband installation program on the CD installs drivers on
> the PC and then, if the modem is connected by USB, creates a network
> connection object that looks like a LAN card. Having done this, it
> tests the connection oer USB or Ethernet - not sure exactly what tests
> it performs. Only if this stage passes does it install the AOL client
> software.
>
> However the modem was failing to give the PC an IP address, whether
> connected by USB or Ethernet: the two computers icon in the system
> tray stayed in the "acquiring network address" state for a minute or
> so before timing out.
>
> Trying a manual ipconfig /renew showed that the network device (USB or
> Ethernet) was eventually being given a 169.x.x.x address.
>
> If I powered the modem off and on, the network device was allocated a
> valid 192.168.100.x address and could ping 192.168.100.1 which I
> presume is the modem. However, left to its own devices, it soon lost
> the IP address and then failed to get given it again by DHCP. Also if
> I re-ran the AOL connection test, this invariably caused an existing
> IP address to be released and then DHCP to fail to assign a new
> address.
>
>
> Has anyone experienced this problem and do they know how to fix it? I
> dare say the modem has a web interface, but I received a
> username/password prompt and all the standard passwords failed
> ("password", "admin", blank).
>
> I rang up AOL tech support but had the standard cross-purposes
> conversation with an Indian person which is becoming a common feature
> of all PC support. The person I spoke to hadn't a clue what I meant
> when I asked whether there was a web interface to the modem and what
> the username/password were to access it.
>
> The modem showed the following steady lights:
>
> - USB or Ethernet light (as appropriate)
> - SYNC
> - RDY
>
> U/L and D/L lights did not light, apart from a few seconds of activity
> whortly after the modem was powered on.
>

Belive it or not, when using a cable modem on NTL, an IP address
starting 192.168.100 is a BAD thing! This usually occurs when the
coaxial cable has become disconnected. To prove this - disconnect the
coaxial when both the PC and modem are powered down. Then boot the
modem, and the PC. You will get a steady 192.168 ip address. You may fnd
when you get a 192.168 IP address, that the Sync and RDY lights are off
or flashing. On the other hand an IP address starting 169.254 is
generally very GOOD with AOL cable modems. Although, it can also be a
sign of a DHCP problem. in 99% of cases, a 169.254 IP address indicates
that the cable modem has been registered and is functioning correctly.
Why this IP address has been chosen, I don't know.

Forget the AOL connection test - firstly make sure AOL 9 is installed.
It is possible to bypass the connection test etc by looking for a file
on the CD's root directory called SetupAOL.exe. The use ethernet - or
ensure the cable modem drivers are correctly installed - the relevent
..inf file are found on the CD also. Check the coaxial cable - make sure
it is firmly connected. Also make sure both the Sync and RDY lights
remain steady. You should be able to maintain a 169.254 IP address. If
you can, AOL should be able to sign on. If, however, you cannot maintain
a steady IP address, contact AOL support. They will need to escalate
this to NTL level 2 support - based in Swansea - not India! In honesty,
if you get an Indian when you call AOL - you would be as well to hang up
and call back. Eventually you will get through to the Waterford or
Glasgow call centres. They will need to run a check on the modem - but
if you explain what is happening with the IP addresses, they should put
you on to NTL level 2.

George Hamilton

George wrote in
dlaste$2j5$(E-Mail Removed):

>Martin Underwood wrote
>> Home SP2 after he'd cocked up an upgrade from W2K to XP.
>> However the modem was failing to give the PC an IP address, whether
>> connected by USB or Ethernet: the two computers icon in the system
>> tray stayed in the "acquiring network address" state for a minute or
>> so before timing out.
>
> Believe it or not, when using a cable modem on NTL, an IP address
> starting 192.168.100 is a BAD thing! This usually occurs when the
> coaxial cable has become disconnected. To prove this - disconnect the
> coaxial when both the PC and modem are powered down. Then boot the
> modem, and the PC. You will get a steady 192.168 ip address. You may
> fnd when you get a 192.168 IP address, that the Sync and RDY lights
> are off or flashing. On the other hand an IP address starting 169.254
> is generally very GOOD with AOL cable modems. Although, it can also
> be a sign of a DHCP problem. in 99% of cases, a 169.254 IP address
> indicates that the cable modem has been registered and is functioning
> correctly. Why this IP address has been chosen, I don't know.
>
> Forget the AOL connection test - firstly make sure AOL 9 is installed.
> It is possible to bypass the connection test etc by looking for a file
> on the CD's root directory called SetupAOL.exe. The use ethernet - or
> ensure the cable modem drivers are correctly installed - the relevent
> .inf file are found on the CD also. Check the coaxial cable - make
> sure it is firmly connected. Also make sure both the Sync and RDY
> lights remain steady. You should be able to maintain a 169.254 IP
> address. If you can, AOL should be able to sign on. If, however, you
> cannot maintain a steady IP address, contact AOL support. They will
> need to escalate this to NTL level 2 support - based in Swansea - not
> India! In honesty, if you get an Indian when you call AOL - you would
> be as well to hang up and call back. Eventually you will get through
> to the Waterford or Glasgow call centres. They will need to run a
> check on the modem - but if you explain what is happening with the IP
> addresses, they should put you on to NTL level 2.

How weird: a 192.168.100.x address is bad and a 169.254.x.x is good! LOL.
192.168.x.x is defined as a non-routable private LAN subnet, whereas
169.254.x.x is a subnet that means "DHCP has failed to allocate an address
so Windows has made up one of its own unilaterally". Mind you, this *is* AOL
that we're talking about, so all the normal rules are flouted and it's
"abandon hope [and all prior knowledge] all ye who enter here"!

I can foresee one minor annoyance: whenever the PC boots, its USB or LAN
connection object (the two-computers icon in the system tray) will spend a
minute or so displaying its "searching for IP address" state and then will
popup a yellow balloon saying that it has failed to get an address and that
the connection therefore has limited connectivity; the icon will then be
left in the two-computers-and-exclamation-mark state. Is there any way of
circumventing this?

At one stage AOL did put me through to NTL to check the public side of the
modem. NTL were suspiciously quick to give it the thumbs-up, based on SYNC
and RDY lights being permanently on, without getting me to even attempt to
connect to the modem's web interface to check that the modem was getting a
WAN IP address. NTL said that they were getting very pissed-off with AOL
passing customers to their [NTL's] support when they really shouldn't be
doing so!

I'll pass on your response to the customer and see if he can make it work.
He'll probably be reluctant to spend any more getting me to do it, given
that he's already spent over £200 getting me to install XP afresh [to
replace his failed W2K to XP upgrade], upgrade it to SP2, fit replacement
floppy and DVD drives [both had failed independently of each other!],
install CD-writing software, AVG, AdAware etc etc.

Many thanks for your help!