Limited access to Internet sites using router

[Mattrixx]

Hi, DSL user here posting for my daughter who has Comcast Digital cable TV
and Internet.

I recently connected a Netgear router for her, installing the router after
the modem, and before the desktop (and wireless laptop).

Upon initial connection/setup, everything seemed to be in order as both
computers were able to connect online, go to various sites and also I
network shared files between the two computers with No difficulty.

After I left her place feeling accomplished, it seems *NOW* she is only able
to connect to certain limited sites, but *NOT* to ALL!!
She cannot for example, access her hotmail account along with very many
other sites! She can however access E-Bay and Newegg, Google etc. Some of
the sites load in a very limited what she calls "primitive" state with NO
pictures etc.

By phone, I had her disconnect from the router and plug directly into the
desktop from the cable modem, and all is fine! She then can access any site
without a problem.

So somewhere in the Netgear router lies the problem??
As I have said, I am familiar with SBC/Ameritech DSL.
This is all Very strange for me to hear since with DSL, it is ALL or
NOTHING!!!

Can someone here point out to me what might be a probable cause or setting
with the Netgear router, that might be affecting her ability to access *all*
Internet sites while using the Netgear router?

For example: Is Comcast a Static or Dynamic ISP ?
I have left default *Dynamic* in Netgear Router`s Basic setup Interface.

Thanks for any insight into this matter from any experienced Comcast
Internet/Router users

Matt

 

[kony]

Hi, DSL user here posting for my daughter who has Comcast Digital cable TV
and Internet.

I recently connected a Netgear router for her, installing the router after
the modem, and before the desktop (and wireless laptop).

Upon initial connection/setup, everything seemed to be in order as both
computers were able to connect online, go to various sites and also I
network shared files between the two computers with No difficulty.

After I left her place feeling accomplished, it seems *NOW* she is only able
to connect to certain limited sites, but *NOT* to ALL!!

Did this problem persist over (any particular) length of
time?

Did you clone the MAC address from the desktop NIC to the
router? You might call Comcast and ask if they require it,
OR if it's more convenient, get the router MAC from daughter
and give that to Comcast.

She cannot for example, access her hotmail account along with very many
other sites! She can however access E-Bay and Newegg, Google etc. Some of
the sites load in a very limited what she calls "primitive" state with NO
pictures etc.

Did you "only" physically connect the router or did you
insert one of those infernal software CDs into her system?
Those are generally best avoided, unnecessary and
potentially problematic as who knows what they'll try to do.

There are a few basic things she can do to try to check
connectivity, for example opening a command prompt then
"ping <insert URL, website name here>", for example, "ping
yahoo.com"

If it doesn't respond to the ping, you could (she could)
traceroute it, "tracert yahoo.com"

Also at the command prompt, do an "IPCONFIG /ALL" to see if
it's picking up all the basics.

If all else fails try having her run the WIndows internet
connection wizard.

By phone, I had her disconnect from the router and plug directly into the
desktop from the cable modem, and all is fine! She then can access any site
without a problem.

So somewhere in the Netgear router lies the problem??

Maybe, but i can't think of what it'd be offhand unless the
router is set to block a bunch of ports by default.

As I have said, I am familiar with SBC/Ameritech DSL.
This is all Very strange for me to hear since with DSL, it is ALL or
NOTHING!!!

Can someone here point out to me what might be a probable cause or setting
with the Netgear router, that might be affecting her ability to access *all*
Internet sites while using the Netgear router?

More importantly, differentiating between what she can
access and can't, how these differ... which I'm drawing a
blank on at the moment.

For example: Is Comcast a Static or Dynamic ISP ?

I "think" they use a dynamic IP scheme, but that IP #
doesn't change very often. Regardless of which they use,
it's most likely they push that IP # to her so even if it
were static, it would not be set as static in the router,
the router still considers it dynamic as it is dynamic from
it's perspective.

I have left default *Dynamic* in Netgear Router`s Basic setup Interface.

You might also check the router's logs, presuming it keeps
one.

 

[Mattrixx]

Did this problem persist over (any particular) length of
time?

Did you clone the MAC address from the desktop NIC to the
router? You might call Comcast and ask if they require it,
OR if it's more convenient, get the router MAC from daughter
and give that to Comcast.



Did you "only" physically connect the router or did you
insert one of those infernal software CDs into her system?
Those are generally best avoided, unnecessary and
potentially problematic as who knows what they'll try to do.

There are a few basic things she can do to try to check
connectivity, for example opening a command prompt then
"ping <insert URL, website name here>", for example, "ping
yahoo.com"

If it doesn't respond to the ping, you could (she could)
traceroute it, "tracert yahoo.com"

Also at the command prompt, do an "IPCONFIG /ALL" to see if
it's picking up all the basics.

If all else fails try having her run the WIndows internet
connection wizard.



Maybe, but i can't think of what it'd be offhand unless the
router is set to block a bunch of ports by default.



More importantly, differentiating between what she can
access and can't, how these differ... which I'm drawing a
blank on at the moment.



I "think" they use a dynamic IP scheme, but that IP #
doesn't change very often. Regardless of which they use,
it's most likely they push that IP # to her so even if it
were static, it would not be set as static in the router,
the router still considers it dynamic as it is dynamic from
it's perspective.




You might also check the router's logs, presuming it keeps
one.

Thanks Kony, for your response.

The router was a *first time* setup by me, after she had been connecting
directly from cable modem to her laptop (no desktop at this time) via
ethernet cable.

Did you clone the MAC address from the desktop NIC to the
router? You might call Comcast and ask if they require it,
OR if it's more convenient, get the router MAC from daughter
and give that to Comcast

No, I did not clone, and Comcast (daughter calling) is blaming the Router,
and is not helpfull in resolving this issue.

Did you "only" physically connect the router or did you
insert one of those infernal software CDs into her system?
Those are generally best avoided, unnecessary and
potentially problematic as who knows what they'll try to do

Unfortunately YES, I did use the Comcast provided Cable Internet
installation CD, only because as I have said, I am unfamiliar with Cable
Internet vrs. DSL

The thing that really bothers me here is : while I was present after initial
setup everything appeared to be OK!! We shutdown and went our seperate ways.
She returned later that day and then this limited Internet access problem
surfaced.

I think maybe it might be best to contact Netgear in this situation ?
Hopefully they will have encountered numerous similar situations like my
daughters, and know what to do, as far as "proper" Comcast cable setup to
their router.

Matt

 

[kony]

The router was a *first time* setup by me, after she had been connecting
directly from cable modem to her laptop (no desktop at this time) via
ethernet cable.

Usually they're not much trouble. You might contact Comcast
and try to emphasize that you are not looking for
router-specific help, no support for the router, only that
you need to know all the basic requirements for their
service.

By basic requirements, just stop them short if they start
going on about Pentium xxxMHz or Windows, you just want to
know things like whether they require a client ID name,
whether they need to know the client mac address (for the
*system*, which in this case is the router but we can ignore
that it is a router for this purpose), and most likely they
also needed the cable modem MAC address but it's almost
certianly not the issue as there wouldn't be any access
without it, except maybe an automatic forwarding to a
hardware registration page- which is not what is described
previously.

No, I did not clone, and Comcast (daughter calling) is blaming the Router,
and is not helpfull in resolving this issue.

Well I can tell you the first generic response they give;

1) Turn off modem and router.
2) Turn on modem and wait a dozen seconds or so.
3) Turn on router and wait again.
4) Turn on computer.

If that didn't help, you might consult the router manual for
it's reset switch and reset prodcedure- generally something
like holding in the reset button for X number of seconds,
possibly while it's being turned on from an off state... and
the # of seconds may be important, too few seconds and it
make not reset fully.

Unfortunately YES, I did use the Comcast provided Cable Internet
installation CD, only because as I have said, I am unfamiliar with Cable
Internet vrs. DSL

There isn't a lot of difference, except there's no PPOE.

The thing that really bothers me here is : while I was present after initial
setup everything appeared to be OK!! We shutdown and went our seperate ways.
She returned later that day and then this limited Internet access problem
surfaced.

I'd look into what that software you installed, did, and
look into uninstalling it.

Genearally speaking, with a clean windows installation and
Windows set by the Internet connection wizard to use network
for internet including DHCP (the default unless changed),
the router is already set to a generic "allow everything"
and do everything plug-n-play. Windows does not need any
software added to use a router, and the router needs no
software to connect to the modem... the only thing of real
value the software might do is reset some windows settings
that would similarly be reset with the Internet Connection
Wizard.


Also make sure the router has a non-conflicting IP #,
typicaly it's set to 192.168.0.1

I think maybe it might be best to contact Netgear in this situation ?
Hopefully they will have encountered numerous similar situations like my
daughters, and know what to do, as far as "proper" Comcast cable setup to
their router.

You might also check some broadband oriented web forums like
this,
http://www.dslreports.com/faq/comcast

 

[Robert Heiling]

Hi, DSL user here posting for my daughter who has Comcast Digital cable TV
and Internet.

I recently connected a Netgear router for her, installing the router after
the modem, and before the desktop (and wireless laptop).

Upon initial connection/setup, everything seemed to be in order as both
computers were able to connect online, go to various sites and also I
network shared files between the two computers with No difficulty.

After I left her place feeling accomplished, it seems *NOW* she is only able
to connect to certain limited sites, but *NOT* to ALL!!
She cannot for example, access her hotmail account along with very many
other sites! She can however access E-Bay and Newegg, Google etc. Some of
the sites load in a very limited what she calls "primitive" state with NO
pictures etc.

By phone, I had her disconnect from the router and plug directly into the
desktop from the cable modem, and all is fine! She then can access any site
without a problem.

So somewhere in the Netgear router lies the problem??
As I have said, I am familiar with SBC/Ameritech DSL.
This is all Very strange for me to hear since with DSL, it is ALL or
NOTHING!!!

Can someone here point out to me what might be a probable cause or setting
with the Netgear router, that might be affecting her ability to access *all*
Internet sites while using the Netgear router?

For example: Is Comcast a Static or Dynamic ISP ?
I have left default *Dynamic* in Netgear Router`s Basic setup Interface.

Thanks for any insight into this matter from any experienced Comcast
Internet/Router users

Matt

For ongoing support with this and any other Comcast internet issues,
please post in alt.online-service.comcast

HTH
Bob

 

[Perry Noid]

FWIW, I had a similar experience when I installed Bellsouth DSL and a Belkin
wireless router so I could access it using two wired computers and my IPAQ
by wireless. Could not get into Hotmail accounts. Solved by switching to a
different Belkin router. A few months later, I connected the original
router, and found that it was working properly. No obvious reason, it just
was. My suggestion: try a different router and see....

m9876c at yahoo dot com