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Thread ID: 112141 2010-08-25 21:43:00 No Internet connectivity pctek (84) Press F1
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1131596 2010-08-25 21:43:00 Had a call yesterday from Mrs Not Good With Her PC. Had no internet for several days, no email, no webpages, modem lights report all is OK.

She rang ISP, ISP did not get her to go through any steps of checking things, just said they could see her connected therefore her computer was broken and she needed a tech. She tried a couple of times with the helpdesk, CSR number 2 said it's her or he'd have had 50 calls. She can't follow what they say anyway and panics.

I get her to borrow another modem, which we might try, but I'm dreading helping her go into that and set it up with her details rather than friends connection, anyway meanwhile I get her to go into a command prompt and do an ipconfig. Oh look, no info comes up at all.

Get her to check LAN settings - all ok, reset tcp/ip, ask about her scans (up to date, all fine).
Had to go out then, rang later in afternoon and she had tried to hook up the borrowed modem.

After quite a long time of discussing how and which cables plug into it (I'm sure at one point she was attempting to feed it the speakers cable), it occurred to me (being a bit slow there) to get her to go into Device Manager - oh look she'd disabled the NIC.

LOL, so get her to swap modems back and all is well.

She thinks I'm brilliant, I'm thinking why didn't I get her to check the NIC in the first place, haha - would have saved several hours on the phone.
pctek (84)
1131597 2010-08-25 22:14:00 probably a long day nedkelly (9059)
1131598 2010-08-25 22:17:00 I know the feeling, forgetting silly things like that.

Sometimes we jump to the technical things, not remembering these people are generally not savvy.
Cellux (15145)
1131599 2010-08-25 22:43:00 The ISP should have been able to fix that, it is a very common cause of no internet. Not very good support.
That is the first thing to check when the modem IP is not being picked up.
In the LAN settings even if it is showing enabled, clicking disable and then enable again or a repair is all that is required normally.
Safari (3993)
1131600 2010-08-25 22:57:00 The ISP should have been able to fix that, it is a very common cause of no internet. Not very good support.
That is the first thing to check when the modem IP is not being picked up.
In the LAN settings even if it is showing enabled, clicking disable and then enable again or a repair is all that is required normally.

How on earth is the ISP expected to troubleshoot a fault on your PC?:confused:
Their responsibility is providing you with connectivity...nothing more. :badpc:
KarameaDave (15222)
1131601 2010-08-25 23:12:00 I'm really bad with this type of thing too - now what I'm doing first thing anyone rings up about internet connectivity issues is to run ipconfig. Amazing how many times someone disabled the NIC or bruce from next door put a manual ip in for playing age of empires. :lol: wratterus (105)
1131602 2010-08-25 23:29:00 How on earth is the ISP expected to troubleshoot a fault on your PC?:confused:
Their responsibility is providing you with connectivity...nothing more. :badpc:

Most good ISPs don't draw the line at just providing connectivity. Common problem like this one are easily fixed over the phone and is done so by most ISPs. pctek manage to do it without being at the computer, why are you confused.
Safari (3993)
1131603 2010-08-26 00:17:00 Most ISP supply modem AND patch cable so it is not unreasonable to expect that they would try to verify that the patch cable is plugged in and recognized by the PC and software. I previously believed that most ISP would extend to basic checks on standard Internet Explorer. They're not really a SERVICE provider if they have poorly trained staff who can only verify that their end is working.....
It's all about good customer relations.
coldot (6847)
1131604 2010-08-26 00:21:00 I don't think they have any legal resonsiblity vis a vis the incompetent. KarameaDave (15222)
1131605 2010-08-26 01:44:00 ISP's just deny deny deny any fault at their end. They INSIST the modem/router
is reset, even after you tell them its on a network & a reset will definitely take the network offline.
heres a hint for help desks: on a 'business' internet plan dont jump in & demand a router reset.

After an hour it goes to 2nd level support who quickly see its an issue at the local exchange.

morale of the storey: allways have a spare modem/router to plug in so you can
prove its a fault at the ISP's end.
1101 (13337)
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