Beating those Broadband Blues

I run into broadband connection problems fairly regularly. Some of the causes relate to the fact that I’m stuck with Comcast, the cable infrastructure here is from the 1980s, and the area around me has been recently developed into student housing complxes (thus adding to the load on the system). Howver, I do run into problems on my end as well. I’m sure you do, too. This guide is for Windows XP. If you are using Vista, my condolences.

If you find that your connection is not working or has stopped working, here are some steps to take. Try one and then move on to the next.

• Make sure your modem and router are actually on. Checking the cables is also a good idea. Make sure they are all properly plugged in and not loose. Also, check to make sure that the modem indicates (most modems have a cable light) that the cable is actually working-sometimes it goes out.
• Go to Control Panels and open Network Connections. Right click your connection (most likely called “Local Area Connection”) and select repair. After it is done, check to see if you are connected. If that doesn’t work, go to the next method.
• Go to Start and select Run. In the text field beside “Open:” type netsh winsock reset and hit okay. A DOS style window will  appear and hopefully your connection will be restored. If that doesn’t work, try the next method.
• Go to Start and select Run. In the text field beside “Open:” type ipconfig /release and hit okay. A DOS style window will  appear as your IP address is released. Now, go to Start and select Run. In the text field beside “Open:” type ipconfig /renew and hit okay. A DOS style window will  appear as your IP address is renewed. If that doesn’t work, go to the next method.
• Power your modem and router off, wait about 30 second and then turn them back on. If that does not work, hit the reset button on your router. If that doesn’t work, remove all the cables from the cable modem (power, ethernet and cable) and unplug the power to your router. Wait 30-60 seconds and then plug the cables back into the modem. Then plug your router back in.

If your connection is still not working, you are on your own. Good luck talking to your ISP.