Pink Poogle Toy Forum

Okay, I need some help here. For some reason my modem keeps on getting knocked offline. I mean, one minute I might be browsing a site, the next minute it says that I've Unsafely Removed a device (i.e. my modem). Then my modem refuses to connect. Sometimes the problem only lasts for three minutes (though still annoying since it quits all my msn conversations, doesn't let me play online games, or even visit sites without worrying that the next second it's going to stop working). Other times however, it can last for hours on end. The longest it's ever been offline was was 24 hours straight.

A strange occurence though, is that on ZoneAlarm, the traffic monitor seems to sometimes say that packets are being received and sent, quite often received. Although it still refuses to let me onto the net.

The modem has those five lights on it (Power, Receive, Send, Online, Activity, Standby (in that order)). When it's working, all 4 lights are meant to be on, and the Activity light is meant to be flashing quickly. However, when it gets knocked offline, all the lights turn off except power which begins flashing. Then, the power light stays on and the Recieve light starts flashing. And so on. And quite often when the Online light starts flashing, then the whole thing starts over again and the Power light begins flashing again.

I've checked the plugs and connections and they all seem to be fine, not wobbly or anything. I've run Ad-Aware, Virus Scanned and even almost threw the bloody computer out the window with annoyance

Now, I'm no techy here, so maybe there's something really obvious that I've missed, or something that can be easily fixed. If anyone can help, I would appreciate it more than you can imagine. Just don't expect me to reply very quickly since the freakin modem will most likely kill itself again.

Just some stuff you might want to know as well, since it'll probably help.
*I'm using a Motorola SURFboard 4200 USB Cable Modem
*I'm running Windows 2000
*I've got Broadband and my provider is Optus
*It used to happen at most once a week, but now I expect it to happen at least twice a day, if not more.
*It seems to happen more often at night, but it happens during the day too.
*And an IT guy said that there's either something wrong with the modem itself, or some of the wires or plugs are corroded.

Now, the IT guy is coming on Sunday to check it out, and if anything is wrong I'll either have to buy a new modem (well my parents will ) or get replacement plugs. Or if nothing serious is wrong, and it's a quick fix problem, then we'll just be wasting the IT guy's time and will have to unnecessarily clean up the study.

So, if anyone knows the answer to this, or has similar problems and knows a way to fix it or at least stop it from happening so frequently, please post.

Thanks.

Interestingly enough, the same type of thing used to happen to me. I have a Motorola Surfboard SB4100. For some reason, it seemed to stop on its own. Never had a virus or anything that that, at least that we could find. It was very odd.

Maybe it is the modem then. If other people have similar problems...

Well thanks for replying at least. You said you used to have the problem. How did you fix it? Or did you just buy a new modem?

Try uninstalling Zone Alarm and install another Firewall like Sygate. I use to use Zone alarm until it started messing up on me and kept blocking my modem from the net. even if I turned off Zone Alarm it still would do it until I uninstalled it. Give it a try, if it's not that then it is your modem.

Alright well the modem seems to be all up and working without flaw for some reason. Power of PPT I guess The techie is coming round to our house tommorow, so he should tell us exactly what's wrong. If it is in fact ZoneAlarm, then I'll get that Firewall you suggested. Thanks

EDIT: Found out that the problem was in the faceplate or something. The techie said it was a problem taht was affecting not just us but the whole street, and that he'd kill two birds with one stone, and get it replaced.

So there wasn't much I could do I guess. Thanks anyway though.

Best firewall is to purchase a router. Even if you only have one computer, plug into a router, it changes your IP to would be hackers and you don't lose resources to a software program.

For the router to actually shut off and restart 2 more possibilites. Software upgrades from your ISP or connection is losing sync. If your DSL there could be static on your phone line.