Help! computer problem

[serryjw]

Trying to hook up Comcast high speed.I have an AMD 550, win'98 2nd edition I have no ethernet connection for high speed. The installer wanted to D/L a CD adapted. My CD driver is not showing up under MY COMPUTER. He looked verywhere. Please understand I am VERY computer challenged and there is no money for a new computer.
The box he gave me that carrying my unlimited long distance is flashing which he says I have a short in my phone modem in my computer. Does any of this make sense?

[Crazy Guggenheim]

1. Do you have an ethernet card for your computer?

:popcorn:

[serryjw]

2. I have no idea but doubt it

n/t

[Crazy Guggenheim]

3. In the back of the computer do you see something that looks like a

large telephone jack?

:popcorn:

[serryjw]

4. What's the difference b/t an

ethernet card and ethernet connection? What ever I need to hook up to comcast high speed I don't have!

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

5. You should have an USB cable , a AC adapter ,

and a ethernet cord that hooks up to your cable modem and to your ethernet card in your PC . Reboot and see if the computer recognizes your modem through plug and play . Hopefully that helps .

[serryjw]

7. Read original op

Comcast brought a USB adapter to D/L but we can't FIND the CDROM on my hard drive. I know this sounds funny but it's NOT on MY COMPUTER

[Crazy Guggenheim]

9. Sometimes if you put in the CD it will just appear. If not, reboot with

a boot disk. Then shutdownand reboot without the CD. See if that works.

[Crazy Guggenheim]

6. The ethernet plug is for, well, ethernet; whick is the highspeed

connection. You need an ethernet "plug" for cable connection.

[RoyGBiv]

8. What is the model of your cable modem?

Who makes it? Is it a Motorola by chance?

OnEdit:

I'm about to go to bed, so I can't do a step by step at the moment.

Since you apparently have a way to connect to the Internet, you can download the USB drivers from the website of the cable modem manufaturer. I think Comcast uses Motorola Surfboard modems, if you bought it from them. If so, go here:

http://broadband.motorola.com/consumers/support/default.asp?supportSection=CableModems

Download the USB driver for whatever model you have and install it. You'll probably need to reboot. If the cable modem is connected via a USB port, you should then have the hardware recognized and usable. If not, you'll need to configure some network and DNS settings, which I can't help you do without knowing some specifics.

[serryjw]

10. HSP56 MICROMODEM

??

[RoyGBiv]

11. That's not a cable modem ...

That's a standard "winmodem" modem for connecting via a telephone line. If you're trying to connect using Comcast, you're connecting to broadband cable internet service, which requires a different piece of equipment.

Do you have a cable modem?

[serryjw]

12. When I go to MY COMPUTER

under modem, the modem above is the only one showing??

[RoyGBiv]

14. I'm asking about equipment ...

That's your standard modem, and it's installed and is apparently what you're using right now to connect to a traditional dialup Internet provider through a phone line.

Broadband service works differently. With a cable company, it runs through the cable, not the phone line. In the traditional setup, you will get a new piece of a equipment called a cable modem, and you'll connect a coax cable (same thing that goes into your television) to the cable modem and then connect that to your computer through a USB port or Ethernet port. Since you don't have an ethernet port, you'll need to use the USB port. The cable modem is usually a little box with lights on the front...the one I have looks like this:



However, in your original post, you mentioned something about a box with your ULD phone service. In *some* cable setups, they utilize what's called VOIP technology for the phone, and in some of those, the IVP (Internal Voice Port) they use for your phone service also doubles as a cable modem. Is that what you're trying to connect for the broadband service?

[serryjw]

15. Yes, He gave me a cute little black box

with flashing lights. My problem we either can't find the CDROM or I don't have none(connected)??? The cable phone service (is cable NOT VOIP) is working at a different speed than my dial up ISP (AT&T) and they are not compatible. It is a nightmear to get online and it is sooooooooo slow loading pages. If there anything I can do to fix this immediately?

[RoyGBiv]

17. That little black box ...

Who makes it, and what model is it. If you don't have the box, it should be etched on the box itself somewhere. If you can find that, you can find the USB drivers for it online. That's the reason he was looking for a CD drive. He wanted to load the drivers from an install disk.

But, you don't have to do that if you can get online in some other way. It may take awhile to download the drivers, but you can, and then you can install them, and then you can move on to the next step.

So, who makes the black box?

[serryjw]

19. We ar making progress

My little black box gives me unlimited log distance through comcast. Now the little black box is an Arris http://www.arrisi.com/index1.asp model number touchstone TM402P Telephony modem. Now what does the USB drivers have to do with my not having an ethernet or CDROM?
http://www.arrisi.com/index1.asp
I did a search but do not know what i need!
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=USB+driver+for+Arris++model+number+touchstone+TM402P+

Hey thanks so much for your help! we computer challenged get very frustrated not understanding any of this.

[RoyGBiv]

20. Partial progress ...

Unfortunately, this is what I was afraid of. You do have what is essentially VOIP, only it's internal to the Comcast network, but that's more than you need to know really, so I won't get into the details. What matters is that you need a USB driver that allows your computer to communicate with the Touchstone Telephony Modem, which duals as an access point for your telephone service and your broadband Internet service. And, the problem with that is that Arris doesn't provide a download page for consumers for these drivers. It only provides downloads to the public for their consumer products.

What all this has to do with everything is this.

What the installer was trying to do was use your CD-ROM to load a USB driver that allows your computer to communicate with this modem. He had to do this because you do not have an ethernet port on your computer. An ethernet port (aka network card) is a more efficient method of data transmission, but USB can work just fine, and a lot of people use it instead. However, with a USB port, you need a special driver for the modem. With an ethernet port, all you need is the driver for that port, which would have come with your computer or with the network card if you had installed one later. (I hope that's not too confusing.)

Apparently your CD-ROM drive is messed up in some way since it apparently is not appearing, and that is a problem because we can't download the drivers. I am assuming you do actually have a CD-ROM drive in your computer. If so, have you used it lately for anything at all? We basically need to figure out why your CD drive is not showing up and fix that.

This may end up taking awhile in this forum. I'm willing to help, but I hate to think of you sitting there trying to fix this waiting on replies. (I'm about to go to bed for example and will not be able to answer any replies to this until morning. Hopefully someone else can jump in here and help you try to get your CD working.) What I would suggest is for you to call Comcast tech support tomorrow and have them help you with this; that is what you are paying them to do, and the installer never completed his job. They won't fix your computer for you, but they should try to help you with it as far as they can. Failing that, is there anyone near you who could help you get your CD working? I am afraid that is going to be necessary so you can use the install disc to load the drivers for the USB port.

P.S. I posted a link to this in the Computer Help and Support group. Hopefully it will generate some replies.

[serryjw]

21. WOW! Am I crazy??

( No comment,please!) I went to my control panel under HARDWARE,checked to see what CDROM I have. It is a ATAPI 40X....Then checked MY SETTINGS. The box that says DISCOUNTED IS CHECKED! Are you telling me if I UNCHECK the box all will be well?

Going to bed..I will be home about 5pm Mountain time!..Nighty, night!

[RoyGBiv]

22. Drivers ...

We had some luck. I posted about this problem in the Computer Help and Support Group, and DUer charlie found a source for the drivers.

Here's the link to that thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=242&topic_id=7687&mesg_id=7691

Try downloading those and installing them. That *should* allow you to connect your computer to the modem.

[serryjw]

23. You're great!

thanks for all the help

Serry

[RoyGBiv]

13. Question ...

I just re-read you original post, and you mentioned something about a box where you were getting your unlimited long distance.

Do you subscribe to a Comcast phone service, and if so, did they install a box in your house/apartment that has cable lines running into it that is connected to your phone outlets? Again if so, is this what the installer was trying to connect your computer to?

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Thtwudbeme]

18. That would have been funnier if you all had gotten a chihuahua instead

of the cute little yupster terrier thing--

;)

We should start a puppy thread soon---we have a Jack Russell Maybe Mixed with Something Really Cute--- Scout looks like the target puppy without the red circle around her eye-