win 98 will not connect to network

[Mikeye]

I just installed a Ethernet Card into one of the PCMCIA slots on my notebook. I installed the drivers per the instructions in the supplied directions and connected my cable modem. I also used the CD supplied with the cable modem and ran the set-up. I have checked all the settings and cannot connect to the internet. I am running Win98SE and my ISP is Comcast. I have already been using my my cable modem on my desktop PC. When I ran Winipgfg the IP address indicated was 169.254.225.224. From what I understand this indicated that Win98 does not recgonize my cable modem. When I try to renew, i get the message "DHCP Server Unavailable:Renewing Adapter"". Any suggestions or help would be great!!

[Byte 2.0]

Unplug the AC power to the cable modem for 5 minutes. Have a headache, not going in to details as to why.

Second, plug up the cable modem, let it power up for about a minute.

connect Ethernet to the PC, then turn it on.

Check IP, if still 169 IP, you want to run the a Winsock fix. I will link it in a few minutes..

EDIT

ok, if above fails, download this program
http://www.spychecker.com/program/winsockxpfix.html

run it, hit fix and when finished reboot.

[Mikeye]

perfect... just unplugging the modem and waiting a while worked. Thank you very much!!

[Byte 2.0]

OK, now since that worked and since my headache is somewhat better, I will try to explain why that worked.

The following holds true in my experience with Comcast.

The reason that works is the way Cable modems works, they are actually what is known as a Bridged connection.

For my examples, all are Ethernet.

Let me explain, Comcast uses the Modem and Mac address of your cable modem to authenticate you as a customer and to allow you on the INTERNET.

The Cable modem uses a Mac address on you PC.

Most networking devices have mac address, Your cable modem, you NIC, your router. I don't believe simples switches and hubs have Mac addresses, but a managed switch probably would.

OK, once the cable modem is connected to Comcast, then the cable modem finds the first Mac that it connects to, say your NIC in your PC or router. It then learns this Mac address and this is called a Learned Mac in the cable modem. Once it has a Learned mac, it only wants to communicate with that Mac address on your side.

By unplugging the Cable modem for 5 minutes, you make the cable modem forget this Mac address, at which point it can learn a New MAC on your side.

Comcast does not have to have the Mac address in your PC or router, they only need the Mac of the Cable modem. I know as I have changed cable modems several times.

Lets take this a step farther.

The following has held true for me over the past 3 years.
Lets say you have 3 computers, PC1 , PC 2, and PC 3. each has a NIC and of course each NIC has it's own unique Mac address.

connect PC1 direct to the cable modem. it pulls Ip address from comcast 68.x.x.47

OK, disconnect it, connect PC2 up, it pulls Ip address from comcast 68.x.x.12.
OK, disconnect it connect PC3 up and it pulls IP address from comcast 68.x.x.18.

Now connect PC 1 back up and it pulls the same IP as before, 68.x.x.47.

I have done all of that, with out calling comcast to advise that I switched PCs or nics, they did not need me to call and GIVE them the mac of the NIC, yet it worked. Also for me, more important, it shows me that the IP address comcast assigns is somehow based on the Mac address I feed my cable modem.

I clone the Mac address from PC2 in my router because I like the IP it pulls, easy for me to remember.

Now lets go one step further.

I have been able to maintain the same IP address for nearly 3 years and look at what I have done.

I canceled service at one address. I moved across town, I brought a new cable modem, signed up for service 2 weeks later and I got the same IP address as before at the old address.

There has been one time that an IP address change happened outside of the above. We has a serious power outage and the cable node lost back up power I guess, as the power was out for about 14 to 16 hours. When it cable back up I got a totally New IP address. I believe the local node must have lost it's list and reassigned IP addresses.

And in closing.

I have had people with Advance networking Certifications try to call me out on this, tell me that the IP address system is in no way based on the Mac address in the NIC or that Comcast must have the Mac address of the Nic or router. However, same person refused to let me show it to him and he does not even have cable internet at his home, so how does he get off trying to argue what he does not have first hand knowledge of. Also, he moved into this area and is trying to make a name for himself trying to prove local techs wrong. To me, he is proving at least to me his paper certification should be burned. To bad he out ranks me where I work.
However, he is at least in some hot water at work over other things.

[Dark Nova]

^nice explanation