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Cannot connect to internet with Windows 8

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Last response: in Windows 8
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Folks,

I am not sure if this is the correct forum for this question but I'll give it a shot.

I have the Comcast cable modem internet connection working fine on my desktop with XP Pro. However, my new Sony laptop which has Windows 8 with a Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller doesn't connect to the net even though I have plugged the Ethernet wire into the laptop's Ethernet port.

I'll be grateful for any guidance in this matter.

Thanks!

JS

More about : connect internet windows

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Windows 8 Expert

jss2020 said:
Folks,

I am not sure if this is the correct forum for this question but I'll give it a shot.

I have the Comcast cable modem internet connection working fine on my desktop with XP Pro. However, my new Sony laptop which has Windows 8 with a Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller doesn't connect to the net even though I have plugged the Ethernet wire into the laptop's Ethernet port.

I'll be grateful for any guidance in this matter.

Thanks!

JS


Answer depends on where you are getting your internet IP address.
Try the following:
- unplug your working desktop machines Ethernet cable into your laptop
- on your laptop reboot and see if your network comes up.
or you can run cmd.exe with administrator privileges and
type the following commands:
ipconfig.exe /release
ipconfig.exe /renew

After that is done, you can check to see if your internet is working.
(suspected problem would be lack of dhcp server on your local subnet)



johnbl said:
Answer depends on where you are getting your internet IP address.
Try the following:
- unplug your working desktop machines Ethernet cable into your laptop
- on your laptop reboot and see if your network comes up.
or you can run cmd.exe with administrator privileges and
type the following commands:
ipconfig.exe /release
ipconfig.exe /renew

After that is done, you can check to see if your internet is working.
(suspected problem would be lack of dhcp server on your local subnet)

Thanks for your response.
I am supposed to get the IP address from Comcast. It is a cable mode. There is no router. The connection is wired. My XP Pro desktop connects fine to the net.
The laptop has Windows 8. When I plug in the Ethernet port it tried to identify network and then said "Unidentified network".

While trouble shooting I got these messages:
'Ethernet' doesn't have a valid IP configuration
Investigate router or broadband modem issue

If I try to create a new connection, I get Broadband PPPoE which asks for username and password which Comcast doesn't provide.

I plugged the same Ethernet cable in laptop that was in desktop.
Rebooting didn't bring up the network.
IPconfig didn't release/renew did not work either.
If the desktop can access the DHCP server why can't the laptop? That's what I am wondering.
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Windows 8 Expert

jss2020 said:
Thanks for your response.
I am supposed to get the IP address from Comcast. It is a cable mode. There is no router. The connection is wired. My XP Pro desktop connects fine to the net.
The laptop has Windows 8. When I plug in the Ethernet port it tried to identify network and then said "Unidentified network".

While trouble shooting I got these messages:
'Ethernet' doesn't have a valid IP configuration
Investigate router or broadband modem issue

If I try to create a new connection, I get Broadband PPPoE which asks for username and password which Comcast doesn't provide.

I plugged the same Ethernet cable in laptop that was in desktop.
Rebooting didn't bring up the network.
IPconfig didn't release/renew did not work either.
If the desktop can access the DHCP server why can't the laptop? That's what I am wondering.


compare IPconfig /all from you desktop
to the one obtained from your laptop
-If you are getting your ipaddress from your cable company, they are not responding to the DHCP client request in a timely manor and your laptop reverts to a cached IP address that is not valid on your current network.

-Some cable cable companies want to charge you for a second address and restrict the number of devices. If this is the case you can work around it with two methods, 1) set up your own router
2) power down you cable modem and physically disconnect the broadband cable that goes into the cable modem (big round black cable, not your ethernet cable)

3)leave your cable modem disconnected for a few mins, you want the cable company hardware to actually detect the loss of your cable modem device. When you plug the cable back in and turn it on the cable company servers will have to respond to the clients request for a IP address and you will feed it into the machine that you connect to your ethernet port.

4) now after your laptop is working, shut it down so that the new address will be saved as the default address.

At this point you should have two machines configured to run default address that will work on you network even if your cable company will not issue a second address. Problem is you will have to do this each time they change your address and you will can only have one machine up at a time.

if you bring both machines up you will get a duplicate address error and one machine should refuse to send data.

lots of times it is just easier to spend the $29 and get your own router and not worry about these problems.




I have had similar problems with network and wireless drivers on Windows 8, some Windows 7 drivers work without problems where as others do not work at all. You need to check if there are any updates for your driver and if not the only other alternative is to connect via a wireless connection.

You're first problem is you have Windows 8. Sucks. Second Comcast does allow multiple connections on one account, Ive had them for many years. Sounds like its a modem issue. I have the same setup but use a switch tied to the same modem split via a second ethernet cable. Before the switch all I had to do was take the power off the back of the modem for a few seconds plug it back in after switching the ethernet cable to my laptop. If that continues not to work call comcast support tell them what you have they will fix it on their end.

johnbl said:
compare IPconfig /all from you desktop
to the one obtained from your laptop
-If you are getting your ipaddress from your cable company, they are not responding to the DHCP client request in a timely manor and your laptop reverts to a cached IP address that is not valid on your current network.

-Some cable cable companies want to charge you for a second address and restrict the number of devices. If this is the case you can work around it with two methods, 1) set up your own router
2) power down you cable modem and physically disconnect the broadband cable that goes into the cable modem (big round black cable, not your ethernet cable)

3)leave your cable modem disconnected for a few mins, you want the cable company hardware to actually detect the loss of your cable modem device. When you plug the cable back in and turn it on the cable company servers will have to respond to the clients request for a IP address and you will feed it into the machine that you connect to your ethernet port.

4) now after your laptop is working, shut it down so that the new address will be saved as the default address.

At this point you should have two machines configured to run default address that will work on you network even if your cable company will not issue a second address. Problem is you will have to do this each time they change your address and you will can only have one machine up at a time.

if you bring both machines up you will get a duplicate address error and one machine should refuse to send data.

lots of times it is just easier to spend the $29 and get your own router and not worry about these problems.

First of all thanks for your detailed and incisive response. This information might come in handy in the future also.

Although I have used two computers with my Comcast connection and my own router in the past, yesterday I was only running one connection at a time.

I called Comcast a few times but they were no help. They wanted me to sign up for their paid support program even though I think it deals with wireless issues when my problem was with wired ethernet.

I called Sony four times. Twice got disconnected in the middle. The third person had me do the Restore twice but it didn't help either. Finally, the four person went though a few things and then had me reset the modem by pressing a paper clip in a hole in the back of the cable modem. I don't know if that helped but soon after that my connection started working. Earlier I had done the power cycling and had also asked Comcast do a reset from there side but that did not help.

The last Sony tech was of the opinion that they modem was "confused" as it did not recognize the new system and the reset got rid of the cache and it could then recognize my laptop.
Windows 8 Expert

jss2020 said:
First of all thanks for your detailed and incisive response. This information might come in handy in the future also.

Although I have used two computers with my Comcast connection and my own router in the past, yesterday I was only running one connection at a time.

I called Comcast a few times but they were no help. They wanted me to sign up for their paid support program even though I think it deals with wireless issues when my problem was with wired ethernet.

I called Sony four times. Twice got disconnected in the middle. The third person had me do the Restore twice but it didn't help either. Finally, the four person went though a few things and then had me reset the modem by pressing a paper clip in a hole in the back of the cable modem. I don't know if that helped but soon after that my connection started working. Earlier I had done the power cycling and had also asked Comcast do a reset from there side but that did not help.

The last Sony tech was of the opinion that they modem was "confused" as it did not recognize the new system and the reset got rid of the cache and it could then recognize my laptop.


I guess it is easier to just hit the reset button on the cable modem than trying to force a configuration update by unplugging and power cycle

johnbl said:
I guess it is easier to just hit the reset button on the cable modem than trying to force a configuration update by unplugging and power cycle

Yes, it seems like it. BTW, I clicked on your previous message to select it as the best answer but nothing happened. Same problem in another thread. I did get the little pop-up that says that the selection cannot be changed. Strange! A few days back it was working fine.
Edit: Looks like it did work after all.

jss2020 said:
Folks,

I am not sure if this is the correct forum for this question but I'll give it a shot.

I have the Comcast cable modem internet connection working fine on my desktop with XP Pro. However, my new Sony laptop which has Windows 8 with a Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller doesn't connect to the net even though I have plugged the Ethernet wire into the laptop's Ethernet port.

I'll be grateful for any guidance in this matter.

Thanks!

JS

Hello
I dont know if you solv your problem but I did I change the 1p4-protocoll to manule ip and the ip6-protocol leavet as automatic and know I have internet
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