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NormanS
Premium,MVM
join:2001-02-14
San Jose, CA
 ·Pacific Bell - SBC
1 edit | Bailing out a Charter customer...
I've hung out a lot in the Comcast forums because a relative, and a couple of friends, are Comcast users. Today I helped a cousin's Charter in-laws. Seems that father-in-law fired up the computer one day, and no Internet. Checked the modem, and no lights. Called Charter, and they sent out a tech. Replace the old modem with a brand new Motorola SB-5101. From the Comcast forums, I gather this is one of the best out there. Tech then left without hooking up to the computer. I was a bit confused; but it transpires that the tech used the father-in-law's laptop to provision the modem, but did not finish up the desktop.
Turns out that the old modem was connected to the computer with a USB cable. The problem is, the tech apparently did not know how to set up USB drivers. Or, maybe...does the SB-5101 have USB drivers? I fired up the computer, and got a screen for Windows XP Home Edition, asking for an install disk for drivers for the hardware. This is an ancient HP Pavilion 8260, probably originally Windows 98, and no Ethernet port. Tech was flummoxed by the need for USB drivers?
Solution was a trip to Circuit City, and a new NIC. No $10 cards, like Fry's Electronics, and Morgan Hill is too far from any place I know of with cheap stuff. Have one final issue, but not a Charter problem; more like a broken Winsock. Never had to fix one of those, before.
Trace route is sweet, though. 7 ms to his first hop, and 49 ms to my ATTIS connection in San José, California. Not like some Charter people down there seeing 100 ms plus to anywhere nearby. When I get back on site, I will grab a copy, and post it, if anybody is interested.
Trace route:
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Norman
~Oh Lord, why have you come
~To Konnyu, with the Lion and the Drum | |
Snavvie
join:2006-09-28
Louisville, KY | Charter doesn't support USB connections. That's why the tech didn't do anything. Sorry about your troubles. | |
contractor99999
@charter.com
| since when do they not support usb connections??
Quote from Charter.com
Although a USB can be used to connect your cable modem to your computer, using an ethernet connection is preferable to using a USB connection.
And for some odd reason We (the contractors of my area) cannot get any Nic cards to install, so if its an old pc and has a usb port and no nic card we have to install it via usb. | |
NormanS
Premium,MVM
join:2001-02-14
San Jose, CA
·Pacific Bell - SBC
1 edit | reply to Snavvie
Wasn't any trouble for me; I actually made a little money off of this. Charter sub had to spring for a NIC, though. No cheapo "Big Box" outlet nearby, so a little more expensive than the $7 NICs I've seen at Fry's Electronics.
But I felt a little sorry for the tech; he looked a bit foolish, in the sub's eyes, because of this.
--
Norman
~Oh Lord, why have you come
~To Konnyu, with the Lion and the Drum | |
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