Internet with cable modem

[zina]

Hello,

I'm not experienced in Linux, I just want it to work. I'm having trouble with connecting to the Internet from home using a cable modem. The modem works fine, that is, it's connected to the server. I called the support of the provider, and they told me that, but they do not support Linux.

When I plug in the cable, I do not receive any IP address. Perhaps, the DHCP client doesn't work with the modem?

I use dhcp-3 client. To tell which modem I use, I'd have to look at home (I inherited it from the previous flat inhabitant, and it's most probably no-name and around 5 years old).

At work, I use DHCP, and it works fine.

Zina

[thnogueira]

It seems you are having problem with the MAC-address. I suppose you have windows installed on this computer? In case this is true, do you know if the MAC is spoofed? You can verify by taking a look at advanced properties of the network adapter in device manager. Look at the field physical address.

[zina]

No, I don't have Windows there. What do you mean by "MAC is spoofed"?

DHCP at work works fine, though...

A colleague davised me to reset the modem, because it might have saved the previous MAC address (from the previous flat inhabitant). I pressed the Reset, rebooted the laptop, but it didn't make any difference.

[thnogueira]

If the modem is getting online, probably the problem is the adapter MAC address. Some ISPs just assign ip number to the computer if the network MAC is registered on their database. If it's the case, you have two options:

1 - get the mac address of your network adapter ( run ifconfig command and take note of the number similar to this one: HWaddr 00:0E:35:3E:F5:A3). Call your ISP and ask them to register this MAC address.

2 - spoof the mac(not sure if it's legal). You can configure your network card to pretend to be another one. you'll need to know a registered card number (of your work one, for example) and edit the file /etc/network/interfaces. Under the line where it is

iface eth0 inet dhcp

add the line:

hwaddress ether 00:07:BD:1E:42:5B //this number is an example


I hope it works

[sdb2028]

Who is your ISP?, what modem do you use? do you use a router? and what is your network adapter?
I have Comcast through a Linksys Broadband wireless router accessed through an internal Intel Centrino ipw2200bg wireless adapter. All works great.

[zina]

Provider: ComHem, Sweden

The problem is that I rented the flat with the modem already installed, so formally, I'm not the customer of ComHem, and they refuse (!!) to give me supprot. They do not support Linux, but they wouldn't tell me which MAC address they saved for my modem, for example, and they wouldn't register a new one for me.

Well, my configuration is entirely differnet from yours. My next move, I guess, would be to borrow a Windows laptop from somebody and to try whether the Internet works on it. (I don't dare to install Windows onto my laptop, because I heard it might go very wrong, and I have a half-finished presentation on it right now, and need to work on it further...)

[thnogueira]

Beleive me. You need a registered mac adrress number and spoof your adapter's one to seems like the registered. It has nothing to do with your OS.
I'd could tell to how to sniff packages with ethereal but it'd be probably against the law.

Come on, it's Sweden. Is that so expensive?

[sdb2028]

Is your landlord a customer of ComHem? If so, try to get them to get the info for you. It may be that there is no current subscription to the service. You may need to subscribe and have it turned on.

[zina]

I asked the ISP if they save PC mac addresses. Here is their reply: "We don't register any macadresses from the computer/networkcard itself. The mac adress we register in our system is the one from your cablemodem."

So it really seems to be the problem with the laptop talking to the modem. What do you think?

[sdb2028]

run "ifconfig" and post the results.