Troubleshooting Cable Modems

This article describes how to troubleshoot problems with cable modems in Microsoft Windows 98 and Millennium Edition (Me).

Types of Cable Modem Services

There are two types of cable modem services: two-way cable modems and one-way cable modems. A two-way cable modem receives and sends information over the cable. A one-way cable modem receives information over the cable and sends information over the phone line.

Troubleshooting Cable Modem Connectivity

If you are unable to connect to the Internet using a cable modem, you should first verify that you are not experiencing a cable outage. If your television has good cable reception and you are still unable to connect to the Internet using your cable modem, follow the troubleshooting steps in the appropriate section below:

Two-Way Cable Service

Two-way cable service uses a network adapter and a cable modem. You can use standard network connectivity troubleshooting to determine if the issue is a Windows 98 connectivity issue. For information about how to troubleshoot network connectivity problems, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

One-Way Cable Service

If you are unable to connect to your cable company's Internet service provider (ISP), the connection is slow, or you connect but are unable to view any Web pages, use as many of the following steps as needed to resolve the issue. If one step does not work, go to the next step until the issue is resolved.

1. There may be an interrupt request line (IRQ) or input/output (I/O) address resource conflict between your cable modem and another hardware device in your computer. This is usually indicated by an exclamation point in a yellow circle next to the device, or multiple incoming or outgoing cable modems listed in Device Manager.
   
   For information about how to troubleshoot resource conflicts using Device Manager in Windows 98 and Me, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   ARTICLE-ID: 133240  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/133240/EN-US/ )
   TITLE : Troubleshooting Device Conflicts with Device Manager
   If multiple incoming or outgoing cable modems are listed in Device Manager, remove the duplicate modem entries, and then follow the steps in the article to troubleshoot the resource conflict. To remove duplicate cable modem entries in Device Manager, follow these steps:
   1. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click System.
   2. Click the Device Manager tab.
   3. Double-click the Modem Branch to expand it.
   4. Click a duplicate cable modem, and then click Remove.
   5. Once you remove all duplicate cable modems, click Close, and then restart your computer.
2. The incoming and outgoing Internet Protocol (IP) addresses may be set by IP Autoconfiguration Addressing, which could result in no incoming or outgoing connection.
   
   For additional information about IP Autoconfiguration Addressing, please see Chapter 15 of the Microsoft Windows 98 Resource Kit.
   
   For information about how to determine the correct IP address to use, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:Once you remove all duplicate cable modems, click Close, and then restart your computer if you are prompted to do so.
   ARTICLE-ID: 189255  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/189255/EN-US/ )
   TITLE : Error Message: Invalid DHCP Lease
3. Binding Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) to other devices can cause problems if the devices are sensitive to the order in which they are accessed. For example, if TCP/IP is bound to a network adapter that is used on a local area network (LAN), the network adapter may expect to be listed as the default device. To determine if this is the case, follow these steps:
   1. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Network.
   2. In the list of installed network components, double-click each device to which TCP/IP is bound, and write down the device's TCP/IP properties.
   3. Remove any extra devices to which TCP/IP is bound by clicking the device in the list of installed network components, and then clicking Remove.
   4. Once all extra devices are removed, click OK, and then restart your computer.
4. If your cable modem is redetected every time you start your computer, the modem's software may be unable to communicate with the modem during the boot process. To resolve this issue, uninstall the modem driver and then install the latest driver for your cable modem. For information about how to obtain and install the latest driver for your cable modem, contact your cable company's ISP support group or your modem's manufacturer.
5. If you are unable to connect to the Internet at all, contact your cable company's ISP support group to verify that the proxy server address, Domain Name Service (DNS) address, line-in frequency, and line-out phone number are correct.
   
   If you are having performance problems while connected to the Internet, contact your cable company's ISP support group to verify that the connection parameters are in an acceptable range. Some cable modems include a utility that automatically obtains the correct cable connection parameters. If your modem does not include a utility such as this, you can usually obtain connection parameters from your cable company's ISP support group.

NOTE: Some cable modems can be reset by unplugging and powering down the modem for 10 seconds and then powering the modem back up again.