Unsolved
This post is more than 5 years old
8 Posts
0
5355
Limited Connectivity From Comcast Isp Since Before Christmas
About a week before X-mas our two computers would only work at night time. We have a motorola modem and a linkysys router downstairs and upstairs in two separate bedrooms we have a computer in each room. We have cat 5 connections running from both computers and they are plugged directly into the back of the router. We have used these connections for approximately 5 years and Comcast is our ISP. A week before X-mas we were only able to use the computers at night time just when they wanted to work. I called comcast and they told me that my modem had went out and that I needed a new one. We checked the cat 5 wiring and my neices rabbit had sure enough chewed a large portion of the cat 5 wiring so we had to get brand new and replace it. Well, the computers worked great for about one day and then all of the sudden just went out again. So we ran the first computer straight to the modem and it worked fine. Then we ran my computer, the second one and couldn't get nothing but limited connection. I bought new wiring and a new router but before I hooked the router up I wanted to check the line and connect it straight to the modem. Well, it was still limited connection. I had used a little brush to clean the dust out the other day after the first breakdown. Today when I put the plug in I could see sparks flying from the connection. Does anyone know whats up with that? Help....
doctorscott
13 Posts
0
January 19th, 2010 23:00
I'm not sure if this is related but PudgyOne posted an article regarding Comcast connection you may check it out.
http://en.community.dell.com/forums/t/19316661.aspx
Hope this would help.
Thanks
DoctorScott
tester25
626 Posts
0
January 20th, 2010 13:00
I've seen strong enough static charges to cause a spark too. Like if you were walking across carpet while holding the ethernet cable and then you plugged that cable into your system. Or for whatever reason, there was a different amount of charge in your computer chassis and the ethernet cable....
Okay, that's my last guess. :emotion-4:
tester25
626 Posts
0
January 20th, 2010 13:00
A few possibilities. I've seen a "limited connection" before when a few of the conductors/wires in the CAT5 ethernet cable weren't properly terminated. You could get an ethernet cable tester to check the cable. Or you could simply replace the cable.
As far as sparks flying from the connection, perhaps some of the conductors/wires are shorted out and causing some higher than normal voltage to be on that line and when you make connection, it's touching ground perhaps and causing sparks. It sounds very strange though and non power over ethernet switches typically won't have enough voltage on the line to cause that. But regardless, I'd definitely test that cable and fix it or replace it...
Another possibility is that the NIC in your second computer is fried, perhaps because of wires being shorted or because of a lightning storm.... This may actually be the best explanation...
And the sparks, are they flying on the ethernet port of the first computer, second computer, or actually on the ethernet port of the modem?