[PFDurand35]

[FONT=Arial][FONT=Times][SIZE=7][COLOR=gray][B] Hi. I recently switched from using a Comcast cable modem to a Verizon DSL modem. My modem is a Westell 6100. My basic (or not so basic) problem is I can not renew my IP and can not connect to the Internet through my Linksys LNE100TX Ethernet Card. I've run WinsockXPfix to no avail. Verizon has even sent me a new modem that I have reset twice. I've checked my cables. I've updated my Ethernet drivers. Still the only way I can connect is by creating a manual connection through my WAN Miniport (PPPOE). I am running Windows XP Home (blech) on a "hand built" PC.

During one of my many calls to Verizon it was suggested I have a virus. I must admit Norton 2005 has been acting odd (taking several minutes to enable on the system tray at start up) but when I run a scan it comes up negative. Hijackthis, Spybot, CWShredder, ADAware SE, and The Cleaner all come up negative too. My machine SEEMS clean but...

...man, I so need help with how to fix this. Oh and on the first night, when I originally installed the first modem, it worked fine. Then next morning I started up my PC and BONK!

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Now what do you mean by "manually connecting"? I take it you just have the modem and network card, no router.

For most dsl ISPs you connect through the WAN miniport with that configuration. Right now I'm on a router, but if I remove the router I have to use the WAN miniport, so I have to enable it. It works as well as the LAN configuration with the router.

Your problem may be one of logging in. If you use a router it does the logging in. Without the router and using the WAN miniport you have a login box. Be sure that you check the save password option.

Let us know how it goes.

[Tyger]

Now what do you mean by "manually connecting"? I take it you just have the modem and network card, no router.

For most dsl ISPs you connect through the WAN miniport with that configuration. Right now I'm on a router, but if I remove the router I have to use the WAN miniport, so I have to enable it. It works as well as the LAN configuration with the router.

Your problem may be one of logging in. If you use a router it does the logging in. Without the router and using the WAN miniport you have a login box. Be sure that you check the save password option.

Let us know how it goes.

[PFDurand35]

No I don't have a router. The Phone DSL plugs right into the modem and the CAT 5 line goes directly from the modem to my network card. By manually I mean that I have to click on a shortcut for a network connection I created then enter my user password (the password that I dentifies me to Verizon's server and mail server) to get connected.

If I open up network connections in control panel I have the one I created (I called it VerizonDSL). Using the details view it reads - Name: VerizonDSL, Type: Broadband, Status: Connected, Device name: WAN Miniport (PPPOE)

Below that is - Name: (LAN or High-Speed Internet) Local Area Connection 5, Type, LAN or High-Speed Internet, Status: Acquiring Network Address, Device: Linksys LNE100TX Fast Ethernet Adapter (LNE100TX v4).

I referred to the VerizonDSL connection I created as "manual" because I have to click on a short cut and enter a password. Ordinarily Windows would automatically connect to the Internet at start up (as it did when I was using Comcast and a cable modem). If I try to repair connection or use ipconfig /renew in a command prompt I'm told I cannot renew my IP and that the RPC Server is unavailable.

I'm frustrated because everything else seems to be working fine on this PC. From what I understand the IP IS "sitting" on my modem it just can't get to my computer.

Edited by PFDurand35, 04 September 2005 - 08:02 AM.

[Tyger]

I beleive I'm beginning to understand your problem. The modem you have combines the modem and router functions in one box, I think I've even seen one, and it has an access page which you should be able to find by clicking on the link I gave. If not, just look at the handbook. If it has more than one output jack it combines those functions and you would use the lan connection, configuring the modem to log in on PPPoE with the right username and password for your account.

Here's a short description of it.

I'm sure the book will tell you how to cinfigure it for PPPoE.

[PFDurand35]

Ok so I'll print out the PDF file and take a read through it but this seems to be only a way around the problem. I can connect through my PPPoE now only I have to prompt it and enter a password. All doing this would seem to accomplish is that happening automatically. I want to know why the modem can not connect through my Ethernet card (LAN port).

Oh and yes this is the exact modem/model I have. They did not send me a users manual for it.

[Tyger]

I haven't looked, but I'm sure you cn find a manual, also many people have problems with networking so there is a lot of information on configuring this or that modem/router on Google. BTW, your modem logs you in, in this case, so you have to set it up with your dsl password and user ID. Your computer should use DHCP to automatically obtain an IP from your modem. In other words your computer has an IP on your "network" the modem has the IP to the internet.

If you do an ipconfig /all you will see both IPs displayed.

[dcdjc]

I have the impression that cable-based ISPs used dynamic IPs assigned by the cable company's DHCP, so you don't have to worry about your IP address with them. But with DSL, you usually have to enter a static IP number in your TCP/IP configuration. If Verizon uses dynamic IPs that wouldn't apply, but if you have been given a single IP number (plus Gateway, submask, and DNS) then those have to be entered. That is the way that other DSL ISPs I am familiar work.

Good luck!

[bunjee]

No solution offered, but you aren't alone. I had a student come in because she can't get online here or at home any more.
XP Home, and she just installed Verizon DSL, both wifi and wired network adapters are stuck at the "aquiring network address" stage.

If you drop into command line and attempt to renew from there, you get the message RPC server unavailable.

I tried removing the Verizon online software, but one of the packages requires the cd that she didn't bring me.

If I find out anything, I'll post it back.

[mitch1509]

Was a solution to this problem ever discovered ?

I have almost the exact same problem, Dell PC, Verizon DSL and XP, except I have a DLink Wireless card on the PC in question. I can connect only through the WAN Miniport on the computer in question (same as PFDurand35 wrote above):

If I open up network connections in control panel I have the one I created (I called it VerizonDSL). Using the details view it reads - Name: VerizonDSL, Type: Broadband, Status: Connected, Device name: WAN Miniport (PPPOE)

Below that is - Name: (LAN or High-Speed Internet) Local Area Connection 5, Type, LAN or High-Speed Internet, Status: Acquiring Network Address, Device: Dlink .....

The computer never gets an IP address (or subnet mask), both values are contantly 0.0.0.0.

This surfaced while attempting to connect an HP wireless printer, I've been around in circles with HP, Verizon, Dlink, MacAfee, and Dlink again. When we troubleshot and discovered RPC Sever Unavailable error, Dlink said it was a Windows related error and recommended calling Dell or Microsoft (Arrrgh!!!).

Funny thing is I have another Dell, with XP Pro and same Verizon DSL, using a DLink USB wireless adapter and I have no issues. The USB device connects and has a IP address, I don't have to use the WAN Miniport at all.

Both systems have MacAfee Virus/Firewall configured exactly the same , so I eliminated that as a variable.... I'm pulling what's left of my hair out.

Any suggestions/solutions would be greatly appreciated.....

[PFDurand35]

Interesting about the XP Pro vs. Home. A Microsoft OS having issues of this nature isn't much of a stretch though. I spoke with a highly knowledgable friend who basically said it could be nature of the beast (on Verizon's end) as far as how I'm (we) allowed to connect to the web through the modem. I have not tried connecting using the USB option. They recommended using the Ethernet option (also my CAT 5 cable is much longer than any USB I have so I don't really have a choice). Even if the USB were to work, it would still be yet another solution that only works AROUND the problem.

I think their is a fundemental breakdown in communication in regards to explaining what the issue is here. I live in NH and my friend in MA. The next time he is here, I'll have him take a first hand look at this issue and then I will post a more indepth and informative post based on his observation/investigation. In the mean time, rock on PPPOE. Stay tuned.

Edited by PFDurand35, 06 October 2005 - 08:42 PM.

[mitch1509]

Here's how I fixed my problem (I'm not taking credit for this, I actually found the solution on another site).

You must insure that the DHCP Client, DNC Client and RPC are all running.

This can be done by right clicking on My Computer, selecting Manage, selecting Services and Applications, then selecting Services.

You will see a long list of Services and their current status. If any of the three Services (DHCP Client, DNC Client and RPC) is not listed as Started and Automatic, double click that service, click Start and change the Start Up type to Automatic.

In my case the DHCP was not started and was set to System (for Start Up Type). As soon as clicked Start, the NIC retreived a IP address and the connection went from Acquiring a Network Address to Connected

Hope this helps others....

[PFDurand35]

Thank you Mitch1509! Although I'm apparently not out of the woods yet. My DHCP Client and RPC serviced were not set to automatic and now are. Such a simple fix (well almost - see below). I have to say I'm not overly impressed that Verzion did not know to check for this.

Even so I am still currently connected through a manually created connection (Winiport PPPOE). The Local Area Connection 5 icon is in my system tray and is no longer acquiring network. If I pass my pointer over it I get:
Local Area Connection 5
Speed: 100.0Mbps
Status: Connected

But unlike my PPPOE connection, I do not get the "Sent" and "Received" data packets info. I also get a "This page can not be displayed" if I open my IE browser. So there is still something wrong. I now have an IP, Subnet, and default gateway for my LAN/Ethernet connection which I thought would have solved the problem but apparently not. This is getting pretty ridiculous. I'm going to try resetting my modem with Verizon's assistance and see if that does the trick.

[SexyKRock81]

[quote name='PFDurand35' date='Oct 8 2005, 09:48 AM']
Thank you Mitch1509! Although I'm apparently not out of the woods yet. My DHCP Client and RPC serviced were not set to automatic and now are. Such a simple fix (well almost - see below). I have to say I'm not overly impressed that Verzion did not know to check for this."


As far as I know, this rpc server unavailable error that comes up after you notice your lan is stuck in Acquiring netwrk address, then when you go to ipconfig, the ip says 0.0, and when renewing you get rpc server unavailable, is from some branch of the Mytob worm. This is all that most of the verizon bulletins posted back in March. I've also noticed that when I see this on a person's pc, that they cannot do anything w/their lan, which my understanding, is bound to their nic. I gather from the behavior of these symptoms is that something affects the NIC's ability to communicate w/the servers to get an IP address. So Mytob being what's been said as the culprit has made sense to me, since virus' do things like that to the internet protocol sometimes. I've also noticed that when this happens not only can you do nothing w/the LAN to get online, but the only way to get ppl online is to create a connectoid. If you have the verizon cd the tech would end up either creating WinPoet dialer or if you use windows XP, an XP dialer w/wan miniport pppoe connection. Why those types of connections wrk when the router doesnt, has not been explained to me. If any of you are more tech saavy than I am and have training w/netwrking and this protocol, I'd love your input, as I have been looking for solutions and explanations for awhile.

I have little time to investigate mytob or the rpc server unavailable error, but have seen it enough I googled it today to see what all it could mean, or to see if possibly the rpc server unavailable when the above symptoms occur is something not related to the Mytob worm. I'm happy to see a solution posted above that makes a little more sense than the simple phrase "it's an effect left from the Mytob worm."
I am not a computer technician, but I'm very pc saavy, I have a lot of yrs of hands on experience, love to learn new things and anything w/the pc, and am in the dsl tech support field. What I've just posted is part of the reason the verizon tech couldnt tell you that. We do not specialize in pc errors. Just your internet connection basics. Your basic tcp/ip settings, int options settings, some of the lan settings, assistance w/checking ip, releasing and renewing ip, verizon's pop3/smtp settings, setting up the basic aspects of the routers Westell 2200, 327w,6100, ActionTec, Linksys, minimal wireless support, and the installation or removal of verizon cd sftware. Maybe a little more. Beyond that you save time and headache by getting a certified person to see what you're running into personally instead of trying to explain it over the phone which has more of a disadvantage, unfortunately.

[bunjee]

Oh thank you! It has been so long since I had to muck around in Services I forgot that completely. I had to start up both DHCP and RPC, DNS was fine. I'm wondering if part of the original Verizon Install failed and those services were not restored to their Automatic funciton.

Here's how I fixed my problem (I'm not taking credit for this, I actually found the solution on another site).

You must insure that the DHCP Client, DNC Client and RPC are all running.

This can be done by right clicking on My Computer,  selecting Manage, selecting Services and Applications, then selecting Services.

You will see a long list of Services and their current status. If any of the three Services (DHCP Client, DNS Client and RPC) is not listed as Started and Automatic, double click that service, click Start and change the Start Up type to Automatic.

In my case the DHCP was not started and was set to System (for Start Up Type). As soon as clicked Start, the NIC retreived a IP address and the connection went from Acquiring a Network Address to Connected

Hope this helps others....

[PFDurand35]

I must have a mutant computer. I still have to connect through my WAN Miniport PPPOE. I even downloaded and ran both Symantec's and Microsoft's Mytob worm removal tools, ran them, and found nothing. In no other way is my PC behaving abberantly so I really don't think this is virus/malware related. I've also run six different security and detection apps and come up with nada. This machine is clean (or else has the most clever virus known to computing). Well I've got a head cold and typing this has already sapped my strength. I'm glad the others have managed to successfully fix this through my post. Wish I was one of you.