Please explain about network adapters & drivers.

Sept9 · 21-09-2008, 07:36 PM

Ok, I'm gonna try my best to explain what the verizon guy told me but I'm new at this. I have 3 laptops & a desktop in my home. 1 laptop is XP, the rest Vista. Our DSL service kept cutting off & I've spent hours on the phone to get it back on. First it was just my laptop(Acer Aspire 5yrs old) that wouldnt connect unless ethernet was plugged in. Then they all stopped connecting ethernet or not. 2days ago my son reset the modem. I called verizon, they did something on the modem page & all the computers worked great on the internet, with or without ethernet cable. I got up this morning & no connection on desktop & laptops had to be plugged in to ethernet. Called verizon again they looked in my laptop(Acer) & told me that The network adapter was the problem. I have a Broadcam something, something "b" but it doesnt say "wireless". They also said it was something wrong with my driver. I do not understand how this is affecting the other brand new computers or how I fix it. He tried to install a newer adapter Broadcam Wireless something "g&B" but my computer wouldnt do it. I dont know anything about this. Is a driver the same as a network adapter? Why is it affecting the desktop"? He tried to explain how drivers are a unit but I wasnt getting it. He said it was my driver but if I threw my computer away, the other computers(brand new) still wouldnt be connected, so whose driver would be the problem then? I apologize if I dont make sense. I just want to sit on the couch & use my laptop, not plugged in to a wall. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

rokytnji · 21-09-2008, 09:35 PM

Sept9, Your technician from Verison sounds like the yahoo's we have working here in Pecos Texas for my ISP (Internet Service Provider) Windstream.

I had the same problem as you and had everything blamed from my computers,to my router,to my home phone lines, you name it.

I finally got fed up and emailed Windstream Corporate a complaint about their sevice out here and that they were going to lose a valued customer. 8 hours later LO and Behold my dropped connections are magically fixed. I haven't had a problem since.

Quote" I called verizon, they did something on the modem page & all the computers worked great on the internet, with or without ethernet cable. I got up this morning & no connection on desktop & laptops had to be plugged in to ethernet."

This makes it sound like your Wireless Router is dying. Because you say everything works on hardline. Your drivers must be working because of this:

Quote:"all the computers worked great on the internet, with or without ethernet cable"

If that Verizon tech was informed of this then he should have replaced you wireless router right off the bat. All I have to do to test if Wireless is working OK on my Laptops and I suspect the home router of being snafued is to drive up to my local Truckstop that has free wifi and enable connect to their router.

If I can connect to their unencrypted No WEP free wifi signal then I know to start at my wireless router. I run Linux instead of Windows so maybe a Windows user on this forum might give you a different take on things. I have had a broken heel bone all summer so I know how important wifi on the couch is to ya.

Sept9 · 24-09-2008, 03:36 AM

Ha! Ha! Glad to see I'm not alone. Thanks so much for the response. I think someone in the house is changing the modem password. It was at a point where I couldnt connect at all so verizon said to reset the modem which took me to the box where user name is admin & password is password. After some other small settings I could connect. A couple days later it wouldnt work again but all signals were showing connected. When I tried to get to the same modem page with "admin & password" it took me to a page saying "unauthorized". I tried to get an explaination from verizon but he rambled about it being my adapter. My question now is, is there a way to change the password to the modem that will block the internet from just 1 computer in the house? Its almost like if my laptop has a connection the others don't & vice versa. I hope I'm explaining it right. Sorry to hear about your injury. Feel better. Thanks again

rokytnji · 24-09-2008, 05:04 AM

Sept, I am not that hip with routers and modems. I live out in the sticks so WEP and Passwords aren't needed or used in my case. My best advice is while connected is to google the heck out your problem on the web or be patient and wait for someone better than me to answer back on your problem. Sorry.