how can i connect road runner cable service to my powerbook?

hikohta · July 28, 2002 7:33PM

i am new at connections and hardware and things like this, so please bear with me on my novice skills. i wanted to know how i could connect my cable modem connection to my powerbook g4 on OSX. i am using road runner currently on my PC, and i am assuming i connect the ethernet cable to the ethernet plug in the powerbook. but what next? thanks a ton!

nebagakid · July 28, 2002 7:42PM

Well, first, you need to configure your TCP/IP settings. in Mac OS X, these settings are located in the System Preferences, and in that in the Network preferences. There, you set the pop up menu to SHOW Built-In Ethernet.

From here, you can input your TCP/IP settings.

To find out what your settings are, either check your PC or check your Cable Service documentation (if there is any) <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />

hikohta · July 28, 2002 7:56PM

thanks for the help, but i was just told by the rep that my cable modem does not support OS X (only up to OS 9), so wat can i do now? he wrote to me: "Darren W.: You will need to configure your TCP/IP stack to accept IP, DNS, and

Gateway settings from the DHCP server." wat does that mean? how do i do all this? thanks!!!

alcimedes · July 28, 2002 8:17PM

1. your cable modem guy is high on crack and doesn't know anything. you can do it and it's easy.

go to your system preferences, then go to the network icon.

change your connector to ethernet.

set the TCP/IP configure to "Using DHCP"

that will then fill in the IP, subnet mask and router.

you'll need to get the DNS servers from your ISP.

if they won't give you some because they're morons, try these.

134.84.84.84

128.101.101.101

OSX uses completely standard TCP/IP protocals, and should have no problem at all working with your cable modem.

when they say they don't support OSX, they mean they can't understand it, which is an entirely different ball of wax.

hikohta · July 28, 2002 8:24PM

alright man, thanks a lot. i'm gonna try wat u said. but it's weird... i mean, this is wat i first did:

1- Connect Ethernet cable into ethernet port (everything is on, from my cable modem to powerbook at this point).

2- It recognizes the IP address etc (no router in OS X named though, only in OS 9)

3- When i click on Internet Explorer, i get the server could not be found.

why is this?

alcimedes · July 28, 2002 8:29PM

probably doesn't have a DNS server setup.

what IP does it give you when it grabs an IP address?

also, try this address

160.94.131.148

and tell me if that works.

edit: try that address in internet explorer and see if something comes up.

[ 07-28-2002: Message edited by: alcimedes ]

hikohta · July 28, 2002 8:39PM

DAMNIT!!! nothing works...

here is the IP Address that my Server retrieved:

169.254.52.109

Subnet Mask: 255.255.0.0

Router: (Blank)

And as for the ip you gave me, when i tried to go to it in Interent Explorer, after a whie it loaded (or was searching/connecting to the server), a pop up window came up saying, "Connection Failure". ARGH!!!

hikohta · July 28, 2002 8:41PM

any possible help? thanks!

chilleymac · July 28, 2002 8:42PM

I use roadrunner on my powerbook. All you need to do is configure your network settings like this.

1.Built in ethernet

2.TCP/IP

configure: using DHCP

You will be up and running. Roadrunner doesn't require you to input any IP address. It publishes an address to you when you connect your computer. It will be different everytime.

Good luck.

PS. The tech support guys are idiots. They just don't know os X well enough to support it.

hikohta · July 28, 2002 8:46PM

yea, thanks for clearing it up and making it simple so i can understand, but it still doesn't want to connect to the internet. i did the EXACT same set up you did, but it still doesn't want to connect. hmm... any other remedies?

alcimedes · July 28, 2002 8:52PM

the 169.254 IP address means that you aren't communicating with the DNS server on their end.

open up the terminal and see if you can ping an outside server.

type ping 208.205.23.3 and see what it says.

you aren't connected to anything though. check your cables and your modem. one or the other isn't working.

is this a new account or an old account? are you sure they've activated your account and/or modem?

usually when this happens your modem hasn't been activated by them.

do they have a DNS server that you're supposed to connect to? get those from them and try to connect to thier specific DNS servers and see what happens.

-alcimedes

hikohta · July 28, 2002 9:00PM

alright, thanks, i'll try wat you just suggested. to answer your questions, this is an old accound (i've been using Road Runner for about 3-4 Years on my PC). i'll brb with an update. once again, thanks, and if anyone has more help they can provide (especially if u r using a cable modem or have used a cable modem on PC and then transferred to Mac), advice is welcomed. Thanks!

hikohta · July 28, 2002 9:02PM

oh yea, btw, i am using Road Runner as I type, right NOW, on my PC though, not my mac. i am just basically unplugging my ethernet cable from my sony vaio to my PBG4 and back. can i find my DNS server from my PC?

chilleymac · July 28, 2002 9:04PM

Did you try to reset the modem.

To reset it, try this.

1.turn off your computer

2.unplug the modems power cord (pull the plug out of the back)

3.wait 5 minutes

4.plug the modem back up.

5.wait for the lights on the modem to light up then power your computer back up.

alcimedes · July 28, 2002 9:05PM

do you still have your PC around?

just grab the info from your PC and put it in your Mac. it should take off no problem. OSX uses straight TCP/IP, so the cable modem company wouldn't be able to tell a difference on their end.

hikohta · July 28, 2002 9:08PM

yea, i am using the PC right now. where can i find this info and how can i apply it to te mac (remember, i am SUPER NEW at this hardware/network connection stuff, so please explain in laymens if possible.) Thanks.

hikohta · July 28, 2002 9:31PM

hey guys! IT WORKS!!! I tried everything, including what chilleymac told me to do (restart abd reboot). i did it already, so i thought doing it again would result in the same no-connection. But i thought, what the hey, nothing is working, so i might as well restart and reboot everything again. i open internet explorer with low expectations, but then the "cannot find server" screen didn't pop up, then i saw the bottom left of my window with the words "retrieving data". i started to get nervous and sweaty from the anticipation (lol) that my cable modem might work with my brand new sexy baby known as the Powerbook G4..... and then it happened!!!! The webpage (apple.com) opened!!! I will say this though, the connection seems slower on the mac than my pc... i wonder why? Well anyway, i want to go out and thank everyone for their help. it DOES pay to register and be in the appleinsider community. better than so called "reps". thanks everyone!

nebagakid · July 28, 2002 10:47PM

[quote]Originally posted by hikohta:

hey guys! IT WORKS!!! ......The webpage (apple.com) opened!!! I will say this though, the connection seems slower on the mac than my pc... i wonder why? <hr></blockquote>

The reason that web surfing is slower than on the pc is because web scrolling is not up to par with OS 9 speeds, probably in Jaguar. <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />

shawnpatrickjoyce · July 29, 2002 12:45AM

[quote]Originally posted by Nebagakid:



The reason that web surfing is slower than on the pc is because web scrolling is not up to par with OS 9 speeds, probably in Jaguar. <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" /> <hr></blockquote>

Web-surfing is noticeably slower on OS 9 than on Windows as well. Trust me, I'm using the ancient OS as we speak.

eman · July 29, 2002 10:51AM

[quote]Originally posted by ShawnPatrickJoyce:



Web-surfing is noticeably slower on OS 9 than on Windows as well. Trust me, I'm using the ancient OS as we speak.<hr></blockquote>

But it's not nearly as slow as OS X.

mount_my_floppy · July 29, 2002 11:44AM

um by the by i know you have your problem taken care of but in os x you just hook in your internet connection and X automaticly recognizes it albiet dial up or borad band.

The only thing you need to watch out for, for future reference is if your going to run from cable to a hub to your computer it requires a diffrent type of ethernet cable.

how can i connect road runner cable service to my powerbook?

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