Virtual Cafe DSL Customers
(360) 568-1887
admin@virtual-cafe.com
DSL Troubleshooting Checklist
This page is meant as a general review of techniques to troubleshoot DSL connectivity issues.  There are three items that must be in place for a DSL circuit to complete itself in your home (four, if you count Verizon doing their part(s) first):
  1. 3 green lights on the modem
  2. The correct cable between your computer and the DSL modem or hub (assuming an office/home LAN is in use.)
  3. An ethernet card with correct addressing information bound to it. (simple ping test)

1.) If you don't have 3 green lights on your modem, contact Verizon's National Customer Support Center (1-888-391-1234)

2.) Check to see if you are using the correct cable between your modem and your computer.

  • DSL customers who are directly connecting their DSL modem to their computer should be using the cable provided by Verizon.  (If you did not receive a cable shipped in the box with your DSL modem contact Verizon's National Customer Support Center (1-888-391-1234)
  • DSL customers who are connecting to their modem through a hub (a port box that allows several computers to to link to the DSL modem at the same time), should be using a CAT5 cable purchased at any computer retail outlet that is NOT A CROSSOVER CABLE.  The cable provided by Verizon is a crossover cable, used ONLY for the connection of one computer to a DSL modem. It will not function if it is linked into a hub.

    • In the process of troubleshooting any single computer, it is good to test that computer by bypassing the hub/switch.  Disconnect the computer from the hub, and make a direct connection between it and the DSL modem.  This will allow you to test if the hub (and/or the computers that are connected to it) is interfering with sending and receiving information on the DSL circuit.  One common error in LAN networking through a hub or switch is to accidentally assign two computers the same IP address.  Make sure this isn't so.
3.) There is a simple way to check to see if your network interface card has been bound to the correct address you have assigned to it through the Network properties dialog box.  It uses the 'ping' command and can be run from any windows machine.  You can also use the command 'ping' to touch other machines on your network.  'Ping' is a packet sending program and does no harm whatsoever to any computer.
  • At an MS Dos Prompt (Start/Programs/MS Dos Prompt) type in:
C:\Windows\ping your_IP_address
    (Yes, use the IP address of the computer you are trouble shooting)
  • Hit 'Enter'
Your computer will send out 'pings' from inside of itself, telling you if it had success reaching the ethernet card address you have in your computer.  You should see a print out like this if you are successful-  Which means your IP address is correctly bound to your ethernet card.

IF THE PING TEST WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL- and you received 'Request timed out,' your ethernet card is not properly installed.  Please try the test again, checking to see if you have used the correct IP address.  The card may appear to be there, but the drivers are not binding to an IP address.  Your DSL circuit will not be active until you have a clean installation of the drivers for your ethernet card.

You will need to uninstall and re-install the drivers.

This can get complicated, this uninstalling/re-installing problem.  We often recommend to customers to purchase either a 3com card or an Intel brand card, that come with diagnostic software and good customer service.  Even though a more expensive card seems unnecessary, it can often mean the difference between a smooth DSL setup, and a weekend full of headaches futzing with your computer.  In the end it is the customer's responsibility to have a fully installed and working ethernet card, but if things get hairy, sometimes we can help in the re-installation process.  Call the office (360-568-1887).

This checklist is meant as a tool to help trouble shoot your DSL connection and covers the 3 parts that make up basic DSL connectivity in the home/office. We often go right to these points when customers call the office.  There are other problems and quirky Window's behavior that come up occasionally, but these are the hotspots to check before giving us a call at the office. 
 

 

 

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