Hi All. Happy Thanksgiving.

This was happening intermittently but for the past two days, it happens a lot.

Here is exactly what happens.

I'll be on firefox and all of a sudden the page own't load, I'll look over at the modem, and I see 3 green lights instead of 4, and I look at where the 4th light should be green (it says INTERNET), and there's NO LIGHT, and then there's a red light.

so I usually close firefox, open up IE, and it loads up, and then it will say "Run Diagnostics, and fix problem, and I just click on this, the connection will be re-established, and no harm no foul".

But..... it's not doing this anymore.

And I don't reboot the computer and all that nonsense. I just turn off the modem for a few minutes, turn it back on AND ALL IS WELL.

So what I want to know is WHY is this happening.

I have a Westell 6100 modem (about 6 years old now).

No router.

I have Windows XP, a HP media center and I don't know what other information I can provide.

All the other lights are green but the one that says INTERNET, well that means I have no connection right?

Can't call Verizon today, it's thanksgiving.

Do you think if I call them, they will replace the modem? IS IT THE MODEM??

Any advice is welcome.

Thanks much and HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all the cool people who help me on this forum

Melody

Wasn't it doing this a few months ago? maybe longer...

I can't recall if we figured anything out or if you just lived with it.

might look back to see what we tried that time.

Do you have a router? I had this problem when my router was malfunctioning.

6 yrs is a long time for a modem IMO... it might be dying...or it might be a loose connection outside your home.

Nope, no router!!!

Just a stupid 6 year old Modem AND IT NEVER HAPPENS WHEN ALAN IS USING THE COMPUTER.

Only me.

spooky, no???

lol

Melody

Modem and router are pretty much the same thing.
I'd suggest you just get a new one. They are cheap, and new ones are much faster.

Well!!!! I actually have some GOOD news about my problem.

I got so disgusted having the darn internet light go off and losing my connection to the internet right in the middle of doing something, that I telephoned Verizon. Thank god, on the first try, I got a tech support person who was savvy enough to walk me through the whole thing.

It seems my modem needed to be reconfigured.

Who knew? In the 6 or so years I have had this, never had to be reconfigured.

So she gives me some numbers to type in the URL line and BAM, I am looking at a Modem Protocol re-configuration thing. She has me tell her what I am looking at on the screen. She had me click on some icons, re-set certain things, click on CONNECT, click on EDIT, click on this, click on that (thank god I have a techo brain and I can follow instructions, because this was no big thing. It just took some time.

Then I had to hit apply several times, and then she said "now let's see if we can get you back to Mozilla and we'll stay together on the line and you can surf the net and see if the re-configuration worked.

And when I had her on the line I asked her "I have these annoying pop-up ads from Verizon, can I stop this?" She said "sure", you can opt out, she showed me how, and now no more pop up ads from Verizon.

When it was all done, I think her sincerely because the problem seemed rectified, and as of this morning, all is well. And Alan was on the computer for hours last night with no problem, playing his games, etc.

So as of now, my modem is reconfigured and is working the way it is supposed to be working.

I did ask her one thing. I said "If my modem had to be replaced, how do you know this?"

She said "Oh, if there is a red light where it says "INTERNET", and it stays red, no matter if you re-boot, etc, well, then we know it's time to get a new modem."

I then asked "what if someone gives me a laptop, and I want to connect it to my modem to use it wireless in my house, do they make modems with built in routers?"

She said 'oh yes, but you wouldn't get that from us, we would only replace the modem with the same make and model, if you wanted a modem with a built in router, you'd have to pay".

I then said "do they sell this in the stores? and she said "Absolutely".

So (at least this is what I gather), if someone gives me a laptop to try out, to get used to (before I buy my own), and I have a friend who will do this because she NEVER uses the laptop her grandchildren gave her, I guess I might think of going to radio shack or someplace and get a modem with a built in router??

Oh, I also asked her "But if I get a laptop and I buy a router and I was going to ask her another question and she burst out with:

"If you get a router and you want to hook up the router to the modem, then just call us up and we'll tell you how to connect the router to the modem, and we'll reconfigure everything for you"

So, if someday I get the laptop, and I decide to buy a router, at least I know that I can call up Verizon tech support, and they will help me, and then Alan can use the computer and when I want to play around, I can go in the kitchen and use a laptop.

I have used laptops in other people's houses, I know how to use a laptop, it's just the router, configuration thing that I thought would throw me.

I know to many of you, routers, and wireless hookups are old news, but to this person, it's a whole new way of playing around.

So, to rewind....my modem problem seems to be solved, I am seeing 4 green lights, I am happy and everything works.

Thank god.

lol Melody