My cable modem

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sorry to be boring but.....whenever i turn my computer on it will go no further than the compaq picture screen. i have since discovered that this is because of my cable modem as when i remove this the computer boots up fine. It is on a USB connection - can anyone provide hints or tips as to why this is the case??

― james (james), Monday, 10 March 2003 17:11 (twenty-three years ago)

any questions i'll attempt to answer them!

― james (james), Monday, 10 March 2003 17:17 (twenty-three years ago)

i would have a look at the BIOS settings, as it would seem it's not getting past something in there.
(usu. press 'delete' during boot)

― ron (ron), Monday, 10 March 2003 17:37 (twenty-three years ago)

is this a new modem? was it working before?

― ron (ron), Monday, 10 March 2003 17:38 (twenty-three years ago)

PS i have been on hold with the cable company for 1 hr 48 mins and counting. i am about to give up :(

― ron (ron), Monday, 10 March 2003 17:50 (twenty-three years ago)

that's what they want you to do.

― Ed (dali), Monday, 10 March 2003 17:51 (twenty-three years ago)

I've found that USB devices can be very very VERY flaky in terms of your system's ability to boot up; we recently found that out with an external USB hard drive, which would prevent the system from booting at all. I'm not exactly sure why this it, but if the problem doesn't go away when you switch the USB connector to a different USB port, my suggestion would be to sink $20 into an internal network card, if your system can handle it, and ask your cable co to swap the USB modem for an Ethernet version.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Monday, 10 March 2003 17:53 (twenty-three years ago)

ethernet versions of broadband modem's are very very very much more reliable and practical than USB ones.

― Ed (dali), Monday, 10 March 2003 17:56 (twenty-three years ago)

...plus, you can use the Ethernet versions with a connection-sharing hub, if you want to use a notebook or a second computer on your network!

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Monday, 10 March 2003 18:01 (twenty-three years ago)

Cheers for that, it is a new cable modem so i am presuming it could be a flaw in the USB connection - i reckon i will contact the cable people and see what they have to suggest - no doubt they will fob me off with a "its a hardware issue" line - does anyone know any defenses i can throw at them should they use this line

― james (james), Monday, 10 March 2003 20:56 (twenty-three years ago)

Did you actually purchase it outright, or are you renting? In either case, was it from them? If it was, just ask them if you can exchange it for the Ethernet version, if you feel like installing a card. Somedays I really wonder about the USB standard, because it seems to be very easy to crash a computer by plugging or unplugging a USB device. Totally unforgivable for a standard that has been around so long.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Monday, 10 March 2003 21:39 (twenty-three years ago)

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