Author Topic: Curious computer dilemma  (Read 2277 times)

Hawkmoon

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Curious computer dilemma
« on: April 05, 2025, 11:44:18 AM »
There must have been a storm last night. I lost electricity, phone (landline), and cable Internet. The power company responded immediately and power has been restored. I have computers, and my home network functions, giving me access to my Western Digital MyCloud NAS (external file server).

For Internet in such situations, I have a Verizon personal wireless hotspot. Problem -- if the computer is connected to the home network, even though the Verizon hotspot reports that I'm connected and have Internet access -- I can't access the Internet. The work-around is to unplug the LAN cable, isolating the computer from the home network and allowing it to connect through the hotspot.

It seems to be an issue of both trying to use the same DNS address. Is there a way to resolve the conflict so I can have Internet and still be able to access my file server?
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Ben

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Re: Curious computer dilemma
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2025, 12:37:55 PM »
If I'm reading your post correctly, your issue is that you need your router to talk to the hotspot if you want full internet access for your network. When I have Internet outages here and activate my hotspot, I just connect each thing to the hotspot individually, Which isn't a lot, since barring a lengthy outage, I just switch my main computer and maybe a TV to the hotspot while I wait out the outage.
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lee n. field

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Re: Curious computer dilemma
« Reply #2 on: April 05, 2025, 12:45:02 PM »
There must have been a storm last night. I lost electricity, phone (landline), and cable Internet. The power company responded immediately and power has been restored. I have computers, and my home network functions, giving me access to my Western Digital MyCloud NAS (external file server).

For Internet in such situations, I have a Verizon personal wireless hotspot. Problem -- if the computer is connected to the home network, even though the Verizon hotspot reports that I'm connected and have Internet access -- I can't access the Internet. The work-around is to unplug the LAN cable, isolating the computer from the home network and allowing it to connect through the hotspot.

It seems to be an issue of both trying to use the same DNS address. Is there a way to resolve the conflict so I can have Internet and still be able to access my file server?

One gateway at a time.  Sounds like gateway is on the LAN side, and that's how it will try to connect to the outside world.  But LAN side internet is not working. 

You could probably force it with a route command.  It'll probably be working before I'd get figured out exactly how to do that, especially given that I don't know details of your network.  Or, yeah, get the router's WAN side to talk to the hot spot, which may or may not be do-able.
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Hawkmoon

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Re: Curious computer dilemma
« Reply #3 on: April 05, 2025, 02:54:20 PM »
If I'm reading your post correctly, your issue is that you need your router to talk to the hotspot if you want full internet access for your network. When I have Internet outages here and activate my hotspot, I just connect each thing to the hotspot individually, Which isn't a lot, since barring a lengthy outage, I just switch my main computer and maybe a TV to the hotspot while I wait out the outage.

No. For the hopefully brief period before the cable is repaired, I don't need every device in the house to have Internet access. The mobile hotspot is WiFi, so anything that needs to access the Internet can do so by WiFi without needing the LAN network.

The problem is that all my data files are on the MyCloud, which is an NAS and accessed via the home network. It's extremely inconvenient to have to choose between having access to my files OR having access to the Internet. If I don't unplug the LAN cable at my desk, the computer defaults to looking for the Internet over the LAN and reports that the cable is unplugged, even though the mobile hotspot is also showing that it's connected and has Internet access.
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Hawkmoon

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Re: Curious computer dilemma
« Reply #4 on: April 06, 2025, 12:22:16 PM »
Caramba!

I had an "appointment" for the cable company to be here between 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. At 8:05 they sent me a text message saying the technician had canceled the appointment and closed the repair ticket. I have now wasted another half hour on the phone with people who barely speak English, getting a new appointment for this afternoon between 2:00 and 5:00.

We go through this every time a storm takes down their cable -- which is about any time the wind exceeds 0.37 mph. I'm looking for other options, but there don't seem to be many. Does anyone use AT&T or Verizon's 5G wireless Internet? If so, is it any good, and how much does it cost? Is their wireless receiver also a router, or does it only work as WiFi?

Thanks.
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Bogie

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Re: Curious computer dilemma
« Reply #5 on: April 06, 2025, 12:46:08 PM »
City or country? I'm urban, and have T-Mobile's wifi router thing... I get 205 down, 43 up, ookla speed test
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Hawkmoon

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Re: Curious computer dilemma
« Reply #6 on: April 06, 2025, 01:17:06 PM »
Suburban.

Does your T-Mobile modem thingie allow you to connect one or more computers by ethernet, or is it strictly WiFi?

And do you have to put the modem/router/thingie in a window, or can it be located in a closet in the interior of the house?
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Bogie

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Re: Curious computer dilemma
« Reply #7 on: April 06, 2025, 01:57:29 PM »
I'm plugged in via ethernet at the moment.
 
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dogmush

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Re: Curious computer dilemma
« Reply #8 on: April 06, 2025, 03:00:44 PM »
Can you pur a wireless gateway on your router, and have that connect to the Hotspot?  That should give the whole LAN internet.

You'd probably have to physically swap plugs on the router from your cable modem to the gateway and back to get the router to notice new internet.

Hawkmoon

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Re: Curious computer dilemma
« Reply #9 on: April 06, 2025, 05:35:28 PM »
Can you pur a wireless gateway on your router, and have that connect to the Hotspot?  That should give the whole LAN internet.

You'd probably have to physically swap plugs on the router from your cable modem to the gateway and back to get the router to notice new internet.

Don't know. That's over my head. Since this is only an interim thing until they repair my cable to the street, it's certainly not worth investing an some piece of new hardware I don't even know how to use.

BUT ... I'm definitely going to have to dump this cable company.

I had an appointment for this morning (Sunday) between 8:00 and 11:00. At 8:05 I received a text message that the technician was cancelling the appointment and closing the repair ticket because **I** missed the appointment. Except that I was sitting right here, and he didn't show up.

So I called (again), dealt with their idiotic phone tree (again), and got a new appointment for this afternoon (still Sunday) between 2:00 and 5:00. I asked that they be sure to inform the technician that the problem was the cable at the street. They said they would note that on the repair order.

Around 4:30 a technician called to tell me he had arrived. I told him the problem was at the street. A few minutes later he called again to tell me that he couldn't perform the repair because they need to rehang the cable from the pole across the street, and to do that they need a bucket truck. He said he would put in a request to change the appointment.

A few minutes later I got a call from some dweeb who said he was calling the "verify" that **I** had requested to change the appointment. I told him that I absolutely had not requested to change the appointment, that their technician had said he couldn't make the repair so **HE** needed to reschedule. So the dweeb then said, "Okay, so I understand that you do not want the repair to be made." I told him that I DO want the repair to be made, as soon as possible, but that **I** had not requested a change of appointment -- their technician did. The dweeb said he would double check with the technician and call me back.

Then I received a text message informing me that **I** had missed the appointment, so the repair ticket was cancelled.

So I had to call yet again, and set up a new appointment. The new story is that the previous repair ticket was for an inside repair (which had NOT been discussed previously), so they had cancelled that repair ticket and they were creating a new ticket for an outside repair.

I'm absolutely certain that I'm going to be billed for at least one **missed** appointment, probably two. And God only knows when they may get around to actually repairing my cable.

I have to get rid of these leaches. They've played this game before. They flat out lie about the history of repair tickets. The last big flap, I had a string of text messages and they simply denied everything I had right in front of me.

The telephone company supposedly has fiber Internet on my street now. The problem is, the telephone company is Frontier. Does anyone have Frontier fiber Internet? Is it okay? How are they to deal with if you need repairs?
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dogmush

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Re: Curious computer dilemma
« Reply #10 on: April 06, 2025, 05:44:51 PM »

The telephone company supposedly has fiber Internet on my street now. The problem is, the telephone company is Frontier. Does anyone have Frontier fiber Internet? Is it okay? How are they to deal with if you need repairs?

Yes. Internet is fine, Frontier can die in a fire, *expletive deleted*ing horrible, they don't cancel appointments, they just refuse to make them in less than about a week.  They also play that billing game where the price you are quoted is only good for a year, then they start ratcheting the price up every month and hope you don't notice.  If you call them they will swear you are getting their best available price, but if you ask to cancel, they will transfer you to another Indian *expletive deleted*tard that after an hour of wrangling will *magically* find a plan they can put you on that is only like 10% higher than what you started with.

If you can afford it, call Starlink.

dogmush

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Re: Curious computer dilemma
« Reply #11 on: April 06, 2025, 05:54:27 PM »
Case in point:  This thread reminded me I hadn't looked in a while.  I have 500/500 Fiber internet with a $5/month autopay discount.  I am paying (since this Jan) $79.99/mo.  Last May (as far back in my billing history as I can go) I was paying $64.99/month.  We've had two silent price jumps since last May.

If I log out and just shop for a "new" plan at my address I could get 1Gig up/down for $49.99 (for 12 months) and $74.99 after that.  MY plan is $54.99/month after the initial year.  So how the *expletive deleted*ck am I paying $80?  *expletive deleted*ing Robbers.

Hawkmoon

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Re: Curious computer dilemma
« Reply #12 on: April 07, 2025, 02:05:43 AM »
Yeah -- I have no love for Frontier, either, but I've pretty much reached the end of my tether dealing with Optimum Online. A huge problem is that, at least in this sorry state, Internet service is not considered a public utility, so it's not regulated by the state. Which means there's no state agency I can turn to for backup when (not if) Optimum plays these silly games.

Unfortunately, if I want fiber optic it's either Optimum or Frontier. That's why I'm curious about 5G Internet. If it can work, it opens up several additional options. But whatever I choose has to include a physical network that I can plug the MyCloud NAS into, as well as a couple of network printers.
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Hawkmoon

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Re: Curious computer dilemma
« Reply #13 on: April 09, 2025, 12:35:38 PM »
Internet finally restored -- after four days.

I supposedly now have 1GB service -- just tested the speeds, and the download speed is 87.64 Mbps. My Verizon 4G mobile hotspot can pretty much match that. I'm tired or dealing with this idiocy. Does anyone have -- or know someone who has -- wireless Internet from Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile? I'm seriously considering making the switch, but I need reliability.
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Calumus

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Re: Curious computer dilemma
« Reply #14 on: April 09, 2025, 04:15:44 PM »
Two quick questions. Did you reboot the modem, and secondly, what are you testing speed with? Is the device actually gigabit capable?

Hawkmoon

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Re: Curious computer dilemma
« Reply #15 on: April 09, 2025, 08:24:59 PM »
Two quick questions. Did you reboot the modem, and secondly, what are you testing speed with? Is the device actually gigabit capable?

Yes, rebooted the modem.

Testing using Ookla on a Dell Inspiron desktop computer running Windows 10. Don't know if it's gigabit capable, but my plan supposedly is for "up to" 200 Mbps download speed. I've been tracking it since I first got it. I have never seen download speed higher than 88 Mbps. Gigabit would be beyond my wildest imagination.
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dogmush

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Re: Curious computer dilemma
« Reply #16 on: April 09, 2025, 08:44:51 PM »
Wifi or cabled?  Which model insperion? Upgraded or stock network card?


Calumus

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Re: Curious computer dilemma
« Reply #17 on: April 09, 2025, 11:04:28 PM »
I was confused by above where you said you now had 1 gb service. I’m betting that somewhere in your network or PC you’re using an old 10/100 part.

Hawkmoon

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Re: Curious computer dilemma
« Reply #18 on: April 09, 2025, 11:19:58 PM »
Wifi or cabled?  Which model insperion? Upgraded or stock network card?

Ethernet.

3847

Factory network card

Quote from: Calamus
I was confused by above where you said you now had 1 gb service. I’m betting that somewhere in your network or PC you’re using an old 10/100 part.

When I signed up with the cable company, I signed on for their "up to 200 Mbps" tier of service. Some time ago they sent me a message telling me that they had upgraded that tier to 500 Mbps. Then, somewhere within the past year, they said they had given me a free upgrade to 1 GB download speed.

My actual speeds haven't changed since I first started tracking them. I have one switch between the router and the computer. It's a TP-Link Gigabit 8-port switch.
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Calumus

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Re: Curious computer dilemma
« Reply #19 on: April 10, 2025, 12:40:13 AM »
Dell only states an rj45 jack in their specs, so I’m still guessing that it’s either an out dated network card, or possibly it’s time for a modem upgrade. Old modems don’t have enough channels to support a Gb connection. The model number on that can give you supported speed tiers. The muppets at the cable company aren’t likely to upgrade it unless you ask or just buy your own.

HeroHog

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Re: Curious computer dilemma
« Reply #20 on: April 10, 2025, 07:39:13 PM »
I found my network cables weren't up to snuff and hurting my speed! I bought new High Speed cables and the throughput is GREAT! Gigabit from my Cable modem to my switch to my laptop. I constantly get D/L speeds >= 360mbps on 4 - 6 CONCURRENT downloads when snagging anime to watch.

WiFi is maxed out at a much slower rate so I got a rubber cable management "hump" to run from my recliner to my entertainment center to run the net cable and extension cord through (there's no outlet on the wall my chair is against!).

I might not last very long or be very effective but I'll be a real pain in the ass for a minute!
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dogmush

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Re: Curious computer dilemma
« Reply #21 on: April 10, 2025, 08:09:23 PM »
I was confused by above where you said you now had 1 gb service. I’m betting that somewhere in your network or PC you’re using an old 10/100 part.

I agree. This is probably the answer.  You might actually try wifi on your phone. 802.11n should exceed 88 mbps handily.

lee n. field

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Re: Curious computer dilemma
« Reply #22 on: April 10, 2025, 08:49:31 PM »
Ethernet.

3847

Factory network card

When I signed up with the cable company, I signed on for their "up to 200 Mbps" tier of service. Some time ago they sent me a message telling me that they had upgraded that tier to 500 Mbps. Then, somewhere within the past year, they said they had given me a free upgrade to 1 GB download speed.

My actual speeds haven't changed since I first started tracking them. I have one switch between the router and the computer. It's a TP-Link Gigabit 8-port switch.

Might be worth checking specs on your modem and/or router.
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