Internet Connection works, does not work

I am stumped on this, the church bought a new laptop win 7 prem. 32 bit 2 GB ram and I hooked it up to the cat 5 cable and no internet. Powered down the modem and turned off the laptop, then turned on the cable modem and then booted up the laptop and the internet connects. But now when I hook up the cat 5 cable back to the desktop thats in the office no internet. Rebooted desktop and still no internet, power off the modem and desktop, turn on the modem and then turn on the desktop, the internet will connect. But when I hook up the laptop to the cat 5 cable again no internet and I must do the process all over again. So my thoughts are something is not set up right with my service provider here at the church which is cox. I thought once you set up one computer with your service provider, it did not matter if you bought a new pc or not you never had to re-install the modem. From the very get go the modem was not installed in the desktop because the cable tech said it was not needed, but when we were first hooked up we had to do just that power down the modem and the pc, power up the modem and then the pc. So is cox pulling my leg and the service is not set up right. I don't have to do this at home and at home in my house and shop is at&t. But here at the church we could not get dsl, cable only. To me this is the same even if I formatted someones pc, I have always told when they bring the machine home it was no need to set up the account again because it was done once and any pc can be hooked up to the internet. Jimbo1

Do you have another computer/laptop you can connect to the same Ethernet cable? Preferably one that you now works? That's the quickect way I know to check the modem and Ethernet cable. Did you try a different cable? No router, right? Call Cox and ask them to check their modem. Perhaps they have enabled only wireless?

Do you have another computer/laptop you can connect to the same Ethernet cable? Preferably one that you now works? That's the quickect way I know to check the modem and Ethernet cable. Did you try a different cable?

No router, right? Call Cox and ask them to check their modem. Perhaps they have enabled only wireless?

Thats what I did, the office computer is working and connects to the net, but when you unplug the cat cable and hook it up to another computer or in my case the new laptop no internet, the only way to get internet is power down the modem and the laptop and power up the modem and then the laptop and then I have internet. (That all we have atm, just modem no router as of yet) The church Elders did not want a wireless setup because they are worried about the kids getting internet access, I told well it no different with their Iphones or cellphones they have network access)

But when I go to hook up the cat 5 cable back to the desk top no internet and I must power down the modem and the desktop and then power up the modem and the desk top.

I thought once you set up a high speed account that was it and no matter what if you went out and bought a new pc or had your hard drive formatted, their was not a need to setup the account. The pc's I have reformatted here in the shop and I told the customers it was not needed to reinstall the modem or setup the account, but for some odd reason, here in the church it does not work that way. Not sure if this makes a difference but we have a business account set up not residential account.

But anyhow I would have thought once you did the first setup and have the account up and running, it made no difference of which pc you hooked up, let say in case this one got fried by lighting and bought a new one, I should just be able to hook it up and go.

Jimbo1

Hmmm, I wonder if that's normal. Perhaps the modem is locking into the MAC address of the computer and when you switch the cable to another it sees a different MAC address and won't allow it. A power cycle sync's it back up again. COX should be able to tell you. What about a non-wireless router. Most have 4 Ethernet ports so you could connect that many computers without any concern about wireless.

Hmmm, I wonder if that's normal. Perhaps the modem is locking into the MAC address of the computer and when you switch the cable to another it sees a different MAC address and won't allow it. A power cycle sync's it back up again. COX should be able to tell you.

Thats may explain whats going on, Unless something has changed because in the past of machines I have formatted here in the shop, I always told the customer they did not have to re-install the account or modem setup, now unless many them had their modems turned off and when they got the pc back by powering up everything it sees the computer I worked on or a new one if they bought one.

So now because MAC address on the desktop computer is the only one their server sees and now when I hook up the laptop the server does not know that address, the router is the only way around this now. If it were not for all the cables of my router here with 2 switches I amy try it later on tonight in my house to see if this happens. All my wires go through a hole in the back wall of my desk and it a pain in the neck to move the desk to get to everything.

Now to convince the elders of the church to install and a wireless router would be better for the laptop so I can bring the laptop in the main building out of the office, I just have to assure them that the security will be set up so no one can log in. If no then I just go with a non-wireless router. We have a business meeting tomorrow night I bring it up and see what happens.

Jimbo1