Time Capsule with Teksavvy cable internet connection problem

mikegrai · Jul 7th, 2011, 03:50 PM

Hello:
I just got Teksavvy cable internet service (uses Rogers cable) and cannot get my Time Capsule to connect to the internet (just get flashing amber light, not green). The cable internet works fine when connected by Ethernet directly to my Macbook Pro. Searching the net suggests that the cable modem (Thompson DC425) has to clear the laptop's MAC address before it will connect with a new MAC address (the Time Capsule. I have tried all the suggestions - I have reconfigured time capsule to Ethernet and DHCP, have shut the modem down for several hours, then powered it up, then the time capsule, with the same results, no internet connection. The network assistant says that I have successfully reconfigured and tells me to shut down the modem and restart. When that doesn't work, it tells me I have two unresolved problems, no internet connection and no DNS server. The Time Capsule works fine when configured for and connected to my DSL modem. The speeds I am seeing are are excellent when connected directly to the laptop, but I need to get it to connect to my Time Capsule wireless network! Help will be greatly appreciated! Teksavvy tells me that since I am getting internet with the laptop, that is the end of their responsibility, they don't support wireless routers.

monokitty · Jul 7th, 2011, 04:16 PM

Did you reset the Time Capsule by hitting and holding the reset button on the back of it until the amber light begins to flash rapidly? (This would then wipe the TC of its settings and broadcast as "Apple Network xxxxxx." (x = random letter or number.) If not, do that first. Then set it back up with AirPort Utility while the modem is plugged into it. (Not into your MBP.)

mikegrai · Jul 7th, 2011, 04:33 PM

Thanks for your quick offer of help!
I have reset as you suggested and went through the Airport Utility setup. I still have no internet connection. The configuration screen shows: Connect Using: Ethernet
Configure IPv4: Using DHCP
IP Address 169.254.8.139
Subnet Mask 255.255.0.0
Router Address:
If I click Ignore to continue, the screen shows Internet Connection Unresolved
Where do I go from here?
Thanks!

monokitty · Jul 7th, 2011, 04:40 PM

Just a thought:

System Preferences > Network > Location: < Make a new location and hit "Apply" at the bottom. Reboot MBP, connect to TC and see what happens.

Before doing that, shut down the TC and modem. Then create a new Location on the MBP and power on the modem and TC, in that order.

mikegrai · Jul 7th, 2011, 07:33 PM

Thanks for the suggestion, Lars
I created a new location in Network Preferences. I assume that this location should be using Airport to connect. I had to have Airport on (which meant I had to have the TC on) to select my network. I then clicked apply. I then turned off TC .I rebooted, powered up modem, then powered up TC. Basically no difference, still flashing amber light and no internet connection. I tried renewing the DHCP lease manually, but this didn't change anything. If I use Airport Utility to look at the time capsule, it tells me that I don't have a valid IP address. When I toggle between locations, my DSL location works and shows a connection to my DSL service (through ethernet). My new location shows that Airport is on, a connection to my Time Capsule network, but no internet connection. Any more ideas?
Thanks
Mike

mikegrai · Jul 8th, 2011, 09:33 AM

Tried a different strategy last night. Connected cable modem to MBP, confirmed internet connection, looked up IP address, subnet mask, server address, DNS servers, copied it down, then went into Airport Utility, used manual configuration option, entered this information into appropriate fields. Voila, I now had an internet connection through the TC. Light went from amber to green, able to share connection wirelessly to MBP through TC. Obviously, this is not a long term solution, as I believe addresses expire sooner or later (sooner, last night). My son suggests that Rogers may be limiting its service to only one computer (only one MAC address). When it doesn't see my MBP, it refuses a connection. Is this possible?
Here is my plan of attack.
1. Leave cable modem powered off for 18 hours. (hoping modem or Rogers system will forget MBP address) Then configure TC for Ethernet/DHCP, power down TC. Then power up modem, then connect and power up TC. Hope for green light.
2. Get another router. See if it can make a connection with cable modem. Wait 18 hrs as above if not immediately successful. If successful, buy router, use TC in bridge mode.
3. If this doesn't work, cajole Teksavvy into having modem reprovisioned, this time connecting it to TC first, not to MBP
4. If this doesn't work, cry.

Any obvious faults in my thinking? Any suggestions that would improve the above?
If my DSL connection wasn't so slow and this cable so fast, I would have given up by now.

Jul 8th, 2011, 11:13 AM

Leaving it off for a while and not hooking up any other devices (i.e. other MAC addresses) and you should be fine. It's probably something at the provider end as you said that's limiting MAC address connections. It's likely beyond Teksavvy's control (they just lease the cable connections from the parent company and probably have less control over them than they do the DSL connections). You could probably get away with just leaving everything running as it is for a day or two and then trying to change the router back to DHCP and it would work fine. I think it's all about MAC addresses making DHCP requests (and yours is not now).