Troubleshooting Internet Connection with Motorola SURFboard
Novell Cool Solutions: Question & Answer
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Q:
Hi, my problem appears to be shared by many since I sought a solution for many days and the result is null. I can't set up an internet connection on SUSE 9.2. I have Motorola SURFboard external USB modem. Its ethernet outlet appears not to work...Under winxp the USB modem works fine...People advised me to connect it through the ethernet cable with my LAN card but this doesen't work under XP and no success with SUSE either. Please tell me how to set the connection up, having the modem connected via USB. I've been trying regularly to install Linux and use it but with no internet present I abandoned the idea.
A:
According to the FAQ page on the Motorola website, USB is not supported under Linux. Here are the relevant comments.
SURFboard cable modems have both Ethernet and USB connections, can I use both to attach multiple computers?
Yes. The USB port will support only one user and the Ethernet port (with a hub or switch) can support multiple users, to a maximum of 31 attached computers. Please check with your ISP or cable operator to see how many users they allow on cable modems.
Can I attach a USB hub to support multiple users?
No, the USB port will support only one user. If you need to support multiple computers you need to use the Ethernet port and a hub/switch.
Where can I get drivers for USB support?
Click here to download the USB drivers.
Do you have Macintosh USB drivers?
No. Since Macintosh computers generally ship with built-in Ethernet interfaces, no USB driver is available.
Do SURFboard cable modems support Linux USB drivers?
Not at this time.
Can I hook up a SURFboard cable modem to broadband cable routers?
Yes, as long as the broadband router supports the DHCP client option for the connection to the cable modem. You are going to have to use Ethernet. If it is the Modem Ethernet port that is not working, you should get it fixed. It could be your Ethernet card or your Ethernet cable.
First make sure you are using the correct speed and configured cable. e.g. Cat5 and not a crossover.
Try using another cable to make sure yours is not a fault.
In SUSE you can test that your card is working by pinging the local address. i.e. "ping 127.0.0.1"
If this doesn't work, go into YaST and try to configure the card again.
Make sure the card is configured as DHCP as it gets its address from the modem.
Find out the modem's IP address from your documentation. e.g. 10.0.0.138 and ping this.
ping 10.0.0.138
or whatever your modem's address is.
If this works, log in to the modem from your browser. e.g. http://10.0.0.138
You should be able to configure everything from there.
If you still have trouble and you have fixed your modem, go down to your local Linux User Group or PC store and get them to configure it to use the Ethernet.
Regards, Stomfi.
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