Can't access internet. Help.

[mccldwll]

Parents' imac G4 (Explorer 5.0 or 5.1/OS 9.2 classic, but also in 10.1))has lost internet connectivity. It's not the cable modem. Have tossed TCP/IP preferences from HD, restarted, and reset, but still nothing. They don't remember anything in particular happening. Any ideas?
Thanks.

 

[frankblundt]

What error message comes up in Sys Prefs > Network > Show Status ?
and what (if anything) comes up under TCP/IP ?
Is this a wired or wireless connection?

(sorry, thinking in OSX.4 terms, not sure if it's organised that way under 10.1)

Is there another computer on the network that you've checked the modem with? Is it a router or just a modem?

 

[4JNA]

...Is there another computer on the network that you've checked the modem with?....

i second everything he just said. can you open a terminal window and ping the router/modem? can you ping google.com which would rule out a naming issue? if anything else on the network that has internet connectivity... that would change the situation a lot. more info please...

 

[cgratti]

are you connected to a router? if so, pull the plug for 30 seconds and turn it back on.

 

[mccldwll]

Sorry didn't post the error message. Will get.

In the meantime--
no router
only computer connected
did all the unplugging, waiting (even went through procedures w/ Adelphia Cable)
I hooked up a different computer to test line/modem and it's working OK

 

[Eraserhead]

It may be the cable modem really needs a better version of OS X, assuming you upgrade the RAM to around 512 to 1GB RAM Tiger 10.4 will run fine on an iMac G4.

 

[mccldwll]

Nope. Substituted machine now on that line/modem a G3 running 9.2. It happened overnight.

 

[mccldwll]

Error Message something like

Accessing URL "http://www.google.com" failed

 

[yg17]

It may be the cable modem really needs a better version of OS X, assuming you upgrade the RAM to around 512 to 1GB RAM Tiger 10.4 will run fine on an iMac G4.

The cable modem doesn't care what operating system or what version of said operating system is connecting to it. As long as the operating system supports DHCP and TCP/IP, and probably a couple other protocols, which virtually every OS since the windows 3.1 days supports, then it will work.

 

[mccldwll]

Update

Turned out to fried ethernet port, which on imac G4 is on motherboard. In past few weeks have discovered lightning kills a lot of these things. Apple tech first told me computer was not worth fixing. I then asked if I could get airport card and endrun motherboard. Yes. With further digging I found that a usb/ethernet adapter is available w/ software/drivers (found on ebay--but guy's email is adzoox@adzoox.com). Runs great. Highly recommended.