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vandrv

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 27, 2008
265
28
Hopefully someone can help with this in easy to understand terms, as my network knowledge is extremely limited. I got home this afternoon after we had a severe electrical storm. I usually try to unplug everything but didn't today. My Verizon DSL modem was flashing and my phone had no dial tone. When I unplugged the modem the phone worked. I decided the modem was probably dead. Fortunately I have another, an Actiontec GT 784. I had the wireless signal turned off on the dead router and have been using an Apple Time Capsule for wireless to my laptop. My desktop Mac Mini was connected via ethernet cable. I'm running the latest OS. Anyway I plugged the the modem in and it immediately started working wirelessly. However it won't connect with the Mac Mini through the ethernet cable. Network preferences tells me there is no cable connected. I swapped to a new cable but that didn't help. Is there something I need to do to get this setup? Or is it possible that the ethernet connection on my Mac got destroyed as well? I tried to open up the settings page for the modem, but ut won't open. I used the address that was posted online. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.
 
How about connecting the Mini to the Time Capsule via ethernet cable? If both are intact, then the Mini should see the TC.

Are you saying that in your normal (pre-storm) setup, you didn't have the modem connected to the TC? Typically that's what you want to do, and then all devices (wired or unwired) connect to the TC, using its router function.

It's certainly possible that the Mini's ethernet port is blown. A setup that I manage for a friend took a strike and the only thing harmed was one of the router's ethernet ports. The other ports were fine.
 
How about connecting the Mini to the Time Capsule via ethernet cable? If both are intact, then the Mini should see the TC.

Are you saying that in your normal (pre-storm) setup, you didn't have the modem connected to the TC? Typically that's what you want to do, and then all devices (wired or unwired) connect to the TC, using its router function.

It's certainly possible that the Mini's ethernet port is blown. A setup that I manage for a friend took a strike and the only thing harmed was one of the router's ethernet ports. The other ports were fine.

I will give that a try this evening. My setup before the storm was that the modem was connected to the time capsule via Ethernet and I was using the tc as a wireless router. I had my Mac mini connected via Ethernet cable directly to the modem. If I give your suggestion a try that should let me know if the port is the problem I guess. I can't tell you how many pieces of equipment I've lost over the years due to lightning. Nothing seems to stop it short of unplugging everything.
 
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I will give that a try this evening. My setup before the storm was that the modem was connected to the time capsule via Ethernet and I was using the tc as a wireless router. I had my Mac mini connected via Ethernet cable directly to the modem. If I give your suggestion a try that should let me know if the port is the problem I guess. I can't tell you how many pieces of equipment I've lost over the years due to lightning. Nothing seems to stop it short of unplugging everything.

That's an unusual setup. The Actiontec modem does include a router, and if you feed the TC from it, then you're actually having two routers.

The standard setup would be to disable the Actiontec's router (set it to "pass through") and connect only the TC to the modem. Then connect the Mini to the TC.

In any case, it seems as though the TC has survived and you should be able to test the Mini's ethernet port by connecting to it.

While you're at it, assuming your laptop is a Mac, start up Airport Utility and poke around the TC's setup. Is it complaining about anything? With your setup, I'd think it would be complaining about dual NAT.

You can increase your lightning survivability odds by using a UPS that includes suppression for ethernet (and phone) cables. That can help.

If you get a serious nearby strike, nothing's going to help.
 
That's an unusual setup. The Actiontec modem does include a router, and if you feed the TC from it, then you're actually having two routers.

The standard setup would be to disable the Actiontec's router (set it to "pass through") and connect only the TC to the modem. Then connect the Mini to the TC.

In any case, it seems as though the TC has survived and you should be able to test the Mini's ethernet port by connecting to it.

While you're at it, assuming your laptop is a Mac, start up Airport Utility and poke around the TC's setup. Is it complaining about anything? With your setup, I'd think it would be complaining about dual NAT.

You can increase your lightning survivability odds by using a UPS that includes suppression for ethernet (and phone) cables. That can help.

If you get a serious nearby strike, nothing's going to help.
Thanks for the reply. Actually before the lightning took out my original modem, a D-link, I had turned the router connection off. I wasn't able to get into the modem settings to turn off the router. I'm not sure why I can't open up the settings. I believe I have the right address.
I brought my Macbook Pro home this evening and connected it via ethernet cable to both the Actiontec and the Time Capsule, and it worked just fine. So, I'm guessing that the ethernet port on the mini was destroyed. I have run both the phone line and the ethernet through my UPS, but we get some lightning strikes that nothing can really help with.
 
Thanks for the reply. Actually before the lightning took out my original modem, a D-link, I had turned the router connection off. I wasn't able to get into the modem settings to turn off the router. I'm not sure why I can't open up the settings. I believe I have the right address.
I brought my Macbook Pro home this evening and connected it via ethernet cable to both the Actiontec and the Time Capsule, and it worked just fine. So, I'm guessing that the ethernet port on the mini was destroyed. I have run both the phone line and the ethernet through my UPS, but we get some lightning strikes that nothing can really help with.
Try googling the modem's name/model plus something like "password" or "technician access." Almost certainly you'll find instructions on how to get into the modem and make changes.

A quick search shows that the user name is likely to be "admin" and the password is "password." (This is very common . . . manufacturers expect the user or installation tech to modify the user name and password.)

You connect with your browser, but you do need to know the IP address.

If the Mini has wifi (don't they all?) then at least you can get back to a working configuration by having the Mini connect to the TC.
 
The mode came with user name and password. It looks like since it was supplied by Verizon, I have to access it through their website. My mini does have wifi and it connects just fine using it. It looks like that is the way I will have to go from now on.
 
Don't give up yet. On whatever Mac you have connected to the modem, go to System Preferences / Network and see what's specified for "Router."

Let's say that it's 192.168.0.1 (a common IP address).

Now you go to Safari or the browser of your choice and in the address bar, type that IP address.

That will connect you to the modem from inside your network. Now try the default user name and password, to see whether you can get into it.

Here's a link: http://setuprouter.com/router/actiontec/gt784wn-tds/login.htm
[doublepost=1469067089][/doublepost]There are USB --> ethernet and Thunderbolt--> ethernet adapters. I've used Apple's Thunderbolt one and it works well, so if your Mini has Thunderbolt, you should be good.
 
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