Broken internet connection (Verizon Online DSL)[SOLVED]

[omnicloud]

I was cleaning this one laptop on Saturday, I took the Ethernet cable from my computer and plugged it into the laptop and I was having a hard time getting an IP. I figured it was just the laptop because it was working fine just moments before on my *nix box (by the way, the laptop was running windows), but it took literally an hour just to get an IP on the windows laptop so I figured it was because of the Norton Firewall, I disabled it, and still couldn't get an IP so I figured it was the trojans (there were 4 on the computer not detected by norton) or the spyware. I installed Trend Micro Internet Security 2005 from a disc and removed the virii but still couldn't get an IP. I removed the spyware (there were roughly 1000 detectable problems using 3 programs.

First came Spybot S&D, it detected about 220 problems, I removed them, then installed AdAware, it detected 600 or so problems. I removed them, and used the Trend Micro Internet Security 2005 Spyware removal program, it detected 250 or so more. Then I tried to get an IP again. After releasing and renewing about 20 times and restarting the computer, I finally got an IP.

So I installed Firefox and made it the default browser and removed all the shortcuts to IE. While I was doing all this I was setting up IPtables on the *nix box. After that, I plugged my DSL modem back into my computer and I couldn't get an IP. All I could think was "MOTHER ****ER!" I have tried everything I could think, I removed IPtables in case that was the problem but no luck, I restarted my computer maybe 50 times, I tried manually running dhcpcd with the options -doDH and it didn't work, I checked my /etc/conf.d/net files and they were fine and I STILL CAN'T GET AN IP!!! I called my ISP and they wouldn't help me because I am using linux and I told them I was having the same problem on a windows machine and they didn't care. I have tried using a different modem/ethernet cable and it didn't work. Only thing I haven't tried is using a differnet DSL patch cable because I don't have an extra one.

Now I don't know what to do, please help me. Please respond before I have to go home, I am at school right now using the internet.

[GeorgeM]

It seems from your post that your DSL modem plugs directly into your PC, and so your PC gets its IP address from the ISP.
Are you using PPoE? Is that still configured/ starting properly?
Can you ping 127.0.0.1? That will tell you if your IP stack is OK.
What does 'ifconfig eth0' tell you? Does it say the interface is running, but with no address? Have you tried 'ifconfig eth0 down' then 'up'?
Have you tried powering everything down, including the DSL modem, and leaving it off for a few minutes, maybe longer?

If you are actually going through a router, such as D-Link, Belkin, etc., that may have gotten hung up while you were trying to renew your IP. My Belkin router seems to hang up a couple of times per week. I just cycle the power to it and everythings OK.

Hope you get going again.
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Agnosticism is no excuse for indecision, it is a catalyst for action. It demands an ethics of empathy rather than a metaphysics of hope and fear. S. Batchelor

[omnicloud]

Actually, my DSL modem uses DHCP, always has.

I have tried Power Cycling (turning it off, computer, modem and everything)

I explicitly set dhcpcd -o so it wouldn't bring down the interface if it can't get an IP.

[omnicloud]

Wow, I finally got it fixed!

A WARNING TO ALL VERIZON DSL CUSTOMERS! DON'T CHANGE YOUR NETWORK CARD OR SWITCH FROM A ROUTER TO DIRECT CONNECT OR VICE VERSA.

Verizon changed their network to allow only 1 MAC address per house. If you change your hardware, you will HATE YOURSELF.

In order to fix it, I had to call verizon, cet the stored MAC address form their database, use net-analyzer/macchanger to change it to what existed in their database, then release my IP, change my MAC back to normal, and renew.

I hope I save at lease one person from the week of frustration I had.

[nextekcarl]

Sounds like they do the same thing as Comcast. I had a major problem when I replaced my modem back when I was having problems (nothing to do with the modem, just the Comcast techs wanted me to try it). I had to go back through their "authorization" system, and it uses your MAC address since it is supposed to be unique to each NIC. Well, it sometimes isn't, and it turned out someone was already using that MAC number (I had a different computer when I first set the account up), and they didn't even live all that far from me (less than 30 miles from what the tech was willing to tell me) So I had to clone another MAC onto my router and use that to "register".