Testing an Optimum Online modem?
 

My brother-in-law has OOL and a SB4100 modem (Motorola I think). It has connections for USB and nic. He has been using the USB for almost 1 year now with no problems. I am selling him my Netgear RT314 router so him and my sister can browse at the same time on 2 computers. When I try to connect his modem (without the router) to the computer with the nic, using WinXP and everything else software wise good, it doesn't connect. I know the computer is setup right because I have DSL and tried it at my place and it connects in 2 secs. So I am thinking that maybe since we can't even get the modem to work with the computer (without even throwing the router into the mix), I was wondering if there was a way to test the nic connection on the modem to make sure this isn't the problem.

Have you tried using a crossover cable to attach the SB4100 to the NIC?? From my experiences, that is what you need.

I would try that first before thinking that the NIC is bad

Wouldn't hurt to try.

What do you mean a crossover cable? I know the nic in the computer works, I used it at my house using DSL. I have tried connecting his modem to his computer using the nic card and no dice. The second I connect it using the USB, everything works.

A crossover cable is a cable that switches the transmit and the receive lines used by Ethernet (your NIC and other networking devices). This is used when you are connecting two devices directly together instead of going through some sort of "ethernet box." The Cable Modem is a networking peripheral and so is your NIC that is in the computer. Two network peripherals cannot talk directly to each other unless: 1) the two peripherals are connected to each other through a HUB OR a crossover cable (which simmulates a HUB but only for a direct connection between two peripherals).

Basically, go to almost any computer store and ask about a crossover cable. Try using that cable between your NIC and your modem and that should do the trick.

One last thing that you will want to try with the crossover; run the Internet Connection Wizard after setting everything up and select Manual Setup and then Connect over LAN. That will reset any settings that might be lingering from the USB connection ( had to wait on-hold with techsupport for 2 hours to learn that trick :)

If you have any other questions, feel free to post them.