Plug (und cox) (fwd)

[Jeffrey Pyne]

I have an OpenBSD firewall with its external interface configured for DHCP.
I also just set my boss up with a RedHat Linux box which gets its external
IP address from Cox' DHCP.  So rest assured, you aren't chasing wild geese
here-- it is possible to connect a non-Windows system to Cox' network.  

I did have a problem like yours when Cox switched from @Home to their own
service, though.  I called Cox, and they said they had to "provision" my
cable modem (which simply involved me reading them my modem's MAC address
and Serial Number).  After that, they had me power the modem off for about
30 minutes, and then power it back on.  Once I did that, my OpenBSD machine
was able to get an IP address from DHCP.  Also, when I set my boss' machine
up, the computer that had been connected to his cable modem before had
Windows 2000 installed on it.  When we first connected the Linux machine to
his cable modem, it wouldn't get an IP address from DHCP.  I powered off his
cable modem for a while and then back on.  After this, the Linux machine got
an IP address.  We didn't have to call them up to "provision" his cable
modem, so the modem re-cycle seems to be the magic step.  The tech I spoke
with couldn't explain why that works, but it seems to, for whatever reason.

Hope that helps.

~Jeff 

On Sat, 27 Jul 2002 11:52:15 -0400, simply service wrote:
 
> I am having a terrible time trying to configure cox at home 
> to work with a linux router I built for a friend.  Cox uses 
> dhcp to assign ips and has changed their system so computer 
> names were irrelevant.  My friend had his computer connected 
> to cox on WinXP with dhcp, no problems there...Linux (2.4.18, 
> SuSe) REFUSES to get an ip (request times out, even when set 
> to 120 seconds). I've tried -r for old dhcp compliance, still 
> nothing.  I've tried another network card, nothing...same 
> config on my office network grabs on right away..I removed 
> /var/lib/dhcp/eth0.cache or something similar to stop it from 
> trying to renew its old lease from a different network.  
> Still nothing.  I'm guessing that cox has done something to 
> prevent linux from connecting (if you use linux, you are 
> obviously computer literate, and will more than likely use 
> nat and connect lots of systems - they might be disswaying 
> that).  There are direction for how to configure several 
> os's, including macs and nt 4...no !
> special instructions listed, so if true it might be the 
> differences between m$ dhcp (and mac) and linux that causes 
> the problem.
> 
> I just spent all night working on this...if you want to email 
> directly, simplyservice@mobile.rogers.com will do, please 
> post responses to the list for others tho.  Thanks
> 
> Jason Pfingstmann