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Date:      Fri, 13 Oct 2000 09:13:51 -0400
From:      John Turner <john@drexeltech.com>
To:        "Doug Poland" <doug@polands.org>, "ListServer FreeBSD Questions" <FreeBSD-Questions@FreeBSD.ORG>
Subject:   Re: Cable modem ISP keeps timing out
Message-ID:  <4.3.2.7.0.20001013090407.00b1b810@mail.johnturner.com>
In-Reply-To: <NDBBKMNOJKJGAEKJNLIACENPELAA.doug@polands.org>

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RoadRunner uses DHCP.  Their terms of service do not allow a dedicated IP 
(unless you pay extra, I think the extra package is called "Home 
Networking").

I have RoadRunner, my firewall is FreeBSD 3.4 RELEASE.  My external 
interface is configured using dhcp in rc.conf, and it works fine.  When I 
first hooked the firewall up, after I moved, I experienced the same 
problems you're having.  The solution for me was to call them and add the 
MAC address for my firewall's external NIC to their database.  They use the 
MAC to determine if a certain NIC is allowed to access their network.  They 
allow up to 3 different MAC addresses per account.  Previously, the only 
MAC they had on file was the one for my laptop (which was all I had when 
the guy did the install).

So, a default RoadRunner setup needs DHCP, and the MAC for your NIC needs 
to be in their database (max of 3 MACs).  Make sure 
"ifconfig_external-NIC=DHCP" is in your rc.conf file.

As a temporary fix, before I discovered their rule about MAC addresses, was 
for me to do

bash# ifconfig external-interface-name down
bash# ifconfig external-interface-name up

A shutdown or reboot isn't necessary.  However, this got tedious after 
awhile, so I researched and found the MAC restriction at 
http://help.rr.com.  I've seen other posts saying that the MAC addresses 
don't matter with RoadRunner, and perhaps this is the case in some 
locations in the US.  For me, however, over MediaOne cable in Michigan, the 
MAC address most definitely makes a difference, and DHCP is most definitely 
used (as of October 9, 2000).  If you're looking for a dedicated IP, you 
will have to pay extra (if it's even available).

HTH

- John Turner

At 07:58 AM 10/13/2000 -0500, Doug Poland wrote:
>Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
>
>Gurus,
>
>Two or three times a day I will lose my
>"connection" to the outside world with
>RoadRunner cable service.  I can ping
>my NIC and cable modem but nothing else.
>
>I can "reset" by doing a shutdown <ctrl> d
>Then I get the same IP address, netmask
>(I think), and DNS's.  Then connectivity
>is back.
>
>So I have two questions:
>
>1. How can I re-establish connectivity
>without re-booting.  I've tried
>
>         # dhclient ed0
>
>but I lose the IP address I did have and
>returns an error message (sorry can't recall
>it right now).  So I end up rebooting.
>
>2. I'd like to know what is going on so I
>can start complaining to my cable ISP.  It's
>mildly inconvenient when I'm at home and can
>work on the console of the gateway.  When
>I'm working away from home, it's a real
>hassle.
>
>
>Regards,
>Doug
>
>
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