Computer/internet mystery

rrlund · Jul 7, 2021

Monday morning, the light was blinking on the Roku indicating no internet. Being early morning on what was officially a holiday, I figured the ISP was just doing some maintenance or something. Neither my wife's nor my Chromebook would connect to the internet either, but my desktop would. I listened to the radio on it while I ate breakfast. When I got back in the house, the light on the Roku wasn't blinking anymore and the internet worked on the laptop. Problem solved.

This morning, same thing. Roku blinking, laptop wouldn't connect, but the desktop would. When I got in from doing chores, still blinking this time. Radio was still playing on the desktop. I watched Ag Day on the desktop while I was on the elliptical. I had the idea of unplugging the wireless modem to reboot it. I unplugged it and Ag Day kept right on playing. I left it unplugged for 30 seconds or so, plugged it back in, light stopped blinking on the Roku and the laptop connected.

How in the world was the laptop working both times when nothing else would, and how did Ag Day keep playing with the modem unplugged? Maybe I don't need to pay for internet anymore and just use the desktop for everything. LOL

Janicholson · Jul 7, 2021

There may be a neighbor with a pretty powerful WiFi signal amplifier. It would also need to be unprotected. Your Desktop looked for a signal and found one. You are likely using someone else's bandwidth and paid subscription. If windows 10 there is an icon on the bottom right corner to the left of the speaker icon that when poked shows what the computer is connected to. It is likely not your modem. Jim

kencombs · Jul 7, 2021

Any chance our desktop is a wired connection, not WIFI?

rrlund · Jul 7, 2021

No. We had DSL or whatever you call it, through a second line at one time. That provider stopped that service and put us on wireless, then they had trouble and we were without internet for a week and we cancelled with them altogether. The one we're with now put a receiver on the side of the house and pointed it at their tower two miles away.

DRussell · Jul 7, 2021

Did you leave your cellphone hotspot on and your desktop used that signal instead?

rrlund · Jul 7, 2021

I don't know anything about a cell phone hot spot. All we have is a flip phone, so probably not. Jim's probably right about it connecting to somebody else, but it must be one heck of a signal. I can get to the garage with the lap top, but loose the signal if I step in the door. Nearest neighbor is over and eighth of a mile away.

Goose · Jul 7, 2021

Does your Roku unit need to have any upgrades installed? We have U.S. Cellular, but our unit acted up like that once. I took it to our local U.S. Cellular office and they spent a half hour installing some upgrades. Problem solved.

Or, like someone else said, a cell phone was left connected to the Internet and other units picked up on it like a hot spot. That happened to us, too, once. My wife's cell phone somehow got connected to the Internet and burned all of our 'Net bandwidth 'cause her cell phone was using our computer bandwidth instead of its own minutes.

1939farmall · Jul 7, 2021

From your description I think I can explain what happened. Your modem or router is connected to the incoming service to the house. It serves both hardwired devices and wireless devices. Your desktop most likely is hardwired to the modem/router this is typically how it works since a lot of times desktops dont have wireless cards in them. Your other devices ( Roku laptops etc.) are only connected through the wireless signal to the modem/router. The problem was that the modem/router was not sending a wireless signal but its hardwired signal was working fine. This is how your desktop worked when nothing else did. When you unplugged the router to reset it your desktop had already downloaded enough of the program you were watching to continue to play while the router was unplugged. Had you left the router unplugged your desktop would have stopped working as soon as it reached the end of what it had already downloaded. You did the right thing by unplugging and letting the router reset. From what you described I sounds like the incoming service to the house is fine but your router may be going bad. If this issue keeps happening you will probably need to replace the router. Ive seen this many time in my 25 years of telecommunications work.

rrlund · Jul 7, 2021

I don't know if the Roku needs upgrades or not, but that still wouldn't explain neither Chromebook connecting either. I've considered that the reason Ag Day kept playing for that 30 seconds or so might be that it had buffered out that far or something, but for it to connect to the internet and play the radio two different days as well as connecting to YT, my email and the local newspaper, same as it does every morning, when the laptops wouldn't, that's a real mystery to me. This wasn't a one time thing. It was Monday and today both.

OK, while I was typing that, I had an idea. I have WSM radio playing. I unplugged the modem. It kept playing for about five seconds and stopped. I plugged it back in and had to refresh to get it playing again and to continue here on YT.

rrlund · Jul 7, 2021

I think you've got it. There is a wire from the modem to the back of the computer. I replied down below before your reply came up. Pretty sure you have this figured out.

DoubleO7 · Jul 7, 2021

From your description your getting internet service wirelessly from a nearby tower two miles away.

Do you have separate bills/companies for your cell and internet providers?

If yes, please mention internet provider name.

That service might be useful for some here.

I am only guessing that your internet service is via you cellphone service data plan.

This post was edited by DoubleO7 on 07/07/2021 at 08:55 am.

rrlund · Jul 7, 2021

We have a wireless home phone and a flip phone through Verizon. Our internet service is through a local provider, Casair. Although
Casair was recently bought out and I don't remember the name of the outfit that bought them out. Two entirely different entities
and two different bills. Verizon just sends one bill for the home phone and flip phone though.

DoubleO7 · Jul 7, 2021

Okay so looking up Casair gets you to Point Broadband.
And what you have is "fiber fed fixed wireless internet service.

No wires, no satellite

1948CaseVAI · Jul 7, 2021

Different wifi adapters have different cache sizes. 30 sec is a long time but still possible you were draining from cache.

Leroy · Jul 7, 2021

What is Roku?

rrlund · Jul 7, 2021

Internet TV device for watching Netflix, HULU and such.

kencombs · Jul 7, 2021

NOt referring to your internet connection but the connection from the WAN modem to your computer.

Tx Jim · Jul 8, 2021

(quoted from post at 14:57:27 07/07/21) What is Roku?

There are several companies that offer TV streaming with the aid of the internet

BarnyardEngineering · Jul 8, 2021

(quoted from post at 11:57:27 07/07/21) What is Roku?

I'd say google it but you'd probably reply, "What is a google?"

old_bc · Jul 8, 2021

Looking at all the information I see here it appears
that the wireless part of your modem is failing.

Computer/internet mystery

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