Computer Help Needed

Myself | 06/01/2008 | TheMom

[TheMom]

This afternoon my husband set up a computer for the kids. Once everything was set up, he checked to make sure all computers were connected to the net via the router. All looked great!

Then one of the kids downloaded some type of crap that has caused our internet connection to be kaput. I contacted our internet provider – after testing they determined that the problem was not within the cable box. (Each computer can connect to the internet if hooked up directly to the cable box). They gave me the customer service number to the router company ~ the gal said they could check to see if it was a router problem. The customer service lady for Linksys said that since our router is about eight years old it was out of warranty, but for a mere $32.95 they could have a tech check out the problem. (After a few colorful words from my husband) We went out and purchased a new router for $25.00.

The problem still exist. (I have not yet recontacted the router company.)

Each individual system can connect to the internet via the cable box. When all systems are connected to the router, there is no internet connection.

We have tried the basic turn it off, turn it on again ~ with no luck.

Does anyone have a clue how to fix this problem?

[luvie]

Yay!!! Good to hear that you are up and running again!

[Terpfen]

Your son downloaded crapware onto his computer, and then went out and bought a switch instead of a router? Not too bright, I think.

[gogov]

I still say keep the kids off the same system you are using. And by all means do not do online payments with any computer network where your kids are doing their net thing.

You might as well just post all your banking information for all to see and save yourself the guessing as to how the hackers got it.

[TheMom]

Our son is not the one that downloaded the crap, that was one of the stays. (We have two kids living with us right now that are not ours ~ we affectionately call them strays cause they got nowhere else to live.)

[ThePythonicCow]

(I would probably screw up the download and get buttermilk)

Thanks for the kind words. Your mention of "buttermilk" reminds me of when I first learned what it was. I grew up on a dairy farm, so knew what real milk was from day one.

One day as a teenager, I went to the County Fair and someone was selling buttermilk. Hmmm ... that sounds good, I though ... must be like real milk with butter added or something.

So I bought a little, took one sip, and spit it out. Then I asked, and learned that buttermilk is what you get after you get done taking the butter out, then ferment it, to increase the lactic acid. Sounds like mixing skim milk and vinegar. Uggh.

[El Gran Salseron]

"I use Bit Torrent for tunes. Yeah it takes over the connection, but it pipes the tunes in fast too and it doesnt seem to be intrusive."

Bit Torrent installs a sub-program named "btdna.exe" on your computer in a folder named "DNA" in Program Files.

IF you don't have a software firewall that caught all of the attempts for this application to access the internet then not only have you slowed your system down but "btdna.exe" is very suspect. While Bit Torrent claims that it is not spyware, others disagree.

During install of Bit Torrent I had to keep clicking on the firewall to allow or disallow for multiple sites and multiple ports, in succession. It was never-ending. I finally had to "uninstall" that function.

Use Bit Torrent with this "feature" at your own risk.

I suggest you do a Google search for "btdna.exe" and read some of the horror stories.

[mylife]

Will do.