Verizon DSL not seeing internet (RPC server unavailable)

[Darkhawk]

Maybe someone can help me out here. I did some Google searches to see what I can do, but haven't found much yet. Saw a similar thread on your board, which was resolved with a reformat, but that didn't help me. Please forgive the length of the post. Just trying to be as detailed as possible...

Let me start off with some background: My PC at home is a Compaq Presario running Windows XP Home Edition (bought it a few years back). I had Earthlink dial-up access from that machine for several years, and recently signed up with Verizon for a DSL connection.

Verizon sent a DSL package with a Westell 6100 modem, an ethernet cable, a USB cable, and a phone wire, as well as an installation disk. My wife installed the modem a few weeks ago, and we were able to connect to the internet through the new DSL connection.

About a week later, we lost our connection to the internet. I realized that was because the modem had been turned off. I turned it back on, and we were able to get back online.

We used the DSL connection on a daily basis, for hours at a time. Between uses, I would shut down the PC, but usually leave the modem connected and running. No real issues until yesterday.

My wife was on a site and clicked an e-mail link to send a message to someone. We had Outlook Express 6 set as our default e-mail program, but it was still configured to use Earthlink as its default server. Somewhere along the way, she lost her Internet connection, but re-established it by reinstalling the modem.

Once she was back on, I attempted to reconfigure the Outlook Express to send/receive from Verizon. Although I made no changes that weren't laid out on the Verizon Help page, I was still having problems getting it to send. I then rebooted the modem.

Suddenly, I lost my connection to the internet. My Local Area Connection kept displaying "Acquiring Network Address," but did not connect. I rebooted both the PC and modem, even unplugged both to be sure. I reconnected all plugs, and secured my DSL filters in the phone jacks. I also tried reinstalling the modem again. Nothing helped.

I called Verizon and we did some troubleshooting. I discovered that my Local Area Connection properties were set to "Use the following IP address" (which was 0.0.0.0), and "Use the following DNS server addresses" (which were blank, I believe... if not, they were also set to 0.0.0.0). With Verizon's agreement, I set both to Obtain automatically. Even after a full shut down/startup, nothing changed. We even tried connecting the PC to the modem via the USB cable, but that made no difference. Verizon suggested I either get a new Network Interface Card, or run a full recovery.

Before going that route, I gave it several hours and unplugged everything again, and started up once more. Still nothing, and still "Acquiring Network Address," in a constant loop. I called Verizon again for a second opinion. We tried and ipconfig /release and renew, but I got the following message:

"An error has occurred while renewing interface local area connection: The RPC server is unavailable."

Verizon suggested I contact the manufacturer to run a network trace to see if the main controller was working properly, and also to give them my RPC server message. Since my machine is out of warranty, I did not want to be charged for a call to the manufacturer, and decided to run a recovery.

After saving my files to CD, I ran the smaller version of a Compaq recovery (restores the settings and drivers, but does not reformat). After installing the modem again, I still could not connect.

I then ran a full system recovery, reformatting the drive and resetting everything that shipped with the PC. I then installed the modem again. Still nothing.

My wife needs to get to the internet, so she signed up with Earthlink again, using a dial-up connection in the interim. That connection seems to be working.

However, I'd like to correct the issue with the DSL connection. Here's my current setup as I can remember it (not at my home PC at the moment):

Ethernet cable is connected to my PC on one end, and the modem on the other. There is only one ethernet port on the back of the machine, so I know it's plugged in correctly. The green light by the port is illuminated steadily. The other end of the ethernet cable is plugged into the modem. Only one ethernet port on the modem too.

Phone line runs from the only phone port on the modem to the splitter at the phone jack. The other half of the splitter is connected to a DSL filter, which is connected to a phone.

One other DSL filter is connected to a phone jack upstairs, and has another phone connected to it. There's one other phone jack in the house, but it's not being used.

The modem has five lights. I'll indicate whether they're on or off:
1. Power (on)
2. Ethernet (on)
3. USB (off)
4. DSL (on)
5. Internet (off)

My Local Area Connection properties are still set to Obtain an IP address and DNS servers automatically. My current IP address is still 0.0.0.0, and my current Default Gateway is blank.

Not sure where to go from here. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[xzpro]

Dear Dark Hawk,

I have had same problem as you are having right now and I got the solution to your problem.

First you must connect your DSL modem directly to your computer.

Then if your modem still shows no internet connection light, open up the internet explorer program.

On your address bar, type 192.168.1.1

Then you will be prompted with log in box. type in "admin" as your id, and "password" as your password.

Then you will see something similar to web page and has westell logo on top left corner.

on the main screen, you will see something like "new" button. Click it.

After that or before that you might be asked to type your id and new password.

type "admin" for all the fields that are blank.

after that, click on profile editor

You might be prompted with log on menu again then type in the new information that you just created not too long ago.

then when the pop up window shows up with blank fields, rename the connection from "my connection" to "verizon"

as for you id and password use the id and password that you used to order the DSL.

If you don't remember your id and password, contact verizon at 1-800-567-6789 and ask them to renew your pass word.

after that you will be seeing

connection name: verizon ppp status: down and "connect" button on the right hand side.

click on connect and you are set! well then bye bye.