[LMB] OT:AKICOTL - self-starting modem

[Mark Allums]

PAT MATHEWS wrote:
> Jean - maybe you or Mike or Brian know about this?
> 
> I have MSN-DSL. I've noticed that my modem turns itself on - or is being 
> turned on by either some outside agency or some sneaky inside agency planted 
> there heavens-knows-how.
> 
> I'll disconnect and do something else and suddenly see that I am now 
> connected. I'll leave for class and come back to find the connection I 
> disconnected myself has now been 'disconnected for inactivity'. I'll 
> disconnect so I can use the landline and have the interference start up in 
> the middle of the phone call.
> 
> Does anyone here understand what's happening? And should I be alarmed by it?
> 
> I've actually taken to turning off the entire computer when I leave the 
> house or when I'm not going to use it for a while.

Is it an internal modem, or external?  Makes a difference.

Some software will autoconnect if the Internet Options Connections tab 
has "Dial whenever a network connection is not present" selected. 
Windows will helpfully change that option from "Never dial a connection" 
if you run the network setup wizard, or sometimes just for the heck of 
it.  Very frustrating.  Go in and change it back.

Right click the Internet Explorer icon, choose properties from the 
drop-down menu, then look for the Connections tab.  See what's there.

If that ain't it, then you have mice.  Um, horses.  Trojan horses.

=====

Oh, wait.  You have DSL.  That's a kettle of fish of a different color.

Those connections are always-on connections.  I assume you have the DSL 
modem hooked to the computer by the network port?  It should never 
disconnect at all.

Speaking of which, *do* disconnect the DSL modem from the direct 
connection to the computer, and get a router/gateway/switch/firewall 
thingy, and put it between the raw internet of the modem and your 
delicate computer.  That is, hook the DSL thingy to the firewall, and 
then the firewall to your computer.  Much safer.

To answer your question, Your ISP (AT&T?) may be dropping your IP 
address, and then your computer decides to talk to the internet, and 
needs a new IP address, so it asks for one, and gets one via DHCP, in 
which case, all those messages are normal.  Not too much to worry about. 
   Except that the DSL connection shouldn't need to renew it's lease 
very often and AT&T probably shouldn't be disconnecting so often.  If 
it's a problem, call the DSL provider and get them to fix it.

I'm sure you guys will correct me if I'm way off, and the connection is 
not supposed to be always on.  But I never head of a DSL one that was 
"dial-on-demand".


--Mark Allums