Mac Forum / General / Networking / November 2005

Ok, here is the puzzle:

Start with a g3 iBook with probably Panther, loaned to some foreigners
visiting NYC for a few months, so they would not have to go to internet
cafes all the time. They take it home and connect it to their DSL modem
using an ethernet cable and it Just Works.

Weeks later I try deleting stuff so they can have more room on the hard
drive and end up deleting the Library folder. Brilliant, I know.

No problem, re-install and ... nothing. The modem lights look good up to
the DSL light, but the ethernet light never even comes on.

Has some other problem coincidentally jumped in? No, I bring my WinXP
laptop over and it connects without a problem.

Is there something wrong with the iBook ethernet plug? No, I connect it
to my /cable/ modem at home and it Just Works.

OK, let's do a full install erasing everything. Start with Tiger for the
heck of it. Nothing.

OK, Panther was the thing working when I broke it, install 10.3.5 with
full erase, then update from Apple, ending up at 10.3.9.

Ready for this? They plug it in and it Just Works. For ten minutes. Now
it is Just Dead again.

I actually do not know all that much about networks. Does the above at
least suggest to someone more knowledgable where the problem must be? It
just occurred to me that the modem manufacturer might be a place to look
for help -- does that sound reasonable? Could we just buy a
new/different DSL modem and see if that works? Any thoughts welcome.