Note: this page talks about dedicated-line DSL service. If you have shared-line DSL service please see the page about troubleshooting shared-line DSL service.
Here are some steps to follow in troubleshooting your DSL service.
First, please keep in mind that your Coop is a volunteer organization. If you can figure what is wrong and fix it yourself, you will be saving a volunteer from having to fix it for you.
Second, try as hard as possible to figure out whether the problem is something the Coop is even able to fix and is responsible for fixing. If the problem is in your home or is in your computer, then the Coop is not responsible for fixing it, and if you make a volunteer come to your home to fix a problem that is not the Coop's responsibility, you will be responsible for a nice gift for the volunteer, such as a couple of bottles of expensive wine.
Third, please check simple things that could make a difference. For example, does your DSL modem have electric power? Is its "DSL link" light on (see below)? Does your DSL router have electric power?
Is the problem that you are able to receive email but not send it? Then you may need to check the SMTP setting of your computer. You should try an SMTP server setting of "smtp.rric.net" to see if that fixes the problem.
Are you able to visit web sites (preferably using Netscape)? If the answer is "yes," then the Coop's service is working. Whatever is wrong is not the Coop's responsibility.
Do you have more than one computer? If so, please consider trying each computer. If one of the computers works and the other does not, then the Coop's service is working.
Try to reach your DSL router. Open a web browser (preferably Netscape) and visit the IP address for your DSL router (referring to the user manual for your DSL router). It may be 192.168.123.254 or 192.168.2.1, for example. If you can't reach it, then there is probably some problem with your router or your computer. If you are able to reach your DSL router, what does its "status" page say about the connection to the Internet?
Try "pinging" a few IP addresses. On a Windows machine, click start/programs and go to the MS-DOS prompt, and type "ping 206.168.112.1" to see if you can ping that IP address. Try again with 206.168.115.129. The results of these tests will help your volunteer to try to fix things.
Are your neighbors also having trouble with their Coop DSL service? This information will help your volunteer figure out how to fix the service.
The meaning of the blinky lights differs depending on which model of DSL modem you are using.
CopperRocket 201 DSL modem, 3Com SDSL modem, Netopia M7100-C SDSL modem. These modems are all the same inside. Each modem has four lights on the front:
| power | LAN | DSL | data |
| Green means the modem has power | Green indicates an ethernet "link" on the ethernet port. Each blink indicates traffic on the ethernet port. | Green means the modem is "synched" with the DSLAM | Each blink indicates traffic over the DSL link. |
Tip. Make a note of the usual condition of the lights when the system is working normally. Normally you would expect the following lights to be on (green) all the time: power, LAN, and DSL. Normally you would expect to see blinks on the LAN and data lights as data passes through the DSL modem.
Troubleshooting. If the "power" light is off, check to see if power is connected. If the "DSL" light is off, check to be sure the telephone cable has not gotten disconnected. If the "LAN" light is off, check to see if there is a good ethernet cable connecting the DSL modem to other equipment. A persistent "off" condition for the "DSL" light may mean that repair work by the Coop is needed.
Xpeed 320 DSL modem. This modem has four lights on the front:
| power | link | WAN | LAN |
| Green means the modem has power | Green means the modem is "synched" with the DSLAM | Each blink indicates data over the DSL link | Each blink indicates data over the ethernet link |
This modem also has lights on the rear panel, with a pair of lights next to each ethernet jack. One light steadily on indicates an ethernet "link" on that ethernet port, and each blink of the other light indicates ethernet traffic on that ethernet port.
Tip. Make a note of the usual condition of the lights when the system is working normally. Normally you would expect the following lights to be on (green) all the time: power, front-panel link, and a link light on the rear panel for the port where the ethernet cable is plugged in. Normally you would expect to see blinks on the WAN and LAN lights as data passes through the DSL modem.
Troubleshooting. On the front panel, if the "power" light is off, check to see if power is connected. On the front panel, if the "link" light is off, check to be sure the telephone cable has not gotten disconnected. On the rear panel, if the "link" light is off, check to see if there is a good ethernet cable connecting the DSL modem to other equipment. A persistent "off" condition for the front-panel "link" light may mean that repair work by the Coop is needed.
Note: if you have not already done so, please print out this page and keep it handy for use in troubleshooting problems with your DSL service.