I use Optimum with an Arris Surfboard SB8200 modem and an ASUS RT-AC68U router. The connection had been slow and intermittently unreliable before a storm caused a 12-hour power outage. I unplugged the APC and Belkin surge protectors during the outage, and everything powered back on normally afterward except the internet.
Neither wired nor wireless devices can reach the internet, although they can connect to the router itself. The modem's status lights look normal, and Optimum says the modem is online and can be reached. The router shows active Wi-Fi and LAN connections, but its WAN/internet light is off.
I have checked all cables and connections, restarted the modem, router, and switch several times, had the ISP remotely cycle the modem, confirmed there are no account issues, tried multiple Ethernet cables and ports, and connected two different computers directly to the modem. Nothing changed. Could the modem have failed even though its lights appear normal, or does Optimum need to reprovision the connection?
2 Answers
The direct-to-modem test is the important clue here. If a computer still cannot get online with the router completely removed, the ASUS router probably is not the cause. The modem can show normal signal and online lights while its Ethernet or internal routing functions have failed, especially after a power event. Ask the ISP to reprovision the modem and verify that your account is accepting its MAC address. If they still refuse to troubleshoot the SB8200, testing with a known-good or ISP-provided modem would be the next step.
When switching between a router and a directly connected computer, power everything down first. Disconnect the router, shut down the computer, unplug the modem for several minutes, then connect the computer directly to the modem and power the modem back on. Cable providers often remember the previously connected device, so the modem may need a full reboot before it will issue an address to the computer. If that clean test still fails, the ISP needs to clear or reprovision the modem, or the modem should be replaced.
I tried connecting directly to the modem and still had no connection. Optimum can ping it and says the status is normal, but they keep suggesting that I use one of their modems even though this one has worked for years.