Long post. Sorry. Also posted in Networking Forum: I have two Macs networked through a Linksys switch and router and my Cable Internet signal loses speed and then goes away completely over the course of 3 hours or less. Here are the details: Two computers: 1) PowerBook G3, Mac OS 9.0.2 (have also tried 9.1 and 9.2.1 with no change), TCP/IP 2.5, Open Transport 2.6 2) iMac G3 333mHz, Mac OS 8.6, TCP/IP 2.0.1, Open Transport 2.0.3 Each of the above connected with Cat 5 cable to: 1) Linksys EtherFast 10/100 8-port switch and 2) Linksys EtherFast 1-port Cable/DSL Router. Charter Cable (my ISP) provided a Motorola Surfboard modem after the original 3Com modem they gave me appeared to be the problem (but now I guess it wasn’t). The symptoms: Internet service is fast enough to start with (though somewhat slower than a direct connection to the modem), but gradually slows until page elements are not loading and finally any attempts to load new pages fail. I can reboot everything and it comes back a time or two, but eventually even powering everything down and bringing it back up fails to solve the problem and I am left with no Internet connection at all. Once the computers reach this point, even a direct connection to the modem produces no results. This is what I get: My iMac tells me Ethernet is up, but refuses to go get an IP address (or assign itself one) until I trash the TCP/IP prefs and reboot. Then I usually can get a slow connection, which then starts to degrade until I'm back where I started. My PowerBook, on the other hand, tells me Ethernet is down and I can't get it to do anything but give itself an invalid IP address. I can take this PowerBook, in this “Ethernet down” state, to a friend's house, where a virtually identical network exists, and it gets online and surfs quickly with no problems. So the problem doesn't seem to be the Mac OS configuration. Both modems I have tried yielded the same result, so I also don’t think it’s the modem. Switching cables often will fix the problem to some degree, but only for a while. Soon any new cable put into the network produces the same behavior. The cable ISP says they have no known issues in my area, and as I mentioned, I already tried changing the modem. I work from home and desparately need Internet access. I’m hoping someone out there will be able to say, “I know what’s happening.” No one around here seems to have a clue. I work from home and must have Internet access to do business. HELP! -Matt Barker Asheville, NC

I suspect your router. If it's under warranty, return it and get credit toward a different one. I've heard more negative comments about the Linksys routers than any other brand, though I don't have first-hand experience with them myself. p

I JUST went through this problem myself. contact your ISP there may be someone using a static IP that the upstream router does not know about, essentually you are bumping that individual off the net, when they relize it they are comming back and bumping you off the net. the frustrating part is you will probably have to escalate you tech support call all the way up to the network engineers.

Thanks for the replies. Cable company tech came out this morning and tested the signal, and it checks out OK, apparently. Direct connection seems to work OK right now. I too am beginning to suspect the router. But is it the hardware, the firmware, or the configuration? That's what I'm checking into now. More updates as events warrant. -Matt

running os9 powerbook g3 400, had problems getting connected to my pc lan w linksys 5 port switch. Found that it seemed to be a problem w the autosense on the switch.It would work into a dedicated 10baseT but not an autosense 10/100 port on the switch. Here's the text of another message I found elsewhere on this forum that talks about a very similar known problem to yours, hope this helps: Name: Ross Date: March 20, 2000 at 20:20:45 Subject: G4 drops Ethernet connection Reply: Hi Karina, Check out the following URL. There are known issues with iMac, G3 and G4 macs on Ethernet networks that involve them losing their network address. Apple have a "work around". Its value depends on your budget. http://til.info.apple.com/techinfo.nsf/artnum/n24887 Hope this helps Ross

I suspect the Linksys router. I've heard a few reports from users who have had nothing but trouble with Linksys routers and Macs. I have yet to hear positive experiences with Linksys routers and Macs. Best bet: exchange it for a router from a company who isn't so blatantly anti-Mac. (Ever try to call their tech support for Mac help? Impossible.) p

Well, it appears to have been the router. I swapped my first Linksys out for a spare Linksys that a friend had: No go. Some folks I consulted thought I might have a bad switch, but the switch I had, and then a hub from my friend both seemed to function OK if the router was not in the equation. So I did a little homework on routers and determined that the Asanté 3004 looked like the Mac-network-friendliest of the bunch. Ordered one, got it and installed it today. Everything has worked beautifully since. So the bottom line advice I can give is: If you have a Macintosh network, avoid Linksys and go with Asanté. I know some folks have no trouble with their Linksys routers, but I sure wish I had saved myself a week's worth of headaches and bought the Asanté first. Thanks to all who contributed suggestions! -Matt