D-LinkDCM-202 Cable Modem: "Limited or no connection"

When we first got cable access, we needed a DOCSIS compliant cable modem and the first name I thought of was D-Link. Why? Well, I have been using D-Link hubs, switches and network cards since the days of Windows 95 and Mandrake 5 so I figured this would be a great choice for my cable modem. I guess the modem worked fairly well until its fateful demise.

One day about two years ago, our Internet service went down as it is apt to do from time to time. However, this time all of my computers were still registering an Internet IP address as well as the local IP; which means there should have been a connection to my ISP (Internet Service Provider) therefore a connection to the Internet. So instead of talking on the phone with my ISP tech support for half an hour (listening to elevator music for 25 minutes and having someone explain that they will have to send someone out for 5 more) trying to figure out the problem, I decided to troubleshoot the problem myself.

I disconnected my router and plugged my PCs network cable directly into the cable modem and as soon as the computer obtained the new IP address, the problem was identified. “Limited or no connection” was the message that almost instantly popped up over the network icon in the task bar. This means the modem is getting data from the ISP and is assigning the IP to the computer but is not transferring anything else.

I went to the local geek shop and grabbed a Motorola cable modem, plugged it in and everything worked again. So what happened to the D-Link? What made it stop transmitting data? The best I can figure is this; maybe a voltage spike over the cable hit the modem or a power fluctuation in our home may have caused it. Whatever the case, it shouldn’t have happened and yes, I did have the cable modem plugged into a surge suppressor. The Motorola modem has been working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for well over 20 months with no problems at all and we have had several bad storms and power fluctuations since then.
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D-LinkDCM-202 Cable Modem

The modem is slim and small. It can be set upright or lain flat depending on where you want to locate it. It is easy to set up and can be connected with either USB to a single computer or with Ethernet for a single PC or multiple PCs on a network.

There is software that comes with the modem to help you set it up but there no need to install any software or drivers in order to use the modem if you connect it by Ethernet cable. Once you plug in your cable line and Ethernet cable; then plug in the power cable and you are online. If you decide to use the USB cable, you will have to install the USB drivers before you plug the USB cable into the PC.

The modem will automatically make the connection to your ISP and you computer will obtain its IP address. If you are running multiple computers with a router, you must set the router to act as DHCP (unless you have a DHCP server) and it will assign addresses to the computers on the network. You can also lock down the local IP addresses on all of your computers and manually configure each computers network settings if you know how to do that and what the settings are for your particular ISP. Most people will want to use the DHCP on their router because it is easier and hassle free.

Specifications

* Protocols: DOCSIS 1.1 and DOCSIS 2.0
* Interface: USB1.1, USB 2.0 and Ethernet
* Transfer rate: 43Mbps downstream, 10.2 Mbps upstream
* Ports: 1 TV antenna F connector, 1 RJ-45 (network Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX), 1 USB 4 pin USB Type B
* OS compatibility: UNIX, Mac OS, DOS, Windows 95/98/98SE/2000/ME/XP/2003, SUN, OS2 and BE-OS (Basically all operating systems)
* Weight: 0.7lbs
* Warranty: 1 year
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Personal Use

I used this modem for a little over three months and then one day out of the blue it decided not to work anymore. When it worked, it worked fine except for losing connection once in a while (which all do from time to time for one reason or another). I had it set up with my Ethernet through a router assigned as a DHCP server. There is not much you can say about a cable modem, it either works or it doesn’t and this one doesn’t anymore.

Prior to its demise, the modem would lose connection with my ISP from time to time and I would have to reset it in order to regain a connection. I have only had to do this with my Motorola modem a few times over the last 20 months but I had to do it more frequently with the D-Link modem. Sometimes this is due to the ISP going down for one reason or another but if you are browsing the web and you lose connection and immediately reset the modem and are able to connect, it doesn’t suggest a problem with the ISP. If the ISP goes down, chances are it will be down longer than the minute it takes to reset the cable modem. With the D-Link modem, I could usually reset the modem and it would connect immediately meaning the modem was most likely responsible for the loss of connection.


Conclusion

I hate to say that D-Link made a bad modem, but the proof is in the pudding (or should I say in the connection). This was a good modem when it worked, but not a great modem. I can only suspect a power surge of some sort got through to it in the end but I am glad it did because now I have the Motorola modem and it has been fantastic. I would recommend looking elsewhere for a cable modem. Just remember that if your ISP requires a DOCSIS 1.1 or 2.0-compliant modem, you must make sure the modem you get is compliant. I have read a few reviews of certain cable modems that trashed the modem because it doesn’t work with their ISP. Cable modems are not designed to be compatible with all ISPs. Check with your ISP before buying for recommendations on compatible modems.

Thanks for reading,

Gr8ful :-)