NHD computer and networking basic part 4

Customer Care
Understanding Customer
Home Networking
















01 December 2007








Copyright Notice








The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Published by TWC Customer Care Support Delivery.
This document contains confidential and internal information and is copyrighted. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be photocopied or reproduced by any means without prior consent of TWC’s Customer Care Support Delivery.
© 2007, Time Warner Cable Customer Care Support Delivery, All Rights Reserved.
Road Runner logo and character images TM & © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc (s07)

Table of Contents

Introduction.. 1
Overview.. 1
Objectives. 1
Wired Home Network – Router.. 2
How it works. 2
192.168.100.x IP Address: Running the ARP Tool 3
Troubleshooting Wired Home Networks: Router 4
Wireless Home Network.. 6
How Wireless Home Networks Work. 7
Troubleshooting Wireless Home Networks: Router 8
Troubleshooting Wireless Home Networks: Router Chart 9
Multiple IP Wired Home Network.. 10
How Multiple IP Wired HUB Home Networks. 10
Troubleshooting Wired HUB Home Networks – Multiple IP.. 11
Wired HUB Home Network Using ICS.. 12
How Wired Home Networks using ICS work. 12
Troubleshooting Wired HUB Home Networks – ICS.. 14
NHD Support Boundaries.. 15
Troubleshooting Tips – Surf/Router Connection Issues. 15
Proper Reboot Sequence For Any Reboot.. 16
More Home Networking Probing Questions. 17
Troubleshooting Tips: Home Network - Slow Browsing. 17
WEP Keys.. 18
SSID (Service Set Identifier) 18
How to Assist Customers with WEP Key Issues. 19
What is FON?.. 21
What’s fon got to do with TWC’s High-Speed Online Service?. 22
How does the TWC-FON Relationship impact the NHD?. 22


Introduction

Overview
· Many Road Runner customers have more than one computer in the home. Customer-installed home networks have become very popular.
· These installations pose a challenge for the NHD when troubleshooting connection/surf issues. To effectively troubleshoot a home network, a thorough understanding of basic connection/surf troubleshooting is required.
· Troubleshooting a home network is no different than troubleshooting a single PC when you understand the relationship between the components.
· In this module, we look at four typical home networks, how to tell if a customer has a home network, and how to fix common connection issues.


Objectives
· Describe four common home network installations
· Describe connection troubleshooting techniques for each installation
· List common connection issues
· Describe NHD support boundaries
· Describe the third party FON product and the NHD support boundary for it


Wired Home Network – Router
This is one of the most common customer-installed home networks. Multi-port home routers are inexpensive and fairly easy for the customer to configure. In most cases, the default settings of the router do not have to be changed for the network to allow multiple computers to access the Road Runner network through one cable modem.

If the customer claims that the division installed the network, check the Division Matrix to identify the type of equipment they install. Follow the troubleshooting procedures listed here before transferring the customer to the division.

How it works
· A Cat-5 cable connects from the WAN (wide area network) port on the router to the Ethernet port of the modem.
· The computers are connected to the LAN (local area network) ports on the router using Cat-5 cables.
· By default, most home routers are configured to obtain an IP address dynamically. The router obtains the Road Runner IP address. The router acts as a DHCP server for the computers that are connected. The router will issue each computer a private (non-routable) IP address such as 192.168.100.2 (Please see next section for more about 192.168.100.x IP addresses).
· The computers are usually configured to obtain an IP address automatically but can be configured with a static 192.x.x.x IP address. Either will work. However, this is not something Road Runner NHDs will be expected to configure.
· The router acts as a gateway to the Internet for the computers on the network and routes the traffic through the RR IP address to the cable modem.


192.168.100.x IP Address: Running the ARP Tool
If the customer has an IP address of 192.168.100.x, or possibly a 149.x.x.x IP address, it may be a provisioning issue. If your customer's IP address is one of these, you should follow these steps.

1. If they have a 192.168.1.x IP, it is likely that they have a router hooked up, and the machine that you are troubleshooting is on a network. If the customer is not hooked up to a network and has a 192.168.1.x IP, troubleshoot the call as No Surf Issue.
2. If the IP address is coming from the modem, the MAC address of the DHCP server will either match the MAC address of the cable modem or it will match but the last octet may be different. To find the MAC address of the DHCP server, have the customer open a command prompt, and type ARP -a at the command prompt then hit enter as seen below.


The item that you will be interested in will be the physical address. This is the MAC address of their DHCP server. Compare it to the MAC address of their cable modem.

· If the physical address matches or just the last octet is different, document this in your Remedy ticket and send your customer to Tier 1 as a flashing cable light issue, to have the modem provisioned.

· If the physical address does NOT match, document it in your Remedy ticket and continue to troubleshoot the call as a No Surf/Invalid IP issue.

Troubleshooting Wired Home Networks: Router

How do I know if a customer has a home network?
· Always ask probing questions.
· Ask the customer if they have a router or a HUB. Not all customers understand what a router or a HUB is. You may have to describe what they are and where they would be located between the cable modem and computer.
♦ Remember that the customer may not have set up the network themselves.
♦ This may be a better question: “Do you use more than one computer to connect to the Internet?”
· An easy way to determine if the customer is connected to a network is by checking the IP address.
♦ If the customer has an IP address of 192.168.x.x, they probably are connected to a network.
♦ If the customer says that they do have a router or network, ask if all the computers are having the same issue in the home. This will help focus your troubleshooting because, if there is no network yet all the computers are unable to access the Internet, it could be a cable TV issue or outage. Have the customer check their television.
· If the customer claims that the division installed the network, check the Division Matrix to identify the type of equipment that Road Runner provides against the equipment that the customer has installed on their network.
♦ If the equipment was installed by Road Runner, follow the troubleshooting procedures listed within this document before transferring the customer to the division if the issue cannot be resolved.
♦ If the equipment was NOT installed by Road Runner, follow the troubleshooting procedures listed within this document before referring the customer to their OEM for the router if the issue cannot be resolved.

IMPORTANT NOTES:
· If you’ve determined that the cable modem is online, use the troubleshooting charts throughout this document to help resolve connection issues for customers using a home network.
· If the modem is offline, check UDI and troubleshoot the call as No Connectivity.

Troubleshooting Wired Home Networks: Router – Continued
NOTES:
· If UDI shows modem as “online-d” in the Online Status field, no further troubleshooting is needed. Transfer to Tier 1.
· If the customer has a 192.x.x.x IP address, and the connections to the router are good plus the LAN side of the router is functioning properly.
· As a last resort, remove the router from the connection setup and connect the computer directly to the cable modem. This is only done if it is not a Road Runner router.

Problem
IP Address
Cable Modem Status
Most likely Cause
Fix
No connection – Can’t browse or send/receive e-mail
169.x.x.x
Offline – UDI or no modem lights
· Modem Issue
· Power cycle modem and router. Doing this will let the router get a new IP address.
· Check pipelock, standby or on/off switch on modem
No connection – Can’t browse or send/receive e-mail
169.x.x.x
Online – UDI or modem lights status
· Disconnected cat-5 between router and pc
· Possible NIC issues
· Re-seat Cat-5 cable from the router to the PC.
· Release/renew or reboot pc and router.
· Troubleshoot NIC
No connection – Can’t browse or send/receive e-mail
192.x.x.x
Online – UDI or modem lights status
· Disconnected cat-5 between router and modem (no pc light on modem)
· Router has lost IP address
· Re-seat Cat-5 cable from the modem to the router.
· Power cycle modem
· Power cycle router
Reboot pc and verify that all TCP/IP settings

Can’t browse but can send/receive e-mail
192.x.x.x
Online – UDI or modem lights status
· Browser issue
· Possible firewall issue
· Troubleshoot browser
· Disable firewall
Can browse but can’t send/receive e-mail
192.x.x.x
Online – UDI or modem lights status
· E-mail Issue
· E-mail virus scan issue
· Troubleshoot E-mail
· Disable e-mail virus scan, can they surf.

Wireless Home Network

This is another very popular customer-installed home network. Wireless networks allow customers to use multiple computers in various areas of their home without having to run Cat-5.


How Wireless Home Networks Work
· A Cat-5 cable connects from the WAN (wide area network) port on the router to the Ethernet port of the modem. Many wireless routers also have LAN ports so that a computer can be connected with cat-5 as well as wireless.
· The router uses radio waves to route traffic from computers with wireless NICs to the cable modem in the same manner as a wired router. The router acts as a DHCP server for the computers that are connected. The router will issue each computer a private (non-routable) IP address such as 192.168.100.2.
· For security, wireless routers use WEP (wired equivalent privacy) to encrypt the wireless traffic. WEP can be 40, 64, 128 or even 256 bit encryption. The higher the encryption, the slower the connection will be. Typical range on a wireless router is up to 300 feet or more depending on the brand of router and the location.
· The computers are usually configured to obtain an IP address automatically but can be configured with a static 192.x.x.x IP address. Either will work. However, this is not something NHD agents will support customers in configuring.
· The default settings from the factory on most wireless routers do not have WEP enabled, which means that anyone within range of the wireless router can connect to the Internet and may have access to the rest of the network.


Troubleshooting Wireless Home Networks: Router
If the customer claims that the TWC Road Runner division installed the network, check the Division Matrix to identify the type of wireless equipment that they install. Follow the troubleshooting procedures listed in this document before transferring the customer to the division for wireless Road Runner router issues if the issue cannot be resolved.

Troubleshooting Notes:
· If UDI shows modem as “online-d” in the Online Status field, no further troubleshooting is needed. Transfer to Tier 1.
· If all three of the following are verified, transfer to either Tier 3 (if Road Runner) or to OEM (if third party): the customer has a 192.x.x.x IP address, the connections to the router are good, and the LAN side of the router is functioning properly.
· If WEP is not configured on PC or incorrectly configured, the customer will still have an indication (usually on the task bar) of the signal strength of the radio signal. This indicates that the network card is working correctly.
· When troubleshooting any wireless connection, it is always a good idea to ask the customer if they can plug into the router via a Cat 5 Ethernet connection instead of the wireless to further help you determine if the router is functioning properly; However, for Road Runner wireless networks, this step would be preformed by Tier 3 in the local division.

Troubleshooting Wireless Home Networks: Router Chart

Problem
IP Address
Cable Modem Status
Most likely Cause
Fix
No connection – Can’t browse or send/receive e-mail
169.x.x.x
Offline – UDI or no modem lights
Modem Issue
· Power cycle modem
· Check pipelock, standby or on/off switch on modem
No connection – Can’t browse or send/receive e-mail
169.x.x.x
Online – UDI or modem lights status
· PC out of range of router
· WEP not configured or configured incorrectly
· Possible NIC issues
· Move PC closer, release/renew
· Refer to router manufacturer for configuration help*
· Troubleshoot NIC
No connection – Can’t browse or send/receive e-mail
192.x.x.x
Online – UDI or modem lights status
· Disconnected cat-5 between router and modem (no pc light on modem)
· Router has lost IP address
· Re-seat cat-5 cable
· Power cycle modem
· Power cycle router
· Reboot pc
Can’t browse but can send/receive e-mail
192.x.x.x
Online – UDI or modem lights status
· Browser issue
· Possible firewall issue
· Troubleshoot browser
· Disable firewall
Can browse but can’t send/receive e-mail
192.x.x.x
Online – UDI or modem lights status
· E-mail Issue
· E-mail virus scan issue
· Troubleshoot E-mail
· Disable e-mail virus scan

Multiple IP Wired Home Network
Some Road Runner customers pay for multiple IP addresses, which is an additional cost. The IP addresses are dynamic, so no special TCP/IP configuration is required. Since the cost of home routers has dropped dramatically in the last few years, fewer customers have this type of home network. Before troubleshooting a multiple IP home network, you must ask the customer if they are paying for more than one IP address and verify by checking in UDI under the MD5 file field. This type of home network will not work without multiple IP addresses.


How Multiple IP Wired HUB Home Networks
A CAT-5 cable is connected from a HUB to the cable modem. Each PC is connected to the HUB using a CAT-5 cable (Ethernet).

The HUB allows multiple connections to the cable modem and that is all. The HUB is like a connector. Packets from the different computers can “collide” with each other which results in those packets having to be resent. If there are a lot of collisions, the network will run slow.


Troubleshooting Wired HUB Home Networks – Multiple IP

Follow the troubleshooting procedures listed here before transferring the customer to the division.

NOTES:
· Be sure to ask how many computers can not connect.
· Check the MD5 file in UDI to determine how many IPs the customer is provisioned with.
♦ If the customer is telling you that they ordered multiple IP address however you do not see this reflected in the UDI MD5 file transfer to the divisions Tier 1 department.
· If connecting the PC directly to the modem be sure the customer is connecting the correct CAT-5 and reboots the whole system (PC and Cable Modem).
♦ If the customer is able to surf once the cable modem and computer are connected directly together then refer the customer to the HUB OEM.
· Road Runner does not supply any HUB equipment to customers. We only supply routers, so these are always customer-owned.


Problem
IP Address
Cable Modem Status
Most likely Cause
Fix
No connection – Can’t browse or send/receive e-mail
169.x.x.x
Offline – UDI or no modem lights
· Modem Issue
· Power cycle modem
· Check pipelock, standby or on/off switch on modem
No connection – Can’t browse or send/receive e-mail
169.x.x.x
Online – UDI or modem lights status
· CAT-5 disconnected
· No power to the HUB
· Possible NIC issues
· Re-seat CAT-5 cables, release/renew
· Check HUB power supply, release/renew
· Troubleshoot NIC


Wired HUB Home Network Using ICS
Some customers may setup a home network using Windows Internet Connection Sharing (ICS). ICS is more complicated than other types of home networks. Few Road Runner customers will have this type of network, but it is helpful to understand how ICS works.

IMPORTANT NOTE: NHD agents will NOT support this setup. We only support the direct connection between the cable modem and the customer’s gateway PC. After that, additional hardware/software issues and equipment issues would be referred to the appropriate OEM.


How Wired Home Networks using ICS work
· One computer will have 2 network cards installed. This computer acts as a gateway for the other computers on the home network.
♦ One NIC connects to the cable modem using CAT-5.
♦ The second NIC connects to a HUB with CAT-5.
♦ Other computers on the network connect to the HUB with CAT-5.
· The gateway computer must have ICS enabled and the other computers on the network must be configured for ICS. The gateway computer assigns dynamic IPs to the other computers on the network. Again, the customer would have ordered the multiple IP address service from Road Runner, and it is shown in UDI under the MD5 file field.

Wired HUB Home Network Using ICS – Continued


Troubleshooting Wired HUB Home Networks – ICS

NOTES:
· Rebooting the gateway PC will cause all other computers on the network to lose their IP address.
· Once the gateway computer has rebooted, release/renew on all other computers to restore connection.

Problem
IP Address
Cable Modem Status
Most likely Cause
Fix
No connection – Can’t browse or send/receive e-mail
169.x.x.x
Offline – UDI or no modem lights
· Modem Issue
· Power cycle modem
· Check pipelock, standby or on/off switch on modem
No connection – Can’t browse or send/receive e-mail
169.x.x.x
Online – UDI or modem lights status
· Disconnected cat-5 between Pc and HUB or HUB and Gateway PC
· Possible NIC issues
· Re-seat cat-5 cable
· Release/renew or reboot pc
· Troubleshoot NIC
No connection – Can’t browse or send/receive e-mail
192.x.x.x
Online – UDI or modem lights status
· Disconnected cat-5 between gateway PC and modem
· Re-seat cat-5 cable
Can’t browse but can send/receive e-mail
192.x.x.x
Online – UDI or modem lights status
· Browser issue
· Possible firewall issue
· Troubleshoot browser
· Disable firewall
Can browse but can’t send/receive e-mail
192.x.x.x
Online – UDI or modem lights status
· E-mail Issue
· E-mail virus scan issue
· Troubleshoot E-mail
· Disable e-mail virus scan


NHD Support Boundaries

The following troubleshooting steps are supported by NHD agents. For further policy details regarding home networking support, refer to the most recent Road Runner Policy information.
· Checking CAT-5 connections
· Checking PC to router connection
· Checking router to cable modem connection
· Rebooting wired/wireless routers
· Connecting the PC directly to the cable modem
♦ This is done on third-party routers, as a last step before transferring to router OEM.
♦ This is done for home networks setups using a HUB/ICS as a last step before transferring to OEM.


Troubleshooting Tips – Surf/Router Connection Issues
Use the following troubleshooting tips for connection issues with home networks:
· Check IP Address – 192.168.x.x usually indicates a home network.
· Check TCP/IP configurations – Look for static IP address and change to automatically assign.
· Check for loose CAT-5 cables – one of the most common problems!
· If you release/renew or repair (XP) the connection and the PC gets the same 192.168.x.x IP address, the connection to the router is fine.
♦ Troubleshoot from the router to the cable modem. Check CAT-5 and/or reboot router.
· Check the MAC address of the CPE device showing in UDI.
· Remember the proper reboot sequence – Modem > Router > PC (see following illustration)
· As a last resort, connect the PC directly to the cable modem (Only if third – party router or HUB setup)
♦ Always power cycle the cable modem and computer after connecting together. Wait until the cable modem obtains SYNC before powering on the computer.

Proper Reboot Sequence For Any Reboot


More Home Networking Probing Questions
Asking probing questions helps to narrow the call scope and identify problems quickly. Keep it simple. Ask the same questions each time.

· “Do you use more than one computer to connect to the Internet?” – This question or a variation will help to find out if the customer has a home network. RR allows customers to have their own home networks.

· “When did this problem begin?” - Has it ever worked? If so, what changed? A customer’s network may have been working fine for months, then they update their virus or security suite and suddenly they can’t connect.

· “Can any of the computers on the network connect?” Is the problem with just one computer or all computers? Answering this question will help focus your troubleshooting efforts. If all computers are affected, the problem is probably between the router and the modem. If one computer is affected, the problem is most likely between the router and the PC.


Troubleshooting Tips: Home Network - Slow Browsing
Slow browsing can be caused by many different things on a home network. The following are a few of the most common problems.

· Peer-to-Peer Programs – Peer to peer file sharing programs such as Kazza can cause the network to slow to a crawl. If one computer on the network is running peer to peer sharing, it will affect all other computers on the network. On a home network, the bandwidth is shared by all computers on the network. A computer downloading large or many files will slow down the other computers on the network. This will affect a wired or wireless network.

· Router Configuration – If the customer doesn’t configure the router correctly, performance may be degraded.

· Wireless PCs – The farther a wireless PC gets from the router, the slower the connection can become. A weak radio signal will cause packet loss and slow connections. Radio interference from cordless phones or other radio transmitting devices can cause slow connections or other connection issues. Moving the portable PC closer to the router may correct this problem.

WEP Keys
Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) is a security protocol that is designed to provide a wireless local area network (WLAN) with a level of security and privacy comparable to what is usually expected of a wired LAN. A wired local area network (LAN) is generally protected by physical security mechanisms (controlled access to a building, for example) that are effective for a controlled physical environment, but may be ineffective for WLANs because radio waves are not necessarily bound by the walls containing the network.

WEP seeks to establish similar protection to what is offered by the wired network's physical security measures by encrypting data transmitted over the WLAN. Data encryption protects the vulnerable wireless link between clients and access points.

Once this measure has been taken, other typical LAN security mechanisms such as password protection, end-to-end encryption, virtual private networks (VPNs) and authentication can be put in place to ensure privacy.


SSID (Service Set Identifier)
The Service Set Identifier (SSID) is an identification value that is programmed into a router to identify the local wireless subnet. This segmentation of the wireless network into multiple networks is a form of an authentication check. If a wireless station does not know the value of the SSID, access is denied to the associated router. When a computer is connected to the router, the SSID acts as a simple password, providing a measure of security.


How to Assist Customers with WEP Key Issues
Determine whether the WEP and SSID information exists in the Networking Information section of the Division Matrix within The Vault. If there is no information (the fields are left blank), transfer to Tier 3. If the information DOES show , continue with the following steps.


NOTE: Each division has its own WEP and SSID keys.
· Have the customer find the router MAC number on the router itself.
· Determine the WEP key and the SSID number using the directions found in the Division Matrix for the specific division.


Portland Example: MAC address is 00116c364578
The WEP key is 00116c36457800000000000000 (add 14 zeros)
The SSID number is 4578

How to Assist Customer with WEP Key Issues – Continued

Follow the following steps listed below to activate a wireless NIC on a customer’s computer:

1. Open the Control Panel and double click on Network Connections (in Vista, go to the Control Panel, then the Network and Internet icon, and select “Manage Network Connections”). A wireless connection should be present. Right click on the wireless connection and select “View Available Wireless Networks”.


Note: If the wireless network connection is not present in Network Connections, transfer the customer to Tier 3.

2. Click on the name of the connection (it should be the SSID key), and input the WEP key into the popup window.

Note: If the customer has other home network issues, transfer the customer to Tier 3.

What is FON?
FON is the largest WIFI community available in the world. FON members share their wireless Internet access at home and, in return, receive free WIFI anywhere that they are able to find another FON member’s access.

FON members are referred to as Fonero and fall into one of three classifications:
· Linus Fonero: These are members that share their WIFI at home and, in return, receive free WIFI access wherever a FON access point is available. Linus Fonero are able to personalize the login page that other Fonero see when they log into the owner of the FON access point.
♦ NOTE: Outbound roaming by joint TWC-FON customers is only permitted where FON has the permission of the other ISP.
· Alien Fonero: These are those who do not share their WIFI through FON. These individuals are able to use FON access points. However, FON charges them $3 for a day pass to access the FON community.
· Bill Fonero: These are businesses that receive 50% of the money that Alien Fonero pay to access the FON community through their access point. Businesses that participate as Bill Fonero are able to advertise their business on a personalized FON Access Point Homepage.

To become a Linus or a Bill Fonero, a user purchases a La Fonera, which is a type of WIFI router that plugs into the broadband Internet connection. FON refers to La Fonera as a “social” router because, when activated, the user becomes part of the FON community.

La Fonera supports the 802.11b and 802.11g standards and is advertised as a safe connection because it protects the Fonero’s connection with two secured WIFI signals:
· One encrypted WIFI signal that is only for the Fonero’s private use
· A second that requires authentication and is for all other registered Fonero

FON is a community of registered users. All Fonero are required to enter their username and password to access the FON community. FON recommends that all users keep their La Fonera online in order to receive regular security updates.

More information can be found at www.fon.com if you would like to learn more about FON.


What’s fon got to do with TWC’s High-Speed Online Service?
FON is attractive to high-speed Internet users who don’t want to pay for an Internet connection when they are away from home. For the small investment of purchasing La Fonera, FON members gain free access to the Internet practically around the world.

TWC recognizes this attraction and has agreed to allow our high-speed online customers to connect to the FON wireless routers under the following conditions:
· FON pays TWC for inbound (Non-TWC customer) roaming.
· Outbound roaming by joint TWC-FON customers is only permitted where FON has the permission of the other ISP.

How does the TWC-FON Relationship impact the NHD?
The TWC-FON relationship means that any TWC Residential or Business Class high-speed online customer can purchase a La Fonera and become a member of the FON community.

In addition:
· FON is responsible for support, including installation, of their service and router.
♦ Because the La Fonera router is customer-premise equipment, NHD Tier 2 agents will follow current connectivity troubleshooting procedures and will refer the customer to FON for OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) support when it is determined that the TWC HSO service is working normally when the router is disconnected.
· OEM can be sent an email by going to this site: http://www.fon.com/en/support/contact
· FON and TWC will coordinate on security/abuse issues.
· FON will be exempt from TWC’s Acceptable Usage Policy that forbids the resale of services.
· TWC expects minimal or no incremental bandwidth from FON traffic.