(OT but frustrating) can't start cable connection on boot

[Cheryl Homiak]

Sorry, but I've asked this on a couple of general linux lists and gotten
no help. the people on this list always seem to come up with something,
which is I think why the topics range so far.
This problem started about a month ago without warning; as far as I know i
had not just reconfigured a kernel or done anything else major on my
system. i cannot get my eth0 connection to charter.net going on boot. My
machine hangs right after it says that dhcpcd.exe is reconfiguring with my
old ip and gives the address or, on rare occasions, with a new address.
Then it hangs for hours or until I turn the computer off; can't reboot;
can't do anything, and since the person who built this put no reset button
on it, I have no choice but to turn it off!!!
I am using dhcpcd; however, I changed to pump and the same thing happened.
However, once I am logged in as root, I can run
ifup eth0
or even
dhcpcd or if it's installed instead:
pump -i
and my connection starts just fine.
One kind of strange thing I have notice:
my /etc/resolv.conf, in addition to nameserver lines, has:
search mad.wi.charter.com
and this returns every time I reboot, even if I erase that line from
/etc/resolv.conf.
on the other hand, my /etc/dhcpc/resolv.conf has no such search line, and
if I put it in manually, that line goes away from /etc/dhcpc/resolv.conf
the next time I reboot.
I do have my /etc/dhcpc/config uncommented appropriately so the DNS
servers and domain can be set.
any help would be GREATLY appreciated; I am growing so weary of having to
start my internet after login and/or holding my breath after having to
turn the computer off when testing to see if I can do it on boot. then i
take out the ethernet cable and reboot and hope nothing has been
dammaged--not a way to live in linux!!!
TIA!!!!!


-- 
Cheryl
"Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."