I know this thread gets posted alot but I was not able to find my answer in the old posts.

I have a laptop with Linux Mint. My roommate has a laptop with Windows. We just moved into a new place and our service carrier is Comcast. For now, we are plugging the modem into our laptops because we don't have a router yet. My roommate's laptop is able to connect to the internet but my laptop with Linux Mint cannot.

In my previous home I had Comcast, I just transferred my services from my old to my new place. At my old place my laptop was able to connect to the internet with Linux Mint. It cant be the services because my roommates internet is working. Whats wrong with my laptop with Linux Mint and why can't I connect to the internet when I was able to at my previous home.

Sorry if this is too wordy.. I'm just trying to explain in detail. Please help!! Did something happen to my laptop while moving??

Did you use the same modem at the old place?
Is the modem recognized?
How do you connect?
error messages?

Is your laptop already on when you plug it into the modem? If so are you forcing dhcp to reload so that the modem can issue you a ip address? Try plugging in the modem with your laptop off then turn on the laptop and see if it is given a address.

Wow thanks!! I replaced my new modem with the old and plugged the modem into my laptop before turning it on and it worked!!! So easy! I'm not good with computers so I wouldn't even have thought about such a simple solution like that. Thanks so much for your quick and efficient response repo and mrrangerman!!!

Just an FYI. The typical basic home broadband cable service only provides one IP address based on the MAC of the device connected to the MODEM. The MAC is stored in volatile memory in the MODEM so when you switch laptops you will need to recycle power on the MODEM or the other laptop will not be allowed to connect. In order to connect multiple computers at the same time you will need a router.

Since your old MODEM still works you could connect them at the same time. Broadband access is also controlled by the MODEMs MAC so not sure if you can have two MODEMs registered to the same account.

yes that is true that is called Mac binding
and Comcast does ti in case u need to have your new modem work u need to spoof the MAc address just open the GUI of modem and change the MAC address

Yes and you could change the MAC for one of the computers to be the same as the other so swapping would not require a modem reboot too. I was trying to explain in simple terms what was really happening.