This is the solution that worked for me. I had an internet connection that "floated" the IP which means that the IP address changes every time you turn on your machine. Some ISP's assign everyone a fixed address.
You can create a manual connection to your dsl or cable modem.
Go to Settings >
Network Connections >
New Connection Wizard >
Next >
Connect to Internet >
Set up Manually >
Connect to an ISP that requires user name and pwd >
Type in any description >
type in user name/pwd >
The icon should be created in Network Connections. Click on the icon and connect. When connected, go to:
www.whatismyip.com
This should tell you what your real IP address is and not that of your router.