[PLUG] Laptop reboots -- Comcast or static or age?

[Mitch Maltenfort <mmalten@comcast.net>]

For the past week or so, I've had an annoying problem with my Linux
laptop.

The beast occasionally reboots.  Usually this happens right at log-in, but
now it's begun during operations in graphics mode.

I figure there's three suspects, and any advice in tracking down which --
and how to fix it! -- would be appreciated.

1) Comcast cable modem.  This is my first time using this system with
Comcast.  It was fine with DirectTV DSL back in DC.  Is it possible that
somehow the Comcast cable modem is triggering the problem?

2) Sheer age.  This system, with its configuration, is about three years
old.  Still, I had a good run with an older Tosh laptop and that still
seems healthy.

3) Static shocks.  Cold weather and carpeted apartment.  I grasp something
metal before sitting down to touch the computer, but still it gets jolted
occasionally.  I'm skeptical this is the case, because the problem is too
localized.  If I was screwing up my hard disk with shocks, I would expect
more random misbehavior.

So what could I configure, reconfigure, reinstall, etc. to square this
away?

Thanks in advance.

Mitch


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