Troubleshooting USB connections

I have spoken with several IT folks & no one seems to know what my USB problem is. Here goes: There is some kind of cycle my computer goes through when on that hides & unhides an icon on the task bar while at the same time, removes & adds back on myRCA USB Cable modem into the device manager listing. The screen flashes, the icon moves in & out of hiding & makes a noise as it "removes" the modem & then another noise as it puts it back on. I cannot access the internet or email functions. My modem lights follow this same cycle series and after a few cycles, my mouse freezes. The icon is a gray rectangular box on a diagonal and a thick green arrow on the same diagonal pointing down. If you move your cursor over the icon, it reads "SafelyRemove Hardware". Double clicking the icon takes me to a dialog box showing me the icon & RCA USB Cable properties. Please help.