Wireless Router Help

[darkshadow0001]

Hey guys, I just bought a Linksys Wireless Router E2000 model last night at Target and I'm having a difficult time getting it setup. I'm still using my old wired Linksys router, and it works like a charm. I called Comcast to try and help me out, they actually were great with the help but were unsuccessful at helping me getting it to work. However, I found out after an hour talking to Comcast that it wasn't on their side that was causing the problem, it was Linksys or something to do with my network setup. The way my network setup is, it works fine with my old Linksys wired router. Twice Linksys told me that I had to have the Internet running in order for the router to work, and the second time I told the lady that Comcast was able to get the old router to work without Internet connection. It was a matter of getting the network setup right. But Linksys still told me that I had to have Internet connection for the router to work, and she wouldn't listen to me, and wouldn't even get a manager for me to help discuss the problem, so I gave up on them. It was funny, as soon as I unplugged the new router and plugged in the old router back, what do you know? The Internet was working with out a problem, so I knew the Linksys lady didn't really understand the problem. So I am *HOPING* someone here is technical enough to help me solve this issue I have 90 days to return it, so I'm hoping I can get it working before then.

I'm running a Compaq Presario PC (model S6000Z, with 800megs of RAM), Windows XP, 400GIG hard drive space, and have two network connections that are connected. However, the connection that connects to the wired router runs fine, but when I install the wireless, I get a limited-to-no connectivity issue which is what I don't understand why it is occuring. Any help on this would be greatly appreciated (And yes, I plan on getting additional Google search help )

Thanks!

 

[sojourner]

Um, more detail on what is actually happening might help? Is the wireless router getting an IP? is your wireless router serving as dhcp server? are you getting an IP from your Wrouter to your PC? wild guess here, but try disconnecting the old router, connecting the new one, then in windows do an "ipconfig /release" and then an "ipconfig /renew" at the command prompt.

most of the home use Linksys stuff can be accessed by going to 192.168.1.1 in your browser. This should pull up the settings page for the router.

 

[RobertVA]

Have you utilized the router manufacturer's video tutorials?
http://homesupport.cisco.com/en-us/wireless/linksys/E2000

Did you use the setup utility on the CD?

Have you printed out the settings, for both cable modem to router and router to computer (wired and wireless)? Make sure you compare things like manual vs automatic IP address and DNS address assignments.

Just for clarification:

I'm uncertain about the meaning of your last paragraph. Are you trying to connect through two routers at the same time? Are you able to use the new router through a wired connection, but not through the Wireless Access Point?

 

[Alpha_Geek]

The following assumes you mean a wireless router that provides wi-fi and wired ethernet from a wired ethernet provider, and not a broadband wireless device that used cell phone tech to get the broadband side of the connection.

If all you're wanting to do wirelessly is surf without accessing existing local wired resources, then plug the WAN side of the wireless router into one of the LAN ports of the wired router. The wireless router should pick up a WAN side IP address from the wired router. The only watchout here is that the wired router and the wireless router cannot have the same network address plan, meaning they can't both be 192.168.1.x. If they both default to this, change the wireless dhcp server to 192.168.2.x or something and leave the wired address plan alone.

If you want to access local resources, then in addition to the above, plug the wired stuff into ports on the wireless.

...or, take the wireless router back and get a wireless access point instead.


IF you did indeed mean one of the broadband routers like verizon sells these days, then you can't access them both at the same time with wi-fi. It doesn't work that way.

Linksys and their Bhopal help center are useless.

 

[sojourner]

^I don't think he meant either options you are referring to.

He is trying to replace his old switch with a Linksys wireless router.

 

[darkshadow0001]

Um, more detail on what is actually happening might help? Is the wireless router getting an IP? is your wireless router serving as dhcp server? are you getting an IP from your Wrouter to your PC? wild guess here, but try disconnecting the old router, connecting the new one, then in windows do an "ipconfig /release" and then an "ipconfig /renew" at the command prompt.

most of the home use Linksys stuff can be accessed by going to 192.168.1.1 in your browser. This should pull up the settings page for the router.

Well basically all it is is the wireless router is not getting an IP address. I'm not sure what an dhcp server is (I just saw the DHCP setup on my wired router, it says it is assigned by this.. I've done the latter part of your suggestion, Comcast helped me out with all that. If all it is, is obtaining an IP, would it use the same as the old wired router?

Pretty much like you said in another reply I am trying to replace my wired router with a wireless. When I have my wired router plugged in, I have all the necessary things I need (IP address, subnet mask, etc.) But when I attempt to install the new one, everything disappears and when it does connect I get "limited or no connectivity" message. And yes, I have tried using the setup CD but I could never get a connection with this.

I've tried explaining all this to the Linksys rep but all they kept saying was in order for the router to work I must be connected to the Internet, and that I had to call Comcast. They told me this the first time I called, so I call Comcast and they helped me for an hour, came close to get it working, but they suggested calling Linksys back. But all Linksys did was say the same thing the first time I talked to them, but I told them that it wasn't an Internet issue because my old router was working fine but they wouldn't help me any further then that. That didn't make any sense, because when I had problems with my old router, Linksys knew how to handle the problem and were always able to help. It's frustraiting...

I'd hate to return this router, could my problems have anything due to the fact my computer is 5-6 years old?

 

[sojourner]

ok, the router is not getting an IP address, or your PC is not getting an IP address? Two different problems, which is yours?

 

[darkshadow0001]

ok, the router is not getting an IP address, or your PC is not getting an IP address? Two different problems, which is yours?

I believe it's the router, not my PC. Because my wired router gets an IP address when it has connectivity.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

Another suggestion -- try setting the MAC address of the new router's WAN interface to the MAC address of the original router's WAN interface (this should be available via the web administration interface of the router). Some ISPs bind the IP address of the router to a registered MAC address, so if the MAC address changes, you won't be able to negotiate a connection with the ISP unless you reregister the router's interface with the ISP (using a one-time key that they provide) or you clone (fake) the correct MAC address.

 

[The Laughing Vulcan]

Dumb question...

When you are setting up your wireless router, is it connected to your PC via ethernet cable? I remember setting up my router was a matter of first connecting it to my PC via ethernet, installing software, and then setting up everything, before unplugging the cable and connecting wirelessly.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

Dumb question...

When you are setting up your wireless router, is it connected to your PC via ethernet cable? I remember setting up my router was a matter of first connecting it to my PC via ethernet, installing software, and then setting up everything, before unplugging the cable and connecting wirelessly.

Yeah, I was wondering that. That procedure will usually take the MAC address of the PC's ethernet network interface and apply it to the WAN interface of the router. As long as the OP hasn't changed their PC or its network card since they installed their first router, that should do the trick.

 

[RobertVA]

Sometimes the ISP service personnel aren't successful either.

My ISP's support site provides configuration settings for a Cat5 connection directly between a cable modem (no router or WAP capabilities) and the subscriber's computer. I couldn't get a relative's new Vista computer to establish a connection through the same modem she had been using for a Windows 2000 system. The online support operator could detect the computer's Ethernet port through the modem, but couldn't offer any effective advice to make the computer recognize the connection. A technician sent by the ISP to her house couldn't get the computer to recognize the connection either, even after replacing the modem.

The ISP doesn't offer any advice on connecting a router between the modem and the computer(s).

I subsequently connected a wireless router via cat 5 cables between the relative's modem and computer. Router settings on the WAN side the same as the ISP recommended for the computer connected directly to the modem. The computer immediately recognized the connection! The wasn't any need to communicate either the MAC address of the router or computer to the ISP. Didn't have to configure the router to emulate another device's MAC address.

I haven't had to inform the ISP about changing routers or temporarily adding a second computer at my house either. I temporarily tried connecting directly to the modem at my house via Cat5 cable, and it didn't work here either. For some reason the modem's alternate USB connect works. I still don't understand why the ISP's recommended settings work for the routers, but not for the computers, but I still think the ISP's customer service technicians should understand networking better than what I've gleaned from a few online tutorials.

 

[darkshadow0001]

Dumb question...

When you are setting up your wireless router, is it connected to your PC via ethernet cable? I remember setting up my router was a matter of first connecting it to my PC via ethernet, installing software, and then setting up everything, before unplugging the cable and connecting wirelessly.

Yes, I believe so. My modem's wire is connected to the router, then I have the router plugged into my PC. This is how the setup is for the wired router (which is currently what I am using right now). Then when I connect my wireless router, I connect it the same way. My desktops aren't wireless, they are connected the same way as my wired.

Should it not be set up this way for the wireless?

 

[farmkid]

Another suggestion -- try setting the MAC address of the new router's WAN interface to the MAC address of the original router's WAN interface (this should be available via the web administration interface of the router). Some ISPs bind the IP address of the router to a registered MAC address, so if the MAC address changes, you won't be able to negotiate a connection with the ISP unless you reregister the router's interface with the ISP (using a one-time key that they provide) or you clone (fake) the correct MAC address.

I was thinking the same thing. If I change my router, I have to call my ISP and tell them so they can take the MAC address for the old router off their list and add the new one.

Another thing to check: is there any account login information? Some ISPs require customers to login using a login name and password. If you're using a router then you need to enter that information somewhere in the router setup pages. In my Linksys router, the first page that comes up when I login to the router has a drop down box to choose DHCP, static IP, PPPoE, etc. Each of those options has different login options. Make sure that all of those settings are the same in both routers. The MAC cloning is in one of the subtabs there as well. Just to be sure, change it to the MAC address of your old router.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

^ Yes, I'm afraid all that additional configuration might be necessary, depending on the ISP. That's why it's important to keep hold of the information that the ISP provided when you first set up a connection, and to make a note of the configuration settings of your router if you change them away from the factory defaults (including if you use a configuration program provided by the manufacturer).

 

[darkshadow0001]

Yippie!! I just got my wireless router to work As I am typing this, I'm connected with the wireless. What I did was, I switched the ethernet wire I had to my PC to my modem, then the modem ethernet wire to my PC. The wireless router stayed connected. Then, I installed the setup CD, and bingo, I got wireless! Someone's suggestion from this thread about cords got me thinking, and it worked. I knew it wasn't linksys's explaination of having to call Comcast. I knew the Internet was working, it was a matter of having a set connection. But I appreciate all the help Funny how forums can help people more the customer service... lol.

 

[sojourner]

Sounds like a flakey cat 5 cable then. Time to replace it.

 

[darkshadow0001]

Sounds like a flakey cat 5 cable then. Time to replace it.

Yeah, I don't know what it was, but I was glad it worked. Except the wireless part doesn't seem to work well with the computer we have upstairs, unless it's because we don't have it connected right or it's because it's an old computer, or for the fact the basement is blocking some signals. Other then that, the router seems to be working fine for me now.