Author Topic: My First Router, Conflicting Setup Instructions (Read 10624 times)

Jon_J · « **on:** April 23, 2007, 08:12:59 pm »

I finally got a router so I could use my wifi card that I paid dearly for which was just sitting in a drawer.
I got a new Linksys WRT54G router with ver 8.0 firmware. I wanted something that thousands of people already have and is mostly compatible.
I'll get to how I got this working, but I have to review some steps a newbie like me has to go through to get some stuff working.
I left out some details, this is just the "short" version/review.
When I unpacked it, there were notice labels pasted to the back of the router (over the jacks), and the CD-ROM
"Run CD first before connecting cables"
I ran the setup program and got to the part where it tested my internet connection, it failed.
Said to turn off dsl modem and try again, this didn't work.
Then turn off computer and unplug modem and router, then plug it all back in and start computer.
Nothing, still same error.
Then I read the PDF file on the CD and decided to try the browser based setup.
After trying this several times, I decided to try some other settings.
I first tried DHCP in both CD and browser setups. didn't work.
Then I read in the PDF that PPPoE is mostly for DSL and DHCP is mostly for Cable.
I tried PPPoE and input as many of my numbers and settings as I thought I needed, still not working.
I'm into hour 2, I decide to call tech support for my dsl provider.
I get a heavily accented gal from India, who I could barely understand, I asked what my provider was using, whether it is DHCP or PPPoE
She finally said DHCP.
I tried again and again, using numbers from ipconfig /all in a windows console.
Still nothing.
Then I read that some providers need a domain name and host name, still didn't work.
Almost into hour 3, and I found a section in the PDF to troubleshoot connections.
I found a section that said, some ISPs need to have the MAC address (or physical address) cloned to the router from the actual ethernet adapter.
Why 2 names for same thing?? physical/MAC address
I got my MAC address from ipconfig /all and wrote it down.
Then using the browser settings, I selected MAC address, then selected to "Clone MAC address".
Saved this setting and looked on the status page. The numbers matched.
Now I used IP release and IP renew in the browser, and near the end of hour 4, I finally had an internet connection through my router!!
I'm wondering why the automatic setup on the CD-ROM didn't detect that I needed to "Clone" my MAC address to get online with this router. If it detected this from the start, I would have saved at least 3½ hours fiddling with these settings.
I had been using ip release and ip renew in several steps above. I also found that the ip doesn't always release properly, and the book that came with my modem says the release may take up to 4 hours before you can use renew again. Whew, I'm glad I finally got this working, I documented my final "fix" for later.

Sorry about the long ramble, but I've never had a lot of luck with networking and the millions of settings and numbers etc...

In a couple days, I'll have my wifi card working with both of my Z's (I hope)...
Jon

Jon_J · « **Reply #1 on:** April 24, 2007, 11:46:45 am »

I got Wifi working on both my Z's with my ambicom card. (Ambicom WL1100C-CF Wifi)
This took a lot less time because I had already read and studied the many posts here about Wifi.
I also got WPA working for each Zaurus.
1. For my Cacko Zaurus, I found good information here to get WPA working.
http://www.tyrannozaurus.com/?q=cacko
2. For my pdaxii13 Zaurus, I used the Wifi Radar package and it let me configure my "key" for WPA
EDIT:
WOW! I didn't realize that I could log onto my internet account with my Zaurus while the PC, that my router and dsl modem are hooked up to, is switched off.
I found this out from a helpful gal at the Linksys router and AP forums.
I was going to try to either move my dsl modem or get a second one for summer usage, since I cannot use my desktop PC due to heat.
Most people here on these forums seem to leave their PCs running all the time and I haven't heard of anyone using wifi to connect to a router that has it's attached desktop PC switched off.

freizugheit · « **Reply #2 on:** April 24, 2007, 09:25:00 pm »

Quote

Most people here on these forums seem to leave their PCs running all the time and I haven't heard of anyone using wifi to connect to a router that has it's attached desktop PC switched off.

It takes some times to learn how to configure a router. I have the same joy with you when I had hands-on with my Linksys WAG54G wireless router modem last year.

In fact, once the router is configured, it does not need any PC to be on. You can configure to keep the modem alive at all times.

You may want to think of buying a wireless router modem next time.

Jon_J · « **Reply #3 on:** April 24, 2007, 09:30:09 pm »

The modem came with my dsl package, it belongs to the phone company.
I'm under the impression that this modem is the only one I can use with my account.

freizugheit · « **Reply #4 on:** April 24, 2007, 09:56:03 pm »

I am not staying in States.

For my case, I paid for the monthly ADSL line connection, put the cheap D-Link ADSL modem given by the local ISP aside. Buy myself a Linksys WAG54G wireless router modem and set up my own home networking.

You may want to check with your local ISP whether you can install your own router modem.

Jon_J · « **Reply #5 on:** April 24, 2007, 10:13:27 pm »

I have just one question, why should I buy additional equipment when my phone company's modem and my linksys wireless router are working fine together?

freizugheit · « **Reply #6 on:** April 24, 2007, 10:49:13 pm »

Quote

I was going to try to either move my dsl modem or get a second one for summer usage, since I cannot use my desktop PC due to heat.

That answers yourself.

Jon_J · « **Reply #7 on:** April 25, 2007, 01:11:51 am »

I said I was going to move it or get a second one. I don't need to do this now because wifi works without my PC turned on and there is no need for the modem in the other location.

desertrat · « **Reply #8 on:** April 25, 2007, 01:36:55 am »

Quote

I have just one question, why should I buy additional equipment when my phone company's modem and my linksys wireless router are working fine together?

Using your own router you can flash it with one of the various distros out there, eg:
http://openwrt.org/

Jon_J · « **Reply #9 on:** April 25, 2007, 01:43:54 am »

I already have my own router, the modem is the only property of the phone company.
My router is a linksys WRT54G, but I just got it working yesterday and am not going to flash it because it works as it is.
BTW, it is version 8, and is also listed on the unsupported page.
I was going to buy one of the linux based linksys routers, but none of the stores around here carry them. I looked at this a year ago.

Da_Blitz · « **Reply #10 on:** April 25, 2007, 08:40:30 am »

unless you know linux networking i would not flash the openwrt firmware, unless you are looking for a bit of fun

that said they are working on a web interface, once that is done i wolud recomend it

i have 2 devices with openwrt on it, a netgear witha usb port and a wrt54gs with 32MB of ram, i have never looked back. but then again all my updates are done over ssh on the cmdline (dhcp allocations and such) so not for everyone

Cresho · « **Reply #11 on:** April 25, 2007, 02:32:38 pm »

the way i do it is just plug the stuff in, unplug all devices power including the cable modem power, wait a minute, plug all devices power in and they all work.

then i use a browser to log into the router. the ip is usually 192.168.1.100 or 192.168.0.100 or 192.168.0.1 So the browser access the routers webpage and i can set up all the options there. Screw windows cd! its bloat wear.

freizugheit · « **Reply #12 on:** April 25, 2007, 09:06:36 pm »

Quote

then i use a browser to log into the router. the ip is usually 192.168.1.100 or 192.168.0.100 or 192.168.0.1 So the browser access the routers webpage and i can set up all the options there. Screw windows cd! its bloat wear.

Most of the time, the ip is 192.168.1.1

Da_Blitz · « **Reply #13 on:** April 26, 2007, 03:35:33 am »

unless you use netgear equipment then its 192.168.2.1, i used ot do some much config work that i had all the IPs as bookmark links in a file on the flash disk. worked well

any one want a quick primer on network basics and how to set these things up? i can cover the web interface and/or openwrt from the command line (easy once you have someone to talk you through it)

actually its always fun when someone plugs a second routor into the network with the same IP address, it dosent stuff the network up that badley as long as the router with the ip you want to change is between you and the other router, but it can cause problems if you dont do it quickly (pages dying for example, dns lookups not working. multiple dhcp servers on the same lan)

desertrat · « **Reply #14 on:** April 26, 2007, 07:40:52 am »

Quote

unless you know linux networking i would not flash the openwrt firmware, unless you are looking for a bit of fun

Yeah when I first got my wl500gx the first thing I did was to flash openwrt, after a few hours of fruitless "fun" I decided I needed something less fun and flashed to Oleg's improved version of Asus's firmware

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Author Topic: My First Router, Conflicting Setup Instructions (Read 10624 times)