Problem with Last Mile broadband and wireless router

Finbarr O'Toole

This problem will take quite a bit of explaining but please bear with me...

Got wireless broadband (FWA) installed at home by Last Mile Broadband (their AirMax Home option) and I'm happy enough with its speed and reliability so far. The problem is when I try to set it up with my wireless/wi-fi router in the house. (I'm using a Linksys WRT54G wi-fi router.)

Just connecting with 1 PC, Last Mile's service requires you to set up a PPPoE connection on your computer, using a username and password provided by them.

I thought connecting via several laptops through a wireless router would simply require you to enter the PPPoE settings in the wireless router setup panel. I've done that and can connect fine to the net through the wireless router with ONE computer. The problem arises when a SECOND computer attempts to connect thought the wireless router. It can pick up the signal and connect to the wi-fi network OK but is unable to open any webpages. It seems that the wireless router or Last Mile's equipment or settings will only let one computer connect at a time. Any idea how to change this?

Some things to note: while I have entered Last Mile's PPPoE settings into my wireless router, the laptop connecting through the wi-fi network must still dial-up its own PPPoE connection (as if it was connecting straight to Last Mile's booster box and not through my wireless router). Shouldn't my wireless router be doing the PPPoE connection bit on behalf of my laptop and it should be able to connect to the Wireless router without having to dial any PPPoE connection? I suspect I have to alter my wireless router's settings further so it would do all the PPPoE connection work and as many PCs/laptops as you want can connect to it as normal.

Assistance with this would be much appreciated. Surely somebody has successfully setup a wi-fi network in their house off Last Mile's broadband service...

nilhg

I had a wireless setup with Lastmile before I got DSL, it was the older Alvarion equipment but the principle should be the same.

Only the router should be authenticating via PPPOE, all other devices should just need to connect to the router.

To diagnose the problem you will need to supply a bit more info:

Which computer can connect through the router, the new one or the one which worked when connected directly?

A screen grab of the router setup page would be a help, black out any personal details.

Copy the output from ipconfig /all on both computers and post it up here.

PogMoThoin

There's nothing to it, I've done it loads of times with Lastmile broadband. Set the linksys router to pppoe, insert your pppoe username & password, set connection to keep alive, leave the hostname & domain name blank.

In the static Dns settings I'd put the following (opendns much faster than their own)
208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220

Finbarr O'Toole

Thank you both for your help with this.

nilhg - both computers are able to connect to the wi-fi network at the same time but ONLY ONE will be able to access webpages - the other will timeout. Both can connect to the wi-fi and both can dial up successfully to the PPPoE server. However, only the first one to connect to the PPPoE server will be able to open webpages. It doesn't matter which laptop it is, as long as it connected to the server first. Screen grabs and ipconfig below.

PogMoThoin - I used those settings including the static dns settings but no change. Also, as you can see from one of the screen grabs, the router itself is not actually connecting to the PPPoE server properly. That is why the laptop itself has to dial in.

PS: Under the Advanced Routing tab, operating mode is set to 'Gateway'.

Setup page:


Status page:


ipconfig for laptop 1:

Windows IP Configuration


Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.102
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected

PPP adapter Last Mile Broadband:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 89.184.45.146
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 89.184.45.146


ipconfig for laptop 2:

Windows IP Configuration


Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.100
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

PPP adapter Last Mile Broadband:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 89.184.45.146
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 89.184.45.146

PogMoThoin

Did You delete the pppoe connection on the laptops before You try the one on the Linksys? You need to delete them, (You've it called Last Mile Broadband) then click connect on the status page. Only one pppoe will connect. If the laptop connects (through the Linksys in this case), the Linksys won't.

Nonoperational

Im not very familiar with PPoE but could you possibly set the router to just automatically acquire the details and let the modem do the PPoE bit. Apologies if thats a silly suggestion.!

MunsterCycling

Connect the Lastmile gear to the WAN port on the router, if you have used a LAN port to connect you will get the symptoms you speak of, only one able to connect and having to do its own PPoE login, this is due to you bypassing the routing function of the router and connecting the computer via (what is now) a wireless bridge