Can anyone recommend a router ?

overthebridge

Hi can anyone recommend a good, cheap reliable router that will work with a Meteor 3G E173 Huawei Dongle.

I have seen a few on amazon & ebay but I can't seem to find any that give exact specs on which dongles will and won't work etc

I have looked through the last few pages of postings and can't seem to find any links.

Thanks in advance.

Red Harvest

The Edimax and TP-Link ones are cheap and work OK.

The Edimax seems to get regular updates for new dongles.

Just checked and the Edimax 3G-6200n supports the E173s (not sure what the s means?) from V2.24a, when looking for Edimax firmware goto the European English part of the site.

overthebridge

thanks for the advice. I just bought http://www.ebay.ie/itm/220880451342?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649#ht_4765wt_754
on e-bay
Fingers crossed it works.

-=al=-

Excellent reliable routers for the price, I must have reset mine twice this year and probably didn't even have too!

overthebridge

Right...I got the router yesterday and have been trying to set it up since.

I have followed the pdf file instructions and I can get so far but the internet won't connect via the router wirelessly or with the ethernet cable from the WAN port.
I can get some kind of a connection through the ethernet when it's connected via the LAN ports. This allows me to go to the default IP address of the router 192.168.1.1. Then I can go through the different set up options but when it comes to the WAN set up it asks me to connect the ethernet cable. But when I do so it loses connection.
I am relatively green when it come to this stuff so I hope I am explaining that correctly.

jor el

Wait, you're connecting the Ethernet cable from the PC to the router's WAN port? That's not right, as the WAN setup for the router will be your 3G modem.

The computer remains connected via the LAN ports at all times (or wireless), but never the WAN port. You might be following the instructions to set up the router with a cable modem, which would be connected to the Ethernet WAN port on the back

overthebridge

jor el wrote: »

Wait, you're connecting the Ethernet cable from the PC to the router's WAN port? That's not right, as the WAN setup for the router will be your 3G modem.

The computer remains connected via the LAN ports at all times (or wireless), but never the WAN port. You might be following the instructions to set up the router with a cable modem, which would be connected to the Ethernet WAN port on the back

I must have been following the wrong instructions ?

I can now get the same limited access to 192.168.1.1 wirelessly. But it won't connect to the internet proper.
It is recognising the 3g dongle intermittently and is showing a signal strength of 30-40% on average.

I have also tried accessing the WiFi from my HTC desire and it keeps asking for a correct password even though the password is right each time.

I must be doing something wrong in the set up ??

-=al=-

Does it connect with the PW off!?

and if it works with limited access and not connecting to the internet maybe the meteor profile for the dongle has some different settings on the router

Not too sure, but trouble shoot a bit, or even reset it and try it from scratch

overthebridge

-=al=- wrote: »

Does it connect with the PW off!?

What do you mean by this ?

I am still having no joy with it. I have sent a few mails to tp support and they don't seem to have a fix either.

Cheers for the help either way.

Red Harvest

OK so I think we need to start at the begining here.

Lets forget the wireless part and connect your computer to one of the LAN ports (there are 4 of them afaik) with an ethernet cable.

Forget the WAN port you won't be using it. The WAN port allows you to connect to a dsl modem with 3G as a backup but you don't have a dsl modem so ignore that bit.

Plug the dongle into the USB port.

Thats everything plugged in ready to go

Open a browser (IE, Crome, FF etc) and put 192.168.1.1 in as the URL address.

Then you can see the web interface to configure the router.

I'll look up all the rest of the info if you need it but all you should need to know to get your cabled connection working is that the 3G settings are Number to dial (aka dial string) is *99# and the APN is 3internet everything else is left blank. Save those settings reboot and you should be online. If not as I said we can do it step by step.

Don't worry about the Wireless part untill you have the cabled connection working so you can go online.

overthebridge

Red Harvest wrote: »

OK so I think we need to start at the begining here.

Lets forget the wireless part and connect your computer to one of the LAN ports (there are 4 of them afaik) with an ethernet cable.

Forget the WAN port you won't be using it. The WAN port allows you to connect to a dsl modem with 3G as a backup but you don't have a dsl modem so ignore that bit.

Plug the dongle into the USB port.

Thats everything plugged in ready to go

Open a browser (IE, Crome, FF etc) and put 192.168.1.1 in as the URL address.

Then you can see the web interface to configure the router.

I'll look up all the rest of the info if you need it but all you should need to know to get your cabled connection working is that the 3G settings are Number to dial (aka dial string) is *99# and the APN is 3internet everything else is left blank. Save those settings reboot and you should be online. If not as I said we can do it step by step.

Don't worry about the Wireless part untill you have the cabled connection working so you can go online.

Hey thanks for response

I did as you said and I am only getting the same limited access as before. Also my IP is meteor should my apn be isp.mymeteor.ie ?

overthebridge

Firmware Version: 3.12.8 Build 110125 Rel.43954n
Hardware Version: MR3220 v1 00000000

LAN
MAC Address: B0-48-7A-C1-76-F6
IP Address: 192.168.2.1
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

Wireless
Wireless Radio: Enable
Name (SSID): HOME_PC_Network
Channel: Auto (Current channel 1)
Mode: 11bgn mixed
Channel Width: Automatic
Max Tx Rate: 150Mbps
MAC Address: B0-48-7A-C1-76-F6
WDS Status: Disable

3G
3G USB Modem: E173
Signal Strength: 48%
IP Address: 0.0.0.0
Subnet Mask: 0.0.0.0
Default Gateway: 0.0.0.0
DNS Server: 0.0.0.0 , 0.0.0.0
Online Time: 0 day(s) 00:00:00 Connecting...

Traffic Statistics
Received Sent
Bytes: 0 0
Packets: 0 0

System Up Time:
0 days 00:23:05

this is the web interface view. Is that what it should be ?

Red Harvest

Sorry your right about the APN obviously use the Meteor one, not set Meteor up on a Router but isn't there also a user name (my) and password (meteor) + I did read somewhere you need to pop the meteor sim in a phone and disable the PIN?

My connection is very slow atm but I know there is a walk through page on the TPLink website for all their routers think they call it a virtual router (or something like that) and I'll take a look for it tomorrow and check what settings need changing. From what you posted it looks like you heading in the right direction but you need the correct settings to connect.

Red Harvest

TP Link Emulators page if you find your router there (TL-MR3220 ?) then you can refer to any configuration you have made buy refernce to the menu on the left. About the only thing you need to set up initally to connect to Meteor (using an cat5 cable) is the Network > Internet Access page (3g Only) and the Network > 3G Page (Meteor settings).

If you have the latest firmware then you only need to pull down the top box on the 3G page and pick Ireland and the first choice is Meteor. Save those settings and you should be well on your way to connecting.

overthebridge

Red Harvest wrote: »

Sorry your right about the APN obviously use the Meteor one, not set Meteor up on a Router but isn't there also a user name (my) and password (meteor) + I did read somewhere you need to pop the meteor sim in a phone and disable the PIN?

I changed the settings on the dongle and disabled the pin.

Red Harvest wrote: »

TP Link Emulators page if you find your router there (TL-MR3220 ?) then you can refer to any configuration you have made buy refernce to the menu on the left. About the only thing you need to set up initally to connect to Meteor (using an cat5 cable) is the Network > Internet Access page (3g Only) and the Network > 3G Page (Meteor settings).to connect.

Thanks for this link. I went to the emulator and compared my own settings to the recommended settings. The only difference I could find was the firmware version which I updated. I rebooted the device and my laptop.
But still no joy. I only have the access to the web interface. The WiFi still won't allow my phone to connect to it.

Thanks for all the advice so far. Is it worth my while continuing with this or will I call it a day.

Red Harvest

Before we even think about connecting your phone are you managing to connect and browse the web with a computer attached to an ethernet port by a cat5 cable?

overthebridge

Red Harvest wrote: »

Before we even think about connecting your phone are you managing to connect and browse the web with a computer attached to an ethernet port by a cat5 cable?

No, I only have the same limited connectivity via the Ethernet port.

Red Harvest

overthebridge wrote: »

No, I only have the same limited connectivity via the Ethernet port.

So you can't connect to the internet at all when using the router?

But you can if you put the dongle in the computer?

overthebridge

Red Harvest wrote: »

overthebridge wrote: »

No, I only have the same limited connectivity via the Ethernet port.

So you can't connect to the internet at all when using the router?

But you can if you put the dongle in the computer?

Dongle is working fine as normal and no internet via the router at all.

I think the router is the issue or some settings I have or haven't changed on it.
TP support haven't much new info to offer. Just similar stuff to the emulator page.

I'd stay as I am only my kids are gettin ipod touch and psp for Xmas so will need WiFi in the house.
I'm beginning to think I bought a dud. I'll have to look at eircom as upc don't come down my way.

Cheers for all the help.

Red Harvest

Sorry I've been slow getting back to you, but the my notifications don't seem to be working for this thread

Anyway if you'd like to PM me your location if I'm anywhere near I can take a look for you or go through the setup step by step. tbh it really shouldn't be that difficult. Two things I'd try, start over from a factory reset and check if your modem/dongle is being recognised by the router.