Unable To Get To Internet Through Wireless Router/ISP DSL Router Combination

Shred

Morning,

I recently bought a 3com router/wireless card bundle from Komplett. What I am trying to do is connect to the internet using the router through my (UTV provided) Creative DSL modem blaster (not sure of the exact model as I’m in work right now). The plan is then to connect a laptop wirelessly for file sharing and internet browsing amongst other things. The wireless link to the laptop worked more or less instantly once the drivers were installed for the PCMCIA card & I can share files between the two machines with no problems(the other being my desktop).

I have setup my router as per the instructions that came with it. All link lights are on the 3com router are lit (solid green) indicating that the Ethernet connection to my machine is working and the connection from the cable/dsl port on the 3com router to the Creative router is working also (connected using the provided CAT5 cable). The problem is that I can’t get out to the internet at all. I have reset the 3com router back to default several times and went through carefully configuring it again step by step.

I have selected PPPoE as the protocol and entered my UTV username and password details (I left the ‘optional’ fields of primary/secondary DNS servers & Hostname blank as suggested as I didn’t know them) but I am unable to enter the correct MTU value of 1500 as the highest the router can go is 1492, so I don’t know if that makes a difference. I have turned off the XP firewall also. Originally I had set my 3com router IP to 192.168.1.2 during setup as the Creative router was set to 192.168.1.1 by default. I came across a possible fix for problem suggesting that both routers should be setup on a different subnet with DHCP enabled on the second router, so I set the Creative router to 192.168.1.2 & the 3com to 192.168.2.1, disabled DHCP on the Creative and enabled it on the 3com but still no joy. I have also tried updating the firmware on the 3com router which made some extra features available but didn’t resolve the issue.
Also, I don’t know if this is relevant but the OS is XP and I’m using Firefox. The NIC on the desktop is on board also.

Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

gerryk

Try setting everything up on the same subnet and with manually configured IP addresses. Then ping everything from your PC, if that works then, bar a little DNS server misconfiguration, your internet connection should be fine. If not, it might be the cable between the wireless AP and the DSL router. It might have to be a crossover if they don't have uplink ports.
DHCP can be a little bit crap on wireless connections. Windows tends to negotiate a new lease whenever the connection drops and comes back up... this can result in all sorts of broken connections. Personally, I can't think of a good use for DHCP on small networks.

MrPudding

gerryk wrote:

Personally, I can't think of a good use for DHCP on small networks.

When I was using a router attached to an ADSL modem it was not possible to get web access unless the client had been given a DHCP address fromt the router. That was a good enough reason for me:D.

As long as the lease time is greater than the period he will not be connected for he should not have an issue with lease renewal.

OP, try configuring your ADSL modem as you had it originally with you ADSL account info. Then setup your router on a static IP address in the same subnet as the LAN connection of your modem. Set the routers default gateway to the IP of the LAN connection of the modem.

Setup DHCP on your router, set it to only give out the number of address you need. Then make sure the PC is set to DHCP. See if that works.

Also, try pinging soem external IP adresses to see if you can "get out." If you can ping IP addresses but can't go to the sites check you DNS server settings.

MrP

Shred

I didn't realise I'd actually got any replies to this as I forgot to subscribe to the thread :rolleyes:

MrPudding wrote:

OP, try configuring your ADSL modem as you had it originally with you ADSL account info. Then setup your router on a static IP address in the same subnet as the LAN connection of your modem. Set the routers default gateway to the IP of the LAN connection of the modem.

Setup DHCP on your router, set it to only give out the number of address you need. Then make sure the PC is set to DHCP. See if that works.

Ok Mr Pudding, can you go into some more detail on this please? I do know that if I configure the LAN IP for the router to be in the same subnet as the DSL modem (ie: 192.168.1.2) I get "error: your LAN IP adddress falls in the same subnet as your internet IP" and it then prompts me to enter a different IP.
I should have also mentioned that this is the first time I'd ever attempted to configure a device like this so I'm very much a novice

dil999

Can you now access the internet from your PC by connecting your PC's ethernet port into the 'Creative blaster', and connecting the the 'Blaster' into the Phone line.

This was obviously working for you at some stage.

There's 2 ways this can be done:

Set up a dial up connection using PPoE on your PC and you put in your utv details on the PC and you connect via a dial up after you boot up. In this case Bridging is enabled on your 'Blaster'

or

Set up all your details on the 'Blaster' :PPOE, username etc. And you are 'always on'. In this case Bridging is disabled on your 'Blaster'

if you want all you PCs/Laptops to access the internet via your new modem, you will need to set it up this way.

My advice to you is get your main PC connected to the internet via the second setup Then all you need to worry about is getting the router setup. An thats pretty easy if you just take it step by step

When you get it setup post back and I'll help you get your router set up.

regds
Dil

Shred

Hey thanks for that dil999.

The internet works fine without the 3com router connected and has done for about a year now (I'm posting from the machine in question now). The problem I have is getting out to the internet once I add the 3com router to the config.

dil999

Couple of more Questions

Are you getting out from your PC via ethernet or USB and do you have your login details in the PC or in the Modem Blaster?

What is the IP address of you PC in your config without 3com Router. Is it a Local 10.0.0.x 192.168.1.x number, or is it 194.46.x.x (UTV) number

Click run, type 'cmd' and in the command box type ipconfig
(:o Sorry, I don't know your expertise level, hence the instructions)

If you are on Ethernet then you are probably getting a local number from the Modem blaster, ie via DHCP. Once we get that established, we can set up the 3COm router. to take its address from the 'modem blaster', then set the router up as a DHCP server and we will connect all you PCS/ Laptops to the Router.

What is the model of the 3com router, I'll see if I can download the manual

regds
Dil

Shred

Hey Dil,

I had previously been using the Creative modem via USB but switched to Ethernet when I got the 3com router for obvious reasons. The login details are set in the modem config rather than the machine also.

With regards to the machine's IP, I'm in work right now but the Creative modem is set as the DHCP server so I'd be getting a local IP.

Here's the bundle I bought from Komplett:

http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=303770&cks=SPK

You can find the user guide for it here:

http://www.3com.com/products/en_US/searchbyfile.jsp?path=download&sort=prodnum&fileid=2&prodcat=152882&fname=&os=all

Thanks for your help

Shred

Just checked - the IP assigned to my machine is 192.168.1.8

dub45

I emphasise that I am very ignorant in these matters (so please forgive me in advance) but from reading similar posts in the past isn't there a duplication involved when you have two routers in the chain and doesn't the Creative have to be put in bridge mode so as to eliminate the doubling of the router functionality?

dil999

So the Creative blaster is setup as a DHCP server. IT is giving you your IP adress.

Next step is to connect the modem into the 3com Router with the supplied cable.

I had a look at the manual for the 3com thats on KOmplett, and it looks like the default IP is 192.168.1.1, Since the modem is using the same ip addresses, I would advise you to change.

Under LAN settings: Set the modem up as 192.168.1.101, Subnet mask 255.255.255.0
Enable it as a dhcp server, and set the range from 192.168.1.102 to 110. apply and save

Don't forget when you want to acces the router again type in 192.168.1.101 in Internet explorer.

Then go to internet settings: and set it as dynamic ip address, LEave everything else blank. Apply and save

Connect your PC's ethernet card into one of the routers ports. Check your new IP address. It should be 192.168.1. (between 102 and 110)

Disable any firewalls and Try you internet connection now.
(fingers are crossed)

REgds
Dil

Shred

Hey Dil,

Thanks again for your help. Just to make sure there's no confusion, could I just ask you to edit your post so that eachtime you mean the modem you call it the 'creative' and eachtime you mean the router you call it the '3com'.

For instance you said:

"Under LAN settings: Set the modem up as 192.168.1.101, Subnet mask 255.255.255.0
Enable it as a dhcp server, and set the range from 192.168.1.102 to 110. apply and save. Don't forget when you want to acces the router again type in 192.168.1.101 in Internet explorer."

I assume you mean "set the router up as 192.168.1.101 etc"? Or do you mean the creative modem? Also should DHCP be enabled on both devices or just one?

Thanks

Shred

Ok, in case you did mean the router was to be setup as 192.168.1.101 - I have tried this and straight away I get an error that says:

"your LAN IP address falls in the same subnet as your internet IP address"...

dil999

Okay.

It looks like your Creative modem blaster is set up to use all the 192.168.1.X ip addresses. I thought it would only use the first 10 or so.

You can do one of two things, change the range of addresses that the Modem uses for DHCP or use a 10.0.0.x set of addresses for the router. Since I have seen the manual for the router, we'll try this first.

Under LAN settings: Set the modem up as 10.0.0.2,
Subnet mask 255.255.255.0
Enable it as a dhcp server, and set the range from 10.0.0.5 to 10.
apply and save

Don't forget when you want to acces the router again type in 10.0.0.2
in Internet explorer.

Then go to internet settings: and set it as dynamic ip address, LEave everything else blank. Apply and save

Connect your PC's ethernet card into one of the routers ports. Check your new IP address. It should be 10.0.0. (between 5 and 10)

Try it now.

Shred

Ok thanks for that, I'm off out for the night but I'll give that a shot tomorrow

Shred

Right I tried that and it didn't work. After I had made the configuration changes that you suggested I checked my IP and it was 10.0.0.5, the default gateway was 10.0.0.2 and I set the IP allocation mode to dynamic and tried the internet from the desktop machine and got no joy

Shred

Got it sorted

You were on the right path Dil, the only step missing was entering the Primary DNS IP of 192.168.1.1. I set the router's LAN IP as 192.168.2.1, enabled DHCP (limiting the range to .5-.10), then set the IP Allocation Mode to Dynamic and entered the primary DNS address also and it worked!

Thanks again for all of your help!

dil999

Good to see you get it sorted. Dont forget to secure your wireless, at least with WEP and with WPA if possible. Neighbours do use your wireless, I've seen it happen.

Its very hard to sort thes via the boards, you really need to see whats happening. Glad I was of some help

Regds
Dil

Shred

Yeah I've enabled WEP and the SPI firewall. I'm gonna add a software firewall too just to be sure.

Thanks Again