A few router questions...

[MaxGhost]

I just purchased a Linksys WRT160N router and I'm upgrading from a Netgear RP614 router to have wireless capabilities for my brand new Asus M50 laptop. I'm having trouble connecting to the internet with the new router, cause the setup is a little different to Netgear's so I don't know which settings I'm supposed to be using. By that I mean, I know I have DSL internet, but I don't know whether I have PPPoE or Static IP, or the Automatic one. I'm kinda scared of the Static IP one, cause my documentation doesn't talk about any of that stuff, and the automatic/dynamic one says it can't find a connection, and the PPPoE doesn't work when I give it my account name and password that I have. The Netgear router asks if it requires a login, and in my case, yes, so I gave that information to it, and it works. It's not that simple with the Linksys router, so right now I'm using my Netgear router which is working like a charm, but my laptop's stuck on my desk until I can figure out how to get this thing to work. My ISP is Bell Sympatico if that can help.

I was also wondering if DD-WRT is really worth all the trouble, cause I'm really afraid of trying it and risking to waste my router by trying, cause I always end up having to redo everything a 2nd time over... I always mess up on something and have to do it again. So before I go trying to replace my Linksys router's current firmware, I want to know if it's safe enough to try, and if it would be simpler with it to connect to the internet than the existing firmware.

Thanks in advance!

Max.

[Grogi]

Do you have any other device before router attached to DSL? Most probably yes. If so, if the device is in bridge mode you will havce to configure PPPoE on Linksys. If it is not bridge, then it is probably DHCP server and in that case just plug it to WAN port on Linksys and set Linksys on automatic or static IP if you know the DHCP scope.

Best way to check all of this is to attach Laptop on DSL device and see if it gets IP address. If you have access to internet then PPPoE is configured in DSL device and you just need to attach it to WAN port on Linksys and do nothing.

The other option is to make PPPoE dial-up connection from windows in order check if DSL device is in bridge mode. If you can connect that way then you will need to configure Linksys for PPPoE.

[+BudMan MVC]

He must -- since the RP614 does not have a modem in it..

Grogi brings up some good info, normally when you change the device connected to the modem -- you need to power cycle it to clear its cache of what device was connected to it.

Turn off your MODEM, disconnect your netgear. Turn on your MODEM -- let it get all its lights showing that its connected. Then connect your new router.

What is the model number of your other device? As Grogi mentions, depending on what mode and exactly what type of devices it is -- you may or may not need to enter any login info into the new router.

I would really suggest you post the model number of this other device.. Dime to donuts its doing nat, its rare that you see just a dsl modem these days, unless it has specifically been placed into bridge mode -- normally by the end user.

As to is dd-wrt worth it.. In one word - "YEAH" Will it make this processes easier for you, no not really -- you need to understand your connection to be honest. Or yeah its always going to be difficult.

Please post the make and model number of the other device between your RP614 and the internet.

[MaxGhost]

There's no device between my modem and my router, but my modem is a Speed Stream 5400. That's just sparked an idea in my mind, cause I didn't turn off my modem when I tried to get the linksys to work. I just did as the step by step of the install CD and switched the cables and fallowed whatever it asked, but I got stuck on the internet connection part, and the install CD program tells me it can't find a connection in DHCP and the same when I tried to connect with my account name / pass.

I'll go try that out now and let you know how it works.

Thanks for the quick replies.

[+BudMan MVC]

Nobody ever said there was a device between your modem and your router.. There had to be a device between netgear or linksys and the internet -- since neither of them have a builtin dsl modem.

But that is NOT a modem -- that is a router!! It has a dsl modem built in, ie its a gateway device modem/router combo.

have you enabled bridge mode on the 5400 device???

[MaxGhost]

Now I'm really confused... I never connected through speedstream as a router, and my ISP has always told me it's a modem, so that's what I took it as... I don't understand what bridge mode is or what I do to find out if it is, so a little help on that please? I can't find any actual switches or anything on the SpeedStream. But I do know that the DSL cable goes directly into the telephone jack with no filter, and from there, I have an ethernet cable from the SpeedStream to my Netgear router, and I'm assuming that's the WAN connection. And of course there's a power cable, which is plugged in.

Thanks.

Edit: This is Bell's site, and they say that the SpeedStream is a modem... http://service.sympatico.ca/index.cfm?meth...category_id=621

Edit2: I also just noticed that I was wrong with the speedstream model, it's a 5200. (sorry!)

Edited August 27, 2008 by MaxGhost

[+BudMan MVC]

I don't care what they "call" it -- its a ROUTER!! Here is the link to the manual of the site you linked too

http://service.sympatico.ca/img_gallery/Sp...242_5260_EN.pdf

Same exact manual I pulled my info from. If it does NAT its a router plain and simple.

On your netgear what ip address does it get on the WAN interface? If its 10.x.x.x or 192.168.x.x or 172.16-31.x.x then your speedstream is doing NAT - and therefore in router mode.

if you get some PUBLIC IP on the wan side of your netgear, then its not doing nat and must be in bridge mode.

As I said early -- its RARE to see a modem these days, they are almost always a combo deal in the DSL world, ie modem and router in one device. Some can be put into bridge mode and just use it as a modem, others can not.

You only really see plain modems in the cable market, dsl adsl are most often mdoem/router combo deals.

I suggest you read the manual -- you now have 2 links to it ;) And determine if its in bridge mode or not, etc.

As I said earlier -- "you need to understand your connection to be honest. Or yeah its always going to be difficult." If you do not understand how your even connecting to the internet, then yeah trying to replace the hardware that is doing that for you is going to a learning experience ;)

[MaxGhost]

On your netgear what ip address does it get on the WAN interface? If its 10.x.x.x or 192.168.x.x or 172.16-31.x.x then your speedstream is doing NAT - and therefore in router mode.

I'm assuming you mean when I log onto the firmware through my browser? If so then yeah it's 192.168.0.1.

[+BudMan MVC]

NO thats the lan side.. Once you log into the netgear on the 192.168.0.1 there should be some status page showing its WAN (internet) connection details - it should show you what its IP is on its wan interface.. What IP is that? If its in the private ranges I listed then your speedstream is doing NAT.

Here is an example of the router status page from the manual for the RP614

What does your show for the Internet Port IP address?

[MaxGhost]

Oh ok now I'm fallowing you... it says 70.49.228.126 for that, which means that it's in bridge mode I guess.

Edit: I also forgot to mention a few things... this morning I tried what you said to do it again turning off the speedstream to clear it's cache, but it didn't make a difference. I also tried to connect to the internet with my laptop directly through the speedstream, skipping the router, but it didn't work right off the bat (didn't really try to get it to work either though).

Edited August 27, 2008 by MaxGhost

[+BudMan MVC]

Ok well its in bridge mode if its putting a public IP on the wan side of your netgear -- which is a good thing..

Not sure if that device supports half bridge or not -- normally you see that in PPPoA setups.

Anyway, when you connected your laptop to the speedstream, did you setup a PPPoE connection on your laptop to login? If you ISP requires a login, you would have to set that up on whatever devices is connecting to your "modem" Be it a laptop or router.

[MaxGhost]

When I first set up my new Linksys router, I tried putting my login, but for some reason it didn't work. Thats sort-of the problem. I'm not able to set up PPPoE on my linksys router. When I tried, the linksys said it couldn't detect an internet connection. Now what do I do?

[+BudMan MVC]

Did you reset your modem when you did that? Did you try getting your laptop to work with your PPPoE settings?

One option you could do, since your just wanting to add wireless is use your new linksys router as just an accesspoint to your netgear router.

http://www.dslwebserver.com/main/wireless-...cess-point.html

[MaxGhost]

Not enough space on the powerbar... lol... but I'll look into it.

I DON'T KNOW how to set up PPPoE on my laptop... I just asked the question, so no I didn't try cause I don't know how to. But no, I didn't restart my modem when I did that, but I doubt it would have mattered.

I really appreciate the help by the way. Thanks!

[CrashG]

Not enough space on the powerbar... lol... but I'll look into it.

I DON'T KNOW how to set up PPPoE on my laptop... I just asked the question, so no I didn't try cause I don't know how to. But no, I didn't restart my modem when I did that, but I doubt it would have mattered.

I really appreciate the help by the way. Thanks!

The way I have my router (Linksys WRT54G v8) and DSL modem/router (Westell WireSpeed 2100) hooked up is, modem in bridge mode (which you seem to have figured out now) and have the router login with PPPoE and do DHCP to any machine I connect to it. I don't have to do anything to get a internet connection other than turn the machine on (and if wired, plug the cable in) that's it.

Select PPPoE,

in the User Name box enter: YourUserName@YourISP

in the Password box enter: YourPassword that either your ISP provided you or what you changed it to. You may need to contact your ISP for this info if you don't know what it is. Once you get that information, write it down and keep it somewhere safe.

Not sure how the router setup page looks on yours, but here's a screenshot of mine, maybe it'll help.

[MaxGhost]

Yeah it's essentially the same page for me, but I don't think I have DHCP server settings on that same page... I might have to look into that.

Thanks for sharing.

[CrashG]

Yeah it's essentially the same page for me, but I don't think I have DHCP server settings on that same page... I might have to look into that.

Thanks for sharing.

The main thing I was trying to provide you were the PPPoE login info, which you might need to get from your ISP. Also on mine (your's may be slightly different) if for some reason it doesn't connect automatically, go to the Status tab and hit the Connect button, within a few seconds it should say that it's connected.

EDIT: Although I have a static IP (because of the DSL package I have) I still have to use the PPPoE setting, not static. I have Bellsouth (now AT&T) service if that helps any.

Edited August 28, 2008 by CrashGordon

[Ringer]

I know its a silly question but figured that i should make sure. Do you have the ethernet cable going from the modem to the WAN port on the linksys router?

Also when you tried the connection for PPPoE did it come back with an error message ie authentication error, sync error, ...etc

[CrashG]

nevermind

[MaxGhost]

Yes, the cables are all right, and no errors were given. It just straight up said that it couldn't detect an internet connection. I'm still really clueless why it would say that tho.