Question God help me - hardwiring into any new router doesn't work

[Raswan]

Had a Netgear Nighthawk AC 1750 for years with no trouble, but I've been trying to upgrade with no luck.

Tried a TP-link Archer, a ~$175 ASUS, and a new Nighthawk (AX6). Each time, I can get the wireless network up and running with little trouble. But plugging my PC via Cat6 and I get nothing.

Tried hardwiring directly into the modem (works), but nothing else fixes it: enabling/disabling network adapter, reinstalling network drivers, three different cables (including an old trusty Cat5 that made it through a hundred LANs), and endless reboots of router/modem. Edit to include: the wired connection on the TP Link and ASUS above also did not work when a friend connected his PC (running Windows 10 and a different mobo/cpu setup) via Cat5, but they both did work when I connected hardwire via my laptop through a cat5 to USB hub (laptop doesn't have an ethernet port). Made me assume it was on my ISP's end.

Had Charter reset the connection from their side more than once thinking it was a mac address thing, and a tech out who replaced a bunch of legacy coax connecters and installed a new modem. My knowledge level runs out at knowing how to run a traceroute and kind of understanding what I'm looking at, but not entirely. Charter tech said everything up to the modem looks great, but he also couldn't figure out why the hardwire wasn't working.

Please, god, help me.

Thanks.

 

[Tech Junky]

So, probably you have it set to static IP instead of DHCP.

Sounds like the modem and router are fine as wifi works.

If you go into the adapter properties check that it's set to DHCP and open cmd to check ipconfig /all to see what the port gets for an IP/DNS. Try a manual DNS of 8.8.8.8/1.1.1.1 and see if things work.

When all else fails hit Amazon for a new nic to try. They're cheap. Still doesn't work then it would be the os. Can test with a USB boot to Linux which will preserve your installed os but bypass any issues in Windows.

 

[Raswan]

So, probably you have it set to static IP instead of DHCP.

Sounds like the modem and router are fine as wifi works.

If you go into the adapter properties check that it's set to DHCP and open cmd to check ipconfig /all to see what the port gets for an IP/DNS. Try a manual DNS of 8.8.8.8/1.1.1.1 and see if things work.

When all else fails hit Amazon for a new nic to try. They're cheap. Still doesn't work then it would be the os. Can test with a USB boot to Linux which will preserve your installed os but bypass any issues in Windows.

Thanks Tech.

Looks like the IP assignment is set to DHCP. I don't pretend to understand most of what shows up under ipconfig, but this is what it returns. Trying the manual DNS now. Didn't occur to me that it could be the OS either. Good deal.

 

[Tech Junky]

Looks like both are suing the gateway as the DNS. Different IPs so, there shouldn't be a conflict. One would think of one works the other should work as is.

Works wired to ISP box but not routers is odd. And we know it's across multiple routers so it's not a bad router.

Curious what DNS it's using when using the ISP directly.

One thing comes to mind being an Intel 225 there's been some funky issues with those depending on the version. Still might opt for a nic swap before torturing yourself with an os reload.

Depending on the CPU you could upgrade the wifi card while you're in there for an ax411 which enables bonding of 2.4 to 5ghz to provide a total of 1.5gbps if your router supports more than 1ge. They're cheap through mouser at $18/ea and enable 6ghz as well.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Before a physical NIC swap, check the adapter properties for IPv4 in Windows, make sure that IP address and DNS are both set to "automatic".

 

[Tech Junky]

Before a physical NIC swap, check the adapter properties for IPv4 in Windows, make sure that IP address and DNS are both set to "automatic".

Did you not see the screenshot?

 

[VirtualLarry]

You are using a security suite on this PC? Uninstall it.

If you have a web-scanner or e-mail scanner or proxy-server anti-virus, they can interfere with the connection, even if you can low-level ping and resolve DNS.

 

[Tech Junky]

You are using a security suite on this PC? Uninstall it.

If you have a web-scanner or e-mail scanner or proxy-server anti-virus, they can interfere with the connection, even if you can low-level ping and resolve DNS.

Not an issue if bypassing routers and connecting to ISP device directly resolves issue with wired connection.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Here's a "dumb" question. You had the internet connection "working" with the PC connected directly to the modem.

How did you then go about connecting the router?

You *should have* powered down, the PC, router, cablemodem. Connect router's WAN port to modem's LAN/internet port. Connect PC to one of several LAN ports on router.

Power up modem, wait for sync lights, power on router, wait for internet light to light up, indicating that it got the public WAN IP through the transparent bridge to the modem, and then power-on the PC, which should get a NAT'd IP local address, gateway, and DNS assigned by the router.

IF YOU DO NOT POWER DOWN BOTH MODEM AND ROUTER, when swapping out what is connected to the modem's RJ45 port, BAD THINGS WILL HAPPEN, AND NO TRAFFIC WILL PASS.

PC will still get an IP from router, though, and things will still look hunky-dory on PC side, but traffic will not pass between router's WAN and modem's RJ45 port.

 

[mxnerd]

Intel's 2.5G chipset got some bugs in the past few years for ASUS/Gigabye motherboards. See if firmware and driver update works

Network Issues with Intel® Ethernet Controller I225-V

Recommendation to update Non-Volatile Memory (NVM)

www.intel.com

Also if ISP's DNS doesn't work, manually change IPV4's DNS to any public DNS's IP addresses. 1.1.1.1, 8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4, 9.9.9.9, etc.

You might want to run tracert command (tracert 8.8.8.8 ex.) to see if route breaks somewhere?

 

[Ketchup]

With the Archer, the recent router I am most familiar with, did you go through the router's setup process? It won't let you connect until you complete it.

 

[Raswan]

You are using a security suite on this PC? Uninstall it.

If you have a web-scanner or e-mail scanner or proxy-server anti-virus, they can interfere with the connection, even if you can low-level ping and resolve DNS.

No AV installed, but good lookin' out

 

[Raswan]

With the Archer, the recent router I am most familiar with, did you go through the router's setup process? It won't let you connect until you complete it.

I did, as painful as it was. Back in my day, you plugged shit in and it worked. No downloading an app other anything. I think I've spent more time getting this latest router upgrade to work than every single previous upgrade over the last twenty years.

 

[Raswan]

Intel's 2.5G chipset got some bugs in the past few years for ASUS/Gigabye motherboards. See if firmware and driver update works

Network Issues with Intel® Ethernet Controller I225-V

Recommendation to update Non-Volatile Memory (NVM)

www.intel.com

Also if ISP's DNS doesn't work, manually change IPV4's DNS to any public DNS's IP addresses. 1.1.1.1, 8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4, 9.9.9.9, etc.

You might want to run tracert command (tracert 8.8.8.8 ex.) to see if route breaks somewhere?

That's what Tech said too. Thanks. I do have a Gigabyte z490 Aorus and the Intel 10850k. Will try this and then the manual IPV4 thing. Thanks.

 

[Raswan]

Intel's 2.5G chipset got some bugs in the past few years for ASUS/Gigabye motherboards. See if firmware and driver update works

Network Issues with Intel® Ethernet Controller I225-V

Recommendation to update Non-Volatile Memory (NVM)

www.intel.com

Also if ISP's DNS doesn't work, manually change IPV4's DNS to any public DNS's IP addresses. 1.1.1.1, 8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4, 9.9.9.9, etc.

You might want to run tracert command (tracert 8.8.8.8 ex.) to see if route breaks somewhere?

Been suffering from a terrible connection all day on wireless - don't know if this is related, or a bonus gift from Charter Spectrum.

Results of tracert 8.8.8.8 below:

 

[Raswan]

Looks like both are suing the gateway as the DNS. Different IPs so, there shouldn't be a conflict. One would think of one works the other should work as is.

Works wired to ISP box but not routers is odd. And we know it's across multiple routers so it's not a bad router.

Curious what DNS it's using when using the ISP directly.

One thing comes to mind being an Intel 225 there's been some funky issues with those depending on the version. Still might opt for a nic swap before torturing yourself with an os reload.

Depending on the CPU you could upgrade the wifi card while you're in there for an ax411 which enables bonding of 2.4 to 5ghz to provide a total of 1.5gbps if your router supports more than 1ge. They're cheap through mouser at $18/ea and enable 6ghz as well.

Forgot to mention two important bits at the outset: the wired connection on the previous two new routers (TP Link and an Asus) did not work when a friend connected his PC running Windows 10 and a different mobo/cpu setup via Cat5, but they both did work when I connected hardwire via my laptop through a cat5 to usb hub. Friggin weird.

 

[Raswan]

Here's a "dumb" question. You had the internet connection "working" with the PC connected directly to the modem.

How did you then go about connecting the router?

You *should have* powered down, the PC, router, cablemodem. Connect router's WAN port to modem's LAN/internet port. Connect PC to one of several LAN ports on router.

Power up modem, wait for sync lights, power on router, wait for internet light to light up, indicating that it got the public WAN IP through the transparent bridge to the modem, and then power-on the PC, which should get a NAT'd IP local address, gateway, and DNS assigned by the router.

IF YOU DO NOT POWER DOWN BOTH MODEM AND ROUTER, when swapping out what is connected to the modem's RJ45 port, BAD THINGS WILL HAPPEN, AND NO TRAFFIC WILL PASS.

PC will still get an IP from router, though, and things will still look hunky-dory on PC side, but traffic will not pass between router's WAN and modem's RJ45 port.

Yep, I did all of this.

 

[Hans Gruber]

Have you updated the firmware on your router or done a factory reset of the router? If you have done all of those things. The next step is to get a 20oz carpenter hammer and give it a few good whacks.

 

[biostud]

I’m no expert but have you checked that you have disabled DHCP on the wireless router?

How to disable DHCP on a Netgear wireless router

Help and tutorial placing voip iad in dmz, turning off dhcp in a netgear router premise, correct one-way audio

www.voipmechanic.com