It's things like this why The Geek Squad is still in business

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SVT Cobra

Lifer
Mar 29, 2005
13,264
2
0
Okay so I got FiOS 2 months ago and thus far have had my first experiences with forwarding ports, static and dynamic IP's, and just accessing the router's control panel itself.


First about a month ago, I reset my router. Well nothing works. After 2 hours of hair pulling I finally realize that to get the light blinking again I have to go into advanced settings and enable the coax LAN connector. Never did they say this in the 50 manuals they gave me explaining how easy and wonderful it is.


Today I go to add a computer to the wireless network on the router Verizon gave me. I already added a lap top two weeks ago, no problem, a breeze. Today I go to add a desktop. Well it connects fine and all, except it will not renew the IP address. So I play with it. I assign it an IP adress, I reset my router (which then involves me having to enable crap again), I get rid of my forwarded ports, I play with static and dynamic addresses, I try different WEP and other securities. Nothing. Then I come along this one forum, about page 16 on google results, where one guy says he has the same problem and finally simply changing his WEP code worked. So alright, number 550000 on the list of things to try. I change it, and whaddya know? It works. FFS shouldn't wireless be mainstream enough so crap like this does not happen. I mean hey, I am a networking n00b, but this is ridiculous.


I get called by friends to fix their wireless networks all the time also, and in their case it is always that they accidentally turned off one of the 15 buttons on the router/laptop/modem that have to be on. Plug and play my ass.
 
dainthomas

dainthomas

Lifer
Dec 7, 2004
14,936
3,915
136
The lesson here is not to reset your router.

Edit: The router Comcast uses for FIOS has built in wireless. You should see if your provider has something like that.
 
S

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
99% of wireless problems where you are associated/connected by can't communicate are encrption mismatches. The other 1% is interferrence.

The most common one being an incorrect wep or wpa2 key. This can frustrate people to no end because they thing if they are connected then they set it up right.

-edit-
And wireless is very plug and play and very easy to securely setup. Just make absoutely sure that the AP and client are setup with the exact same settings. Nowadays that's pretty easy.
 
S

SVT Cobra

Lifer
Mar 29, 2005
13,264
2
0
Originally posted by: dainthomas
The lesson here is not to reset your router.

Edit: The router Comcast uses for FIOS has built in wireless. You should see if your provider has something like that.
Click to expand...

Except:

1. Resetting my router had nothing to do with the problem

2. Comcast does not have FiOS

3. This is built in, you still need to connect to it though
 
Ktulu

Ktulu

Diamond Member
Dec 16, 2000
4,354
0
0
I was having problems connecting a new wireless adapter yesterday to my Actiontec router. I completely forgot to add the MAC address to the filter.
 
mooncancook

mooncancook

Platinum Member
May 28, 2003
2,874
50
91
i hate setting up wireless router. My last Linsys has tons of problems, and now the DLink works better, but still once in a while I'll lose the connection, and have to turn it off for a few seconds and turn it back on, and it magically works again.
 
Googer

Googer

Lifer
Nov 11, 2004
12,576
7
81
Originally posted by: SVT Cobra
Originally posted by: K1052
What brand?
Click to expand...

Actiontec router trying to hook up to a linksys wireless adapter.
Click to expand...

Verizon gives all their customers an ActionTec router for all FiOS subscribers. It's a very large unit with a coax connection built in.
 
CPA

CPA

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
30,322
4
0
Originally posted by: spidey07
99% of wireless problems where you are associated/connected by can't communicate are encrption mismatches. The other 1% is interferrence.

The most common one being an incorrect wep or wpa2 key. This can frustrate people to no end because they thing if they are connected then they set it up right.

-edit-
And wireless is very plug and play and very easy to securely setup. Just make absoutely sure that the AP and client are setup with the exact same settings. Nowadays that's pretty easy.
Click to expand...

For some reason on one of my two wireless desktops I have to rekey the WPA key and then reboot. Otherwise, I get a "acquiring IP address" message on my linksys monitor icon in the taskbar. I don't have this problem with my other wiresless desktop, my wired desktop nor my wireless laptop. Any reason why this would occur?
 
S

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Originally posted by: CPA
Originally posted by: spidey07
99% of wireless problems where you are associated/connected by can't communicate are encrption mismatches. The other 1% is interferrence.

The most common one being an incorrect wep or wpa2 key. This can frustrate people to no end because they thing if they are connected then they set it up right.

-edit-
And wireless is very plug and play and very easy to securely setup. Just make absoutely sure that the AP and client are setup with the exact same settings. Nowadays that's pretty easy.
Click to expand...

For some reason on one of my two wireless desktops I have to rekey the WPA key and then reboot. Otherwise, I get a "acquiring IP address" message on my linksys monitor icon in the taskbar. I don't have this problem with my other wiresless desktop, my wired desktop nor my wireless laptop. Any reason why this would occur?
Click to expand...

could be a driver problem as long as you are EXACTLY matching the security parameters of your access point. make sure your cipher is TKIP. having to rekey means your key expired (I forget the default lifetime) because the AP and the client aren't running the same settings.

"aquiring ip address" means you can't communicate, almost always because you and the AP are encrypting frames/packets differently or using different keys.
 
S

SVT Cobra

Lifer
Mar 29, 2005
13,264
2
0
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: CPA
Originally posted by: spidey07
99% of wireless problems where you are associated/connected by can't communicate are encrption mismatches. The other 1% is interferrence.

The most common one being an incorrect wep or wpa2 key. This can frustrate people to no end because they thing if they are connected then they set it up right.

-edit-
And wireless is very plug and play and very easy to securely setup. Just make absoutely sure that the AP and client are setup with the exact same settings. Nowadays that's pretty easy.
Click to expand...

For some reason on one of my two wireless desktops I have to rekey the WPA key and then reboot. Otherwise, I get a "acquiring IP address" message on my linksys monitor icon in the taskbar. I don't have this problem with my other wiresless desktop, my wired desktop nor my wireless laptop. Any reason why this would occur?
Click to expand...

could be a driver problem as long as you are EXACTLY matching the security parameters of your access point. make sure your cipher is TKIP. having to rekey means your key expired (I forget the default lifetime) because the AP and the client aren't running the same settings.

"aquiring ip address" means you can't communicate, almost always because you and the AP are encrypting frames/packets differently or using different keys.
Click to expand...
Isn't the default time 1 hour?
 
S

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Originally posted by: Googer
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: Googer
Try using network magic.


http://www.networkmagic.com/
Click to expand...

No amount of software can overcome human error.

In otherwords, it's NOT a network problem. It's NEVER a network problem.
Click to expand...

ActionTEC routers are easy to setup to begin with. How can he make such erroneous mistakes?
Click to expand...

the difference between an actual key and a passphrase (ascii representation of actual key) can throw many people off and it depends on the AP and client as to which one is acceptible.

when doing any kind of network troubleshooting you have to take a completely different approach. Just because it works on one, doesn't mean it should work on another. couple that with people thinking they can actually make a cat5 cable makes it even worse.

But if you can't get an IP address it means you don't have good layer2 communication and this is almost always encryption related if it's wireless. dhcp isn't some magical protocol, it's just a few packets and it's over.
 
T

thomsbrain

Lifer
Dec 4, 2001
18,148
1
0
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: Googer
Try using network magic.


http://www.networkmagic.com/
Click to expand...

No amount of software can overcome human error.

In otherwords, it's NOT a network problem. It's NEVER a network problem.
Click to expand...

except when your hardware and/or software is a POS and will magically work or not work with identical settings and in identical situations. which, when it comes to wireless, is nearly always the case.
 
S

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: thomsbrain
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: spidey07
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: Googer
Try using network magic.


http://www.networkmagic.com/</end quote></div>

No amount of software can overcome human error.

In otherwords, it's NOT a network problem. It's NEVER a network problem.</end quote></div>

except when your hardware and/or software is a POS and will magically work or not work with identical settings and in identical situations. which, when it comes to wireless, is nearly always the case.</end quote></div>

I haven't had this experience after literally over a few thousand access points deployed. Wireless is as reliable as wired (but certainly much less performanc). Stick with standards based gear and all is well. That's what the standards are for. Sounds like you have interferrence problems.
 
J

jackace

Golden Member
Oct 6, 2004
1,307
0
0
I had horrible luck saving settings on my actiontec router I got with Qwest DSL. I just bought a linksys router and put the actiontec on pass-thru, and all my problems stopped.

What was happening to me is I would make a change save it and reset the router. It would work for a couple days then all the sudden I could not connect. I would go check the settings and they were reset to default again. After a couples days and a couple tech support calls I said screw it and bought a linksys router and have never had any problems with it since.
 
mrSHEiK124

mrSHEiK124

Lifer
Mar 6, 2004
11,488
2
0
Verizon's ActionTEC routers are pieces of sh!t, two of my friends have them and they've got Linksys WRT54Gs hooked up to them instead.
 
J

jackace

Golden Member
Oct 6, 2004
1,307
0
0
Originally posted by: mrSHEiK124
Verizon's ActionTEC routers are pieces of sh!t, two of my friends have them and they've got Linksys WRT54Gs hooked up to them instead.
Click to expand...

Exactly what I have done and put the actiontec router in pass through if you need it like I do (it has the modem built into it for the DSL), but you might not need it at all for FiOS.
 
A

Auryg

Platinum Member
Dec 28, 2003
2,377
0
71
Originally posted by: jackace
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: mrSHEiK124
Verizon's ActionTEC routers are pieces of sh!t, two of my friends have them and they've got Linksys WRT54Gs hooked up to them instead.</end quote></div>

Exactly what I have done and put the actiontec router in pass through if you need it like I do (it has the modem built into it for the DSL), but you might not need it at all for FiOS.
Click to expand...

That's what I do with mine too, with DSL (and TDS instead of Verizon).

 
S

SVT Cobra

Lifer
Mar 29, 2005
13,264
2
0
Originally posted by: mrSHEiK124
Verizon's ActionTEC routers are pieces of sh!t, two of my friends have them and they've got Linksys WRT54Gs hooked up to them instead.
Click to expand...

I agree, their control panel is a convoluted POS.
 
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