Need major help with my Linksys cable router...

[AMDPwred]

Ok, I've got 3 PCs I'd like to hook up so I can share my cable connection. They all have NICs and today I got me a Linksys router. So I plugged the RJ45 wire from the cable modem to the WAN connection on the router. Then I made a connection from each of the 3 PCs to the router. So I try and use IE and it doesn't work. Just get the same error message as when the cable is out. Is there anything special I need to do to get it working? At the present moment I'd like to try and get my primary PC to work through the router first. I'll worry about the other 2 later. Thanks for any help and if you need anymore info just ask!

 

[GameQuoter]

Does it come with any software?

 

[AMDPwred]

I get a "video help" CD. But I've looked on it and it's the basics, like plugging in the cables and all.

 

[konichiwa]

I don't know about the Linksys, but with the NetGear you have to telnet (or HTTP-get) into the router's internal IP (192.168.0.1) and go through a manual setup (telnet) or a wizard (http).

So try telnetting to 192.168.0.1 or typing http://192.168.0.1 into your browser.

 

[AMDPwred]

I've tried that a million times and I've only gotten in once. For some reason I can't get in anymore.

 

[Tallgeese]

The EXACT error message text you are receiving would help narrow this down considerably.

<< So I plugged the RJ45 wire from the cable modem to the WAN connection on the router. >>

Does the WAN staus LED light show that you actually have a signal from the modem?
On some routers, you need to use a cross-over cable from the modem to the wan port.

Also, did you enter the information from your cable modem ISP into the router? If so, is the router receiving an IP address?

Have you tried to ping any numeric addresses? Have you tried to ping any hostnames? If so, what were the results for each?

 

[AMDPwred]

<< The EXACT error message text you are receiving would help narrow this down considerably. >>



&quot;The page cannot be displayed&quot; message.



<< Does the WAN staus LED light show that you actually have a signal from the modem? >>



The light is green.



<< Also, did you enter the information from your cable modem ISP into the router? >>



I can't get into the &quot;setup&quot; site again for some reason.

I'll try and ping some things now. Thanks!

 

[Tallgeese]

I saw this same kind of behavior when I still used a Linkshyts. It would inexplicably &quot;freeze&quot; and quit passing traffic, usually after some heavy downloading or gaming, etc. I knew it was definitively frozen when I couldn't access the admin interface, like you mentioned. The only temporary fix I ever found was to shut it off, count to 5, then power it up again.

The only PERMANENT solution I ever found was to sell it on eGay and buy an SMC Barricade.

Might check to see if there is a firmware update available from Linkglitch that might help stop this.

 

[AMDPwred]

Bump

 

[Russ]

AMDPwred,

First, feel free to ignore the post right above your bump. No need to sell it and get a different one.

Now, are your systems set to obtain IP address automatically? If not, do so. Then do the following in this order.

1. Turn your modem off for a couple minutes, then back on.
2. Reset the router (button is on the front).
3. Reboot each of your PCs.

Then try the setup in the router at 192.168.1.1. Default password is &quot;admin&quot; and you don't need to enter a user name.

Now, since you are on cable, your ISP may be authenticating using the MAC address of the NIC in the PC that was initially connected to the cable modem. If this is the case, you might have to clone that MAC address in the Linksys. The material that came with it will tell you how to do that.

Russ, NCNE

 

[Tallgeese]

<< AMDPwred,
First, feel free to ignore the post right above your bump. No need to sell it and get a different one. >>

Yes, feel free to ignore it.

But you might want to check out PracticallyNetworked's review of the Linksys. Notice under CONS...&quot;Ongoing firmware quality problems&quot;

Better yet, check the negative opinions of this router. Many of the same symptoms as you've described.

As an example, here is one user's opinion (NOT MINE):

11 Not Recommended by jhu on 5/28/01
Bottom Line: Please save your money and buy something else!
Reality vs. Expectations: It was much worse than I expected.
Details:
The only thing more unreliable than their router is their tech support. After a great deal of fiddling and reading about this router, I've come to the conclusion that its configured 100% correctly. It'll work fine maybe an hour or so, sometimes all day, then it will just start to flake out. One app will be working fine and another will lose connection. I can surf, but not get email, I can chat on IRC but not surf, the pc will work fine but the laptop will not. What's the point of buying a router to &quot;share&quot; the internet connection when you can't get anything to share properly?
I need this router for personal and home office use, but more often than not I have to bypass it when resetting and powering off will not help. I am disappointed that after spending a considerable amount of time and money all I have to show for it is a $129 piece of junk. Please save yourself the trouble.

But again, feel free to ignore it.

 

[Russ]

Sorry you couldn't get yours to work. I've installed a dozen that are all function perfectly, handling as many as forty systems.

Russ, NCNE

 

[Tallgeese]

<< Sorry you couldn't get yours to work. I've installed a dozen that are all function perfectly, handling as many as forty systems.
Russ, NCNE >>

My experience: One week, worked perfectly. After that...two months of fighting and firmware updates (no, no changes to environment to precipitate this). Tech support non-existent. Replacement (SMC) goes in (no changes to the environment). 8 months with no outages whatsoever, no matter what I throw at it.

But I gotta ask...you're putting Linksys in true, production environments (non-SOHO)?
*Shudder*
After what I've seen with them, I'd have a tough time sleepin at night.

 

[Russ]

I'm putting them in Small Offices (SO, get it?). I'm coming through one right now that currently has 29 systems and/or nodes running through it and has been in operation for 14 months with the original firmware. Never a single glitch - not one.

I have these running in small businesses that have also never had a single failure due to the Linksys.

I know somebody who had the SMC, and it gave him nothing but fits. But, you know what? I still think it's a good product because I don't form my opinions based on a single example or experience.

Russ, NCNE

 

[konichiwa]

Russ, may I ask why you're running 29 systems off of a SOHO gateway/router? :Q

 

[Tallgeese]

<< I don't form my opinions based on a single example or experience.
Russ, NCNE >>

Since you brought it up, at the same time mine went in, we put Linksys units in at 7 other sites (5 client installs, 2 employee installs...all SOHO) and out of those 7, 6 exhibited the same failures. The last one was removed before it had a chance to show (3 days), but for the purposes of this thread I'll graciously give it the benefit of the doubt. All were replaced by SMCs, which have ALL shown the same flawless reliability that mine has.

Let's see (stop me if we're going too fast for you):
7 / 8 * 100 = a WHOPPING 87.5% failure rate for your precious Linksys.

Oh well, enjoy what you enjoy.

One last item:

<< I know somebody who had the SMC, and it gave him nothing but fits >>

So, you YOURSELF didn't have DIRECT experience with the SMC? Interesting. How can you possibly feel at all qualified to compare the two, unless you YOURSELF had used both...and gosh, which I have!

 

[Chatterjee]

I have many Linksys products and most of them perform very well. Linksys tech support is fantastic and is willing to cross-ship any product you may think is defective. Just call them up, ask for an RMA form and you should be set for a new one.

As far as your actual problem goes, it may depend on your modem provider. I do something similar to what Russ said... do it in this order (provided your NIC is working just fine)

turn on router
turn on cable modem
reset router
turn on machine

you should be online. I was with Road Runner.

-S

 

[EmperorRob]

UNPLUG EVERYTHING THEN PLUG EM BACK IN MODEM FIRST

 

[Russ]

<< How can you possibly feel at all qualified to compare the two, unless you YOURSELF had used both... >>



I didn't compare the two - you did. I simply told him not to run out and sell his Linksys just because you suggested it. I also didn't say that I'd never used SMC. I said that I knew of a singular example of problems with it.

Try reading before typing. You'll look less foolish.

Russ, NCNE

 

[Tallgeese]

<< You'll look less foolish. >>

You mean less foolish than this?

<< I'm coming through [a Linksys] right now that currently has 29 systems and/or nodes running through it >>

 

[Russ]

TallGeese,

What exactly is foolish about the fact that I have that many units functioning through the router? That it works perfectly? That is has done so for 14 months? That is has never failed? Or that you couldn't figure out how to make one work?

Russ, NCNE

 

[Tallgeese]

<< What exactly is foolish about the fact that I have that many units functioning through the router? >>

Oh nothing, if you're comfortable trusting the functionality of that many nodes to that level of device. Hey, kudos, really.

But I gotta say, since you brought up the issue of reading before posting:

<< Or that you couldn't figure out how to make one work? >>

As mentioned in my earlier posts...our problems with Linksys units had NOTHING to do with misconfiguration. It had to do with sh*tty product quality.

Who knows, maybe we got a bad batch? In my opinion, a failure rate like we saw is unacceptable from ANY vendor (feel free to disagree). Since someone in the forum had mentioned similar symptoms, I felt like they might be interested in our experience.

But I never suggested they IGNORE YOUR experiences with this product, unlike your suggestion about MY experiences in your earliest post on this thread.

 

[Wik]

TallGeese,
What is the point of crapping on the guy for buying the Linksys router and having a brand war with Russ? It is not helping AMDs problem. Russ was only trying to help this guy with the router he currently has, not to get into a brand war with you. Do AMDPwred a favor and stop crapping on his thread. Many people here value Russ's help and I think that he should be able to help this guy to configure his router. So please end the Linksys bashing.

My 2 cents

 

[Tallgeese]

<< What is the point of crapping on the guy for buying the Linksys router and having a brand war with Russ? >>

Eerrkk! Not trying to crap on AMDPwrd, or anybody else who has a Linksys, for that matter (honestly). Hell, I even bought Linksys once.

I PM'd AMD yesterday, apologizing for how OT this one was going, and asking him to update the thread with his progress, and also offering assistance (which wouldn't have involved selling his router) to get his error resolved.

My first posts to this thread are pure troubleshooting. My suggestion about the &quot;permanent solution&quot; was more along the lines of a joke. But I took someone's suggestion to ignore that particular post as rudeness. And none of this would be in the thread if I could have handled it via PM.

But, you are right, this isn't helping the original question. And I won't post on this thread again. Sorry for the intrusion.

 

[AMDPwred]

Thanks for all the help everyone

I've got it working. Running great now! Now I'm trying to &quot;forward the ports&quot; for my CS server I'm trying to run.