Not sure what I need...wireless access point? new router/modem?

[PrinceXizor]

Have DSL from AT&T and a Speedstream 4100 DSL Modem/Router. What would be the most cost effective way to add wireless access (should have planned ahead and gotten the wireless version :/).

Been reading a few posts about the subject to get myself up to speed (not really had to dive into networks and LANs very much in my personal computing experience besides installing LAN cards and plugging in ethernet cables...)

My main computer uses XP Pro and has built in ethernet, no built in wireless.

I hope I've provided enough info. Thanks!

P-X

 

[JackMDS]

First read this.

Wireless Cable/DSL Router or Access Point ? What should I get? http://www.ezlan.net/APvsRoute.html

Thus it make sense to by a Wireless cable/DSL Router and use it as a Switch with an Access Point.

Using a Wireless Router as a switch with an Access Point - http://www.ezlan.net/router_AP.html

 

[PrinceXizor]

Thanks for the links. That's exactly what I need (and good to remember the router to access point idea). A friend of mine that no longer has cable internet gave me his Netgear WGR614 v7 wireless router.

I'm going to reset it to factory defaults and try setting it to run as an access point. I'll post here if I run into any snags.

Thanks!

P-X

 

[PrinceXizor]

OK, first question (definitely a newbie). I found the base modem's IP address (that one was easy). But logging onto the modem and surfing around doesn't net me any DHCP address ranges like the one in the example. Will keep hunting...

P-X

 

[PrinceXizor]

I think I found the DHCP information by looking at the technician readout print. By the by, if I'm going to have two computers hooked up don't I need to have 2 DHCP leases? I'm a total newb here and don't even know what I'm really asking (i.e. I don't really have my head wrapped around the various layers of the whole IP networking thing, just so you know). I just ask what I think are logical questions based on what I'm reading.

Anywho...

Let me know if I'm even anywhere close to the right path...

P-X

 

[PrinceXizor]

OK, here's all the stuff I've got....

Default Device IP: 99.XX.......

DHCP Start IP: 192.XX.......
DHCP End IP: 192.XX........

Modem Base IP: 192.XX...... (presumably the one referenced in the linked articles)

WAN IP: 99.XX...... (presumably a remnant from the wireless version they neutered to make my modem)

A small wierdness...in the AT&T support tool device information lists the IP as 99.30.XX.... but slightly different then the default or WAN IP listed above (which match in the technician's info dump).

Thanks!

P-X

 

[JackMDS]

Your DSL Modem Router outpur toward the LAN should be connected to a regular port on the WGR614.

The WGR614 core IP should be on the same subnet as the output of the modem/router 192.168.xx.xx

The only place where an IP like 99.xx can exist is on the WAN port of the DSL Router.

If the DSL Router's IP is 99.xx then either is Not a Router, or the Router part of it is disabled.

99.xx. is an external ISP Internet IP.

If the DSL device works only with 99.xx than plug it to the WGR614's WAN port and use the WGR614 as a regular Wireless Router.

 

[PrinceXizor]

Right now I have the DSL modem out connected to the regular LAN port on a the WGR and then another LAN port connected to my wired computer. As you can see I can access the internet. But, I can't seem to access both the modem configuration and the WGR configuration from this computer. So I can't set the wireless login, security or anything. Any suggestions? Is this a configuration problem? i.e. the switch portion of the WGR is playing pass thru properly buy my IP's are crossed up for full functionality?

P-X

 

[PrinceXizor]

Sadly I don't know enough to know specifically what you are talking about....

When I type in the IP address of the modem itself 192.168.X.X I get a basic connection information list including user ID, upstream and downstream speeds and DNS server information. It also lists an IP address and an IP gateway starting with 99.172.X.X

Is this the important IP addresses to know?

Under the local network is listed the Modem IP address 192.168.X.X

I think the netgear IP address is the same as the speedstream. Is there any way to change it so that I can access both?

P-X

 

[JackMDS]

The 99.xx address is of importance only for remote control through the Internet, so right now we can put it aside.

Connect the Netgear with a cable to a computer and disconnect the Netgear from the DSL Modem/Router.

When the netgear is on its own log to it with the computer's broswer and:

1. Chage its Core IP to be on the same subnet as the DSL Router but give it an other number.

Example: if the core IP of the DSL Router is 192.168.1.1 give the Netgear some thing like 192.168.1.10

The first three groups of numbers ( 192.168.1.x) have to be the same for all devices that are on the same Network (it called the subnet) and the last group has to be unique to each Network device.

2. If the DHCP is On in the DSL Modem/Router, disable the DHCP on the Netgear.

Switch off every thing connect again the DSL Router to the Netgear Reboot and hopefully you would be good to go.

About Wireless.

My Wireless does not work - http://www.ezlan.net/wireless.htm

Wireless Basic Configuration - http://www.ezlan.net/Wireless_Config.html

Wireless Security - http://www.ezlan.net/Wireless_Security.html

 

[PrinceXizor]

This speedstream modem doesn't like me....

An update:

First off, my brain was being dyslexic and reading 192.168.0.1 and 192.168.1.0 as the same. The modem IP is 192.168.0.1 and I set the Netgear to 192.168.0.10

However, when I updated the settings (turned it off from being a DHCP server) the HTML generated configuration pages started 404'ing on me. I don't know if that is normal or bad.

It appears some of the updates took as the wireless network configuration is named and secured under the id/pass I chose.

My wired computer has internet acess which is flaky (drops in and out). A couple of info from the modem that may be useful...

Under the LAN device table it lists my LAN and my laptop name as items but they both have the same IP starting with 99. The desktop is shown as active, the laptop as inactive.

Also under modem configuration it lists it as single device router. This seems problematic (the DHCP range is not one, i.e. start and end IP are the same).

Finally the laptop cannot access the speedstream. This should be possible if configured correctly, no?

Thanks!

P-X

 

[PrinceXizor]

Apparently I can use my desktop to access the dsl/router by http to its configuration. There's probably still some sort of conflict. Also, can I use straight cables for all of the connections?

P-X

Edit: apparently I can still access the modem via IE. Flaky connection thing again. There doesn't seem to be any access to the DHCP configuration of the speedstream. Should I be adjusting anything with the network adaptor on my desktop?

 

[PrinceXizor]

OK, last post for now as I have to do some other things today.

Something isn't quite right because my desktop keeps losing connectivity to the internet and then gaining it back. So, that's problem #1.

The laptop can log in to the wireless network name with the password I created but when that happens, the laptop still cannot access the internet.

Viewing the statistics of the Speedstream gives me the following info:

IP Information: The aforementioned 99.172. IP's for address and gateway. The subnets are NOT the same for the address and the gateway (don't know if this is normal).

IP Interface: Lists the IP of the Speedstream modem (192.168.0.1)

Routing Table: Don't know enough to decipher, I have it if needed.

LAN Information: Lists My Desktop, the laptop and the netgear. The desktop and the laptop have the same IP address starting with 99.172 and the netgear registers as the IP I assigned to it 192.168.0.10. The desktop and the netgear status is listed as active and the laptop status is listed as inactive.

OK. That's all for now, I'll check back later for any additional suggestions. Thanks for posting those links, I have been reading them in case you were wondering

I have a feeling I'm close, just missing something...

P-X

 

[JackMDS]

It looks like your DSL/Router is Not Routing.

Set it back to work as a Modem only and use the netgear as your main Router.

Plug the Modem to the WAN port of the Netgear and switch On the DHCP.

 

[PrinceXizor]

Do you know if the modem can be configured to run only as a modem and not as the router? Its a speedstream 4100. I didn't see an obvious way to disable DHCP serving when I was looking before. I'll dive in again.

P-X

P.S. Do I need to worry about having the correct type of cables?

 

[JackMDS]

You posted that it sometimes works.

If cable type are not correct it will not work at all.

Run IPconfig on both computers and post the results.

http://www.ezlan.net/ip_mac.html

 

[PrinceXizor]

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : home-main
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : NVIDIA nForce MCP Networking Adapter

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-04-61-45-9A-85
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 99.172.4.83
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 99.172.4.84
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
192.168.0.1
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, March 10, 2009 3:53:26 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, March 10, 2009 4:03:26 PM

Desktop

w/o Netgear connected, just Speedstream

 

[JackMDS]

If your IP is 99.172.4.83 you are connected directly to a Modem.

I.e. If your Modem is a Modem/Router it works only as a Modem, there is No Routing and thus your Laptop can not connect.

The fastest way to resolve it is to disable the LAN DHCP on the Modem/Router, connected the Netgear to the Modem through the WAN Port and enable the LAN DHCP on the Netgear.

Network should look like this, http://www.ezlan.net/network/router.jpg

Otherwise it means that your Modem/Router is going to "Gaga Land" and you need a new one.

 

[PrinceXizor]

I'll try that. Looking at the Siemens (mfg of speedstream) web pdf manual, a lot is disabled as far as configuration. I'll try using the netgear. Lets go round again...

 

[PrinceXizor]

Inching closer perhaps...

I'm posting w/ my modem connected to the WAN port on the netgear and a connection from a LAN port to my desktop ethernet. So the connections seem to be working...time to test the wireless...

P-X

 

[PrinceXizor]

I am posting from the lappy so it works!

Thanks all for the help!

Summary of steps to get it up and running.

I needed to set the IP of the netgear router to match the fixed (thanks a lot AT&T ) IP subnet on Speedstream DSL modem since the defaults were different.

Modem: 192.168.0.1
Router: 192.168.0.225

Connect the Ethernet port on the modem to the WAN input on the Netgear router.

All other connections are still handled by the speedstream modem so no log-in information is used on the Netgear.

Netgear set up for DHCP server.
Start IP: 192.168.0.2
End IP: 192.168.0.51

WLAN password protected with strongest encryption available.
Limited to fixed MAC address of laptop network adapter.

Be sure to reboot your computer after making updates/changes to router and or modem.

I believe that covers it.

Thank you Jack for your help and the links. I think I even learned a little bit more about networking that just might be useful in the future! Thanks again!

P-X

 

[PrinceXizor]

Everything is fine. I have one more question.

In the list of available wireless networks there is one listed as Netgear with a comparable signal strength to the defined network name that I setup. Is the router broadcasting its own for the other connections? How can I tell and if so, what do I look for to turn it off. Thanks!

P-X

Edit: Confirmed the MAC address of the "netgear" network matches my router. Is this some kind of generic broadcast? This is in addition to my named and secured network.

Edit #2: After attempting to log on to this phantom network, I get errors because there is not a response from the router. So I guess this isn't really a problem but I am curious as to what it is if anyone knows.