routers hate me

[Eric998765]

i got the linksys 160 wireless n router today and cannot get it to work. i did like the instructions said and ran the install disc then plugged up everything correctly (coax to modem, modem to router, router to pc) but it won't connect to the internet. all of the router icons are glowing, indicating that it is connected, and everything but the final step works when adding the new harware using the linksys disc, but on the final step it hangs up and won't connect. i have not changed any settings in the router option (the 192.168.1.1), and i don't see why it's not working. i killed my laptop last week trying to install linux so i can't check to see if the wireless is working or not. another weird thing, when i go to start -> network, the name of the router (linksys 160n) shows up, and when i right click it there is an option to "enable", but no matter how many times i click it, it never does because the option never goes away (i had to hit enable on an ethernet card once, and when it started working the option had turned to disable). im running vista 64bit, but all the linksys website will tell me is that all their products play nice with vista. any ideas?

 

[VirtualLarry]

I never use the "install CD" when setting up a router. All you need is a PC, a web browser, a wired ethernet port, and some CAT5 cable.

Connect the PC to the router, using LAN1 port on the router. Leave the router's WAN port connected to the cablemodem.
Power down all devices. Then power up the cablemodem first, and then wait 30 seconds, and then power up the router, and wait 30 seconds, and then boot the PC.

Assuming that your PC is configured for dynamic IP addressing (the default, I believe), then you should be able to open a command window
Run -> CMD.EXE
type "ipconfig /all"
see if your ethernet adaptor has registered an IP address, should be 192.168.1.x. Should NOT be 169.x.x.x.
If this works, then your PC is getting an IP address from the router.

Go to http://192.168.1.1/

Username: (blank)
Password: admin

See what you can see. Check the WAN connection status, see if it is pulling an IP from the cablemodem.

You can configure the router from there too.

 

[Eric998765]

as much as i always make fun of tech support people for always recommend removing power from a modem before all else, your method os shutting off everythign and slowly bring everything up worked. only problem now is that my hardwired desktop randomly loses web surfing capabilities for 30-300sec at a time. my ps3 never loses connection (wireless) and i never get disconnected from AIM, so i dont know if its a firefox issue or what, but hey, some internet is better than none at the moment