Cannot connect all laptops to Wireless (or wired) "G" format Router

[Captain Over]

HELP!!!

Our network:

Linksys products: one WRT54G Broadband Router, two WPC54G Wireless-G Notebook Adapter PC Cards. ALL the latest firmware is installed on all the Linksys products.

3 computers: one desktop PC, running windows 98SE, connected via ethernet to the WRT54G Broadband Router, and two laptops, both Toshiba Satellites, both running Windows XP Home Edition, with ALL Drivers and patches for the OS and computers all up to date. One laptop is a model 5200, the other is model 2410.

(edited) Note - This issue happens even if there is NO FIREWALL enabled.

The modem we are using is an Aztech ADSL Ethernet High Speed Modem, model DSL900(E)B2.

Also, we live where the Telco standard is U.K., as this may make a difference in the issues we are dealing with.

When we connect DIRECTLY from the DSL Modem to any of the computers DIRECTLY using the ethernet cable, each computer has no problems surfing, peer-to-peer transferring, Instant Messaging, FTP-ing, etc etc. That's not the problem.

When we connected the Aztech DSL Modem to the "Internet" port on the back of the Linksys WRT54G Router, and connected the PC via port one (or two, or three, or four...) we could NOT get an internet connection whatsoever. Same thing when we tried the wireless connections through the laptops.

I contacted a network specialist here in the country we reside in, and he said he found the WRT54G does NOT work when plugged in normally. He said to try plugging the Aztech DSL Modem into any of the "out" ports on the back of the WRT54G Router, and I was able to get a connection to the PC and one of the laptops (the model 5200). Both laptops and the WRT54G Router have WEP is disabled, Newtwork Type is Infrastructure, and the signal-strength shows 100%, however, we CANNOT connect the 2410 laptop to the internet, or the inTRAnet, either, regardless if we try wireless or via ethernet (it works lovely from the 5200!).

The services tab of the 2410 shows the Wireless Services is installed and running, and the TCP/IP seems to be set correctly. I have tried setting the PC Cards to Channel 6 (the default), 11, 10....them all. Nothing. They DO recognise one-another, though (peer-to-peer wasn't possible, I was told...hmmmm).

I have swapped the PC Cards and both work correctly, but only on the 5200 machine.

I have a few other ideas (.....Anyone need a set of wheel-chocks?) like: installing Windows XP Pro over top of the 2410's Windows XP Home Edition. If I do that, would it totally dissasociate all the programs that are installed on it, though? (I read somewhere that might fix this problem, but I do not want to lose all the programs on that machine...)

I have tried almost everything I can think of....so, now I defer to you, the wise PPRuNer's. Your help is appreciated.

C.O.

[ORAC]

Pardon me if you have done this already.

The LAN ports will autodetect if a cable is wired straight through or is wired as a cross-over, the WAN port won't, it needs a straight through cable.

The Aztech modem connects direct to a PC through a cross-over cable, if you have are using the same cable when you are connecting directly, then it's a cross-over cable.

So it may simply be an incorrect cable. Try a different straight through cable between the modem and the router.

if you are getting a connection when you plug the modem directly to a LAN port you're lucky. It shouldn't work at all according to the manual.

If it does, it should only work for one machine, as you are presenting all your machines direct to the ISPs server, and they will normally only accept one connection. The point of the WAN port is that the router presents it's own IP address to the ISP whilst hiding all the rest internally.

[Captain Over]

Hi ORAC, and thanks for the thoughts. This particular Aztech modem uses a regular plain old ethernet cable, the non-crossover type. Even so, in trying to sort this mess out, I did try using one, but no luck.

As I described earlier, I can connect no problem with both the desktop PC and the 5200 laptop to the router no problem (as long as I plug them into the "OUT" ports with the Aztech plugged ALSO into an "out" port on the Router...and still no success connecting for the 2410 Laptop.

I'm still stumped.

Any other suggestions, please?

Networking? Try tin cans and a string....
:D

[ORAC]

let's step through this. let's forget the wireless at the moment.

The PCs connect OK straight through the modem. So they must be set up to request an IP address through DHCP. They must also be set up for your name/password.

To work with the router, they need the DHCP, but not the log in details. Have you been adjusting the PC settings each time?

Next, forgetting the internet, does the router work OK just as a DHCP server allocating IP addresses. You can see the addresses for the PCs inside the web utility.

If so, then go onto the next step. If not, there is an internal DHCP server problem. Try allocating static addresses and see if that works.

Next step. If the router is working OK as the centre of it's own small network, the next question is whether it is connecting to the internet itself. It should be set up to request an IP address and with your log-in details. The lights should tell you if it is connecting OK. If it is not, check the settings. You should be able to check on the web utility to see if you have obtained an address or not. If so, go onto step 3. If not, try resetting the unit.

If the LAN is working OK, and the router is connecting OK, then the data is not getting from the LAN side of the router to the WAN side of the router. Check all the security/firewall/filter settings. See if you can ping the ISP web server.

That should give us something to work on....

[curmudgeon]

I had the same problem (I think!) with my linksys wireless router - unfortunately only "B" speed. Having finally managed to get through to the linksys helpline, I stumbled on a guy who seemed to know what he was talking about.

What I had to do was to clone the MAC address of the network card that was originally set up to access the network directly. Apparently ISP's use MAC addresses to stop people sharing broadband connections. By putting this address into the router, the ISP assumes that there's only the original machine connected to the network. Needless to say, the ISP doesn't tell you this.

If you think that this may be useful to you, PM me with your e-mail and I can send you the "how to clone the MAC address crib sheet."

cur

[ORAC]

In which case at least 2 of the 3 machines, each with a different Mac address, would be unable to log on when connected direct to the modem. But it appears they all can.....

[Captain Over]

Hello ORAC and curmudgeon (and anyone else that may have a darn solution!).

I was busy today but will try both of your suggestions over the next couple of days. Thanks for the assistance from both of you.

Cheers,
C.O.