wireless troubleshooting (last step, so close)

So...I'm still trying to connect to the internet wirelessly. I have broadband, which works flawlessly through ethernet. I bought a wireless router to which I figured out how to connect with Airport, and (*bonus*) even have MAC filtering and WPA2 encryption working. The problem comes in joining the two. When I disconnect the ethernet cable from my MacBook and plug it into the WAN port on the router, I am still wirelessly connected to my router, and the little LED on the router labeled "WAN" flickers, but the internet is no-go. Any ideas why that would be? Do I need to further set up the router somehow? I have given the router the DNS numbers for my ISP...does it need to know something else?

Neo said:

I have given the router the DNS numbers for my ISP...does it need to know something else?

Click to expand...

I've setup plenty of wireless networks and I've never had to do that. The basic steps to setting up your network should be outlined in your routers install guide. I would go back and follow your routers guide exactly and skip setting up any security on the router for the time being. Once you get everything working, go back and setup the security.

Right. I've exhausted my router's help resources, and that's why I've turned here, to see if experienced users have had similar problems even after following the router's directions.

Another weird thing I wasn't expecting, which may have something to do with it: when I connect "wall - coax - modem - ethernet - MacBook" everything works great, but when I connect "wall - coax - modem - ethernet - router - ethernet - MacBook" it doesn't work. If it is hard-connected, shouldn't it automatically work? What do I not know about router configuration (that my instruction manual hasn't covered)?

neo..i had a similar experience recently with a linksys wireless router at home. Worked in the morning, came home in evening, plugged in and no dns. direct connect to cable modem worked fine. i wound up replacing the router with a new dlink and worked first try out of the box. no idea what happened, but i tried a week later to get the linksys working again and still no dns passed to macbook or my wifes windows laptop.

Why don't we start off with this:

1. What kind of router are you using?
2. Are you sure it's configured correctly? Try having minimal settings configured (ie. no WEP/WPA2 and no MAC filtering) and see if that narrows your issues.
3. Have you tried to reset the router? (either by unplugging it or holding the reset button/restore factory defaults)

Answer those and let us know.

Besides what rogair suggested, also who is your internet provider? I take it you have Cable Internet? What Modem are you using? Some modems have a router built in and you can not run 2 routers both set to be a router.

Neo said:

So...I'm still trying to connect to the internet wirelessly. I have broadband, which works flawlessly through ethernet. I bought a wireless router to which I figured out how to connect with Airport, and (*bonus*) even have MAC filtering and WPA2 encryption working. The problem comes in joining the two. When I disconnect the ethernet cable from my MacBook and plug it into the WAN port on the router, I am still wirelessly connected to my router, and the little LED on the router labeled "WAN" flickers, but the internet is no-go. Any ideas why that would be? Do I need to further set up the router somehow? I have given the router the DNS numbers for my ISP...does it need to know something else?

Click to expand...

The router should be set to DHCP (dynamic addressing) unless your ISP gives you a static IP. You would know that to be the case, if you had to manually define IP parameters when you set your MacBook up directly connecting to your modem.

First of all, turn MAC filtering off. It's redundant, and adds an additional layer of complication. No one is going to break your WPA2 encryption, and even if they did, MAC filtering is laughably easy to break.

When your Mac is plugged into the modem directly, see what IP address it gets from the modem, write that down. When you plug your Mac into the router, see what IP address it gets and write that down too.

Please share that information with us. In my experience, this type of problem is usually the result of the modem and the router using the same IP address for the default gateway. If that's the case, it's just a matter of changing the IP range (typically from 192.168.1.0 to 192.168.0.0).

You might also check to see if your routher has a firmware upgrade.

You want specs, I got specs.
I am using Time Warner Cable broadband. They supplied me with a Motorola SB5101 cable modem (no routing here).
I bought a TrendNet TEW-452BRP wireless router (a/b/g). I hear your eyes rolling: "idiot can't spring for a $100 dlink router. No wonder." Well, sorry.

rogair: I have tried the power cycling reset...several times. That was the only suggestion from my ISP help desk.

cwa107: I know MAC is powerless against a packet sniffer, but I hesitate to turn it off, because I could get no response at all from the router (wirelessly) until I set up MAC. The router default IP is 192.168.1.1

The router is set for DHCP.
My computer IP is currently 76.85.204.145 (connected directly to modem)
I don't think I get an IP from the router. Maybe I don't understand the question.

kfordham...: I updated the firmware.

I have found that with a lot of Cable providers, you have to clone the MAC address of the first computer that was used to set up the account. This is the page of the Trendnet configuration where you enter that MAC address.

http://www.trendnet.com/emulators/TEW-452BRP_B1.1R/wan_dhcp.htm

Try this with the computer hooked right into a LAN port on the router to be sure it works, then try the WiFi.

The router splits your network into two parts.

On one side you will have the ISP address - in this case it seems to be 76.85.204.145. Did the ISP give you that number, or does it just appear? If they gave it to you, you need to put that (and the other numbers they gave you) into the router. If not, the router must be set to USE dhcp on the ISP side.

Then you need to set your computer to pick up an IP address from the router - this will be in the 192.168.1.XXX range. If it's not, it's not going to work. The mask must be the same as the router too.

If your Computer has the 76.85.204.145 address manually entered, you will never be able to connect through the router, you have to either set your machine to use dhcp, or manually enter an IP address using the correct settings - I'd suggest you try dhcp first.

Other reasons can be;

MAC address registration - your ISP registers the MAC (as in the network device) address, and changing to a different one requires they change their end. In most cases this can be solved by switching it all off for half an hour, the trying again. Some ISPs need a phone call. Some won't let you connect a router at all . . .

If the latter, as already mentioned you can clone the MAC address. You put the MAC address from your computer into the router.

That should keep you busy

Neo said:

You want specs, I got specs.
I am using Time Warner Cable broadband. They supplied me with a Motorola SB5101 cable modem (no routing here).
I bought a TrendNet TEW-452BRP wireless router (a/b/g). I hear your eyes rolling: "idiot can't spring for a $100 dlink router. No wonder." Well, sorry.

rogair: I have tried the power cycling reset...several times. That was the only suggestion from my ISP help desk.

cwa107: I know MAC is powerless against a packet sniffer, but I hesitate to turn it off, because I could get no response at all from the router (wirelessly) until I set up MAC. The router default IP is 192.168.1.1

The router is set for DHCP.
My computer IP is currently 76.85.204.145 (connected directly to modem)
I don't think I get an IP from the router. Maybe I don't understand the question.

kfordham...: I updated the firmware.

Click to expand...

Been reading over the site because my brother and I are planning on switching from PC's to Macs. I could not help to respond to this thread.

I am IT professional. At least I want to think so Let me see if I can offer you a solution.

At this point, start from scratch. It is much easier than trying to "repair" a botched job.

1 - Reset everything to factory defaults. Router specifically.

2 - Delete whatever wireless networks were found by your computer. Start clean.

3 - Turn off your modem for 2 minutes. Physically unplug it. Leave it unplugged.



Now, here we go - its going to be really easy so just follow along...

1 - Turn off the wireless on you computer. Disable it. You will turn it on later.

2 - If you have not already turned off your modem (unplugged it from power), do it now and let it sit for a few minutes 2-3. Plug it back in. This resets the modem to allow a new MAC address to be assigned to it. Problem is, when you plugged in your computer, the modem registered your computers MAC as the ONLY device able to use the model. So when you plugged in your router, it would not work.

3 - If you have not reset your router, do it now. Use a pen or something to press the reset button on the back next to the power cord. The lights should flash/go out and come back on. Unplug it.

4 - Plug an ethernet cable from your modem to the WAN port on your router.

5 - Plug your router in and let it sit for a moment. Give it about 2-5 minutes. Your power, status, wan and wlan light should come on. Your cable provider should AUTOMATICALLY give your router an IP address, subnet, gateway and dns. Unless they gave you these numbers and told you - you need to enter them - NEVER enter the IP information manually. Leave it set to DHCP!

6 - Now, plug an ethernet cable from your computer to one of the 4 LAN ports on the router . Restart your computer.

7 - See if you are getting an ip or browse the web. If that works, setup your router by typing in http://192.168.1.1 - You seem like you know how to do this but I will mention a few things.. do not enable wireless security or mac filtering or anything at this point. The object is to get everything working then make small changes. So if something goes wrong, you know what caused it and undo it. Make sure you are allowing enough IPS for your local network (DHCP).

8 - Once you have the router setup, your on the net and are getting an IP address and all is working via WIRED (Ethernet), sever the cable. Unplug it from the computer and the router.

9 - Enable wireless on your computer. It should pickup your wireless system without incident now. Once that happens, give it a run through and make sure it's good to go.

10 - Now you can enable WPA/WEP whatever it is you want to use. Remember to make small changes simple changes. Not a lot of changes at once.

Hope this helps you.

wireless issue resolved

AbSoluTc: You, sir, are an IT professional. Wow. It basically set itself up. THAT'S how easy I was expecting it to be. My ISP did give me some DNS numbers so I put them in first thing. That might have been the nail in the coffin.
Everybody else, thanks so much for your suggestions. This is the best forum (best people) of any kind I've ever come across. Reps all around!

Neo said:

AbSoluTc: You, sir, are an IT professional. Wow. It basically set itself up. THAT'S how easy I was expecting it to be. My ISP did give me some DNS numbers so I put them in first thing. That might have been the nail in the coffin.
Everybody else, thanks so much for your suggestions. This is the best forum (best people) of any kind I've ever come across. Reps all around!

Click to expand...

Very good to hear

Absolu TC is excellent!

Now, it is the next step that has me totally baffled. I bought my Mac 12 months ago and set up the network with the old PC and the new Mac.

Never did figure out how to set the WAP (or other) security, and I have been running an unsecured network for twelve months.

I have tried many forum tutorials, even corresponded several times with DLink support to no avail.

Can anybody help? AbSolu Tc has the clearest most readily understandable way of expressing the solution I have ever seen. Too many geeks out there - not enough AbSolu Tc (s)

Irwin from Stratford

Rusty, what router do you have?

D-Link WBR 1310

Pulled out a hammer and crowbar (due to the amount of corrosion) and moved this ancient thread to the correct forum.

BrianLachoreVPI said:

Pulled out a hammer and crowbar (due to the amount of corrosion) and moved this ancient thread to the correct forum.

Click to expand...

Hi Brian

Thanks, I think;D

I must admit the thought has crossed my mind, honestly. I have googled routers thinking that the best course might be to buy new. It's hard to know...the dang things run from $20 (Belkin) to $110 for brand names. I believe quality doesn't cost - it pays. To buy cheap is too expensive in the long run, but there isn't much sense in spending big money (I don't have any) for overkill.

Probably it is uncouth to ask for suggestions.

I am running a Mac (10.6.8) and a PC (XP) and wanting to use the mac wireless. The printer is Kodak 5250, a few months old, gathering dust, and will be replaced next month under warranty (or else

Irwin from Stratford (Rusty Rover)