Getting an old BEFSR41 Lynksys router to work

[Rob94hawk]

Don't know what I'm missing but can't get internet access with this old router. All the lights are on. I can access the router.

The DHCP Active IP table sees both computers. The Verizon FiOS router ethernet cable is plugged into the Linksys WAN.

What am I missing?

 

[Rob94hawk]

Do I have to have the Linksys router WAN plugged into my Verizon modem WAN?

Or can I use internet port 3 to the Linksys WAN?

 

[Deleted member 12106]

The wan port on that is 10/100, as are the switch ports. What link is the hand off from FIOS?
I'd throw that pile away and get something more current, with security updates, and more speed to boot.

 

[Rob94hawk]

The WAN port is only 10Mbit from what I read just now. So it’s even worse than useless.

The wan port on that is 10/100, as are the switch ports. What link is the hand off from FIOS?
I'd throw that pile away and get something more current, with security updates, and more speed to boot.

Was just using what I had stored away . Free is free right?

My son is stranded home doing his courses online so I wanted to get him off wifi. You don't need much speed for Zoom.

What do you recommend? Something simple like this looks good.

https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-5-Po...p/B07S98YLHM/?pldnSite=1&ref_=nav_signin&th=1

 

[BlueLineSwinger]

Was just using what I had stored away . Free is free right?

My son is stranded home doing his courses online so I wanted to get him off wifi. You don't need much speed for Zoom.

What do you recommend? Something simple like this looks good.

https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-5-Po...p/B07S98YLHM/?pldnSite=1&ref_=nav_signin&th=1

If all you need is a switch to increase your wired ethernet capacity, then that's a fine choice. Really, small unmanaged gigabit switches are pretty much a commodity item now, and most any will probably be OK. Check your local Best Buy, MicroCenter, Target/WalMart, etc. if you want one sooner than Amazon can get it to you.

It doesn't appear that you need a new router if the Verizon one is otherwise adequate.

 

[Rob94hawk]

If all you need is a switch to increase your wired ethernet capacity, then that's a fine choice. Really, small unmanaged gigabit switches are pretty much a commodity item now, and most any will probably be OK. Check your local Best Buy, MicroCenter, Target/WalMart, etc. if you want one sooner than Amazon can get it to you.

It doesn't appear that you need a new router if the Verizon one is otherwise adequate.

The Verizon router is fine 54/58 download/upload speeds via wire.

I'm using Cat 5e ethernet cable throughout the house. And this was done back in 2004.

 

[BlueLineSwinger]

The Verizon router is fine 54/58 download/upload speeds via wire.

I'm using Cat 5e ethernet cable throughout the house. And this was done back in 2004.

Maybe I'm not seeing what you're trying to accomplish. It appears you're set for wired ethernet, and not looking to replace the existing router+WiFi access point (AP). I get that you're looking to get a specific system off of WiFi. Were you trying to use the old Linksys as an AP on a different channel to ease congestion on the existing one?

Any chance you have a network diagram, including where you'd planned to place the Linksys?

 

[Rob94hawk]

Maybe I'm not seeing what you're trying to accomplish. It appears you're set for wired ethernet, and not looking to replace the existing router+WiFi access point (AP). I get that you're looking to get a specific system off of WiFi. Were you trying to use the old Linksys as an AP on a different channel to ease congestion on the existing one?

Any chance you have a network diagram, including where you'd planned to place the Linksys?

The Verizon modem is downstairs on the first floor. I ran an ethernet cable from that point around the outside of the house into one bedroom upstairs on the 2nd floor for a pc. Now I want to split that point into another bedroom on the 2nd floor next to it for my son. That's where the old Linksys router came in. Hope that helps.

 

[BlueLineSwinger]

The Verizon modem is downstairs on the first floor. I ran an ethernet cable from that point around the outside of the house into one bedroom upstairs on the 2nd floor for a pc. Now I want to split that point into another bedroom on the 2nd floor next to it for my son. That's where the old Linksys router came in. Hope that helps.

OK, so not quite "throughout", but a single run from the router? That's fine. A basic switch (like the Netgear you linked) behind the router is all you need.

Best practice would be to place the switch directly behind the router, and do a second run to the new location. However, if you need to simply get things up and running and it'd be simpler, you can place the switch at the existing drop and then run from there to the new location. Logically, the two setups are identical.

A basic switch is a drop-in, no-config thing. just plug in the power and cables.

 

[Rob94hawk]

OK, so not quite "throughout", but a single run from the router? That's fine. A basic switch (like the Netgear you linked) behind the router is all you need.

Best practice would be to place the switch directly behind the router, and do a second run to the new location. However, if you need to simply get things up and running and it'd be simpler, you can place the switch at the existing drop and then run from there to the new location. Logically, the two setups are identical.

A basic switch is a drop-in, no-config thing. just plug in the power and cables.

The Verizon router is coax and downstairs permanently. It has to be the lead router. Plus I have two other pc's hardwired to it downstairs.

I could reverse it but I'd rather not have the lead router in a bedroom.

On that note the Netgear switch is on it's way and will be here over the weekend. The wifi will have to suffice for now.

 

[BlueLineSwinger]

The Verizon router is coax and downstairs permanently. It has to be the lead router. Plus I have two other pc's hardwired to it downstairs.

I could reverse it but I'd rather not have the lead router in a bedroom.

On that note the Netgear switch is on it's way and will be here over the weekend. The wifi will have to suffice for now.

I think there's a misunderstanding, or I wasn't clear enough. Router stays in-place in either scenario (I get that its placement is usually dictated by considerations such as the coax hookup, best WiFi placement, etc.). The only differences in what I outlined above is where the switch is physically located and the path of the cable from it to the new location.

 

[ND40oz]

The Verizon router is coax and downstairs permanently. It has to be the lead router. Plus I have two other pc's hardwired to it downstairs.

I could reverse it but I'd rather not have the lead router in a bedroom.

On that note the Netgear switch is on it's way and will be here over the weekend. The wifi will have to suffice for now.

There's no "lead" router, there's one router and only one router unless you like dealing with things like double nat. Everything behind the router you want to be a switch, access point or client. A switch will just let you split up a single wired connection into multiple wired connections at the location it is installed, which is what it sounds like you're trying to do. You should be fine doing that with the switch you ordered.

 

[Rob94hawk]

Well I got the old Linksys router working! This whole time I had it wired wrong! I changed the IP address, disabled DHCP, I plugged it in LAN to LAN (LAN to WAN was wrong to do!) and BOOM!

60 Mbps download/ 55 Mbps upload!! Not too bad for an outdated switch!

 

[Deleted member 12106]

Well I got the old Linksys router working! This whole time I had it wired wrong! I changed the IP address, disabled DHCP, I plugged it in LAN to LAN (LAN to WAN was wrong to do!) and BOOM!

60 Mbps download/ 55 Mbps upload!! Not too bad for an outdated switch!

It may still be worthy to do the same with a current gen router with wifi. Thanks for the update.

 

[Rob94hawk]

It may still be worthy to do the same with a current gen router with wifi. Thanks for the update.

I guess if I need more ports. But right now all I need is setups for virtual classrooms in my sons room next door.
In the meantime ancelled the order for the Netgear switch. I'll deal with 'free' for now. Thanks for everyone's help!

Oh, in basic terms, what's the point of the Uplink & WAN ports? Really threw me off by having to use one of the 4 LAN ports.

 

[Rob94hawk]

Your router is actually two virtual devices in one. A router and a switch

The LAN ports are part of the switch device and moves data to devices on the same network segment.
The WAN port is part of the router device, which routes data from one network segment to another.

When you connected to the WAN port, there was something breaking the translation of addresses from the Linksys private address segment to the Verizon private address segment to the public internet segments.
My hunch is both routers were statically set to 192.168.0.1. The Verizon router send the gateway address as 192.168.0.1 in the Linksys's WAN DHCP request, so the Linksys just routes packets on it's LAN side back itself.

When you put everything on the LAN ports, it takes the Linksys's router function out of the loop making it effectively just a swtich. letting the Verizon router handle all of the routing.

Thanks for the explanation! Explains why everyone was recommending the Netgear switch. No setting changes necessary. But it was fun to learn something new.

 

[Rob94hawk]

It may still be worthy to do the same with a current gen router with wifi. Thanks for the update.

Already have wifi with the Verizon modem. Problem was when my wife was using Bluetooth to play her music it seemed to be interfering with my sons online classes using Zoom. Plus the router with wifi isn't ideally located with regards to my sons room. We did a wifi speed test in the room and got 18 mbps download & 13 upload. So wiring the room with an access point in the next room was a no brainer. So now he gets the max speed of the router with zero interference while we play music or watch Netflix on the PS4.