Question from a Router Newb

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Sly

Supreme [H]ardness
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Aug 17, 2004
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First off, i've never had a router before and i'm still figuring out how this thing works. I used to have my PC connected directly to the DSL modem and my PC acting as the internet host, that is, until my family started getting wifi (House just got renovated and they don't want any more holes drilled) and i really had to get a wifi router.

It's a Linksys WRT54G v7 and i've had it for a day. The thing is, the setup page (192.168.1.1) stalls even tho the router is right next to me. At first it opens immediately, then a while ago i wanted to check some settings and now the setup is taking forever to load, if it loads at all. I tried resetting my computer and it's still slow. Finally i pressed the reset button at the back, that seemed to fix it, and the setup page now loads instantly.

The longest the router has only been on is about half a day before i reset it. Am i missing something? Did i do something that made it slow down? I just set the DSL password and the Wifi passkey, everything else is at default.
 
If the computer you are managing the router from is right next to it I would first use a wired connection between them. Then you should be able to stay in the router management pages with no with problems. I don't know if this will help but it couldn't hurt.
 
It's okay now after i reset it. What i'm wondering is if it's normal for the router to start acting up after only a day. I had the distinct impression that they're supposed to let you stay connected for pretty much forever.:confused:
 
It should stay on just fine....should not require frequent reboots/restarts.

What make/modem modem is it connected to? Curious if that modem was actually running as a router also..as many are these days from the ISPs. In that case...if you stick another router behind them..can lead to issues.
 
If it happens again, check Linksys site to see if there is a firmware upgrade for your router. The WRT54G series routers seem to have frequent firmware updates. If issues like this become reoccurring, usually get resolved with firmware updates (even if the issue is not listed in the release notes for the firmware.)

That being said, your router should be fine now that you reset it.
 
I think it may be possible you are experiencing an IP conflict.

Is the Linksys configured for PPoE?

What kind of DSL modem do you have?
 
Honestly, i'm not even sure what the DSL modem is. It's rebranded by our phone company from two different suppliers and both have the same serial number (Two different hardware rebranded with same model number!!!:rolleyes:)

Anyway some claim that by hard resetting (That pinhole at the back), they were able to open a menu in their web browser that lets them set their password and have it redial automatically rather than dialing through windows. In which case, their dsl modem is actually a crippled router. The thing is, nobody can actually say which model they have since they all look the same. I'm worried about losing a critical setting that'll prevent me from connecting and haven't tried the pinhole yet. However, when i did try to access it through IE, it kept asking for a password (which i do not know, probably the ISP tech guys set it), so maybe this modem really is a router?

So i guess it's possible that i actually have two routers. Should i try the pinhole?

@itguru
Thanks, looks like there's an update. I'm downloading now, then figure out how to set it up. I think i saw a menu for that in the settings page.
 
Sly said:
So i guess it's possible that i actually have two routers. Should i try the pinhole?
Click to expand...

If you don't know 100% what your setup is...I woudn't go hitting factory reset buttons..else you may drop the internet entirely.

Is the Linksys router obtaining a public IP address on the WAN interface, or another class C IP address? (something like 192.168.1.100)

When your PC was plugged into what you call the DSL modem directly...did it obtain a public IP address or a class C?
 
Okay, i disconnected the linksys, and plugged the PC directly into the modem like before. Typing 192.168.1.1 prompts me for a password. So i guess the modem does have its own IP address.

oookaaay, so the modem is 192.168.1.1, which is plugged in to the WAN port in the linksys which is also 192.168.1.1.



When i'm plugged to the modem, and dialed using windows, ipconfig shows this. Ethernet is a manually assigned ip, PPP changes everytime i redial.

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.2
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

PPP adapter PLDT DSL:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 58.69.16.164
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 58.69.16.164
Click to expand...



When i have the linksys plugged in, i only get this. Ethernet is set to Auto.

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.100
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
Click to expand...



I'm not sure what to make of it. But i'm guessing having two 192.168.1.1 is a bad thing?
 
Looks like the "modem" from your ISP is already a router....as evidenced by the above info.

Sooo..if you add your own router to the mix..now you have 2x routers running on 192.168.1.xxx....not good, traffic will go "Which way do I go George?"

Either...
*Bridge the modem so it's just a modem and have your own router do the PPPoE and obtain the WAN IP address (my preferred method)

or

*reconfigure your current wireless router to run as an access point (change LAN IP to 192.168.1.245, disable DHCP on it..uplink to your current router using a LAN port of each..you will not use the WAN/Internet port anymore.
 
Thanks, the next time it happens, i'll try to see if that'll fix it without resorting to the reset.
 
Aha! I knew it was an IP conflict.

The best way to set up your modem+router would be to do the following.

Plug directly into your modem and get connected. Go to http://192.168.1.1

The usual login is usually something like

user: admin
pass: password

or

user: admin
pass: admin

One of those should get you in. It may prompt you to change the password once you get through.

Once you get in and can see the menu. look for anything like VC Configuration or router mode. Change it from PPPoE to Bridge. There may be multiple lines but just change the top option.

Save the changes and the router will reboot.

Now you can plug an ethernet cable from your router to the WAN/Internet port on the back of the Linksys.

Connect to your linksys and visit the config page http://192.168.1.1

In the first screen you can change the WAN type to PPPoE and enter in the login information you used before when you were connected straight to your modem.


Summary: The purpose of these instructions is to make it so your setup consists of only one NAT. It also allows you to use your Linksys to manage your network completely such as port forwarding, DHCP, DNS settings etc.
 
As Stonecat said, the preferred way to setup what you have is to put the DSL modem into bridge mode.

Try the serial number for the password on your DSL modem. Or there is sometimes a sticker with the password on the bottom of the modem. Also be aware that the DSL modem may have built-in wireless as well. If the brand is "2-Wire", it likely has wireless.

What brand in the modem?
 
I tried the passwords i can find, no good. I guess they've changed the password when they crippled it so the only way to get into the settings is to reset it.

This is one of the first modems they put out when they introduced DSL so they probably played around with some of the early batches. Particularly since the other subscribers claim that they can't use all four ports at once, while mine can be used as a hub.

I'll try to look up DSL modems. Maybe i can get an idea of what settings to expect when i reset it.

The sticker at the bottom just identifies it as belonging to the phone company. It doesn't say anything about the manufacturer. The model number is the acronym of the phone company.




If this really is a router, some say it's probably a zyxel. I'll try to look for their site and see if there's something there that looks like it.

Thanks for the help :)
 
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