Going from wired to wireless

[cooly291]

Ok, so I got a Lynksis wireless router recently, and I can't get it to work. I contacted Lynksys and they were not help.

I have a D-Link wired router currently, and when I take the router out and plug just my Motorolla modem up to computer via ethernet, the computer cannot access the Internet. It has to be able to access Internet in order for Lynksys' setup to work... any suggestion to basically restart my network settings? Or something to let me gain Internet access after taking the router out?

Thanks

[brad211987]

Make sure it is set to factory defaults, I recently set up a linksys router that was causing all kinds of probs and re setting it did the trick and install went smooth enough. I believe there is a tool that linksys has on their website that you can download and run to help get the wireless set up also. I would check their website.

Also, what exactly does it do when its all hooked up?
Does it say its connected?
Do u get an IP for your computer at all?
Does it broadcast any wireless signal?


I've had many problems installing and setting up linksys routers, anyone else had the same experience? I set up a netgear router recently also and it seemed to go flawlessly, but I cant get that lucky with linksys.

[oracleguy]

I'm confused, you bought a new router that has wireless and you are trying to remove the wireless all together?

You should be able to just replace your wired router with the wireless one. Connect your computers to the switch ports on it and then plug your modem into the Internet/WAN port on it.

[cooly291]

When I run the Lynksys setup, I have to have the modem plugged directly to computer, but when I do, I get no Internet. So, the setup doesn't go to the next step because it cannot connect to the Internet.

I just need to the computer to be reset to no router at all, so I can go ahead and install the wireless router.

If I just hook the wireless router up, my base computer gets no Internet and my laptop doesn't even pick-up a signal. v_v

[daniel_g]

When I run the Lynksys setup, I have to have the modem plugged directly to computer, but when I do, I get no Internet. So, the setup doesn't go to the next step because it cannot connect to the Internet.


cooly, keep it cool :p .
First of all, there is an easier way to do it. Leave your old router hooked up to the internet just like you had it before. Now, instead of having the cable go to the computer, make it go to the "Internet" port on your new router.

Then, forget about the CD that came with the router. Put it someplace where you wont find it. Trust me.

From one of the extra ports on your new router(behind some tape on the back if you still havent found them), run a cat5 cable to your computer. It should be plug and play, so once you get it hooked up, you will see internet explorer displaying some info, or some kind of setup wizzard running. It should say something about linsys trying to figure out your connection type. Once it does, it should turn on the wireless signal by itself(which is off by default and that's why your laptop doesn't see it).

After the wizzrd is done, it will ask you if you want to secure the network. That's up to you. When you close the wizzard, just unplug the computer(or just leave it plugged if it's the desktop) from the router, and have windows search for wireless signals. You should be able to find yours with no problem.

It migth sound crazy to have two routers hooked up to each other, but sometimes, they even add extra security to your network.

As to why your computer doesn't seem to have internet access even if hooked up to the modem directly, I'm going to guess your internet provider "doesn't allow" networking, so the modem stores the identity of the very first computer that's hooked up to it, and doesn't allow other computers to be hooked up to it. Your old router could have cloned that identity and that's why it works. If that's the case, then we can still go directly from the modem to your new router, but it could get a bit complicated, so just try the avobe setup instead.

[oracleguy]

cooly, keep it cool :p .
First of all, there is an easier way to do it. Leave your old router hooked up to the internet just like you had it before. Now, instead of having the cable go to the computer, make it go to the "Internet" port on your new router.

Then, forget about the CD that came with the router. Put it someplace where you wont find it. Trust me.

From one of the extra ports on your new router(behind some tape on the back if you still havent found them), run a cat5 cable to your computer. It should be plug and play, so once you get it hooked up, you will see internet explorer displaying some info, or some kind of setup wizzard running. It should say something about linsys trying to figure out your connection type. Once it does, it should turn on the wireless signal by itself(which is off by default and that's why your laptop doesn't see it).

After the wizzrd is done, it will ask you if you want to secure the network. That's up to you. When you close the wizzard, just unplug the computer(or just leave it plugged if it's the desktop) from the router, and have windows search for wireless signals. You should be able to find yours with no problem.

It migth sound crazy to have two routers hooked up to each other, but sometimes, they even add extra security to your network.

As to why your computer doesn't seem to have internet access even if hooked up to the modem directly, I'm going to guess your internet provider "doesn't allow" networking, so the modem stores the identity of the very first computer that's hooked up to it, and doesn't allow other computers to be hooked up to it. Your old router could have cloned that identity and that's why it works. If that's the case, then we can still go directly from the modem to your new router, but it could get a bit complicated, so just try the avobe setup instead.

It does sound some what crazy and unneeded. If you just plug the modem directly into the internet port on your new router, that should allow the wizard to run through the browser and pick up your internet. Also make sure you are using the right cables, you should have a straight-through/patch cable from the router to your computer and another for the router to modem. If you hook the modem directly to your computer, I think you'd need a cross-over cable. Also make sure that when you plug in your new router there is a link (meaning you have the right cable and they are connected) between your router and modem, there should be a light for Internet on the router, if that lights up, they are at least talking with each other.

If all that doesn't work, then your ISP very well could be filtering based on MAC addresses and you have two options a) Most linksys routers let you clone a MAC address so you could enter the one from your old router or b) Call your ISP and change it to your new router.

[cooly291]

Ok, so I will try the two router option - now I've got to go get another cat-5 >_<

I could also possible just play with the modem and get it to work with just the modem and then run the CD thing, afterall, it ran fine when I've set up wireless before, I've just never gone from another wired router. This computer has been acting funky since the beginning with this router..

Oh well, thanks - if I get to the store anytime soon I will pick up a cat-5 and try that one out.


Thanks for all the help!

[daniel_g]

If all that doesn't work, then your ISP very well could be filtering based on MAC addresses and you have two options a) Most linksys routers let you clone a MAC address so you could enter the one from your old router or b) Call your ISP and change it to your new router.

Worst case, he doesn't have the original computer, so the easiest solution is the multiple router one.
Then again, he could try to figure out what the mac is by getting into the previous router settings, but then the hard part migth be to tell linksys not to clone the current computer's mac. Never had to deal with something like that, so I wouldn't know.
...Or, yeah, just call the ISP.

Anyways, if the routers come equiped with built in firewalls, then he will be behind those two firewalls, and that's the good thing about it, plus now he will have not 4, but 7 wired ports. Did I hear LAN party? :D


Oh well, thanks - if I get to the store anytime soon I will pick up a cat-5 and try that one out. I supposed you already had 2 from your previous setup, and the linksys router should have come with 1, so that's all the wires you need. You only need to phisically hook up one computer to the linksys router to get it started.

[cooly291]

Alight, so yeah I figured that out after I posted...


I got it all hooked up, my base computer has Internet the correct lights are on - yay! No setup thing happened, though.

But, I go get my laptop anyway and I find out that I left my wireless card in my car - which I don't have right now, but hopefully it all works..

thanks a lot!

[daniel_g]

If it turns out that wireless is working, but no setup screen shows up, that would mean your wireless connection may be accessible to anyone close to your router.

If that's the case, and you want to encrypt the signal, I'll help you with that as well.