Tech Help Needed: Wireless router and DSL

[Stupendous_Man]

I'll start with the "stuff" first, in case it helps the techies while reading the problem I'm facing.

Wireless router = Netgear
ISP = Bellsouth DSL

DSL Modem = Westell


Hope that info helps. So anyway, this weekend I purchased the wireless router and wireless adapter card for my desktop. The instructions for setting up the router were simple enough, I followed them, and things didn't work. I undid everything and re-did it to make it was correct (though I knew it was, as the set up is easy - I'm not a complete n00b, just a fraction of one when it comes to some technical stuff with computers). After this fun exercise, things still didn't work properly. The lights on the router for the "power", for the "check", and for the "Internet port" all came on and stayed on. However, the light for the "wireless" came on and then went out after about 5 seconds.

Now, the fun begins! I call up Netgear's tech support. For about 30 minutes, I keep getting busy signals. Finally I get through, explain the problem, and the guy says sorry, but I can't help you until you register your product! I tell him I would have registered the product if I was able to access the Internet, but the router isn't working properly. Long story short, I fix it so that the DSL modem is directly connected to the desktop, register the product, and call back. I explain the problem again to another tech person, who tells me it's an issue with Bellsouth and specifically the Westell modem not being in "bridge mode" (Here's my computer n00bness coming through).

I decide to use Live Chat/Help with Bellsouth in case there's something that they can do to the modem while we're chatting. The person tells me that it is a common problem with the Westell, but I didn't ask if it was specific to the Netgear or any wireless router. Anyway, the person tells me to shut everything down (computer, router, and modem), turn the modem back on, hit the reset button in the back (wait until the light turns red, then let go), wait 2 minutes, turn the router on, wait 1 minute, then fire up the computer and everything should be fine. Cool I say. I do all this and get the same result! The wireless part still isn't working.

Without boring you about the next 2.5 hours... bottom line is that now Bellsouth is saying it's a router/Netgear issue, as when I hit the reset button in the back of the modem that puts the modem in "bridge mode" and everything should work. Netgear is saying it's not a router problem based on the IP address showing up in IPCONFIG. Me being the n00b, I have no idea who's right. Just know that I'm pissed off and lost about 4-5 hours of playing time this weekend trying to set up this @#!$ thing.

Anyone know who's right here (Bellsouth or Netgear)? Or, does anyone know if this is a problem between the Westell modem and specifically the Netgear router (meaning if I get a wireless router from a different manufacturer, I won't have this issue)? Personally, I tend to believe it's an issue with the modem, but can not give you a tech reason why I believe this.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

[Eratosthenes]

I've done a few wireless setups, but I only use Linksys gear, so I know nothing about Netgear.

Since you can plug your PC into the DSL modem and connect to the internet, the modem would seem OK.

Your wireless card in the PC works OK? You should be able to go to settings/network connections/wireless something and see the status of your wireless connection. Is it not finding a wireless network at all?

Does your router have any LAN ports (that you would use to plug in a PC via ethernet cable)? If it does, you could plug in your PC and look at the setup. If you can connect via cable and connect to the internet, then it shows that the problem is in the wireless router.

[nnoobi]

As the computer support person for my friends and family, I have set up many home wireless networks.

I would suggest for you to simplify your problem.

Check the Router
1. Forget about the wireless stuff first.
2. Using a network cord, connect one pc to the router.
3. Get the connection from the PC to the router working - you should be able to reach the router's setup screens through a web browser at 192.168.1.1 (or some similar ip address).

Check the wireless
1. Try the wireless stuff now. Unplug the wired connection.
2. You should be able to reach the same router setup screens. If not, it is a problem with the wireless settings. Problems I've run into - network adapter security not same as router, network card broken, wireless turned off in the router.
3. No success, try a product called NetStumbler (at netstumbler.com) to see if you can even see your router's signal at all.

Check the Internet
Sounds like this is working when you directly connect the dsl modem to your computer.

Check the Router - Internet with Wired Connection
If you can see your router's web setup access, then this should work by making sure your network card is in Dynamic IP address mode (something like - 'Request and IP address').

Check the Router - Internet with Wireless Connection
Same issues as above.

Breaking the problem down will limit the ability for one company to blame the other.

Finally, re: the advice you were getting from BellSouth.

IP addresses are your address on the Internet. You get a new computer - plug it into the same dsl modem and it has the same old IP address. Think of this as a street address.

MAC addresses are essentially unique serial numbers for every network adapter and device every created. Think of this as a social security number.

Bellsouth probably sets up their dsl modems to work with one MAC address only. This MAC address is remembered. They're telling you that turning off the dsl modem for a couple of minutes will cause the MAC address to be forgotten so a new one can be remembered.

BTW, I've had ISP providers that store that MAC address on their servers, and those need to have a customer support person manually reset or forget them.

Good luck - it can be a really frustrating process. Make sure you install the strongest security available, even think about changing the passwords every now and then.


rabbit

[Jim Easton]

When I had DSL, the bridge settings were internal to the modem and you had to actually go into the modem and change the settings.

The real tech experts aren't here yet, so you might get a better answer later.

[Yads]

Stupendous man when you directly connected to the internet (not through the router.) You had a software firewall running right? If not, you probably have a virus already. Just a warning.

[TylerD]

That is just not true, personal PC's aren't that vulnerable without a firewall.

[TacoVendor]

I have personally seen various issues with DSL modems that the RBOC's (regional Bells) have been putting into use lately.

I specifically had an issue with the same setup you have (you can see another post of mine about it here: Netgear wireless post )

My issue was that some URL's (web addresses) would resolve properly while others would not. It was odd that something like f302.mail.yahoo.com would work and r212.mail.yahoo.com would never respond. Pulling the Netgear equipment out of the loop had everything working properly.

Instead of trying to disable the firewall functions of the DSL modem, why not keep that in place and either turn off the firewall function of the Netgear equipment or just swap out that Netgear firewall all together with just a wireless access point from them?

Someone else here posted about MAC addresses and such... that is not your worry in this case. Someone else posted that your desktop computer 'is not really that vulnerable' without a firewall. Pretend you never, ever saw that statement and you will be fine.

[Jamey Saunders]

I've got Bellsouth with the Westell modem, but I have a Linksys router. Turns out that the router wants to be the dialer, and if the router and modem come on at the same time, it doesn't work. There are ways to go into the router setup and change some settings to get it to work, but I found that if I plug in the modem and let it boot up until the three lights are on, then plug in the router, it worked.

Of course, that could just be dumb luck. Good luck. This is a problem for a whole bunch of folks.

[CountDuckula]

[ QUOTE ]
MAC addresses are essentially unique serial numbers for every network adapter and device every created. Think of this as a social security number.

Bellsouth probably sets up their dsl modems to work with one MAC address only. This MAC address is remembered. They're telling you that turning off the dsl modem for a couple of minutes will cause the MAC address to be forgotten so a new one can be remembered.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't know if this is true for Netgear routers, but I was able to get my (wired) Linksys router to report the same MAC address as my PC's Ethernet card to the DSL modem, so my DSL connection never missed a beat. If there is something in the Netgear manual about doing that, it might help this issue as well.

-Mike

[Yads]

[ QUOTE ]
That is just not true, personal PC's aren't that vulnerable without a firewall.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ok sure, is that why when I plug directly into my modem my software firewall almost instantly says it blocked a worm attack and then procedes to warn me every couple of minutes?