Router Trouble

Hi folks, hopefully someone here will be able to help with this.

I am using the BT Home Hub to connect to the internet and the computer that is connected via Ethernet is fine.

We have recently tried to connect the old computer without wires by using a belkin usb wireless adapter.

I installed the adapter and connected to the router and was able to use the internet without any problems until the hub started to drop it's connection.
I swapped to a different hub and changed the wireless key in the belkin's settings accordingly and for some reason the adapter would connect to the hub but I couldn't connect to any website's.

I've since plugged in the original hub that the belkin adapter worked with initially and I am getting the same result, it will connect to the Hub but doesn't connect to the net.

When I use the Belkin Diagnostic Util it performs a connection test,

it passes on
Loopback and IP

but fails on
Gateway, DNS, WAN.

I've tried to unistall and re-install the Belkin adapter but had no luck, any help would be most appreciated.

Thanks

 

Okay, you say you've switched from a router to a hub, and since then, you can't connect to the internet?

I'd say this is becaure your internet sharing infratstructure changed fairly drastically when you did that. Router's typically perform a function called Network Address Translation (NAT), where you have a range of internal IP addresses for computers on your network, and the router translates them into a single IP address for use on the internet.

Hubs don't do NAT, and as such, you will have to use a software solution called Internet Connection Sharing (ICS). However, you would have had to configure your computer for this to function. (Check this google search if the first link isn't the right steps for your OS.

There's some excellent, free information on TCP/IP networking at this link

 

Sorry I didn't realise what I was saying, I have swapped a router for a router. Apoligies for that, does the above advice still apply?

 

Yes, and no... the ICS and NAT stuff no longer applies, but the last link on TCP/IP networking will have some useful information. I'd expect that your network properties aren't properly configured for the router. Recommend that you have a read, as this will help you understand what needs to be configured and how.

In the meantime, let's check your network adapter's properties. Try this:

1. Hit windows key + r (or click Start --> Run)
2. In the 'Run' dialog, type 'cmd' (without the quotes) for Win NT/2K/XP or 'command' for Win 9x
3. Press enter (or click 'OK')
4. At the command prompt, type 'ipconfig /all' (without the quotes)
5. Press enter

You should now see the properties of your network adapter. We are particularly interested in your Network Address, Subnet Mask, and Default Gateway, as these are the properties that need to be set in order to properly interface your network card to the router.

 

Ok mate tried all of that here's what i've got from the belkin adapter

auto config ip 169.254.98.249
Subnet Mask 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway was blank

Is that what you needed to know

 

The DSL Routers, usually do the authentication (ID and PW).

Might be that you have to set the authentication on the second Router.

 

Yes, this helps. Routers shouldn't be giving addresses that start with 169. That's a common indication of a problem (typically with DHCP). Also, you need to specify a default gateway, so that the computer knows where to go for internet access (the gateway is what separates your network for the public network, aka. the internet).

The first thing to try would be to get a new IP from the router. Try this:

1. Hit windows key + r (or click Start --> Run)
2. In the 'Run' dialog, type 'cmd' (without the quotes)
3. Press enter (or click 'OK')
4. At the command prompt, type 'ipconfig /release && ipconfig /renew' (without the quotes)
5. Press enter.

This will cause your machine to request a new ip address from your router. When this is complete, check your network adapter's properties again. This should give you an IP address that starts with 192 (Or possibly 10, depending on your network's class, as defined in the router's configuration), as well as a default gateway address.

If you still get a 169 address, then DHCP isn't working correctly on your router. Resetting it to defaults may help, but you can work around it by specifying your address manually.

Typically, you would do the following:

1. Right-click 'My Network Places'
2. Select 'Properties'
3 On the 'Network Connections' window, right-click the adapter you have connected to the router.
4. Select 'Properties'
5. Highlight 'TCP/IP Properties' with a single click
6. Press the 'Properties' button
7. On the 'Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties' dialog, select the radio button next to 'Use The Following IP Address'
8. Next to 'IP address', type '192.168.1.100' *
9. Next to 'Subnet mask', type '255.255.255.0' *
10. Next to 'Default Gateway', type '192.168.1.1' *
11. Click 'OK'

Windows will now configure your network card with the settings you've specified. *Please note that the IP addresses I've used in your configuration are just COMMON addresses. Without knowing your router's make and model (and current configuration), I can't tell you the exact addresses you would want to use, but this should work in most cases when the router is using it's default settings.