Configuring a Linksys Router with a Comcast Cable Modem

Oh, two other handy things to know:

1. You get to the Linksys Router Admin Tool by hitting http://192.168.1.1 in your web browser.

1. On most Cable Modems, you Admin Tool by hitting http://192.168.100.1. In the case where you are computer>router>modem and it's not working you won't be able to see the Cable Modem Admin Tool.

On the other hand, in the case where you are computer>modem and it is working you won't be able to see the Linksys Router Admin Tool.

When you finally have it all working, you'll be able to see both just fine.

One last, slightly off topic point: take about 20 seconds to add a little security to your Linksys Router network

-- change the device IP address (i.e. #1 above)...it's super easy for hackers if all they have to do is use the default IP address.

-- on the DHCP tab, limit the number of DHCP connections to the actual numbe of computers that you have.

-- also on the DHCP tab, set the starting IP address to something other than x.x.x.100.

-- if you have a Wireless Access Point Router, change the SSID...again, make it slightly harder for hackers, and

-- also, if you have a WAP, require a WEP key. (well, there may be places where you don't want this, like if you're installing it in a coffee shop for public use. but, i live in an urban neighborhood and can connect to any 4 of my neighbor's "linksys" networks wirelessly. i'm not smart enough to hack into them, but it's pretty obvious that any hacker could just walk down the street in my neighborhood and do so.)

also, after each of these steps, you'll most likely need to do an "ipconfig /release", then "ipconfig /renew" to re-establish the connection between your computer and the router.

that said, any determined hacker is gonna be able to pass these measures. however, it will make it harder for the amateurs, and the determined guys will probably just move on to a house where the doors are unlocked, so to speak.

good luck,

scott

Scott, It is necessary to provide the domain name to the router for Charter Pipeline as well. That is the only thing the user need provide for a default configuration, but without it, Charter won't talk to the Router.

Not with Comcast in Philadelphia. All you do is plug it in - all default with no additional settings - and it all works out of the box.

Um... No.

The DNS suffix is what is added to a url when there is no entry in the table on the DNS server. For example, with what you put in that field, if you were to type "go-here" in the address bar of your browser, when "go-here" is not found on the DNS server, "go-here.hsd1.wa.comcast.net." would be tried.

The setting you've indicated does *nothing* when the router is attempting to acquire an IP address.

Most likely what happened was the DHCP server was down when you first tried to connect, but came up just after you made the change in how the router will resolved failed DNS.

The process in a nutshell is to disconnect the power from the modem and the router. Reconnect the power to the router, and wait until it acquires sync. (This can best be described as the lights stabilize.) Normally that shouldn't take more than 15 or 20 seconds, but could take longer. (Perhaps another reason why your early attempts failed is you didn't wait for the modem to get sync before moving on.)

Only after the modem is sync'd should you power-up the router (with factory default settings). Most routers will sync up much faster - usually within 1 or 2 seconds. Sometimes so fast that you don't notice the difference between the light pattern during sync up, and a stable light pattern.

The last step is to boot your computer.

Under the old @Home network, and with some other ISP's (not Comcast) you may need to add in the DNS suffix setting because server names, like the mail and new settings, they give out are generic, incomplete names that anyone in any region can use. The DNS suffix then adds the regional sub-domain to the incomplete name to get you to the right server. But none of that works until *after* DHCP has completed.

Other ISP's, including the old @Home network, required a specific username, or computer name. This would be the case if DHCP is by computer name instead of MAC address. That's not the case on Comcast either.

Putting things in any of those fields will have no effect on whether or not you get connected on Comcast. A computer name or username will have zero effect, but putting something incorrect in the DNS suffix field may result in longer periods of time before DNS resolution fails when the name cannot be found. But again, it doesn't make any difference until

Remember, to the Comcast network, your router looks like just another computer connected to the network. It needs no additional settings beyond what a computer would need. There are no special settings that routers need. On some systems, the network may not recognize the new MAC address of the router, and a phone call to support is needed. But even that's not the case on Comcast, as new MAC addresses are automatically acquired. You just need to make sure you power-cycle the modem to trigger this process.

Same here with Comcast, Macomb County, Michigan. Plug'n'play!

Bill Crocker

You have to wait 50 seconds, not 15; and remember it is power that must be unplugged.

True with Win xp.

Correct.

Plug the modem into the WAN port.