Need router advice

For more than 3 years I had a nice 4 port Linksys router that functioned pretty well. The router and cable modem and two of the connected computers are in one room. At the end of a fifty foot cable is my son's computer. Physically, it's only about 20 feet away but the cable has to run under the floor and around some obstacles. A 25 foot cable comes up inches short. The old Linksys handled it fine.

Last Saturday, a big bolt of lightning struck near the house. So far, the only two things that got fried were my trusty Linksys and one electric garage door opener.

So today I head out and get a new Linksys. Only it won't link up to the boy's computer. I can swap his cable direct to the modem and connect find.

While I'm messing with that, the Linksys crashes about half a dozen times, just locking completely up. Back to the store.

Now I get a D-Link DI-604. Wrestle with it all night, trying to get it to do static DHCP. Go to check with the boy's box and again, I can't get it to come up. At some point It did get through to DHCP (it left its MAC address behind in a table), but even with a static address it won't connect.

At this point, I'm assuming that the 50 foot run is causing too much signal degradation. So what's the recommendation for a router that can function as well as my old one?

TIA

Dan Mercer snipped-for-privacy@mn.rr.com

OK, you need to back up a moment. From what you wrote (I read the whole thing carefully, twice), it isn't clear that your new router (either one of them) is properly configured for sharing your Internet connection. You've verified that your son's computer works with the cable modem. Great. Have you seen more than one computer can access the Internet through the router, though? That is, if computer A connects to the Internet (with or without the router) and likewise with computer B, you have not verified that your new router is properly configured . . . only that your cable modem will allow one computer at a time to access the Internet. (but you already knew that, right?) In other words, I think the 50 foot cable and the computer on the other end of it are a red herring. I also believe that your new routers (both of them) are probably working exactly as they are designed to do.

Ignore your son's computer for a moment. Get the other two computers to access the Internet simultaneously with the router, and THEN throw that third computer back into the mix. You might need to program your router to "spoof" one of the two computers that is in the same room, so that your cable modem only sees the MAC of ONE computer. Try the following first though . . .

1) Disconnect ALL ethernet cables and the power cables from your cable modem and router. Power down all computer systems. (not standby, OFF)

Plug in cable modem. Wait 120 full seconds. Now connect an ethernet cable from cable modem to WAN port of router.

Plug in router. Wait 120 full seconds. Now connect an ethernet cable from any port of router to the ethernet connector/NIC of the computer that is closest (physically) to the router.

Now turn on the computer that is connected to the router, and ONLY that computer. Can you access the Internet? If not, go back to step one and try again.

If you successfully accessed the Internet with the first computer, now hook up the ethernet connection between router and the other computer in the same room. Fire up that computer and try to access the Internet. If this works, you have just verified that your cable modem AND ROUTER are working fine. If this doesn't work, you need to re-program your router to share your Internet connection (see mac spoofing, possibly) and go back to step 1 again.

If you've successfully accessed the Internet with two computers, then there is nothing wrong with the router, and it's probably safe to assume there is nothing wrong with your 50-foot cable, either. And 50 feet should not be too long to connect. That would leave a problem with the NIC of your son's computer as the likely suspect. -Dave

"Dan Mercer" wrote in news:2lTIc.10487$ snipped-for-privacy@twister.rdc-kc.rr.com:

If you're Ethernet cable is properly terminated and not damaged it is capable of runs of upto 100m.

For good, high quality routers, check out Zyxel.com.

"Dave C." wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@uni-berlin.de... : : "Dan Mercer" wrote in message : news:2lTIc.10487$ snipped-for-privacy@twister.rdc-kc.rr.com... : > For more than 3 years I had a nice 4 port Linksys router : > that functioned pretty well. The router and cable modem : > and two of the connected computers are in one room. At the : > end of a fifty foot cable is my son's computer. : > Physically, it's only about 20 feet away but the cable has to run under : > the floor and around some obstacles. A 25 foot cable comes up inches : short. : > The old Linksys handled it fine. : >

: > Last Saturday, a big bolt of lightning struck near the house. So far, : > the only two things that got fried were my trusty Linksys and one : > electric garage door opener. : >

: > So today I head out and get a new Linksys. Only it won't : > link up to the boy's computer. I can swap his cable direct : > to the modem and connect find. : >

: : OK, you need to back up a moment. From what you wrote (I read the whole : thing carefully, twice), it isn't clear that your new router (either one of : them) is properly configured for sharing your Internet connection. You've : verified that your son's computer works with the cable modem. Great. Have : you seen more than one computer can access the Internet through the router, : though?

I have a Linux computer, 2 window ME's and an HP Unix 700. The last one is having EISA problems. I brought up the Linux box, VNC'd into it (it's headless) and ran Netscape, connecting to the Internet. Just the kid's box can't get through reliably (though it did manage to lease an address - it's MAC address shows up in the log).

I had already done everything else you've mentioned. I am a computer specialist with over 20 years support experience. I first touched a computer in 1968 - an IBM 360-50, then state of the art. I've spent years diagnosing this kind of stuff. So I'm pretty sure it's not a port problem or a config problem.

Thanks for the interest.

Dan Mercer

That is, if computer A connects to the Internet (with or without : the router) and likewise with computer B, you have not verified that your : new router is properly configured . . . only that your cable modem will : allow one computer at a time to access the Internet. (but you already knew : that, right?) In other words, I think the 50 foot cable and the computer on : the other end of it are a red herring. I also believe that your new routers : (both of them) are probably working exactly as they are designed to do. : : Ignore your son's computer for a moment. Get the other two computers to : access the Internet simultaneously with the router, and THEN throw that : third computer back into the mix. You might need to program your router to : "spoof" one of the two computers that is in the same room, so that your : cable modem only sees the MAC of ONE computer. Try the following first : though . . . : : 1) Disconnect ALL ethernet cables and the power cables from your cable : modem and router. Power down all computer systems. (not standby, OFF) : : Plug in cable modem. Wait 120 full seconds. Now connect an ethernet cable : from cable modem to WAN port of router. : : Plug in router. Wait 120 full seconds. Now connect an ethernet cable from : any port of router to the ethernet connector/NIC of the computer that is : closest (physically) to the router. : : Now turn on the computer that is connected to the router, and ONLY that : computer. Can you access the Internet? If not, go back to step one and try : again. : : If you successfully accessed the Internet with the first computer, now hook : up the ethernet connection between router and the other computer in the same : room. Fire up that computer and try to access the Internet. If this works, : you have just verified that your cable modem AND ROUTER are working fine. : If this doesn't work, you need to re-program your router to share your : Internet connection (see mac spoofing, possibly) and go back to step 1 : again. : : If you've successfully accessed the Internet with two computers, then there : is nothing wrong with the router, and it's probably safe to assume there is : nothing wrong with your 50-foot cable, either. And 50 feet should not be : too long to connect. That would leave a problem with the NIC of your son's : computer as the likely suspect. -Dave : :

: > Last Saturday, a big bolt of lightning struck near the house. So far, : > the only two things that got fried were my trusty Linksys and one : > electric garage door opener. : >

: > So today I head out and get a new Linksys. Only it won't : > link up to the boy's computer. I can swap his cable direct : > to the modem and connect find. : >

: > While I'm messing with that, the Linksys crashes about half : > a dozen times, just locking completely up. Back to the store. : >

: > Now I get a D-Link DI-604. Wrestle with it all night, trying to : > get it to do static DHCP. Go to check with the boy's box and : > again, I can't get it to come up. At some point It did get : > through to DHCP (it left its MAC address behind in a table), : > but even with a static address it won't connect. : >

: > At this point, I'm assuming that the 50 foot run is causing too much : > signal degradation. So what's the recommendation for a : > router that can function as well as my old one? : : After you try Dave's suggestions, I would try a Netgear if you still : want a replacement.

That was my son-in-laws recommendation. Thanks,

Dan Mercer

:

Dan - I don't have as much experience as you do. The first computer I was paid to service was a PDP-11. (!) Don't rule out a NIC problem on your "kid's box". As I've said before, the problem is probably not your router, not the cable and not the length of the cable. If you're sure the router is set up right . . . I'm wondering if lightning damaged the NIC when it took out your trusty linksys router, even though the NIC apparently works if connected directly to the modem. I've seen stranger. Just a few weeks ago, I had a *hardware* problem where a proprietary NIC would not work on system A, but would work on system B. Meanwhile, any other NIC of the exact same model would work on both systems. Identical NICs, identical systems, NIC A on System A no good, NIC A on System B good, NIC B on system A good. This problem had another one of our guys stumped for a week. He was sure the problem was anywhere BUT the NIC (don't ask) So they sent me in. I immediately diagnosed it, replaced it, and it's been fine since. Anyway, just illustrating that a component can test OK for one application and still be bad for what you really need it to do.

Follow the symptom. The symptom is pointing at your kid's box. Nothing in this business is 100% certain, but I've had pretty good luck trusting my instincts. My gut is telling me the NIC in your kid's box is the likely culprit. Having said that, if you really want a good router, I would second the nomination for Netgear. If anything will work, the Netgear will. But I could have said the same thing about Linksys, also. -Dave

No offense Dan, but if you're such an expert you should have been able to easily diagnose this trivial problem.

I would pull the NIC and re-do the networking in the boy's system. Even then, possibility exists that the surge found another weak component (as in the boy's system) that you don't know about.

If you direct-connected the computer to the cable modem, it is also possible that it is infected, and that is causing something undesirable. So I would sweep that very thoroughly as part of the fix.

Ed

Long before you do 'buying and trying', instead hook up those computers directly with an ethernet cross over cable - no hub required. Just because you 'think' the ports are good is not sufficient. With that direct hookup, then one can also execute hardware diagnostics directly between both machines (if using same manufacturer NICs). Hardware diagnostics even eliminate any complications or problems created by Windows - to confirm hardware in each computer is completely functional.

Comprehensive diagnostics are provided free by responsible computer manufacturers on their web site. Otherwise download those diagnostics from the NIC manufacturer's site.

Furthermore, I don't see any report from the Device Manager for each machine. What does Device Manager report for each NIC?

Also do not even see >> After you try Dave's suggestions, I would try a Netgear if

"Dave C." wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@uni-berlin.de... : >

: > I have a Linux computer, 2 window ME's and an HP Unix 700. The last : > one is having EISA problems. I brought up the Linux box, VNC'd into : > it (it's headless) and ran Netscape, connecting to the Internet. Just : the kid's : > box can't get through reliably (though it did manage to lease an : > address - it's MAC address shows up in the log). : >

: > I had already done everything else you've mentioned. I am a computer : > specialist with over 20 years support experience. I first touched : > a computer in 1968 - an IBM 360-50, then state of the art. : > I've spent years diagnosing this kind of stuff. So I'm pretty : > sure it's not a port problem or a config problem. : >

: > Thanks for the interest. : >

: > Dan Mercer : >

: >

: : Dan - I don't have as much experience as you do. The first computer I was : paid to service was a PDP-11. (!) Don't rule out a NIC problem on your : "kid's box". As I've said before, the problem is probably not your router, : not the cable and not the length of the cable. If you're sure the router is : set up right . . . I'm wondering if lightning damaged the NIC when it took : out your trusty linksys router, even though the NIC apparently works if : connected directly to the modem. I've seen stranger. Just a few weeks ago, : I had a *hardware* problem where a proprietary NIC would not work on system : A, but would work on system B. Meanwhile, any other NIC of the exact same : model would work on both systems. Identical NICs, identical systems, NIC A : on System A no good, NIC A on System B good, NIC B on system A good. This : problem had another one of our guys stumped for a week. He was sure the : problem was anywhere BUT the NIC (don't ask) So they sent me in. I : immediately diagnosed it, replaced it, and it's been fine since. Anyway, : just illustrating that a component can test OK for one application and still : be bad for what you really need it to do. : : Follow the symptom. The symptom is pointing at your kid's box. Nothing in : this business is 100% certain, but I've had pretty good luck trusting my : instincts. My gut is telling me the NIC in your kid's box is the likely : culprit. Having said that, if you really want a good router, I would second : the nomination for Netgear. If anything will work, the Netgear will. But I : could have said the same thing about Linksys, also. -Dave

Thanks for the info. A new NIC is a small investment, and certainly less hassle than than getting yet another router.

As for the Linksys, it's locking up problem (even with the kid's PC unattached) was the big problem. I also didn't like how they'd dumbed it down. For instance, they used to tell you how long the lease was good for - my ISP has a nasty habit of issuing one hour leases. Anyways, the new version didn't support that feature.

Dan Mercer

: :

Are you sure they dumbed it down? Sometimes they move things around quite a bit from one firmware version to the next.