Lynksys Wireless Router/Modem

Just bought a Linksys WIRELESS N ADSL2+ GATEWAY WAG160N router to obtain better security from my existing WEP Encryption Modem/Router setup; ie want WPA2.

Had difficulty installing from CD (could not find my Network adapter);had to resort to Linksys Internet Utility to get operational, which seemed OK, but cannot get my Intel Pro/Wireless G adapter on my Dell Laptop to recognise my Profile, however when trying using the Windows recognition method I can get a connection, but very weak!

On its own and connected to my PC by the PC network adapter the Linksys unit above is very slow to connect and is not very stable, and on checking the internet download speed this is very low; much higher on my old G Wireless system.

Any one had similar Linksys problems; any recommendations on replacing my Dell installed wireless G adapter on Laptop with a suitable N adapter(USB or ExpressCard) and any help on how I can improve operation of Linksys unit?

Thanks John

Reply to
JohnN
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have the same wireless router.

works with no problems.

have you gone to their web site and updated ALL the software. control program, drivers and bios in the router.

be extremely careful when updating the bios in the router. I usually use msconfig and turn off everything then reboot to do bios updates.

Reply to
mikeyhsd

Could my problem be that my built in wireless adapter on my Dell Laptop is G and my new Wireless Router Modem is N; if that is so can someone recommend a N adapter (usb or expresscard)?

Thanks John

Reply to
JohnN

Since it is 'new' and version2 I would expect it to be uptodate!?

Do you have any other wireless devices, and are they N compatible?

works with no problems.

have you gone to their web site and updated ALL the software. control program, drivers and bios in the router.

be extremely careful when updating the bios in the router. I usually use msconfig and turn off everything then reboot to do bios updates.

Reply to
JohnN

fraid not, no N standards yet, just pre-n and two different ways of doing things, some work, some won't... why not wait for actual n instead of pre-n? (see the fine print, they are ALL pre-n)

Reply to
Peter Pan

Meanwhile, at the alt.internet.wireless Job Justification Hearings, JohnN chose the tried and tested strategy of:

It is unlikely that that is the problem. How far is your PC from your router? What is in between your PC and your router? Have you got the latest drivers installed?

Reply to
alexd

the router services B & G & N. unless you disable the B & G in the network program.

Reply to
mikeyhsd

~ Since it is 'new' and version2 I would expect it to be uptodate!?

I never assume any such thing. Whenever I get new computer equipment, my first step after hooking it up is *always* to upgrade to current code.

Reply to
Aaron Leonard

Very often you don't have a choice because the install does that for you.

Routers seem to be an exception but by default they usually tell you there is a new version if you log on to them.

It bugs me that I can't save my configuration and restore it to the updated firmware on mine, because I have changed so many settings.

Including using fixed IP addresses for practically everything on the network because of limitations in Windows network printing which uses IP addresses instead of URLs even though they would change when things are powered on in a different order.

Reply to
Christopher A. Lee

If you feel that you need static IP addressing for a networked print server or a PC that's sharing a printer on the network, that doesn't mean any other nodes need to be statically configured. You can, of course, but don't need to unless yours is a fairly unique situation.

Reply to
Char Jackson

That should have read "limitations in Windows like network printing".

I don't feel it, that's how Windows works.

If you look at the properties of a networked printer it holds the IP address not a URL. Without a fixed IP addy you have to delete it and add it again if things are powered up in a different order.

Which they always are.

Bit torrents need a forwarded port for PCs otherwise traffic is throttled which also means static IP even though I don't use it very often.

The network attached storage also likes a static IP if the router gets reset for any reason.

If I never used torrents the PCs would not need static IP, but I do occasionally.

This means everything has static IP.

With properly designed software and firmware it shouldn't be necessary.

Reply to
Christopher A. Lee

Now that you mention these other things, I see what you mean.

Reply to
Char Jackson

i have to wonder, have you looked at network shares instead of network places? i have a bunch set up that way, and don't use ip address on any of em (for example, the printer on my gateway is //gateway/printer

Reply to
Peter Pan

That's what I did with XP. Vista's printer setup generates IP addresses. Tou tell it it's a netorked printer and it searches for what it can find, savingthe IP address.

Reply to
Christopher A. Lee

odd, cuz i have a network share on my vista machine and print on a local usb printer on an xp machine on my net.. is that maybe a difference between network printers and locally attached usb printers used over the network?

at any rate, i hate static addresses, and jump thru all sorts of hoops to never have em/use em....

Reply to
Peter Pan

IP assignments on my LAN are 100% static here. As a network design engineer for a large telecom, it goes against everything I know to let DHCP assign pseudo-random addresses on my network. I understand, though, that not everyone feels the same way, and many consider DHCP to be easier. I don't share that opinion, but I understand it.

Reply to
Char Jackson

Yes.

It's a different setup.

You tell it to add a networked printer and it runs all possible addresses looking for it. So it's already working with addresses not URLs.

The only reason I can think why it doesn't save the name is that identical printers from the same manufacturer default to the same name. But this can be changed using an admin option.

Me too. A properly designed system shouldn't need them.

I suspect a lot of it is due to resets not being propagated dynamically. I don't know if this is due to the software components of the network being "just growed".

But much of it could be handled by proper device error recovery.

Eg networked printers. The control block should hold both a URL and an IP addy. It should open the device using the URL and save the IP opens the device it should use the URL and save the IP addy. If the printer drops, instead of giving up if it can't talk to the IP address, try the URL and if it works save the new IP addy.

Reply to
Christopher A. Lee

~ >at any rate, i hate static addresses, and jump thru all sorts of hoops to ~ >never have em/use em.... ~ ~ IP assignments on my LAN are 100% static here. As a network design ~ engineer for a large telecom, it goes against everything I know to let ~ DHCP assign pseudo-random addresses on my network. I understand, ~ though, that not everyone feels the same way, and many consider DHCP ~ to be easier. I don't share that opinion, but I understand it.

The easiest thing for me is to have all my systems use DHCP, but have my DHCP server assign fixed IP addresses to each client (based upon the client ID / MAC address.) That way I don't have to run around configuring all my end systems, and also if I move a system from network to network, it picks up the right addresses automatically. And I have a central place (the DHCP server) that provides all the MAC-address mappings.

Of course I cheat and use a Cisco IOS router as the DHCP server, but lots of other DHCP servers could do this too.

Reply to
Aaron Leonard

One wonders about the effort needed jumping through all of those hoops compare to the effort of setting things statically - but that's your choice.

Agree

And you assign the 'client ID' and 'MAC address' from the DHCP server? I don't think so. So you had to fire up each client system, figure out where the magic information is hidden, copy it EXACTLY, and then transfer this data to the DHCP server without typ0s (assuming you also know where this information needs to go in the server config). And of course your networks are physically isolated and secured so that no one can be spoofing/setting their MAC address.

How often are you changing / re-configuring your systems? Other than lap-tops, most people aren't playing musical computers and moving things. It's a one-time deal, and it's done.

You have one DHCP server for all of your networks? Must have been fun to set up - something the average home user isn't going to be doing. Yes, if your computer is moving from network to network, a DHCP client is probably the way to go, but unless you are using a cryptographic signiture scheme, you may be a bit to trusting. My laptops only move between three different networks, and they have (selectable) fixed setups for each.

As you work for Cisco, I'm sure the company expects that. As for the other DHCP servers, most users have no knowledge of how to set them up and are expecting that what-ever defaults were used are enough to allow connections. That's why RFC3927 addresses are so necessary. "The Internet must be b0rk3n - I can connect to the router OK."

Old guy

Reply to
Moe Trin

~ >The easiest thing for me is to have all my systems use DHCP, but have ~ >my DHCP server assign fixed IP addresses to each client (based upon ~ >the client ID / MAC address.) ~ ~ And you assign the 'client ID' and 'MAC address' from the DHCP server? ~ I don't think so. So you had to fire up each client system, figure ~ out where the magic information is hidden, copy it EXACTLY, and then ~ transfer this data to the DHCP server without typ0s (assuming you ~ also know where this information needs to go in the server config). ~ And of course your networks are physically isolated and secured so ~ that no one can be spoofing/setting their MAC address.

Exactly so, for the case at hand: i.e. my home network, which consists of 3 Macs, 1 PC, 1 iTouch, 1 AP, plus my work PC, all behind my router.

~ >That way I don't have to run around configuring all my end systems ~ ~ How often are you changing / re-configuring your systems? Other than ~ lap-tops, most people aren't playing musical computers and moving ~ things. It's a one-time deal, and it's done.

But nowadays (in home networks) it's ALL laptops. ~ >and also if I move a system from network to network, it picks up the ~ >right addresses automatically. And I have a central place (the DHCP ~ >server) that provides all the MAC-address mappings.

~ You have one DHCP server for all of your networks?

No, I have one DHCP server for my home network. Then when I move a laptop to some OTHER network, they have some OTHER DHCP server set up. So: if the laptop is configured for DHCP, it will automatically pick up a valid address. If I statically configure the laptop ... then I have to do something different when I move it to some other network.

~ Must have been ~ fun to set up - something the average home user isn't going to be ~ doing. Yes, if your computer is moving from network to network, ~ a DHCP client is probably the way to go, but unless you are using ~ a cryptographic signiture scheme, you may be a bit to trusting. My ~ laptops only move between three different networks, and they have ~ (selectable) fixed setups for each.

~ >Of course I cheat and use a Cisco IOS router as the DHCP server, but ~ >lots of other DHCP servers could do this too. ~ ~ As you work for Cisco, I'm sure the company expects that. As for the ~ other DHCP servers, most users have no knowledge of how to set them ~ up and are expecting that what-ever defaults were used are enough to ~ allow connections. That's why RFC3927 addresses are so necessary. ~ "The Internet must be b0rk3n - I can connect to the router OK."

The great majority of users ... should never need to know what a MAC or IP address is. In the thread at hand, it appears that the O.P. does care about the IP addresses in (what I infered to be) his home network. So I offered a suggestion for a good way to manage these things in such a scenario. Of course, other sitations may call for different measures.

~ Old guy

Probably Even Older Guy

Reply to
Aaron Leonard

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