wireless for laptop and ipad - help please!

[Trabbs]

As above really, I bought my missus an ipad for xmas but only got the wi-fi one. I then went and bought a new netgear wireless router. At home I have been using the plug ins for my internet access with no real problems. Took new router out of box and the disc wouldn't read in my laptop - not a good start! Plugged everything in and turned on and my ipad picked up the wireless - unsecured at this time - brilliant. Went to the laptop which could see the router but not connect to it, nor could it connect to the internet via the plugs any more! Messed about for a while to see whether I could get the laptop back on line either wireless or via the plugs - no joy! Then, after 2 hours on the phone to netgear support, I am told that my laptop is the problem - something to do with the IP address! So I am left with a laptop which works fine when using plug ins from modem but doesn't work if the plug in goes via the router and an ipad which can only be used if I don't want to use the laptop on the internet at the same time!

Can someone please explain, in very small, easy to understand words, why putting the router between the laptop and the plugs would make it not work - I had assumed the signal would just go through the router and back out to the plug!

Please help, you will make a short fat man very happy!

Happy Christmas everyone!

 

[Bronto]

When they say IP problem I can only assume they mean theres a conflict ? Make sure you have DHCP on in the router settings, this will auto assign all the IP addresses for you

 

[Exos]

It sounds like your connecting your laptop to the modem and getting a public DHCP address (do you login directly from your laptop) but when your connecting the modem to the wireless router your either not getting an address, or you have a static one set.

Did you set a DHCP scope up on the router?

 

[Him Her]

What are these 'plug-ins'? Do you mean a USB modem? Modems and routers are mutually exclusive - you can use one or the other, not both.

The Netgear router is pre-configured with a DHCP scope. You should be able to connect the laptop to the router and get an address - don't bother with the Internet bit, just the laptop and power. To check, run up a command prompt (XP - Click Start, Run, type cmd in the box and click okay; Windows 7 - click Start, navigate into Accessories, click Command Prompt). You'll get a black background text screen, type 'ipconfig' (without the quotes) and press <Enter>. Note the IP address for the Ethernet adaptor.

Remove the network cable. Type 'ipconfig /release' then <Enter> followed by 'ipconfig /renew' then <Enter>. Type 'ipconfig' <Enter> again and compare the two addresses. If your laptop is doing its DHCP stuff correctly you should get one starting 169.254.x.x anything else and there's a problem with networking on the laptop. Check for a static IP address - if it's the same number when you do 'ipconfig' <Enter> whether the network cable is in or out it's static.

XP - Control Panel, Network Connections, Local Area Network (usually), Right Click, Properties, Internet Protocol Properties, both set to 'Obtain automatically'
Win 7 - Network and Sharing Centre, Change adapter settings, Local Area Network properties, Internet Protocol V4 Properties, both set to 'Obtain automatically'

You should be able to configure the router now so connect it to the filter in the 'phone point. It will need your broadband login details - if the CD works you should be able to do this pretty much on auto. If the CD still doesn't work you'll need to do it manually.

 

[Exos]

What are these 'plug-ins'? Do you mean a USB modem? Modems and routers are mutually exclusive - you can use one or the other, not both.

The Netgear router is pre-configured with a DHCP scope. You should be able to connect the laptop to the router and get an address - don't bother with the Internet bit, just the laptop and power.

Remove the network cable. Type 'ipconfig /release' then <Enter> followed by 'ipconfig /renew' then <Enter>. Type 'ipconfig' <Enter> again and compare the two addresses. If your laptop is doing its DHCP stuff correctly you should get one starting 169.254.x.x anything else and there's a problem with networking on the laptop. Check for a static IP address - if it's the same number when you do 'ipconfig' <Enter> whether the network cable is in or out it's static.

Not technically correct on the use of a modem and router, you can do it providing you turn of the modem feature on the router (some not all will allow this), it then just becomes a pass through with and internal DHCP address issued from the router/wireless side.

Also if you get a 169.x.x.x address, this means it ISN'T working as that is an apipa address and used for fail over issued by the local machine, not the DHCP scope setup on your router. Netgear usually use 192.168.x.x

If you get something like 87.x., 91.x or something that doesn't appear in the class c range then it's a public address.

 

[Trabbs]

What are these 'plug-ins'?

They are the plugs that use your electrical wiring system to carry the internet access around the house. You plug in from modem to plug and then where you want to use the laptop you plug into another plug socket from the laptop. Hopefully that makes sense - I can't anything with it at the moment as the wife doesn't know she has got one yet! Thanks for all the help people, I will have a look tomorrow hopefully!

 

[Him Her]

@Exos - sorry - wrong The modem feature is inactive anyway if it's not plugged into the filter. Erm, don't mean to be rude - 30 years in the 'black arts' of networking...

Ethernet over mains - something else is doing the Internet connection - it will issue the IP address so you can use the router as an access point. Disable the DHCP option on the router - it's clashing with the existing device. Change the IP address of the router to one that is in the same range as the other router. Leaving the new stuff off check the IP address the laptop gets i.e. 192.168.0.2, set the new router to (say) 192.168.0.100 (well outside the likely DHCP range), check for settings such as 'DHCP Passthru' or 'DHCP Helper' or 'DHCP Relay' (DHCP is a broadcast technology and will not pass through routers without configuration). Plug the existing broadband device into the new router instead of the first 'plug-in', plug the new router into the 'plug-in' (it's now a 'switch'), check whatever is plugged into the other 'plug-in' still works.

Configure the new router with your wireless details i.e. WPA2 setup - advise model and I'll try and find an easy setup for you

The problem is most likely that the NEW router is acting as a DHCP server as WELL as whatever else is connected to the Internet - the OTHER router! Disable the DHCP server on the router and use it as a hub and access point - all will then be fine

 

[Exos]

@Exos - sorry - wrong The modem feature is inactive anyway if it's not plugged into the filter. Erm, don't mean to be rude - 30 years in the 'black arts' of networking...

Good point, the modem isn't active anyway as it's connected via RJ11, although I've done the same to force a wireless connection using a BT NTE and a dreytek router, but I had to purposely set a pass through.

Same as you mate, I do this for a living, only difference is mine is from design though to implementation in schools currently and previously for the local government and BAe contracts (including networking), and have 20 years+ in IT from desktop support to management and infrastructure design/governance.

I also have a bigger pe**s lol

 

[oneman]

Good point, the modem isn't active anyway as it's connected via RJ11, although I've done the same to force a wireless connection using a BT NTE and a dreytek router, but I had to purposely set a pass through.

Same as you mate, I do this for a living, only difference is mine is from design though to implementation in schools currently and previously for the local government and BAe contracts (including networking), and have 20 years+ in IT from desktop support to management and infrastructure design/governance.

I also have a bigger pe**s lol

Only 20 years, you a newbie

 

[Him Her]

The piccie I've added might help...

The Missus won't allow me to get a bigger pe**s

 

[Him Her]

Actually, might be easier to take the router back and get a wireless access point - most devices from the ISP have more than one RJ45...

 

[dibbers]

I love reading some posts man, cracks me up! well good! better than seeing the norm and it going of on a tangent!

 

[Trabbs]

Thanks for the tips guys. I have only just got back to this!

I started from scratch again and turned everything off, turned on the router, connected to the modem, turned modem off and back on again. Then connected laptop to router and presto it sees it! I'm hoping that if I set up my security, I will be able to use the laptop via the plugs, or wirelessly if I can't get them to work again!

Perhaps I was connecting things in the wrong order first time I tried - I was in a bit of a state on Thursday - typical me, leave everything to last minute!!

Thanks again for all your time and input - sorry I started ar argument about the size of members' apendages! lol

 

[Exos]

Thanks again for all your time and input - sorry I started ar argument about the size of members' apendages! lol

Argument, Pfft, no such thing. It was a grown up discussion in a dignified, professional and courteous manner over the size of ones throbbing python of love, so as not to offend those members of the community with a smaller less effective model