stupid wireless router

[allan1983]

Hi everyone on the forums!

I have just purchased a safecom wireless router (model swcbr-5400) but cannot access any online pages through it no matter what i try. I have disabled windows firewall, but that made no difference so have turned it back on. I have followed the manual which came with the router but this does not work either.

I have an ethernet connection which I am trying to run the router through.

I am close to the point where it may now find its way out of the window!

If it makes any difference, My IP is Virgin Media (a UK IP if anyone from outside the UK sees this!)

As far as I can tell, the router is working, as all the neccesary lights come on and blink accordingly.

Strangely, I accessed the Safecom site, and the model does not seem to be listed?!?!

I can provide more info if neccessary, but dont want to fill this post with things people dont need!

 

Thank you all in advance

[maynardvdm]

Hi Allan

 

Welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help.

 

Is this the router you are refering to : SafeCom?

[allan1983]

Nope!

Its similar, but not the same model number.

 

http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Peripherals/Network+Products/Wireless/DSL%2FCable+Router/Safecom+54Mbps+4+Port+Wireless+Broadband+Router+802.11g+?productId=30721Nope.

Its this one.

[Tony D]

1) check to see if the computer and router are connecting:

START | Run, type in CMD and press ENTER.

When the black window with white lettering comes up type in IPCONFIG /ALL and press ENTER.

 

You will get a readyout of the IP configuration. You should see that you have an IP address of something like 192.168.1.2 or maybe it'll be like 192.168.0.2 - the last number may not be a 2 - it can be anything from 2 to 255.

 

If that's correct then try to open the router configuration menu. To do this you would type in something like 192.168.1.1 where you would normally type in a URL such as http://www.yahoo.com. Your manual should explain this.

 

If that's good then try to PING something.

START | Run, type in CMD and press ENTER.

When the black window with white lettering comes up type in PING http://WWW.YAHOO.COM and press ENTER. You should get a response and not a timeout.

[allan1983]

This help?

[Seth]

The image you posted does not have an IP for the default gateway (the router).

 

There should be a tiny reset hole on the router (usually on the back). With the router plugged in, hold that button in for 10 seconds then give the router 30 seconds to initialize. Now view the wireless networks. You should see your router and be able to connect to it.

 

If not, what happens when you view the wireless networks, and can you get online with a wired connection to the router?

[allan1983]

I will do the reset in a moment, but firstly, what do you mean by the wireless networks?

And also, i have only attempted to connect with the router wired.

I do not have a wireless connection on the PC, the router is for future connections such as Xbox 360 and laptop.

 

But no, I cant get online through a wired connection.

[Seth]

I will do the reset in a moment, but firstly, what do you mean by the wireless networks?

And also, i have only attempted to connect with the router wired.

I do not have a wireless connection on the PC, the router is for future connections such as Xbox 360 and laptop.

 

But no, I cant get online through a wired connection.

 

Ok, don't worry about the reference to the wireless, just reset the router.

 

If you still can't get online then go to Start>Control Panel>Network Connections, right click on the Local Area Connection and then choose Status>Support. Please post a screen shot of that screen.

[Seth]

..or a screenshot of the ipconfig screen that kelly mentioned:)

[Tony D]

As Seth mentioned your DNS setting is blank. In addition to resetting the router:

 

Go to Start>Control Panel>Network Connections and right-click on the one that says Local Area Connection. There may be a number listed - if so, choose the highest number.

 

Scroll down to the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) item. Highlight it and select PROPERTIES. 1) Make sure OBTAIN IP ADDRESS AUTOMATICALLY is enabled (checked).

2) Make sure OBTAIN DNS SERVER AUTOMATICALLY is enabled (checked).

[allan1983]

No number to select from, and both IP Address and DNS server are down as automatic.

In the installation guide that came with the router, it says to change the IP address to 192.168.0.x, and the subnet mask to 255.255.255.0

 

I have tried both this way and with automatic settings with no joy.

[Seth]

If you reset the router and the issue persists, then try this:

 

Download and run this Winsock fix, then restart the computer:

 

User reviews for WinSock XP Fix at SnapFiles.com - Quality Software Downloads

 

If the IPCONFIG still shows nothing for the Default Gateway, then connect directly to the modem. Pull the power plug on the modem, plug it back in, then restart the computer. Can you get online now? (IPCONFIG should now show an address for the Default Gateway (as in a modem IP, since you bypassed the router)

 

BTW- Do you have a desktop or a laptop?

[allan1983]

Will try this when I get in from work. Thanks.

 

Its a desktop by the way.

[Tony D]

If you still can't get a DNS entry automatically, you can set it manually.

 

Go bacl to post #10 and where I asked that you enable Get DNS Automatically, change that. Disable the auto setting and instert 192.168.0.1.

[allan1983]

Router status with manual settings

 

WAN

Cable/DSL Connecting

WAN IP 0.0.0.0

Subnet Mask 0.0.0.0

Gateway 0.0.0.0

Primary DNS 62.30.0.39

Secondary DNS 0.0.0.0

Connection Type Dynamic IP

Connection Time 00:00:00

Remaining Time 00:00:00

 

LAN

IP Address 192.168.0.1

Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0

DHCP Server Enabled

NAT Enabled

Firewall Enabled

WIRELESS NETWORK

SSID SWCBR-5400

BSSID 00:FD:07:90:43:BC

INFORMATION

System Up Time 00:04:53

System Date 3/26/2008 21:13:49

Connected Clients 1

Runtime Code Version V0.1.2.114

Boot Code Version V0.1.5.22

LAN MAC Address 00:FD:07:90:43:BC

WAN MAC Address 00:0F:EA:56:3E:C9

Hardware Version V0.1.2.3

 

 

IPCONFIG/ALL With Manual Settings

 

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]

© Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

 

C:\Documents and Settings\allan and kate>ipconfig/all

 

Windows IP Configuration

 

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : allanandkate

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

 

Ethernet adapter Bluetooth Network Connection:

 

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : SmartM - Bluetooth PAN Driver

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-05-16-59-03-FF

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration IP Address. . . : 169.254.186.46

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

 

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

 

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : VIA Rhine II Fast Ethernet Adapter

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0F-EA-56-3E-C9

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration IP Address. . . : 169.254.38.252

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

 

C:\Documents and Settings\allan and kate>

[Tony D]

WAN IP 0.0.0.0

Subnet Mask 0.0.0.0

Gateway 0.0.0.0

 

indicates that you're not connecting with your ISP. Call Virgin Media and ask them for help. Tell them that you installed a new router, they may have to break the DHCP lease.

[allan1983]

If I input all the settings on the router manually (ie IP address, DNS etc, and allow clone MAC)

The router will say its connected, but I am still unable to access the internet.

Could this be due to the DHCP lease?

(Oh, and what IS the DHCP lease?!)

[Tony D]

The WAN IP of 0.0.0.0 says you're not getting an IP Address for the router. The router needs an IP address to connect to the Internet just as your computer needs an IP address to connect to the router. Everything on the nework needs an IP address.

 

Your router will have 2 IP addresses: one for your Local Area Network (LAN). That's the network inside your house that is created by the router. The router connects to your compuer using 192.168.0.1. Your computer will have an IP address of 192.168.0.nnn with nnn being a number from 2 to 255. Right now I don't see that. This is different than post #5 where your computer had an IP of 192.168.0.2, which is what I would expect. So right now your computer shouldn't be connecting to your router. But then I have to ask, how did you get the router settings? So somethiing changed since post #5 and there's something going on here that I don't understand.

 

The other IP address, the Wide Area Network (WAN) address is what the router uses to connect to Virgin Media's network. It probably has an address similar to 62.30.0.39.

 

Each computer and router will also have a hardwired address called a MAC or Media Access Control. This is uniques to every physical network device as it's wired at the factory. Your router has two of these, one for the Virgin Media network and one for the home network. See here:

LAN MAC Address 00:FD:07:90:43:BC

WAN MAC Address 00:0F:EA:56:3E:C9

 

When an IP address is issued to a computer or a router, the software issued IP address is matched up with the hardwired MAC address by the DHCP Server. The server know what hardware has what IP address. Some companies, I'm not familiar with Virgin Media, remember what physical MAC address it's assigned a specific IP address to. So when you put in a new router, the DHCP server is still looking for the old router and won't give the new router an IP address. That's when you call you ISP to 'break the DHCP lease'. This tells the DHCP server to forget about the MAC address and give your router a new IP address.

 

What I see in your most recent post is that:

1) You're not getting an IP address from Virgin Media

2) Unlike post #5, your computer isn't getting an IP address from the router

 

-- Sorry for the long post.

[allan1983]

Dont worry about the long post, I need all the info I can get!!

In post 5, DHCP was not enabled.

Most recently, it is.

Does that have anything to do with it?

[Tony D]

I hadn't noticed that DHCP wasn't enabled in post #5. I just took another look and you are correct, it wasn't enabled. Now that it's enabled, it should be getting an address of 192.168.0.nnn from the router. It is not. The 169.254.38.252 address is assigned by the computer, not the router. You can try IPCONFIG /RELEASE and IPCONFIG /RENEW, but I suspect they will not work.

 

Make sure your cables are securely seated and connected to the correct ports. The router will probably have 5 ports. One is a special port and HAS to connect to Virgin Media. Connect the computer to any of the other 4 ports.

[allan1983]

OK, funny story.

I set up the router, and left it for about 15 minutes while I went out.

Came back in and managed to access the router status page, which I couldnt do before for some strange reason.

The router had a reboot option, which I hadnt tried before, so I thought what the hell, it cant make it any worse.

Lo and behold, the router is now fully working, and found ALL the neccessary settings ITSELF.

I just opted for google, and it worked, and its still up and running as I write this post!

I think ill put it down to one of lifes great mysteries, like what women are thinking!!

 

Thankyou VERY MUCH for all your assistance and support, the router would have been stomped long before now if I hadnt had a resource like this to call upon.

 

Sorry I posed such an awkward question!

 

Allan

[Tony D]

Good to hear it's up and running. Not having found the cause of the problem, I'm concerned that it may come back. It it does, feel free to use the router reset button.

 

For security, I would change the router's password from its default setting. Helps keep the bad guys out.

 

Hopefully we've given some information that may be helpful next time you have a problem.

[Seth]

That wasn't awkward, it was fun:).

 

Thanks for providing the detailed information.

 

Curious though, the reboot that you did on the router page does exactly what I suggested with:

 

There should be a tiny reset hole on the router (usually on the back). With the router plugged in, hold that button in for 10 seconds then give the router 30 seconds to initialize.

 

 

 

Did you ever try that?

[allan1983]

Several times, but it didnt appear to make any difference.

 

Kelly, thats a good point, and one which I can only hope your not right about!

Fingers crossed it wont be the case.

[Seth]

Several times, but it didnt appear to make any difference.

 

That may be the case as non standard routers can have some crazy "reset" procedures.