Tech guys, some help please

[ZenBuc]

I usually figure this stuff out on my own, but don't have the time right now...

I have a linksys router that worked at my old home but for some reason I can't get to work at my new place. Even when I don't use wireless and just plug directly from the router into my computer I get "limited or no connectivity". I have bright house road runner btw.   It works fine when I leave out the router and go directly into my PC. So I have not been using the router. I've been using one computer at home for a while now anyway.

Well, I'm doing some work from home today and trying to get on the internet from my work laptop so I can access the VPN.  I've got online before from other locations away from work.

I would like to connect through wireless, but with the router problems mentioned above I can't. 

To make things more frustrating, when I plug the connection directly into the laptop from the modem I get "limited or no connectivity...even though ,like mentioned above,  if I plug into my home PC directly from the modem it works fine.  [banghead]

[Magnaccia]

Sounds like you need a new router? If you only have problems when using it, but everything works fine directly to the modem.. new router for sure.

[hoodsbucs]

or reset the router, put in the router cd disk, do a new install on the laptop configuration and setup the router to have a different password/so forth...

The cd will have a test section that will test the strength of your connection.  It may ask you to reset the router in the back...try this...

[ZenBuc]

I'll have to mess with router more later..but right now I don't understand why I can't plug directly into the laptop? If I take the same cat5 cable that is plugged into my PC, and plug it into the laptop, I get the "limited or no connectivity" message. I don't get it. Again I've connected this laptop to the internet at other locations away from work before: someone's else's house, a hotel, etc.. I just need to get on the damn internet from the laptop so I can get this work done.   I wonder if this is some weird thing from Bright House's end, I really don't want to talk to their terrible customer service people

[cyberdude557]

Routers go dead usually without any warning. I just had to buy a new one the other day.

If you have the same connection problems with all computers on the network and you know the modem is good....the router is the problem.

You can also call your ISP and they can usually tell you over the phone if your modem is connected to their system on their end and is sending and recieving data. That rules out a possible problem on their end or with the modem.

[JasonOfthetower]

Yeah I would reset the router to default and reconfigure. You should be able to see activity from the internet if you have it directly connected with a coax cable. If you are going through their modem, its possible the modem itself is a "mini-Router" that has its own firewall that would prevent an external wireless from working. You may have to work with RR to turn that feature off.

Take the model of the RR modem they gave you and google it...you may find some info on it.

With a limited or no connectivity message that would indicate that the router may have stopped handing out DHCP IP addresses to your computer.  Reset is certainly one way to get it done, or a factory defaults reset if the regular reset fails.  I would guess that you may have to do the factory reset.  Some routers it is pushing and holding the reset button in for a certain duration, or it may also require that you have the router unplugged and push and hold the reset button and plugging the power back in, then release. 


The next way to do it may take some time and requires that you know where to access your Local Area Connection (WinXP). If you go to  Start > settings > network connections.  Or when you see the message "limited or no connectivity"  Right-click on the two computers icon in your task bar and choose status. When the status window opens, choose properties and scroll down until you see TCP/IP click on that and choose properties.  Click the button that says "use the following IP address" then temporarily assign an IP address to your computer like 192.168.1.10 /w a subnet 255.0.0.0.  Click "ok" to close out the TCP/IP properties window, and then open an Internet Explorer window.  In the address bar, type, 192.168.1.1, or it could also be 192.168.0.1.  If you never changed the default password on the router the login should be, Username: admin, Password: admin.  Then locate under either a status tab, or general tab it should have a button that says "restore to factory defaults" then submit.  After that you should be able to go back into the TCP/IP properties and set the IP and DNS settings to "obtain automatically."

[samsdad]

in the admin of the router there should be an option to set it back to factory defaults.
try that b4 you buy a new one.

[dr3z]

Is the link light lit up (blinking) for the port that its plugged in to?

If so do a start - run - cmd
type ipconfig and hit enter
you should have an ip address.....

[Uncle Stan]

On my 2nd router in 11 months.

[Buc Wylde]

Check and make sure your modem is in BRIDGE mode.
WHen you plug into the modem itself, do you get a 10.10.x.x or 192.168.x.x IP address? If you do, then the modem is acting as a router. Brighthouse has been issuing these a lot lately. Call them and have them put the modem in "passthrough" and then you can use the router like normal.

[donny77]

Most cable internet connection are bound to the MAC address of your computer.  MAC is a unique hexadecimal address that is assigned to every neetwork device.  This is why it works on your PC but not your laptop.  When Brighthouse hooked up the connection they tied it to the MAC address of the PC.  They refuse connections for any device but that MAC address.

To get around this, routers have a setting where you can changer their MAC address to match the PC.  Once this is done the connection should work fine through the router.

Most cable internet connection are bound to the MAC address of your computer. MAC is a unique hexadecimal address that is assigned to every neetwork device. This is why it works on your PC but not your laptop. When Brighthouse hooked up the connection they tied it to the MAC address of the PC. They refuse connections for any device but that MAC address.

To get around this, routers have a setting where you can changer their MAC address to match the PC. Once this is done the connection should work fine through the router.

The MAC address is one of the critical components of the OSI model in the data-link layer (Layer 2).  It has to be present in order for a device to become networkable.  It isn't just a requirement for a cable company, but anyone using a network protocol like TCP/IP.  Without the MAC address you get no where. 

As far as the Brighthouse, and having to clone the mac, that would suggest that either they give you one static IP address, or they have it setup in the CMTS (cable modem terminating system) to only allow one registerable mac address through the modem profile that they assign to your modem.  The only reason for a company to do this is for the sake of limiting the amount of IP addresses that they have to give out to customers.

[ZenBuc]

Thanks for the responses guys...I've been too busy to mess with the router since initial problem, but hope to try out some solution next week when I have the time/patience

[ZenBuc]

an update....i still have not got a hard line connection to work from the router with my desktop or laptop.  But, the problem with the desktop may be that it's running Vista and my router isn't on linksys's list of Vista compatible routers, it's an older model from a few years ago.   

My laptop is running XP. Today I did get it to connect wirelessly  to the router. All the router lights are on showing that its is connected to everything properly and my laptop showed in network settings that it was connected with full strength, yet I still could not access the internet?  I've never had this much trouble before. I may end up getting a new router eventually...