Wirless Router replacement

[Guest db99wj]

I picked up a D-Link DI-524 for a very very good price! Installing as I type this.

[vontar]

Just remember, your INTERNET speed does not come from your router, linksys, netgear, dlink, airport extreme or any other router. Your speed is depends on a number of things, mainly the speed your ISP provides, followed by line quality, and your DSL or Cable modem qualify. Any router on the market should be able to handle any speed any Residential ISP provides.

[Guest db99wj]

Does comcast require a static address or account name and password? I got it finding the network but it can't find the Internet.

[vontar]

I can answer comcast questions.

Comcast does not require a static address or account name.

Comcast does give a long term non static IP. I can give you longer details if you wish.

They say it is not static, and about the only time my changes is if there is a power outage in the neighborhood that effects a substation or I change a device plugged into my cable modem.

Furthermore if I am just changing devices I have been able to trick it and go back and forth between a couple IPs.

So it is not static, but is is long term dynamic dns.

Comcast needs the Mac and SN of the cable modem to provision the account.

The cable modem learns the MAC address of your Router or PC that you plug into it. So if you change the device plugged into the cable modem you have to power cycle the cable modem.

Exception, if you have Voice over IP and the cable modem has batteries, you may need to remove the batteries as well.

No, I don't work for comcast but I do work in IT and I have been a comcast customer for almost 10 years.

Edited July 8, 2010 by vontar

[Guest db99wj]

Hmm. No batteries on modem, have shut it down, unplugged power and the cable wire, shut down router for several minutes, turned it all back on, still will not find the Internet. My iPhone sees the wifi router, connects, but the router will not connect to the web. I don't even get the sys tray icon with the two computers. I hooked up my old one for the time being. Don't have much time tonight to mess with it. I figured....hahahahahhabwhahahahah, that this would be quick and easy.

I looked in my Network Connectictions and the LAN or High-speed Internet with the LAN shows connected, but no interweb.

Edited July 9, 2010 by db99wj

[Guest Lester Weevils]

It has been many years since I fooled with this, so this description is vague in detail. I forget the terminology.

ADSL and cable modems typically have address-assignment and router functions built in. So you could hook up one or more dumb switches to the modem and easily connect a big fanout of computers to the modem without a router, because the modem acts like the router for you. You could connect a wireless access point to one terminal of the switch, and the wireless access point would pretty easily talk to the network and the internet, using the router features in the modem.

If you want another router to take over the routing tasks and just use the modem as an internet gateway, you have to go into the modem's software control panel and turn off the modem's router capabilities. If you don't turn off the modem's router functions, then the external router and the modem's router firmware will fight each other. On a simple home network, only one device should be assigning IP addresses to the computers and performing NAT (network address translation).

You can google how-to manuals that tell you what settings to toggle in the modem and router, but there are so many modems and routers, sometimes it takes a little searching to find a document for your situation. Its always nice to have a software manual for the modem, but nowadays they don't often ship those with the modems and you have to go looking online for a pdf.

[Guest db99wj]

So the computer has the old routers address and needs to be manually shut down in order for the new one to take over?

[Guest Lester Weevils]

So the computer has the old routers address and needs to be manually shut down in order for the new one to take over?

Hi. I'm not certain. Computers usually default nowadays to expecting a dynamic IP address assigned by the router, and you have to override a computer's settings to tell the computer to always have the same IP address. So unless you in the past set all your computers to have fixed IP addresses, then when you turn em on they will look for a router and ask the router for an address.

From my experience on XP thru Win 7, and MacOS, if a connection problem happens with the router, it is often 'self-healing' without turning off the computer and re-booting. As soon as the wiring or devices or connection comes back, everything gets back connected automatically. But maybe it wouldn't hurt to turn off your computers and reboot.

I've just been using 2 dumb switches to run quite a few computers relying on the router software inside the modem, so its been a couple of years since I fiddled with this. Maybe it is different nowadays from what I'm describing.

I had to look up the default address of the modem. Connect a computer to the modem, run internet explorer and type in the address of the modem to connect to its router control panel. Then find the settings necessary to shut down the modem's router address assignments and NAT. Having a manual helps compared to just hunting thru the menus looking for whats in there.

After the modem has been lobotomized so it is not acting like a router, you would power off, connect the router to the modem and power up. Then maybe the router will talk to the modem right away, or maybe you would have to use internet explorer to talk to the router's control panel and make some minor adjustments.

Maybe it is more automatic nowadays, dunno.

[kb4ns]

I picked up a D-Link DI-524

Hey! I used to have one of those!

I figured....hahahahahhabwhahahahah, that this would be quick and easy.

You really shoulda known better!!

[Guest db99wj]

Hey! I used to have one of those!

You really shoulda known better!!

:p

[kb4ns]

Ever get it up & running?

[tnhawk]

I've used a Belkin G router for years without a problem. The Motorola modem from ATT was sensitive to heat and gave intermittent problems when it got hot. If it it goes out again I'll switch to cable. Those quick and easy things -usually aren't!

[Guest db99wj]

I gave up last night, reinstalled the old one. I'll mess with it this weekend some more when I have time. Quick and easy should not be in one's mind when dealing with technology!

[willis68]

Hmm. No batteries on modem, have shut it down, unplugged power and the cable wire, shut down router for several minutes, turned it all back on, still will not find the Internet. My iPhone sees the wifi router, connects, but the router will not connect to the web. I don't even get the sys tray icon with the two computers. I hooked up my old one for the time being. Don't have much time tonight to mess with it. I figured....hahahahahhabwhahahahah, that this would be quick and easy.

I looked in my Network Connectictions and the LAN or High-speed Internet with the LAN shows connected, but no interweb.

Do you have telephony (home phone service) with Comcast? if so you have a hidden battery that needs removed in your modem. I went through this a while back if that is the case remove it for 5 minutes, this will re set it and then you should be good to go

[Guest GimpyLeg]

With most cable ISPs, you are "authenticated" to them by your MAC address (from a command prompt, type "ipconfig /all" minus the quotes and hit enter. your MAC is the "Physical Address"). Check the settings on your OLD router. Check to see if you are using a MAC Clone address. If so, write it down and see if your NEW router has the same setting. Granted, most newer modems have an auto-sense feature that will self-clone your MAC, so the modem itself may need a re-boot. Also, check your ISP web site for help. Many times they walk you through configuring many different types of equipment. HTH.

[Guest db99wj]

Do you have telephony (home phone service) with Comcast? if so you have a hidden battery that needs removed in your modem. I went through this a while back if that is the case remove it for 5 minutes, this will re set it and then you should be good to go

I'll check, this modem is over 5 years old, it might be closer to 7 or 8.

With most cable ISPs, you are "authenticated" to them by your MAC address (from a command prompt, type "ipconfig /all" minus the quotes and hit enter. your MAC is the "Physical Address"). Check the settings on your OLD router. Check to see if you are using a MAC Clone address. If so, write it down and see if your NEW router has the same setting. Granted, most newer modems have an auto-sense feature that will self-clone your MAC, so the modem itself may need a re-boot. Also, check your ISP web site for help. Many times they walk you through configuring many different types of equipment. HTH.

See above, it is very old, but I will check comcast website to see if they are any help.

[Guest db99wj]

Shut it down, tried to reinstall, still no luck on it connecting to the internet. The network side works fine, I can see the network from my iPhone, but it just won't connect to the internet.

[kb4ns]

You ain't got that thing working yet??

[Guest db99wj]

You ain't got that thing working yet??

Nope, it doesn't even show connected. The same cable to the old router shows connectivity.

[kb4ns]

Did you see if you can get your money back? I think you got screwed!

I'd try to help, but I can barely keep my own wire jungle running.

[Oh Shoot]

Nope, it doesn't even show connected. The same cable to the old router shows connectivity.

Have you surfed into it and looked at options?

Maybe internet is blocked.

Mine, you can block internet from wireless, or from wired, or from both, or from any particular puter connected to network.

I lost track, is it a LinkSys? They're generally http://192.168.1.1, or documentation should tell you if different.

Or maybe a static IP is set, which it shouldn't be.

You can also release DHCP and renew DHCP from inside it, easier than command line.

- OS

Edited July 12, 2010 by OhShoot

[Guest db99wj]

Did you see if you can get your money back? I think you got screwed!

I'd try to help, but I can barely keep my own wire jungle running.

Yea, I think I need to take it back to him and get my money back!!!

It would be a real big deal if I had no access, but my 3g coverage is as fast as my wifi at the house, and I get great coverage. Sucks for the wife and kids since they don't have 3g!