trouble with my router

[pdpardue]

Well, my internet has been off for two weeks just about, but I paid off the bill and started surfing again. only problem my router isn't working anymore.

Before my net got shut off I was using it just fine with my ibook and my dell, but I got rid of the dell and got a new powermac (yay)... Anyways, I can plug the cable modem directly into either of the computers and get on the net no problem, and if both computers are plugged into the router I can file share, just can't access the web. Also, getting "green lights" on the network status page that the computer is connected (to the router).

I can get into the router settings, but changing through pages takes forever. I shouldn't have any problems connecting, There shouldn't be any special settings or configuration, and if there is, it should have been set from before. Nothing should have changed in my mind. Back when I had the dell I could have just put in the linksys disk and it would self configure everything for me... Damn lack of mac support linksys, shame on you...

Anybody else have any problems like this and figured anything out. It is quite frustrating.

Oh, it is a linksys befsr41 in case that helps.

 

[redeye be]

Try resetting both the router and the cable modem before you connect them again. It should work, or, as you could suspect, your router is dead.

 

[CanadaRAM]

Obviously, the hub side of your router is working (you can network between Macs, you can see the router's admin page). It's unlikely to be a router failure. There is a hardware reset procedure you can do to put the router back to factory settings, check your manual. Otherwise:

#1 cause: Cabling between the router and the modem
Your router has a WAN port that the cable from the modem goes in. It "should" work with a standard cable but some router/modem combos need a crossover cable. Have you recabled and inadvertently switched this cable for another one?

#2 cause: DHCP has been turned off on the router or on the machines.
DHCP is the way the modem "automatically" gets the relevant numbers from the modem, and the Macs get the numbers from the router. If your Macs have a self-assigned IP address of "169.something" then they are not getting a DHCP address from the router. If, in the router configuration screens, it has an IP address of 169.something, then IT isn't getting the word from the modem.

#3 cause: Wrong DNS addresses input.
If incorrect DNS server numbers are manually entered on the Macs or in the Router configuration, it may be "connected" but won't be able to find any web pages.

#4 cause: Your ISP may need to re-provision the account
Some ISPs lock the modem down to the MAC address of one device (in your case the router). Have you called their support number? They will be able to confirm your modem is working and that your router has a public-side address.

 

[mkrishnan]

Based on what you said about slowness in changing router setup pages, which does not even require you to go out on the internet (you can usually do this with the WAN port unplugged), I think #1-2 on CanadaRAM's list are especially apropos.

But then, are you saying that the iBook, which worked previously on the router, stopped working? So basically, your setup should've stayed exactly the same, except you took the Dell off the table and put the PM in its place, and now the iBook doesn't work? And I take it the iBook doesn't even work when you *don't* have the PM plugged into the router (but the iBook *is* using the router)?

 

[pdpardue]

mkrishnan is right, the only thing that should have changed was that i replaced the dell with the powermac. I honestly can't remember for sure, but am 80% sure that both the ibook and the dell had ip's of 169.168.1.x and the router took care of DCHP and what not. Again though, just changing pages within the routers set up are taking at least 30 seconds to a minute or more in some cases. Browsing the network from the powermac shows the ibook so i assume that the routers networking skills are still working, I can't though get either computer onto the internet which really sucks because for example, all my mail is on the ibook as I haven't yet moved the mailboxes over to the PM...

I am usually pretty decent about figuring this stuff out, but this is really leaving me with a blank. I have tried switching cables, reseting the router, copying the ip when connected straight to the modem into the router, and yet nothing is seeming to work. The only real change other then the dell to PM switch was getting the connection reestablished, though I wouldn't think that comcast would link it to only the modem and not allow it to go through a router because I had that set-up already with no problems...

Thanks to those that contributed.

 

[pdpardue]

fixed...

Well, went back and fussed with it a bit more (didn't actually change anything anywhere), I hit the rest button, but that did nothing, so I unplugged the cable to the modem then hit the reset button, plugged the cable back in, and ichat connected. Don't know what happened or why, but I am online now.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and help.


oh, speaking of ichat, does anyone know why/how I can log into ichat from my ibook when ichat itself is not open? My PM just logged out of ichat and then my ibook told me I logged in...

 

[redeye be]

Good!
Have fun surfing.

(I win )

 

[mkrishnan]

oh, speaking of ichat, does anyone know why/how I can log into ichat from my ibook when ichat itself is not open? My PM just logged out of ichat and then my ibook told me I logged in...

iChat runs an agent in the background for this purpose. But check your settings in two places: First, the General prefs pane, When I return to my computer.... Second, the Accounts pane, When iChat opens.... Adjusting these two should be able to prevent what you're describing, I think.

 

[mactastic]

If you have a cable modem try unplugging it, then plugging it back in and letting all the lights go steady green, then repeat. Apparently this is the way to unlock the MAC address stored in the cable modem and set it to accept the next one it sees.

I realize you've already stumbled upon this and fixed your problem, but it's probably helpful to know why it happened, and what to do about it the next time you encounter the problem.