Solved: No Interweb Connection thru Router

[foghatisamazing]

My friend wanted me to make sure that a few ports weren't blocked. I forgot my router's password so I figured a factory reset would be fine. That's where things went wrong...

When I did this, tried to connect to the internet and it wouldn't work.

I've tried multiple setups.

Router Type: Linksys Wireless WRT54GS

Computers used:

1 Desktop, 2 Laptops

Desktop -> Router -> Cable Modem (several different ports were tried on the router)
DOES NOT WORK

I can however connect to the routers setting page (http://192.168.1.1/), change settings, and save them. Are there any major settings here which could be blocking internet connections through the router (ones that would be in place right after a factory reset)

Desktop -> Modem
WORKS FINE

When the desktop is connected directly to the modem, interweb works fine. That's how I'm posting here.

None of the laptops would connect (with the same cable as the desktop {this one did work for the desktop} or other ones) to the Modem directly. I'm not sure if this is a Vista/XP thing (the laptops have Vista).

The laptops could also connect to the router's signal and make changes to the router settings.

It seems the problem is with the router/modem connection. I have tried different cables. The linked light on the modem is lit up and the internet light on the router is lit up also in this setup.

Right now, I just want a working router. I thought about updating the firmware but I'm not sure if I can do this without having an internet connection. I've also tried multiple, unsuccessful hard resets.

Please help!!!! If you'd like me to use any programs/commands, please let me know which setup (i.e. computer/modem or computer/router/modem) you want.

 

[TerryNet]

First, remember to always unplug (power cycle) for at least 1/2 a minute the modem when switching devices (computers, routers). This is not for safety; this is so the newly connected device has a chance to work.

Please show an ipconfig /all for your good connection to the modem and also one for an ethernet connection to the router (doesn't matter whether the router is connected to anything else for this step).

Start, Run, CMD, OK to open a command prompt:
(For Vista type CMD in the Search box after Start)

Type the following command:

IPCONFIG /ALL

Right click in the command window and choose Select All, then hit Enter.
Paste the results in a message here.

If necessary use a text file and removable media to copy the results to a computer with internet access.

 

[foghatisamazing]

Did you mean unpower the modem? I dont' think I can. Whenever I unplug it, the modem stays on. There is a light that says Battery 1 next to it, and this light is green when it is plugged in.

 

[foghatisamazing]

Here are the working settings (computer directly to modem):

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : chris
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Mixed
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : hsd1.pa.comcast.net.

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : hsd1.pa.comcast.net.
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : NVIDIA nForce Networking Controller
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-14-85-39-F9-4B
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 76.124.111.162
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.252.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 76.124.108.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 68.87.64.10
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 68.87.64.146
68.87.75.194
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, April 01, 2008 6:32:51 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, April 02, 2008 6:28:38 PM

Here are the settings with the computer connected through the router:

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : chris
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Mixed
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : hsd1.pa.comcast.net.

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : hsd1.pa.comcast.net.
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : NVIDIA nForce Networking Controller
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-14-85-39-F9-4B
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 76.124.111.162
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.252.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 76.124.108.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 68.87.64.10
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 68.87.64.146
68.87.75.194
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, April 01, 2008 6:32:51 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, April 02, 2008 6:28:38 PM

 

[TerryNet]

"Here are the settings with the computer connected through the router:"

Don't know how you got that. Maybe you connected the modem to a router LAN port? If the modem was connected to the router's WAN port it looks as though the router is toast. You might try another reset to factory defaults.

 

[foghatisamazing]

If this doesn't work, do you think the router's crapped out? Also, is there anyway to update the firmware w/o an internet connection?

 

[foghatisamazing]

Yeah, I've tried to reset the router several times and it won't work. What do you think is the problem with the router? I've never seen this before, where you can communicate with the router/modem but can't get the two to communicate. Finally, is the modem not powering down a problem?

 

[TerryNet]

When you have modem -> router's WAN port and computer connected to the router what do you get in the WAN (Internet) status of the router (IP, gateway, dns, ...)?

 

[foghatisamazing]

When you have modem -> router's WAN port and computer connected to the router what do you get in the WAN (Internet) status of the router (IP, gateway, dns, ...)?

What I posted b4... I'm guessing that isn't good. Do you know if there's any way to turn off the modem even though it has a battery in it? (other than letting it drain)

 

[JohnWill]

Your symptoms are that you have the modem connected to the router using the LAN port.

Reset the router to factory defaults by holding the reset button down for 15 seconds with power on.

• Turn off everything, the modem, router, computer.
• Connect the modem to the router's WAN/Internet port.
• Connect the computer to one of the router's LAN/Network ports.
• Turn on the modem, wait for a steady connect light.
• Turn on the router, wait for two minutes.
• Boot the computer.

When the computer is completely booted, let's see this.

Start, Run, CMD to open a command prompt:

Type the following command:

IPCONFIG /ALL

Right click in the command window and choose Select All, then hit Enter.
Paste the results in a message here.

If you are on a machine with no network connection, use a floppy, USB disk, or a CD-RW disk to transfer a text file with the information to allow pasting it here.

 

[foghatisamazing]

OK, I'll try this when I get home (at work now). I can't get the modem to turn off though. There seems to be a battery in it. I guess I can let it drain. WRT the LAN port, I've plugged the cable modem into the port clearly labled INTERNET. I'll try and reset everything though and I'll post how it went.

 

[JohnWill]

If you plugged into the Internet port on the router and still got a public IP address from one of the Network ports on the router, it's not doing any routing, that's what the reset is for.

Note that all the IP values are the same, including the odd-ball subnet mask that obviously comes from the modem. The router will supply a 255.255.255.0 subnet mask every time.

 

[TerryNet]

Usually with the type of modem you have there are instructions for how to remove the battery or otherwise reset the modem; or warnings to not remove the battery.

OK, I just reviewed your first post after typing the remaining paragraphs, so I'll let them stay. Clone your computer's MAC address to the router's WAN (Internet). This is one change that the reset to factory defaults would have wiped out and may be necessary for your ISP. I doubt this is the problem, but let's not let anything go untried.

At least twice in the past year there have been threads where the router has failed in the way yours has--passes the WAN (Internet) straight through to the LAN as if it were a cable instead of a router. You are the first person to show us the WAN status, so I don't know if those others showed IP of 0.0.0.0. You are correct that an IP of all zeros is bad news. John has a list of 4 possible causes when a PC gets that, but some don't apply to a router.

You've already reset to factory defaults multiple times and have made sure to be connecting to the correct port. If there is a way to reset that modem as part of post #10 and still get the same results that would confirm beyond any reasonable doubt that the router is no longer routing. It's close enough to 100% sure now that you could begin shopping.

 

[foghatisamazing]

Yeah, I'm thinking that something's up with the router. I'll reset it again and set everything up and the run IPCONFIG. Hopefully something will change, I'll let you know with an update with the IPCONFIG results later today. Thanks for the help.

 

[foghatisamazing]

Ok, so my roommate solved it. He was looking at other forums (about comcast specific modems) and found one where the modem wouldn't turn off, like my situation. He changed the MAC address of the router to be the same as my computer, because the router would work with my computer. Now everything works fine. Thanks for your help though. I guess not being able to turn off the modem really does affect the situation. Why is there a battery even in the modem? If that hadn't been there, I think the whole situation would have been resolved much more quickly.