Setting up a wired + wireless network

Revness · 05-19-2008, 10:05 PM

Hi all, thanks in advance for any advice given. this is my 1st post.

I'm Chapman, from Sydney in Australia. I'm connected to an Optus Cable broadband plan which was just installed today. While I have a couple of household computers that need to be connected through both wired and wireless connections, the technician said that his job was just to get the internet running on ONE computer.

So anyway, cut to the chase...

OPTUS provided me with a motorola SB5101i cable modem which has ONE ethernet cable out.

I've got a ZYXEL 660HW-61 Adsl2+ wireless router from my previous internet company. It has 4 ethernet slots + wireless capabilities.

I've got a computer that connects though a wired connection and a laptop that connects wirelessly. (Both XP)

My question is is it possible to connect the motorla to the router and through this split up the connection so that the house can all be connected?

I've spent the last 3.5 hours fiddling around with the settings, trying different combinations and I'm exhausted! While I'm no computer noob I've really no idea how to go about congifuring the settings etc. I've read the manual, and its not much help to me.

Thanks for the advice again, and let me know if you need more information.

Regards,

Chapman

johnhook · 05-19-2008, 10:40 PM

Revness:

Your old router is an integrated DSL Modem/Wireless/Wired Router. The problem with using this device as a standalone router is that it's WAN connection is via 2-wire DSL, NOT an Ethernet WAN connection. Your cable modem is going to lease a PC or router an IP address - but your DSL router doesn't have an Ethernet WAN port to accept an Ethernet WAN connection. That said, I'd purchase a wireless broadband router to connect to your new Cable modem.

Look at LinkSys & Netgear products - AVOID D-Link products.

http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCateg...reless-Routers

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833124010

- John

~~Blue_Gene~~ · 05-19-2008, 11:32 PM

johnhook how come you dislike d-link so much. I use linksys myself but I haven't experience much with D-link products. I don't really hear any complaints from people using them either.

why the hate if you don't mind me asking.

johnhook · 05-19-2008, 11:53 PM

Blue_Gene,

D-Link broadband routers (wired & wireless) are VERY inexpensive and have lots of very user-friendly, robust features. All of these things attracted me to D-Link broadband routers. Unfortunately - it has been my experience with D-Link routers that they are flaky and unpredictable - i.e. things work as configured then suddenly STOP working for no reason. Firmware upgrades only seem to make things worse. Factory resets and complete reconfigs from scratch only seem to do the trick. I say this as someone who has dealt with dozens of D-Link 6XX routers - wired & wireless. If it were just one or two D-Link routers that had these problems, I would attribute it as a defect or "lemon" - but I've had the same problems with multiple D-Link routers. For no reason, remote mgmt will stop working and the only cure is a factory reset. Firmware upgrades don't fix these problems (in some cases, make these problems worse). Saved configurations from one FW version to the next are incompatible. I REALLY like D-Link's price/features, but have had NOTHING but strange problems with their routers and finally gave up on them.

My guess is that D-Link sells their products cheaply because they cut corners with the components they use. Most of the posts I've read attribute D-Link router problems as thermal related. They likely use sub-standard capacitors, heat-sinking and other power-supply related components. Also, their firmware is doing A LOT, given the DSP chips their products are built around. It could be that these routers are pushing the limits of the processing capability/memory of the installed DSPs/onboard memory. Whatever the case - I have lost faith in D-Link routers and I say this based on much hands-on experience with these products.

Linksys products are more expensive and have less bells & whistles - but after having used a variety of LinkSys models - I don't have the same problems I had with the D-Link routers. LinkSys is the consumer-grade version of Cisco, which makes high-end routers, switches, etc.

I'm sure there are others out there who might disagree with me - and I respect their opinions/experiences. I speak from personal experience.

The client's whom I've switched from D-Link to Linksys DO NOT have the problems I had with D-Link products. That said, I recommend Linksys.

- John

**johnwill** · 05-20-2008, 11:23 AM

Truthfully, while several models of the D-Link line do have dubious records, top suspect is the DI-524, I've generally had pretty good luck with D-Link. They are inexpensive, and the reliability isn't quite up to the reliability of some brands. OTOH, I've had significant issues with several Linksys routers as well, so I don't give them a clean bill of health either.

I suggest that whatever product or brand you're planning on buying, you research that specific model and see how it's working for a variety of people. Every manufacturer makes a few clinkers, and D-Link is no exception.

johnhook · 05-20-2008, 12:50 PM

johnwill,

I know we've discussed this issue via PM and we've obviously had different experiences. I've worked with at least a dozen of DI-614 and DI-614's and ALL of them had stability issues where stuff that was configured just randomly stopped working for no reason. Sometimes, power cycling fixed the problem but in many cases, I had to completely factory reset the router/config to its original firmware/defaults. I wasn't doing anything that "fancy" - just a few NATs and enabled remote management via alternate port (8080 or 8383, etc).

It's actually very disappointing because I REALLY like the features and web-interface on these routers. They do things I can't do with LinkSys routers (static DHCP reservations, etc.). I also like the low price of these devices. I just got burned so many times that I stopped buying them.

Linksys routers aren't perfect either - but once configured - I rarely have to reset them and don't have the stability issues I had with those DI-6XX series.

Besides the expensive, high-end Cisco routers I've worked with in an enterprise environment, the most reliable routers I've worked with on the broadband consumer side were routers with integrated Cable or DSL hardware from SMC, Westell and SpeedStream. The devices I'm referring to are generally provided by the telco or ISP for business-class broadband.

- John

**johnwill** · 05-21-2008, 09:29 AM

I've had good luck with SMC routers, I still have an old one in the closet that I take on vacation to give me wireless when they only have wired broadband.

Revness · 05-22-2008, 04:59 PM

Hey guys, thanks for the advice. Just an update: I ended up purchasing a netgear B/g Rangemax router. Which is pretty easy to set up etc. Problem is playing warcraft online still has these spiking issues over the wirless connection every 3-4 minutes- browsing is fine.(as opposed to not spiking with the previous router and plain disconnecting after 25 mins) LOL. But hey.. i really should get off that games timewasting stuff anyway and concentrate on uni.

Thanks again. :)

05-19-2008, 10:05 PM	#1 (permalink)
Revness Registered User Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 2 OS: XP	Setting up a wired + wireless network Hi all, thanks in advance for any advice given. this is my 1st post. I'm Chapman, from Sydney in Australia. I'm connected to an Optus Cable broadband plan which was just installed today. While I have a couple of household computers that need to be connected through both wired and wireless connections, the technician said that his job was just to get the internet running on ONE computer. So anyway, cut to the chase... OPTUS provided me with a motorola SB5101i cable modem which has ONE ethernet cable out. I've got a ZYXEL 660HW-61 Adsl2+ wireless router from my previous internet company. It has 4 ethernet slots + wireless capabilities. I've got a computer that connects though a wired connection and a laptop that connects wirelessly. (Both XP) My question is is it possible to connect the motorla to the router and through this split up the connection so that the house can all be connected? I've spent the last 3.5 hours fiddling around with the settings, trying different combinations and I'm exhausted! While I'm no computer noob I've really no idea how to go about congifuring the settings etc. I've read the manual, and its not much help to me. Thanks for the advice again, and let me know if you need more information. Regards, Chapman

05-19-2008, 10:40 PM	#2 (permalink)
johnhook Tech Hardware Team Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 810 OS: MS SBS 2003 SP2	Re: Setting up a wired + wireless network Revness: Your old router is an integrated DSL Modem/Wireless/Wired Router. The problem with using this device as a standalone router is that it's WAN connection is via 2-wire DSL, NOT an Ethernet WAN connection. Your cable modem is going to lease a PC or router an IP address - but your DSL router doesn't have an Ethernet WAN port to accept an Ethernet WAN connection. That said, I'd purchase a wireless broadband router to connect to your new Cable modem. Look at LinkSys & Netgear products - AVOID D-Link products. http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCateg...reless-Routers http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833124010 - John

05-19-2008, 11:32 PM	#3 (permalink)
~~Blue_Gene~~ Troubled Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 152 OS: Windows XP Professional	Re: Setting up a wired + wireless network johnhook how come you dislike d-link so much. I use linksys myself but I haven't experience much with D-link products. I don't really hear any complaints from people using them either. why the hate if you don't mind me asking.

05-19-2008, 11:53 PM	#4 (permalink)
johnhook Tech Hardware Team Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 810 OS: MS SBS 2003 SP2	Re: Setting up a wired + wireless network Blue_Gene, D-Link broadband routers (wired & wireless) are VERY inexpensive and have lots of very user-friendly, robust features. All of these things attracted me to D-Link broadband routers. Unfortunately - it has been my experience with D-Link routers that they are flaky and unpredictable - i.e. things work as configured then suddenly STOP working for no reason. Firmware upgrades only seem to make things worse. Factory resets and complete reconfigs from scratch only seem to do the trick. I say this as someone who has dealt with dozens of D-Link 6XX routers - wired & wireless. If it were just one or two D-Link routers that had these problems, I would attribute it as a defect or "lemon" - but I've had the same problems with multiple D-Link routers. For no reason, remote mgmt will stop working and the only cure is a factory reset. Firmware upgrades don't fix these problems (in some cases, make these problems worse). Saved configurations from one FW version to the next are incompatible. I REALLY like D-Link's price/features, but have had NOTHING but strange problems with their routers and finally gave up on them. My guess is that D-Link sells their products cheaply because they cut corners with the components they use. Most of the posts I've read attribute D-Link router problems as thermal related. They likely use sub-standard capacitors, heat-sinking and other power-supply related components. Also, their firmware is doing A LOT, given the DSP chips their products are built around. It could be that these routers are pushing the limits of the processing capability/memory of the installed DSPs/onboard memory. Whatever the case - I have lost faith in D-Link routers and I say this based on much hands-on experience with these products. Linksys products are more expensive and have less bells & whistles - but after having used a variety of LinkSys models - I don't have the same problems I had with the D-Link routers. LinkSys is the consumer-grade version of Cisco, which makes high-end routers, switches, etc. I'm sure there are others out there who might disagree with me - and I respect their opinions/experiences. I speak from personal experience. The client's whom I've switched from D-Link to Linksys DO NOT have the problems I had with D-Link products. That said, I recommend Linksys. - John

05-20-2008, 11:23 AM	#5 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 41,685 OS: Windows 7, XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	Re: Setting up a wired + wireless network Truthfully, while several models of the D-Link line do have dubious records, top suspect is the DI-524, I've generally had pretty good luck with D-Link. They are inexpensive, and the reliability isn't quite up to the reliability of some brands. OTOH, I've had significant issues with several Linksys routers as well, so I don't give them a clean bill of health either. I suggest that whatever product or brand you're planning on buying, you research that specific model and see how it's working for a variety of people. Every manufacturer makes a few clinkers, and D-Link is no exception. __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

05-20-2008, 12:50 PM	#6 (permalink)
johnhook Tech Hardware Team Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 810 OS: MS SBS 2003 SP2	Re: Setting up a wired + wireless network johnwill, I know we've discussed this issue via PM and we've obviously had different experiences. I've worked with at least a dozen of DI-614 and DI-614's and ALL of them had stability issues where stuff that was configured just randomly stopped working for no reason. Sometimes, power cycling fixed the problem but in many cases, I had to completely factory reset the router/config to its original firmware/defaults. I wasn't doing anything that "fancy" - just a few NATs and enabled remote management via alternate port (8080 or 8383, etc). It's actually very disappointing because I REALLY like the features and web-interface on these routers. They do things I can't do with LinkSys routers (static DHCP reservations, etc.). I also like the low price of these devices. I just got burned so many times that I stopped buying them. Linksys routers aren't perfect either - but once configured - I rarely have to reset them and don't have the stability issues I had with those DI-6XX series. Besides the expensive, high-end Cisco routers I've worked with in an enterprise environment, the most reliable routers I've worked with on the broadband consumer side were routers with integrated Cable or DSL hardware from SMC, Westell and SpeedStream. The devices I'm referring to are generally provided by the telco or ISP for business-class broadband. - John

05-21-2008, 09:29 AM	#7 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 41,685 OS: Windows 7, XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	Re: Setting up a wired + wireless network I've had good luck with SMC routers, I still have an old one in the closet that I take on vacation to give me wireless when they only have wired broadband. __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

05-22-2008, 04:59 PM	#8 (permalink)
Revness Registered User Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 2 OS: XP	Re: Setting up a wired + wireless network Hey guys, thanks for the advice. Just an update: I ended up purchasing a netgear B/g Rangemax router. Which is pretty easy to set up etc. Problem is playing warcraft online still has these spiking issues over the wirless connection every 3-4 minutes- browsing is fine.(as opposed to not spiking with the previous router and plain disconnecting after 25 mins) LOL. But hey.. i really should get off that games timewasting stuff anyway and concentrate on uni. Thanks again. :)