So, this place is supposed to be full of IT boffins

itboffin

Oh my dear god man put the router back in its box, buy a book on fly fishing or something instead.

EKE_38BPM

Ouija wrote:

Depends. After resetting the router you've set it's IP address back to 192.168.1.1. It may be that your computer IS already on the '192.168.1' network but is conflicting with the router because both want to have the same last digit. This may of been why you changed the last digit from "1" to "2" on the router in the first place all those years ago.

Its a different computer.

Ouija

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Ouija wrote:

Depends. After resetting the router you've set it's IP address back to 192.168.1.1. It may be that your computer IS already on the '192.168.1' network but is conflicting with the router because both want to have the same last digit. This may of been why you changed the last digit from "1" to "2" on the router in the first place all those years ago.

Its a different computer.

Makes no difference. Half the network stuff you can buy for home computers (routers, NAS drives etc) come configured to join a 192.168.0 network or a 192.168.1 network. If your computer has decided to be a 192.168.0 network (every version of windows i've owned as chosen this as it's default network designation) then plugging in a a 192.168.1 device (nearly eveything made by Linksys or Freecom) just isn't going to be seen.

My bet is still that your computers on a 192.168.0 network and that's why it's not seeing the Linksys (weather it's still on it's 192.168.1.2 setting you last left it on or on the newer 192.168.1.1 setting it will default to after a hard reset). Think about it. You couldn't access the router even before you did the hard reset on it, when it's address was still 192.168.1.2, so it's probably not a problem caused by both devices vying for the same address.

I've owned that router (along with other Linksys stuff) and i've always had to temporarily switch over my computers to the 192.168.1 network to initially get into them and set them up (before switching everything back to a 192.168.0. number). Frankly, they are a right pain in the arse.

sketchley

If you have two different IP Address say 192.168.0.1 on the router and 192.168.1.1 on the pc then then this would not cause it to say media disconnected.

EKE go to a command prompt and type "ipconfig /all" then post results here or PM me them if you don't want to post them here. That's if PM work now....

sketchley

Also try this

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/299357

EKE_38BPM

Sketchley wrote:

If you have two different IP Address say 192.168.0.1 on the router and 192.168.1.1 on the pc then then this would not cause it to say media disconnected.

EKE go to a command prompt and type "ipconfig /all" then post results here or PM me them if you don't want to post them here. That's if PM work now....

I'm not with the router at the mo, but I posted my query on RouterRadar.com, so I've copied that:
Windows IP Configuration



Wireless LAN adapter Local Area Connection*11:

Media State:.................................................:Media disconnected

Connection-specific DNS Suffix...............:



Wireless LAN adapter Wifi:

Media State:.................................................:Media disconnected

Connection-specific DNS Suffix...............:home



Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection*3:

Media State:.................................................:Media disconnected

Connection-specific DNS Suffix...............:



If I type ipconfig/all, I get:

Host Name..................................................:NSIQQPC

Primary Dns Suffix......................................:

Node Type....................................................:Hybrid

IP Routing Enabled....................................:No

WINS Proxy Enabled..................................:No



Wireless LAN adapter Local Area Connection*11:

Media State...................................................:Media disconnected

Connection-specific DNS Suffix................:

Description....................................................:Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter

Physical Address.........................................:A4-17-31-9E-1C-2C

DHCP Enabled.............................................:Yes

Autoconfiguration..........................................:Yes



Wireless LAN adapter WiFi:

Media State...................................................:Media disconnected

Connection-specific DNS Suffix................:home

Description....................................................:Ralink RT5390R 802.11bgn Wi-Fi Adapter

Physical Address.........................................:A4-17-31-9E-1C-2A

DHCP Enabled.............................................:Yes

Autoconfiguration..........................................:Yes



Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection*3:

Media State...................................................:Media disconnected

Connection-specific DNS Suffix................:

Description....................................................:Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface

Physical Address.........................................:00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0

DHCP Enabled.............................................:No

Autoconfiguration..........................................:Yes

itboffin

No mention of an Ethernet adapter in that list, almost like it's not there or disabled, just saying

Wireless by its nature is without cabling

greg66_tri_v2.0

itboffin wrote:

Wireless by its nature is without cabling

And that, people, is why they call him "boffin". Insight like that is a rare gift.

itboffin

Greg66 Tri v2.0 wrote:

itboffin wrote:

Wireless by its nature is without cabling

And that, people, is why they call him "boffin". Insight like that is a rare gift.

should consider himself lucky there's not a bill in the post for that nugget

sketchley

ITB is correct no lan adaptor showing. That's the problem check device manager to see if it there. If it is TCP/IP corruption might be the cause, as per earlier try this http://support.microsoft.com/kb/299357

Also http://lmgtfy.com/?q=my+network+card+is ... n+ipconfig

EKE_38BPM

Right, I'm about to follow Sketchley's links and see what happens.

EKE_38BPM

It looks like the problem (or at least part of it) is the Ethernet adapter, or lack thereof.
I've gone into Device Manager and when I open Network adapter there is a lovely little exclamation mark next to Realtek PCIe FE Family Controller. When I open that the status shows as:
"Your computer's system firmware does not include enough information to properly configure and use this device. To use this device, contact your computer manufacturer to obtain a firmware or BIOS update. (Code 35)"
How do I do that or is that a red herring/dead end?
Is that faint dot I see in the distance light at the end of the tunnel or an oncoming train?

EKE_38BPM

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Is that faint dot I see in the distance light at the end of the tunnel or an oncoming train?

It was light at the end of the tunnel!

Boff spotted the problem, the BIOS needed updating. BIOS updated, PC restarted, default router URL entered, password entered and job done.

Right, now that I'm in, how do I set the router up as an access point?

EKE_38BPM

Actually, instead of setting the Linksys up as an access point, how hard would it be to use it instead of the P.O.S. Sagem router that came with the Sky broadband?
The Sagem has a wi-fi range of about two metres. It can barely give a signal to the room directly above it (2 metres of air and a concrete floor)! The Linksys used to cover a three storey house and reach to the bottom of the garden with a good signal.

Also, at the moment I cannot use the internet (wirelessly to the Sagem) when the Linksys is plugged in. The Sagem is 192.168.0.1 and the Linksys is 192.168.1.1
Can this be fixed?

EKE_38BPM

Veronese68 wrote:

Why am I reading this thread after going to the pub? None of it makes sense except for the instructions on where to hold a chainsaw.

Greg66 Tri v2.0 wrote:

I thought this was an English language board.

This thread needs subtitles.

Imagine a newbie comes on here and says:
"I've just dug my old bike from out of the shed. I've given it a clean, checked the brakes and pumped up the tyres. I went for a spin around the block prior to riding to work next week and rolled down the hill OK, but when I try to pedal I don't seem to have any drive. Help"
The newbie then posts a picture of the bike and lots of people look at the bike and suggest things like the freewheel pawls not engaging but only one person spots that there is no chain on the bike.
Credit where it is due, Boff spotted the chain was missing.

timothyw

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Actually, instead of setting the Linksys up as an access point, how hard would it be to use it instead of the P.O.S. Sagem router that came with the Sky broadband?
The Sagem has a wi-fi range of about two metres. It can barely give a signal to the room directly above it (2 metres of air and a concrete floor)! The Linksys used to cover a three storey house and reach to the bottom of the garden with a good signal.

Also, at the moment I cannot use the internet (wirelessly to the Sagem) when the Linksys is plugged in. The Sagem is 192.168.0.1 and the Linksys is 192.168.1.1
Can this be fixed?

I say quit while you're ahead.

The first question is whether the sky broadband is ADSL or Fibre. If it is adsl then you might as well keep using the sagem as a router.

EKE_38BPM

TimothyW wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Actually, instead of setting the Linksys up as an access point, how hard would it be to use it instead of the P.O.S. Sagem router that came with the Sky broadband?
The Sagem has a wi-fi range of about two metres. It can barely give a signal to the room directly above it (2 metres of air and a concrete floor)! The Linksys used to cover a three storey house and reach to the bottom of the garden with a good signal.

Also, at the moment I cannot use the internet (wirelessly to the Sagem) when the Linksys is plugged in. The Sagem is 192.168.0.1 and the Linksys is 192.168.1.1
Can this be fixed?

I say quit while you're ahead.

Defeatist!

TimothyW wrote:

The first question is whether the sky broadband is ADSL or Fibre.

ADSL

TimothyW wrote:

If it is adsl then you might as well keep using the sagem as a router.

Why? The problem is range, not speed.

Kieran_Burns

Different subnets. You'll be on a 24 bit subnet and the routers are on different ones. Run IPCONFIG on the pc and post the results here

EKE_38BPM

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Different subnets. You'll be on a 24 bit subnet and the routers are on different ones. Run IPCONFIG on the pc and post the results here

Whilst the Linksys is plugged in and the Sagem is connected wirelessly?

timothyw

EKE_38BPM wrote:

TimothyW wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Actually, instead of setting the Linksys up as an access point, how hard would it be to use it instead of the P.O.S. Sagem router that came with the Sky broadband?
The Sagem has a wi-fi range of about two metres. It can barely give a signal to the room directly above it (2 metres of air and a concrete floor)! The Linksys used to cover a three storey house and reach to the bottom of the garden with a good signal.

Also, at the moment I cannot use the internet (wirelessly to the Sagem) when the Linksys is plugged in. The Sagem is 192.168.0.1 and the Linksys is 192.168.1.1
Can this be fixed?

I say quit while you're ahead.

Defeatist!

TimothyW wrote:

The first question is whether the sky broadband is ADSL or Fibre.

ADSL

TimothyW wrote:

If it is adsl then you might as well keep using the sagem as a router.

Why? The problem is range, not speed.

Because the linksys doesn't have the port to plug into your phone line, does it? Look closely.

Your best option is to turn off the wifi on your sagem if it is really that bad, and setup wifi on the linksys - procedure is:
1 - turn off dhcp address issuing
2 - give it an IP on the same range and subnet as the sagem is issuing (but preferably one that the sagem is unlikely to issue... you could look up the dhcp range on the sagem, or just pick a relatively high one)
3 - set up the wifi to your taste
4 - plug an ethernet cable between the sagem and the linksys.

It's about a ten minute job if you know what you're doing.

Kieran_Burns

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Different subnets. You'll be on a 24 bit subnet and the routers are on different ones. Run IPCONFIG on the pc and post the results here

Whilst the Linksys is plugged in and the Sagem is connected wirelessly?

If you are on DHCP and both are giving out addresses, or the Sagem isn't, you'll be on a different subnet to the Sagem and not able to route to it

EKE_38BPM

TimothyW wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

TimothyW wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Actually, instead of setting the Linksys up as an access point, how hard would it be to use it instead of the P.O.S. Sagem router that came with the Sky broadband?
The Sagem has a wi-fi range of about two metres. It can barely give a signal to the room directly above it (2 metres of air and a concrete floor)! The Linksys used to cover a three storey house and reach to the bottom of the garden with a good signal.

Also, at the moment I cannot use the internet (wirelessly to the Sagem) when the Linksys is plugged in. The Sagem is 192.168.0.1 and the Linksys is 192.168.1.1
Can this be fixed?

I say quit while you're ahead.

Defeatist!

TimothyW wrote:

The first question is whether the sky broadband is ADSL or Fibre.

ADSL

TimothyW wrote:

If it is adsl then you might as well keep using the sagem as a router.

Why? The problem is range, not speed.

Because the linksys doesn't have the port to plug into your phone line, does it? Look closely.

Oh yeah. Doh!

TimothyW wrote:

Your best option is to turn off the wifi on your sagem if it is really that bad, and setup wifi on the linksys - procedure is:
1 - turn off dhcp address issuing.

On the Sagem I guess.

TimothyW wrote:

2 - give it an IP on the same range and subnet as the sagem is issuing (but preferably one that the sagem is unlikely to issue... you could look up the dhcp range on the sagem, or just pick a relatively high one).

"It" being the Linksys I presume.

TimothyW wrote:

3 - set up the wifi to your taste.

I like my wifi with one sugar, no milk. Oh no, that is my tea.

TimothyW wrote:

4 - plug an ethernet cable between the sagem and the linksys.

Ethernet port to Ethernet port or Sagem Ethernet port to Linksys Internet port?

TimothyW wrote:

It's about a ten minute job if you know what you're doing.

does it seem like I know I'm doing?!

timothyw

EKE_38BPM wrote:

TimothyW wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

TimothyW wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Actually, instead of setting the Linksys up as an access point, how hard would it be to use it instead of the P.O.S. Sagem router that came with the Sky broadband?
The Sagem has a wi-fi range of about two metres. It can barely give a signal to the room directly above it (2 metres of air and a concrete floor)! The Linksys used to cover a three storey house and reach to the bottom of the garden with a good signal.

Also, at the moment I cannot use the internet (wirelessly to the Sagem) when the Linksys is plugged in. The Sagem is 192.168.0.1 and the Linksys is 192.168.1.1
Can this be fixed?

I say quit while you're ahead.

Defeatist!

TimothyW wrote:

The first question is whether the sky broadband is ADSL or Fibre.

ADSL

TimothyW wrote:

If it is adsl then you might as well keep using the sagem as a router.

Why? The problem is range, not speed.

Because the linksys doesn't have the port to plug into your phone line, does it? Look closely.

Oh yeah. Doh!

TimothyW wrote:

Your best option is to turn off the wifi on your sagem if it is really that bad, and setup wifi on the linksys - procedure is:
1 - turn off dhcp address issuing.

On the Sagem I guess.

Nope, on the Linksys

TimothyW wrote:

2 - give it an IP on the same range and subnet as the sagem is issuing (but preferably one that the sagem is unlikely to issue... you could look up the dhcp range on the sagem, or just pick a relatively high one).

"It" being the Linksys I presume.

Yep. For example, 192.168.0.235, subnet 255.255.255.0, gateway and dns 192.168.0.1 (same for both)

TimothyW wrote:

3 - set up the wifi to your taste.

I like my wifi with one sugar, no milk. Oh no, that is my tea.

TimothyW wrote:

4 - plug an ethernet cable between the sagem and the linksys.

Ethernet port to Ethernet port or Sagem Ethernet port to Linksys Internet port?

Sagem to linksys. No point plugging a device into itself (and with a lot of devices it'll actually slow down/break your network as they overload themselves with broadcasts... anyway)

TimothyW wrote:

It's about a ten minute job if you know what you're doing.

does it seem like I know I'm doing?!

Indeed not. Do you not know any IT bods near you? They can usually be bought with Alcohol.

Although I do remember one twunt who gave me a solitary bottle of beer in exchange for several hours work, don't be that twunt.

dhope

TimothyW wrote:

Indeed not. Do you not know any IT bods near you? They can usually be bought with Alcohol.

TimothyW - Location, Muswell Hill
EKE - Location, North London

TimothyW wrote:

Although I do remember one twunt who gave me a solitary bottle of beer in exchange for several hours work, don't be that twunt.

Good prep work TW

I always preferred DD-WRT to the standard Linksys firmware. You could boost the wireless power from what I remember too.

EKE_38BPM

dhope wrote:

TimothyW wrote:

Indeed not. Do you not know any IT bods near you? They can usually be bought with Alcohol.

TimothyW - Location, Muswell Hill
EKE - Location, North London

TimothyW wrote:

Although I do remember one twunt who gave me a solitary bottle of beer in exchange for several hours work, don't be that twunt.

Good prep work TW.

Really?

TimothyW wrote:

It's about a ten minute job.

For 10 minutes work I'll give him a Australia bottle opener I've recently been given.

sketchley

This is very true and somewhat relevant.

Ten reason not to fix computers for free

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10-thi ... -for-free/

1. Future problems are your fault
2. People may not respect your time
3. Things sometimes go wrong
4. People don’t value things that are free
5. They expect free tech support for life
6. People adopt risky habits because they are getting free tech support
7. It doesn’t end with computers
8. Things can snowball
9. Your service isn’t just free, it is costing you money
10. Fixing computers is too much like work

rjsterry

All ten of those apply to pretty much any profession.

timothyw

EKE_38BPM wrote:

dhope wrote:

TimothyW wrote:

Indeed not. Do you not know any IT bods near you? They can usually be bought with Alcohol.

TimothyW - Location, Muswell Hill
EKE - Location, North London

TimothyW wrote:

Although I do remember one twunt who gave me a solitary bottle of beer in exchange for several hours work, don't be that twunt.

Good prep work TW.

Really?

TimothyW wrote:

It's about a ten minute job.

For 10 minutes work I'll give him a Australia bottle opener I've recently been given.

I could pop round if you're desperate, you can fettle my front dérailleur if you like. I think I need to move the clamp up slightly as it occasionally gets bent when I shift into the little ring, although of course rule 90 means that this never happens.

Timing might be complicated by the impending arrival of my firstborn however.

EKE_38BPM

Right, I'm going to attempt this shortly. I guess I'll lose internet access if I mess it up, so I want to get it right first time.
What settings on the Sagem should I make note off before I start in case it goes wrong?
I've got the Linksys connected to the PC via Ethernet and the Sagem via wifi.
1) Go into the Linksys and turn of DHCP issuing.
2) Change the Linksys' IP address to 192.168.0.235, subnet to 255.255.255.0, gateway and dns 192.168.0.1 (same for both).
3) Change SSID and password on the Linksys to what they currently are so that everything that currently connects to the network continues to do so.
4) Disconnect the Linksys from the PC and connect it to the Sagem Ethernet to Ethernet.

Does that all sound correct?
My usual IT bod is all loved up and can't leave their boyfriend's side. Said boyfriend is an absolute idiot (liar, cheater, fantasist) and I don't want to see him as I'm not sure I can refrain from physical violence.

timothyw

Yep all sounds fine. Key thing is, don't touch the sagem - you don't need to change its config at all (unless you want to turn its wifi off, which isn't necessary).