New DSL Router/No Internet Sharing?

[paulcs]

I realize I'm asking a question about a relatively new device, and few people actually have one. I'm hoping people's experience with the Linksys Etherfast DSL Router, along with the strong possibility that I made a stupid mistake obvious to everyone but me, might find me an answer.

SMC sent me their new "Barricade" Broadband Router for review. I was really hoping all would go well, because there's a bit of a buzz about the product, and it could make for an interesting review. Also, Wingate and Zone Alarm didn't always play nice, and SETI Clients on my remote computers sometimes had problems connecting to Berkeley automatically.

I uninstalled Zone Alarm and Wingate, and got the primary computer up and running very quickly. I got complete access to the Internet, as well as some fairly good firewall protection. (As is often the case with these devices, Port 113 is closed and not in Stealth mode.)

Unfortunately, I have yet to be able to access a website or server by name on the second system I attached to the device.

I can ping both my (real) gateway and IP addresses on the Web, but I cannot ping sites and servers by name. If I try, I get an "unknown host" error. So I'm getting out of the house, and even beyond my ISP's servers, but I cannot access anything.

I manually configured everything at first, and now have DHCP assigning settings. I've check those settings with 'winipcfg', and everything seems fine: it recognizes the Barricade's address as default gateway and DHCP server and has the correct DNS information for my ISP. And yet, I can only ping IP addresses from the second machine.

Any help would be very appreciated. My first call to tech support was kind of a bust.

Thanks.

Paul
paulcs@flashcom.net

[ph0rk]

Have you tried setting the DNS server(s) to the router rather than your ISP on the second machine?

Not sure if that is how it's done with a real hardware router, I've always used an extra PC to handle such duties.

The router does have an IP, and a DHCP server running on it, so I'd think it would have a DNS server as well.

Just a thought.

Edit: How well can you spell at 2:30 AM?

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Cory Grimster
cory@houseofstuff.net http://www.houseofstuff.net

[This message has been edited by ph0rk (edited 27 August 2000).]

[Brian R.]

History: I have the four-way Linksys router connected to three computers. One uses W2K and the others use Win98SE. In my system, I have PPPoE and DHCP enabled. My ISP does not need a router or domain name inserted.

In my system, what ever the situation is for one computer applies to all of them. It is an all or none system for connection quality.

A couple of simple-minded questions:

Did you have the ability to update firmware in the router? How about drivers for your NICs?

Are all your computers using the same OS?

Is it possible your telephone line is barely adequate for DSL (modem to wall or exterior to your residence)?

I have trouble with running my NICs at 100 mbs full duplex at anything over default fsb. Are any or all of the problem computers oc'd with 100 mbs settings?

These are just questions for you to think about. I am a novice at networking and DSL.

PhOrk - I didn't have to touch any DNS settings in my computers unless I manually assigned IP addresses to each computer. There were DNS addresses assigned to my router, however.

[This message has been edited by Brian R. (edited 27 August 2000).]

[paulcs]

A quick question about the Linksys router. Do you have to install Linksys's software on each machine or only the first. To tell you the truth, the manual is vague on the subject and the tech support guys really didn't know. (Again, it's a new product.)

I tried setting the DNS servers to the router. No luck.

No firmware updates yet. I just spent over an hour with tech support, and they didn't mention anything.

All the computers I've tried are running Windows 98, although, if I ever get the thing working, I'll add a Windows 2000 machine as well.

I've had as many as seven machines connected to this DSL connection for about 10 months without any problems beyond (the usual flashcom/Covad nonsense).

I started out with an overclocked machine and clocked it down at the first sign of trouble. I have no problems seeing other computers over the network or transfering files. It's working well as a switch.

I just added another machine, and I'm having the same problem. I'm beginning to think a reinstall of Windows might be in order. The machine that's working (with SMC's software installed on it) was a Wingate server, while the others were clients. Possibly, Wingate left something in the registry or my Windows system directory that's causing a conflict.

And speaking of conflicts, the router refuses to recognize my 3Com hub and visa versa. (That was really easy to figure out, and I disconnecte the hub from the switch the minute I noticed.)

Thanks guys.

Paul
paulcs@flashcom.net

[isochar]

"you have to install Linksys's software on each machine or only the first."

what do you mean have to install? i personally didn't install any linksys software, and don't recall if any software even came with my linksys router. the only configuring on my part came in the tweaks in the web-based management for the router.

[cjolley]

There is no software for the clients of the Linksys router and no distinction between clients.
My vote goes to leftover wingate stuff as the problem.
Try seeing what happens to one of your problem PCs if it is hooked directly to the lan port of your dsl modem. My guess is that it will have the same problem even if the router is not in the picture.
chuck

[Brian R.]

Paul - There was no software loaded on any computer from the linksys router. The way it worked for me was I hooked myself up to DSL with one computer with the Bell Atlantic enclosed software including a PPoE software, Inverse Insight BANet DSL software (I don't know its function) and Netscape. After I achieved a connection with the DSL, I unloaded Netscape. Once I bought the router, I connected it and in the process, unloaded the PPoE software. The BANet software is still installed.

Anyone know if this software is necessary anymore? I'd like to uninstall it if it is superfluous.

The only accessible software in the Linksys router is a programmable chip (BIOS?) accessible through the address 192.168.1.1 in IE. This is the web-based managment software isochar referred to.

It is possible you'll need to get a firmware update for the router.

If you can, try another computer that has not been touched by Wingate. That might convince you of the necessity or (lack thereof) of reinstalling Windows.

[Helevitia]

Paul,

A quick simple test...If you remove the primary host and replace it with the non-working secondary host, does it work? If so, then the problem lies within the router. If it does not work, then the problem lies within the host.
Secondly, Can you put an IP address in the URL and get access to the web? If that's the case, it may be a firewall config issue. Do you have any abilities in the router for debugging or tracing? Can you check log files?

Dave

[Mark F]

On the setup page of the router, what firmware version are you useing? Make sure it is atleast 1.30 (for release, or 1.33 for beta).

You have tracing/logging available in the 1.33beta.

The router software is just a setup 'wizard', it's useless. You can acceive everything from a web browser.

And speaking of conflicts, the router refuses to recognize my 3Com hub and visa versa. (That was really easy to figure out, and I disconnecte the hub from the switch the minute I noticed.)
Did you have the router on the hub's uplink port; if not you need a cross-over cable.

Mark F.



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OH NO, my retractable cup holder swallowed a DVD...
and burped out a movie

[EdSki]

aargh

Another weird problem...You said you configured it manually before. Is there anything still filled in on the dns configuration tab? If so remove it. Shouldn't make any difference, but hey, it's windows..


If not the only thing i can think of right now is that your router is blocking dns-requests from anything but your first pc, like Helevitia suggested. But this would be a really strange setting for it to have by default..

[paulcs]

Wingate, or remnants of Wingate's client setup, appears to be the culprit. I did a reinstall of Windows on one of the test machines. No fussing with network settings; it just worked.

This is bad, because I just can't do reinstalls of Windows on all my machines, just to get this device working. This is particularly true of my work machine. I would like to use it, as it is a lot faster and seems a lot more reliable than Wingate.

I guess I have enough information to write the review.

Thanks to everyone who responded. If anyone has any ideas, I'd appreciate hearing them. Doing a search and destroy mission in the registry just didn't work.

Paul
paulcs@flashcom.net

[Mark F]

After Doing a search and destroy mission in the registry, did you try removeing the TCP/IP protocal and the NIC. Then (after rebooting of course, hey someone else might read this for help and not know) reinstalling TCP/IP, and the NIC drivers. It might help to get rid of Wingate's stuff.

Mark F.

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OH NO, my retractable cup holder swallowed a DVD...
and burped out a movie

[isochar]

What website is this review for?

[paulcs]

Just in case there is some confusion here, I'm testing a device similar to the Linksys router, the SMC Barricade.

I did manage to upgrade the firmware, which for newbies is going to be an unpleasant task. It involves uploading four binary files via an FTP client. Sheesh.

Paul
paulcs@flashcom.net

[paulcs]

Isochar, it's for a hardware review site LAMF and I have been running for a few months. We made a conscious decision not to give the appearance of hyping the site on the MURC, so we try not to mention it by name.

Paul
paulcs@flashcom.net