Configuring a wireless network. Gahh! Thud.

[RantyDave]

Naw the mac filter is much easier to set up that a shitload of keys.

Because mac addresses can't be changed unless you type "ifconfig eth0 hw ether 00:80:48:BA:d1:20" or whatever the equivalent in Windows-land is. And mac addresses are broadcast completely unsecured by definition. It's also not the most "guest convenient" setup - instead of hollering a password across the kitchen you have to find their mac address, log into the router, enter it in, reboot the router, swear, try again, swear, find the mac address your f'kin self, discover that "C" and "E" sound the same when shouted over half a dozen people who are saying "are you going to stop nerding out soon or what".....

Not wishing to drag Hitcher's thread even further off topic but ... I just bought the one with an Apple logo on it, typed in the password I wanted for the network, and off we went. But, y'know, expensive ... causes whining in fanboys and stuff.

Dave

[Fatjim]

"User name or password incorrect."

Now that's really helpful!

Oh the irony if you spelt the password wrong. I think I'd piss myself.


but download the patch for xp if you've set up WPA2.

[Hitcher]

IT Guru has diagnosed that something's fucked. Actually he was remarkably restrained in terms of the expletives and percussive devices that I would have brought to bear before now. Particularly when the 64 character hexadecimal string couldn't be cut and pasted...

[davebullet]

Don't D-link - Netgear instead. Picked mine up off trademe $50. Excellent range and I can even run my old dog of a Win98SE machine off it (wirelessly).

What ISP are you running with. Static or dynamic IP address? Do you have more than one laptop / computer? Can you do a ping between them?

[Hitcher]

What ISP are you running with. Static or dynamic IP address? Do you have more than one laptop / computer? Can you do a ping between them?

TelstraClear. Static. Yes. Not at the moment.

[Fatjim]

Particularly when the 64 character hexadecimal string couldn't be cut and pasted...

Those 512bit Hex keys are quite pedantic.

[Fatjim]

Pick me up after work and we'll sort it. No worries.

Still haven't got your bike back eh Jim?

[avgas]

Yep BELKIN and D-Link are banes of my life.
After dealing alot with comms crap in the last 3 years for work i got pretty good at the old Ethernet (kinda have to with IEC61850 and DNPi). And i can openly admit i HATE BELKIN and D-Link.
I ALWAYS have problems with them.
First thing im gonna do when i get home is hook the linksys wireless switch up and hug it. Worth its weight in platinum encrusted gold. Has 1/10th the problems, 5 x the solutions, and 4 times the range (dual antenna FTW!).
Also what the hell is with windows7 wireless handling - takes forever to figure itself out. Linux Mint is done in like 10 seconds. I have gone back to Vista, and i blatantly don't like 7 now.

Hitcher - one thing i have found useful is using a multi-ping program if you have lost something on the network. NetworkView is the best. handy if the router is 10.196.122.161 not 10.196.122.116 which happens far to often.
Also some of the D-Link stuff has a reset jumper in it, to switch everything back to fac. std. eg 10.1.1.1, admin, admin

[CookMySock]

[....] Particularly when the 64 character hexadecimal string couldn't be cut and pasted...

Why? Did it have comma's in it?

Don't D-link - Netgear instead.

Don't.

Check thees sheet, seenior! Scope out the 400mW APs there. Get a big fucker antenna for it while ur there.

Steve

[Hitcher]

Hitcher - one thing i have found useful is using a multi-ping program if you have lost something on the network. NetworkView is the best. handy if the router is 10.196.122.161 not 10.196.122.116 which happens far to often.
Also some of the D-Link stuff has a reset jumper in it, to switch everything back to fac. std. eg 10.1.1.1, admin, admin

You appear to have mistaken me for somebody who understands what you're saying. My IT knowledge is based on Dumb Luck(TM) which sometimes works and, on other occasions, takes me further than I really am capable of going or, worse, escaping from.

[Max Preload]

Please ignore the label screaming to use the CD first. I haven't found a modem/wireless AP setup CD that actually ever worked.

You take that back! I have a couple that serve their purpose as coasters perfectly adequately!

[James Deuce]

The issue is most likely not the router.

I will test that theory another night.

Your comments and advice are noted, but this isn't rocket science people.

No, FJ, my bike still isn't back. Looks like 6 months away for one part too.

[RantyDave]

Fucking stupid industry, can't make shit that works. Hitcher is perfectly capable of, well, looking after a motorcycle for instance yet a broadband router ... one of the things that has to become obscenely mainstream in the next twenty years leaves him defeated.

Cars work. Motorbikes work. Cellphones work. Why don't computers. Even the pharmaceutical industry appears able to keep it's shit at least a bit together.

Dave

[Gremlin]

Yeah... speaking of bashing brands, I don't like linksys along with d-link. Dynalink or 3Com for home grade gear (3Com's All in One Router is actually quite well specc'd, with advanced capability for rules, packet handling etc.)

You take that back! I have a couple that serve their purpose as coasters perfectly adequately!

I also have several CDs that didn't burn perfectly that can also serve as coasters. I created my own coasters, you just stole some from another company!!

Back on topic, not being familiar with D-Link, we're actually talking about an AP here, aren't we? Dealing with them on the odd occasion, they do have an odd interface, and you need to make sure the D-Link has the modem as the gateway, ie, its passing all its traffic to the modem. It sounds obvious, but some devices do this automatically, others have to be specifically told. Some have even more convoluted steps.

[davebullet]

On each laptop / computer - get a command prompt up (start then run "cmd" or "command")

enter "ipconfig" and enter. This will dump out the status and IP address of each network interface on your computer. You want to ensure you have a valid and unique IP address and same gateway address on all your machines.

I'd focus on connectivity from one machine to the router (bringing up the admin page etc...), then pinging each machine to prove connectivity of your local network.

I'd also turn the security to open (remove all keys temporarily) and ensure it isn't a WPA-2 / WPA / WEP issue.

Make sure your network setup on each machine is set to dynamically get an IP address (unless you must have a static assigned for some reason locally - usually not required). Ensure your router is set to dish our DHCP addresses.

If all else fails - do a factory reset on the d-link and start again by bringing up the web page.

If you can get the local network going but not through TCL for broadband, then configure your static IP on your laptop ethernet and plug it directly into the cable modem. Just to prove the internet connectivity works. I also have TCL cable and haven't had an outage in 6 months.