Wireless Router Connectivity Blues

January 3, 2007 9:17 PM

Help me get my wireless router to connect to the internet.

I'm trying to set up a wireless router for my parents. It's a Linksys WRT54G. They run Windows XP, use Comcast cable internet, and previously connected two computers with a regular Linksys router.

When I connect everything to the router, the computer connects to the router and I can access its setup page, but it won't find a DNS server or get an IP address, so I can't do anything else. What am I missing here?

posted by ludwig_van to Computers & Internet (8 answers total)

Are you replacing the wired router, or just plugging into it? If you're replacing it, did you unplug and replug the cable modem?
posted by nicwolff at 9:31 PM on January 3, 2007

Uh, from the power, not the cable.
posted by nicwolff at 9:31 PM on January 3, 2007

I'm replacing the router. Yes, I've power-cycled the cable modem.
posted by ludwig_van at 9:51 PM on January 3, 2007

Standard Comcast procedure.

Unplug router and modem.
Remove coax cable from cable modem.

Wait 2 minutes.

Plug in coax cable to modem
Plug in modem, wait til all regular lights come on.
Plug in router, connect to modem.

Connect to PC.
posted by mphuie at 9:58 PM on January 3, 2007

Huh, well I tried everything from the beginning again and it worked. I knew I was probably just being stupid about something. Thanks anyway.
posted by ludwig_van at 10:05 PM on January 3, 2007

For future readers - It was definitely a MAC address timeout issue on the cable modem. ALWAYS power cycle the cable modem completely if you change the router/computer plugged into it.
posted by stovenator at 11:48 PM on January 3, 2007

For future reference - I had the same problem with this router when setting it up with DSL. This walkthrough at the Linksys site was a big help. (Note that the instructions have you disable WPA, so be sure to turn it back on once everything's working.)
posted by puritycontrol at 12:18 AM on January 4, 2007

Also, a major firmware update was released for the WRT54G by linksys.

My WRT54G just all of a sudden stopped connecting to the internet and the update fixed it.

http://www.linksys.com then go to downloads.

FYI. Linksys tech support is FANTASTIC. Call them. They never ask if its in warranty, they just ask the model. [phone]
posted by sandra_s at 5:28 AM on January 4, 2007