How to get internet working with Motorola 3360 and WRT160N V2

August 26, 2012 4:54 PM

Internet connection stops when connecting wireless router (WRT160N) to DSL modem (Motorola 3360).

Used to work but no more. Internet through the DSL modem fails when router is connected although router seems to work fine at that point (active as an access point).

Internet works fine when modem is connected to PC.

I've done all the simple troubleshooting, updating firmware, rebooting in the proper sequence (many, many times), etc.


It appears the solution might be for me to change the modem to bridge mode but the config page for the 3360 doesn't seem to have one under protocol, only PPPoE and PPPoA.

posted by qsysopr to Computers & Internet (5 answers total)

You say you've rebooted everything, but have you left the modem unplugged for a long time before rebooting it? At least on some cable modems (not sure if DSL providers do the same thing), it remembers your MAC address, and won't talk to any other MAC address until the whole thing has been turned off for a while.
posted by primethyme at 6:06 PM on August 26, 2012

Many routers have a MAC address spoofing option to deal with exactly this case. If you get no satisfaction from leaving it turned off for half an hour, try finding that setting in your router, and making its MAC address match that of the PC that works with the modem directly connected.
posted by flabdablet at 6:41 PM on August 26, 2012

Another option worth trying is leaving the modem (which I believe actually has a router inside it) set up as-is, and turning off the WRT160N's router brains (making it a plain wireless access point). Two consumer routers between you and the Internet is often more problematic than one.
posted by flabdablet at 6:45 PM on August 26, 2012

It's called "clone MAC address" in the router settings. You will have to key in the MAC address of your PC for the clone value in the spaces provided, it can't auto-detect. On the PC this is sometimes called the physical address when you look at it in Control Panel.
posted by ptm at 11:03 PM on August 26, 2012

Response by poster: Never did solve this but problem is moot because I moved from AT&T to COMCAST triple play and I'm using a COMCAST supplied wireless router (for $7 a month).

Installer and I had no real problems with the router setup.
posted by qsysopr at 8:42 AM on December 22, 2012