[butie120]

Ok guys, I am absolutely stumped right now and I've been working on this for a few days. I will forever be thankful if someone can solve this dilemma of mine. Here's the brief rundown and then specifics later: I have a modem with a built in router/wifi that when connecting anything to its Ethernet ports, I can't access internet. Wifi, however, works great. My PC, apple TV, or smart TV, you name it, if connected by ethernet, it won't connect. I did a full reset of all my routers just to see if this would solve my situation, and for a moment I thought I had it because both the TV and Apple TV were working through ethernet. But this afternoon apparently it stopped.

My setup is as follows: I have a Modem/Router than connects by an ethernet cable to another router to provide additional connections. The cable goes from one of the LAN ports to one of the router's LAN ports. I then connect an additional router to the 2nd router in the same fashion. What's really crazy is this: I go downstairs to connect my PC to an ethernet jack in the wall that is connected to the 2nd router and I get Internet. I can also connect my PC to the third router and I also get internet access. I for the life of me can't figure out why this is.

Here are some settings on my routers:

Main DSL/Router:

Modem IP Address: 192.168.0.1
Beginning IP Address: 192.168.0.2
Ending IP Address: 192.168.0.254
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

2nd Router

Modem IP Address: 192.168.0.3
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
DHCP Disabled so no IP Address

I can't get at my third router right now, and I'm not even sure that matters. Can anyone offer some thoughts or suggestions? I'd hate to call up Centurylink to pay for someone to fix this thing for me. Thanks!

 

[toddman36]

Are you usimg the 2nd router to boost your wifi signal? If not you need a switch, not a 2nd router!

Are you sure you dont mean its all hooked up via 1 router and your talking about its ethernet switch hub?

 

[butie120]

Are you usimg the 2nd router to boost your wifi signal? If not you need a switch, not a 2nd router!

Are you sure you dont mean its all hooked up via 1 router and your talking about its ethernet switch hub?

I am using the 2nd router as a switch and to boost my wifi signal. I was under the impression that this is no big deal. There's plenty of "how to" on the internet on how to do this. The extended wifi works great in the basement and keeps full bars now. I wasn't under the impression that this should affect anything. And why would my ethernet be working from the 2nd router, but not the 1st? This just doesn't make sense to me...

 

[Mark12547]

If the modem/router works similar to the modem/router that Comcast sent me (Comcast calls it a "gateway"), the modem/router can be put into "bridge mode" (on the gateway menu, it is "gateway" -> "connection" -> "local IP network" and then one of the switches on that screen is for "bridge mode").

If set in "bridge mode", all the Ethernet ports are disabled except the very first port, which can be connected to one device, such as a router or a computer. But this is the intended setting if one wishes to supply one's own router instead of using the built-in Ethernet routers in the gateway, and one's router would have to be connected to the very first Ethernet port.

My recollection of postings I had seen on the Comcast forums is that the wireless connections will still work in "bridge mode" unless one specifically disables the wireless part of the gateway ("gateway" -> "connection" -> "Wi-Fi" and click on the "Edit" button, and a switch on that screen would allow one to disable the WiFi part of the gateway without disturbing the other functions of the gateway).

Since you are using a different ISP and haven't identified the modem/router, I wouldn't know if yours works the same way as the Arris TG862 I am currently using.

 

[butie120]

Mark, I think you may be on to something. I unplugged the ethernet cable that goes to my 2nd router, and now the Smart TV works when connected to the 1st router. What's strange is I didn't change any settings on the 1st router. I only disabled DHCP on the 2nd router, which again, gets internet when I connect devices to that router. Perhaps the 1st router does disable all the other ports when I plug it in to the 2nd router, but I can't figure out why because I never put it into bridge mode or anything.

So, must I use a switch instead? I thought you could convert a router into a switch...

 

[fmedrano1977]

Try setting 3rd router IP address to one outside of 1st router ending IP address.

HTC One m8

 

[jttehall]

The first router should be set up to assign IP numbers. Dhcp on the extra routers has to be off. You have to run the cable from first router to a any port other than wan. A switch is easier. And cheap. But I use two switches and two routers as switches. If you want to use two different routers to assign IP numbers then you need to have different beginning IP numbers. So your log in IP would be different. There's no reason to do this in s home setting that I can think of.

 

[jttehall]

So cable from first router for to lan port of second router if you string them out just don't plug into the wan port. The only time to use wan port is from the modem to the first router. Of your modem is also a router then treat it as the first router in the chain.