Router set up help
 

Right im online with the BT Voyager 2100 ADSL Wireless router. I have managed to het online, and i also followed the instructions acording to the manual. But i dont think i have set it up properly. Ive set Windows to obtain an IP Address and DNS Server address automatically, but i still dont think im safe.

Re: Router set up help
 

You say you followed the instructions, & you've managed to get online.

So why do you think you haven't set it up properly?

And you "don't think you're safe"?


FAQ for the router: http://www.voyager.bt.com/faqs/wirel...xp/2100faq.htm


Article about securing a wireless network: http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/article.php?a=12

Re: Router set up help
 

Its asking for hexadecimal digits, could i be shown an example?

Re: Router set up help
 

In the router there should be an option to generate a WEP key.

Usually you put in a pass phrase and the router will then give you a choice of keys (these are the hexidecimal keys).

Simply choose one of these, tell the router which to use, tell your wireless card which one you're using, and then tell it which one of the keys this relates to on your router (the keys are normally numbered - if you pick key 1 from the routers choices you need to tell your wireless connection on the PC that you are using key index #1).

Re: Router set up help
 

Alternatively, choose WPA security rather than WEP. It's better security and you don't have to muck about with Hex keys, you just set a password. Presuming the router can handle WPA of course ... :)

Re: Router set up help
 

Sorry for the rather late response, it lost all the setting when i booted up this morning. Ill try WPA. Ok heres the page i have.

EDIT: ok i have tested my security with the diagnostics tools and here are the results. (2nd screenshot)

Re: Router set up help
 

UPDATE: This is what i have enabled:

Hide Wireless Network (Hide SSID)
Encryption: (WPA SPK)
DHCP Server: ON
UPnP: ON
IP Filtering: Enabled
DNS Server: Enable Automatic Assigned DNS (ticked)

Is that it or should i take extra steps? I have ZA on the highest setting (Stealth Mode)

The only thing i cannot seem to achieve is putting the routers MAC Address into the MAC Filter. The router just freezes and i have to do a factory reset. I have Googled for answers, but cant find anything.

Re: Router set up help
 

Anyone???

Re: Router set up help
 

The MAC filter is for putting other MACs in not its own one (IE wifi, print servers)

Re: Router set up help
 

Ahh right ok, so im safe then from the setup, that i have?

Re: Router set up help
 

You're unlikely to need UPnP

Re: Router set up help
 

Oh.... why's that then?

Re: Router set up help
 

Well, OK, it depends on what you use.

It's only worth having UPnP enabled on the router *if* it is also enabled in Windows (requires 2 Services to be enabled & running: "Universal Plug 'N' Play Device Host" & "SSDP Discovery Service") *and* you have other software/hardware which makes use of it.

UPnP wiki entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UPNP

ADSLGuide review of the Voyager 2100 (lots of set up info, by the way): http://www.adslguide.org.uk/hardware...oyager2100.asp


And from the ADSLGuide review of the earlier 2000:

http://www.adslguide.org.uk/hardware...q3/bt-2000.asp

So if you want to do more than just text chatting on MSN, then it can be useful.



I just leave it turned off in XP & on my router.

Re: Router set up help
 

Just for info, cause I see a lot of people talking about SSID hiding, here's a great article on why hiding your SSID is pointless and can actually cause degradation of signal strength...

https://www.icsalabs.com/icsa/docs/h...sid_hiding.pdf

Re: Router set up help
 

Ok, heres another prob for you, when i booted up this morning the router forgets to automatically connect to my network and i have to reconfigure it to get on the Internet, how else can i make it remember the settings so that when i boot up, i can just go straight on the Internet?

Re: Router set up help
 

Have you got the SSID broadcast turned on or off?

Re: Router set up help
 

Turned on

Re: Router set up help
 

In post 7 you said

I took that to mean that you were hiding the SSID.

Are you hiding it or not?

Re: Router set up help
 

Yeah i do have the SSID hidden.

Re: Router set up help
 

Ok, unhide it.

It sounds like your PC is failing to find the connection - probably because the SSID is being hidden.

Mine does exactly the same thing every time I turn hide the SSID.

Re: Router set up help
 

Ok what about this: What if i was to keep it on for now, but when i shut down, ill turn it off? Then when i boot up tommorow, turn it back on, and just use it while im browsing?

Re: Router set up help
 

Why bother?

I don't understand everybody's fascination with hiding SSID's (I can see why people do it though).

In theory, yes.

You can continue to have it hidden for now, unhide it before you turn your PC off, and then hide it again once everything's connected tomorrow.

Consider this though.....

You hide the SSID to stop people seeing your wireless connection.....
You turn the hiding option off overnight.....
Unless you turn the router off as well people will be able to see the SSID being broadcast overnight, and as you'll be asleep you'll be even less likely to know if someone is using your connection ;)

Re: Router set up help
 

The router is off as soon as i turn everything off at the mains, i have a plug bank you see so it runs off of that.

Re: Router set up help
 

In that case it should be ok, hide it while you're connected, unhide just before you turn the PC off, re-hide when you turn everything back on and it's all connected :tu:

Give it a try tonight and see how you get on. Any more problems just post back.
__________________

Actually, you know what?

Have you got modem, router, PC, all on the same bank?

If you have all three will be powering up at the same time, not a good thing.

The ideal power up order is:

Modem (let the lights settle)
Router (let the lights settle)
PC (let the HDD activity drop to a minimum and then log in)

Re: Router set up help
 

No the router has a modem bult in, so i turn the mains on, let the router settle and then boot up the PC.

Re: Router set up help
 

Cool.

Should be ok then :tu:

Re: Router set up help
 

Thanks for your help. :tu: :)

Re: Router set up help
 

I have another problem, when i boot up, i can access the Internet just fine, but when i enable the SSID to Hide, it drops and i cant display any pages, is there actually any need since my machine is up to date with all patches and ZA is set in stealth mod, and also since all the equipment is running off of a plug bank, as soon as i switch off the mains the PC and router gets turned off as well.

Also sometimes even with the SSID hidden i get a secondary connection called Net & Internet, pop up on the avaliable networks list.

Re: Router set up help
 

you need to tell the PC not to look for the SSID. IIRC, it should do this, after it's connected for the first time, but I'm not entirely sure.

The whole point of NOT broadcasting the SSID is so that it doesn't show up when it scans for NWs!

Re: Router set up help
 

Ok, that second connection "Net and Internet" could be somebody else's wireless connection :)

TBH I don't see the need to hide the SSID provided that you've got the rest of the security set up correctly, but maybe that's just me :shrug:

Hiding it has always caused me more grief than it's seemed to be worth :)

Re: Router set up help
 

I agree with that :)

Changing SSID and P/W, Mac filtering and some form of encryption should be sufficient.

Re: Router set up help
 

Let me see if i understand you (nffc) and Raistlin, what your saying is i should disable the SSID, but as long as i switch the equipment off, before i go to bed (Computer and router) i'll be ok with the setup i have?

Re: Router set up help
 

No.

Don't disable the SSID. Disable the option to HIDE the SSID. In other words, make your SSID visible.

You are at no more risk overnight than you are during the day, the fact that you turn it all off at night just means that no one can see your network at that time.

During the day (or while it is switched on) people will be able to see your SSID (and therefore know that your network is there) but, provided that your other security options are setup correctly, you shouldn't be at any significant risk.

Re: Router set up help
 

Sorry i meant t say should i unhide the SSID, which im going to now. I have WPA set up and i have changed the deafult passowrd from the deafult which is admin.

Edit: I keep having a second connection appear called Net & Internet, I can get rid of it, but does it mean someones trying to hack in?

Re: Router set up help
 

Erm, didn't Raistlin effectively already answer a similar question from you in this thread, on Sunday, in which he told you that there was no real reason to hide it, & hiding it could cause connection problems?

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...7&postcount=20

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...3&postcount=22




That is probably simply someone else's connection, which your PC is detecting. Doesn't mean anyone is trying to hack you, just means there's someone else's network in range.

I often see a neighbour's network appear in my list of available wireless networks.

Raistlin has already said...

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...2&postcount=30

Re: Router set up help
 

Can I make another suggestion Wayne?

Change the name of your router, at the moment it is set to the default "BTVOYAGER...etc".

If people know what router you are using it makes it easier for them to find vulnerabilities in your network.

Change the name of it (in other words, change the SSID) to something unexciting.

Be warned though, when you change the name your connection will drop and you will have to re-establish it. Make sure that you have made a note of any WEP/WPA keys that you need before you change the name!!

Re: Router set up help
 

Definitely :tu:


You should always change the default SSID etc.

Re: Router set up help
 

Done :D

Re: Router set up help
 

Ok this morning, when i went to boot up, it seems either my PC or the router cannot remember the automatic IP Address assignment, thus i kept on getting "Page Cannot Be Displayed" error, so i had to reset the router, any ideas?

Re: Router set up help
 

Manufacturers reset or simply reboot?

If it happens again, and before you reset, check to see what IP address the PC has in the properties for the network card/wireless adaptor.

Then check to see if you can get to the control panel for the router from the PC.

You're going to need to try and do some investigating yourself, resetting the router (while it might have seemes like a great idea at the time) just causes more work for you. It may have been something really simple that you could have sorted in about 5 seconds flat, now you have to set the thing up again from scratch.

Re: Router set up help
 

Manufacturers reset, do you think it was because i put the internal wireless cards MAC Address into the MAC Filter? The PC is also set to obtain an IP Address automatically. :)

Re: Router set up help
 

Ummmmm.....

Have you got DHCP turned on or off in the router.

If you have DHCP turned off on the router it won't supply an IP address to the PC, that means that the PC won't be able to get one "automatically" from the router.
You need to tell the PC what IP address it should use.

And NO, MAC filtering does what it says on the tin. It only allows access from the MAC addresses on the control list.

Re: Router set up help
 

Dhcp - On

Re: Router set up help
 

In that case it sounds like something is blocking the DHCP requests from your PC.

Your PC is trying to contact the router to get an IP address, your router is set up to supply one.

If the PC can't communicate with the router it won't be able to get an address.

The most likely culprit for this is your firewall.

I would suggest that you try turning DHCP off and then setting a manual IP address in your network card's properties.

Have a look now and see what address you've got (probably something like 192.168.1.***), make a note of that, the DNS addresses, and the default gateway address.

Now tell your network adaptor to use a specific address, put in all of the details that you just wrote down.

With a bit of luck that should work just fine.

Re: Router set up help
 

Ok would the deafult fateway be the same as the IP Address? And what do i use for the DNS servers, as im on AOL by the way so they use dynamic addressing

Re: Router set up help
 

Wayne,

The default gateway address, and DNS server addresses should be listed in the properties for your network card.

Right click on the icon for the card and select Status/Properties. The information you need should be in there somewhere.

Re: Router set up help
 

Is this right?

Re: Router set up help
 

Partly.


The manual IP, & the default gateway, look OK.


But the alternate DNS server has the same IP as your PC!


If the router has its DHCP server turned on, then change the PC back to "Obtain IP address automatically" & "Obtain DNS automatically". Then note down what you get for the DNS.

Re: Router set up help
 

Pretty much what I said here, looks like Wayne got his numbers mixed up somewhere.

Re: Router set up help
 

Re: Router set up help
 

If you click on "details" it will give you the DNS addresses that you need.

The IP address that you're showing there is DHCP assigned (your router has assigned it), if you turn off the DHCP part of your router you should just be able to fill the details in manually (into the setup for your network connection) exactly as they are on that screen (and the "details" one).

Re: Router set up help
 

What ive done:

1) Set the connection to get IP and DNS automatically
2) Turned off DHCP and manually entered the IP Address of my router
3) Rebooted router

Re: Router set up help
 

Ok.

:erm: I'm assuming that you mean you manually entered the addresses that had previously been given to your PC by the router?

Ok, so now you have a stable network connection and you can access the internet yes?

Re: Router set up help
 

Have you actually found the DNS info yet?

Re: Router set up help
 

Ive entered both the Primary and secondary DNS in my routers config page as the routers IP address both times. Should it be:

Primary DNS: Router IP
Secondary DNS: PC IP

Re: Router set up help
 

Wayne,

The Domain Name Server (DNS) looks up the web addresses that you type into your browser and converts them to IP addresses that the internet servers understand.

Your router cannot act as a DNS, entering the address of your router (or your PC) into those fields in your router will balls it up.

You need to enter them into the correct fields on the properties page for your Network adaptor.



Start > Control Panel > Network Connections

Right click on the icon for your network adaptor (the wireless one if you're connecting wirelessly, the ethernet one if that's how you're connected)

Click on "Internet Protocal TCP/IP"

Click Properties

Select "Use the following IP address"

You should have written down all of the information from earlier on - enter it in these boxes.

You don't need to enter the DNS addresses into your router, it will obtain those when it gets the IP address from your ISP.

Re: Router set up help
 

NO!


Have you actually absorbed anything that Raistlin has been saying?



- Turn ON the router's DHCP server.

- Set your PC to "Obtain IP address automatically" & "Obtain DNS Server addresses automatically".

- Note down what the IPs are (in the *details* section of the connection - you know where it is as you posted an earlier screenshot of it).


Then....

- Turn OFF the router's DHCP server.

- Manually assign the IP address, Default Gateway address, & DNS server addresses in your *PC's connection*.

A manual IP should probably be something like 192.168.1.2 (192.168.1.2 up to .99 are often used for manual IPs, and .100 & above used for DHCP assigned IPs. But the ranges depend on what the router is set for). The default gateway IP is the router IP (192.168.1.1). And the DNS server IPs are *what you should have found earlier*.


You *shouldn't* use the PC's own IP as one of the DNS server IPs - as I told you earlier in this very thread.

You *shouldn't* specify DNS addresses in the router - specify in the PC, *if* you know what they are.

The router itself should *automatically* obtain an IP from your broadband provider - and *automatically* obtain your provider's DNS server addresses.

Re: Router set up help
 

Ok, I have got down to the part where you enter the DNS info but, its asking for the secondary one, which i dont understand.

Re: Router set up help
 

When you allowed your PC to get the IP address automatically from your router it will have obtained 2 DNS addresses.

You wrote these down.

You need to input them into those boxes.

Here's a picture of mine:

Re: Router set up help
 

Please... just read the earlier posts.

Re: Router set up help
 

Ok so mine should look like this

Re: Router set up help
 

Ok, I see the confusion now (and it's partly my fault - sorry).

When you set your manual connection up enter all of the details it asks for as they are on that screen shot, except the DNS addresses.

So you should have:

IP Address: 192.168.1.3
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: 192.168.1.1

Primary DNS: 192.168.4.100
Secondary DNS: 192.168.8.100

See if that helps.

Re: Router set up help
 

I entered that info, and it didnt work.

EDIT: why 192.168.1.3? I have 192.168.1.2

Re: Router set up help
 

Are you quoting the ntl DNS IPs?

They start with "194" not "192"

Re: Router set up help
 

Have you still got DHCP turned on in the router control panel?

Have you still got any DNS specified in the router control panel.

Have you diconnected form the connection and re-connected?

Re: Router set up help
 

Nope
Nope

Connection re establishes automatically

Re: Router set up help
 

Sorry, you know what....you're absolutely right - that's probably why it didn't work.

My bad, all I can say in my defence is that I'm very tired tonight :(

Matt's right Wayne, the addresses should start 194 not 192 - sorry :(

Re: Router set up help
 

Im not on NTL, im with AOL

Re: Router set up help
 

Does your router's admin interface have a page where it gives you connection info?

If so, it should tell you there what the DNS server addresses are.

e,g, here is mine:

(edited to remove IP & MAC etc. Also, my DNS servers are the ntl ones, as I use ntl. I don't know if you'd be able to use them for your connection or not - but you need to find what your own ones are anyway)

Re: Router set up help
 

I thought you'd got rid of AOL?
__________________

Try:

64.12.128.2

and

64.12.130.2

Re: Router set up help
 

No, i just dont have to use the browser anymore, in that case as its a dynamic IP addy, shall i set Windows to obtain automatically.

Re: Router set up help
 

No need, your router will obtain the newest IP address for you - all we need to do is get your PC talking to the router properly.

Try the new addresses I've posted above.

Re: Router set up help
 

Nope, heres what i enter:

IP Address: 192.168.1.2
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Deafult Gateway: 192.168.1.1

Primary DNS: As above in your post
Secondary DNS: As above in your post

Re: Router set up help
 

Ok, one last try:

dns-01.ns.aol.com

and

dns-02.ns.aol.com

If that doesn't work then you may just have to go back to letting Windows get one automatically from the router.

Re: Router set up help
 

Can you install a router with AOL?
http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/article.php?a=74
mentions issues about AOL and NTL cable, but I recall Wayne has ADSL.

Wayne - Who is your ISP?

Re: Router set up help
 

AOL, though when the contract ends i'll be moving back to Demon.

Re: Router set up help
 

*Bump*

Re: Router set up help
 

Why bump when there are still posts, with suggestions, which you haven't replied to?

Have you tried this: http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...4&postcount=69


Or this: http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...7&postcount=74

etc.


Are you still having problems with it?

Re: Router set up help
 

Wayne,

I take it that you didn't get it working using a fixed IP.

As I said last night, if we can't get it working that way the best thing that you can do is go back to having your router dynamicaly provide an IP address for each of your machines:

Turn the DHCP function on on your router

Set both of your machines so that they obtain an IP address automatically

Re: Router set up help
 

Thanks for all your suggestions, reps on the way Raistlin and Matt, but i had to revert to Windows Issuing an IP and DNS address for the router. I gather there is nothing wrong in doing this?

EDIT: Seems i cant rep Raist. :(

Re: Router set up help
 

Nothing wrong with it at all.

So long as you turn the router's DHCP server back on, then Windows should be able to pick up an IP address & the DNS addresses from it.

Re: Router set up help
 

Nope, nothing wrong with doing it at all.