Netgear MR814 router and Officeconnect LAN modem

[hatchd]

I am setting up a wireless home network using a Netgear MR814 router with the host and client computer both running Window 98se. I am using this router even though I don't have DLS service at this time, but I probably will in within the next year or two. In the interim, I have a 3com Officeconnect LAN 56k modem that I am trying to throw into the mix for internet access and from what searching I've done in Google, looked to be feasible.

Many hours later, I still cannot get file sharing and internet access working at the same time. I can get file and print sharing among the host computer and a wireless client as long as the modem is not connected, but as soon as I connect the modem, my wireless client computer is no longer part of the network.

Here is some of the settings that I've adjusted and some observations:

1. When the modem is connected, I have set the router to disable the DHCP service and verified that the modem has the DHCP service enabled.

2. The Netgear documentation states: "Your IP address must be in the range of 192.168.0.2 to 192.168.0.254..." while the modem want's to assign IP address' starting with 192.168.1.1. This is where I'm sure the biggest problem is, and have tried to resolve it but only ended up resetting the modem and the router because everything got so screwed up.

3. I can't get to the routers browser based setting located at 192.168.0.1 if the modem is connected.

I could go on, but I really don't know what information is relevant. Has anybody here successfully made such a connection and can offer some advice?

TIA

Daryl

[Greenstead]

I would suggest trying:

1. Disable the DHCP service in the modem and enable it in the router.

OR

2. With the config you stated - plug the modem into one of the netgear LAN ports.

[hatchd]

Thank you. I realize I didn't make it clear, but I do have the modem plugged into the router, and the router is plugged into the computer. I was going to do your first suggestion, but I was thinking that the modem should be controlling the DHCP duties as it is connected to the internet. Don't as me why I think this is important, it's just ignorance I guess.

Here is my current configuration: The LANmodem is plugged
into the Netgear router via crossover cable. The router is plugged into the computer. The DHCP for the router is turned OFF and the DHCP for the LANmodem is turned ON. The LANmodems ip address has been changed from 192.168.1.1 subnet mask 255.255.255.224 to ip 192.168.0.9 subnet mask 255.255.255.0 to conform to what the router seems to be willing to work with.

All seems to be working well now (file sharing and such) except when either one of the computers logs onto the internet, they "connect", but nothing happens; when I try to visit a web site...nothing happens.

Any suggestions?


Originally posted by Greenstead
I would suggest trying:

1. Disable the DHCP service in the modem and enable it in the router.

OR

2. With the config you stated - plug the modem into one of the netgear LAN ports.

[Greenstead]

I am not sure why that should not work, but if you do it that way I would plug the modem into a router LAN port (not the WAN) port. The router should only be used as a switch for the configuration you are trying.


I would do it the other way. Disable DHCP in the modem and enable it in the router. Then you can have the modem plugged into the router WAN port and use the router configuration to manage the WAN.

[hatchd]

Here is what I got to work with some level of success: I enabled the DHCP in the modem and disabled it in the router. I left the modems ip set to 192.168.1.1 (subnet mask 255.255.255.224) and changed the routers ip to 192.168.1.100 (subnet mask 255.255.255.224). I HAD been able to access the internet from the remote computer, but last night I couldn't...of course, that was AFTER I played with some of the settings. The downside of this set-up (besides my sudden - and hopefully temporary - loss of internet access on the remote computer) is that I cannot access the browser based set-up screen of the router unless I reset it. I am not sure why my browser won't open 192.168.1.100, but it won't.

My lack of knowledge in this is irritating me and I am trying to overcome it as quickly as I can. One obstacle I have in putting even more time in this than I have is that I have a wife and 3 kids and they're starting to really roll their eyes when I start to work on this knowing that I won't be available for the rest of the evening. I'm afraid the neighbors are even starting to talk.


I did try your suggestion of plugging the modem into the routers WAN port (note my reference above about playing with some of the settings) and it didn't work. There is a good chance, though, that the "regular" lan cable I used (not the crossover cable I've been using to plug the modem into the routers LAN port) is bad. I will round up a new cable as soon I can and try it again. I would much prefer this set-up if it would work as I am trying to introduce 3rd computer into the network (It's a Windows XP) and it is not going smoothly and being able to access the routers setting is of upmost importance.

[cjsagi]

Boy, I thought I was writing this thread (except replace 3 kids with 2). I am having the exact same problem. Once I got the printers and files to share (that alone took 1 day), I got a little cocky and tried to install ICS (WIN XP on 2 desktops and 1 notebook), at which point everything went downhill. In addition, my wife needs to use the net for work, so I'm really getting some pressure now. Actually, trying to find some answers is how I found this site, hope someone can help out!

[hatchd]

OK, I have finally solved this issue and I want to post what I did to give a close to this thread.

There are still a few things that I don't understand, but at least now I have internet AND file/print sharing. I'm sure the things that I don't fully 'get' will fall into place as I absolutely need it to.

The main thing that I had to give up to finally see some real progress was to switch from DHCP to static ip addresses.

Here is the configuration that allows me to use the 3com officeconnect 56k LANmodem over a wireless network connected by a Netgear MR814 v2 router:

The modem is plugged into the router (in one of the 4 LAN ports) with a crossover cable and the router is plugged into the host computer.

On the modem, I turned off the DHCP function and left the ip address at 192.168.1.1 subnet 255.255.255.224.

On the router, I turned off the DHCP function and changed the ip address to 192.168.1.10 subnet 255.255.255.224.

On the host computer, in the TCP/IP settings I change it to a static ip of 192.168.1.2 subnet 255.255.255.224. I changed the gateway to 192.168.1.1 (same as the modem). I then enabled the DNS and gave the 'HOST' name LANmodem (I'm still not sure exactly what I should put there) and for 'DNS server search order' I input 192.168.1.1 and 192.168.1.0 (the second address seemed critical for a wireless client computer, and not for the host computer.)

On the wireless client computer, I made the same changed as on the host computer, except I gave it the ip address of 192.168.1.3.

That's it. I'm definitely not saying that this is the only configuration that works, it's just the first one that worked for me. I would have loved to get the DHCP to work, but I couldn't.