Newbie's wireless network problem :-(

[daveyboy17]

Hi,

I'm a newbie to wireless networking and have just set up 2 PCs on an ADSL connection via a US Robotics 8054 Wireless Broadband Router - one wired straight to the modem via ethernet connection and one via a wireless adapter (Belkin Wireless G USB Network Adapter). Both can access the net without a problem. However, I can't access the configuration utilty of the router, which apparently I should be able to do just by typing http://129.168.123.254 into a browser. I can't ping this address either. My wireless connection is unencrypted, and I need to access the router config utility to change the settings. The router manual is zero help, and US Robotics email "help" can't be bothered to reply (which is apparently normal!)

This is what I get when I type ipconfig /all (in case there are any clues here!):

C:\Documents and Settings\David>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : linguasc-160386
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : SiS 900-Based PCI Fast Ethernet Adap
ter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0B-6A-51-D8-EC

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Belkin 54Mbps Wireless USB Network A
dapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-11-50-6B-26-8E
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.100
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : 17 June 2005 21:15:38
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : 24 June 2005 21:15:38

C:\Documents and Settings\David>

Can anyone help? Thanks!

[prouton]

You've got the first octet number wrong -- it should be 192, not 129.

[daveyboy17]

sorry that was a typo - I have been typing the correct address, but it doesn't find it

[prouton]

Have you tried 192.168.0.1 to access the configuration page? I know the default value is the one you've tried, but that's such a weird address compared to all the other routers I've worked with that I wonder if you have somehow inadvertantly changed it. The device itself is acting as a network gateway at 192.168.0.1, so I'm not sure why it would act as a server at 192.168.123.254.

And if that doesn't work, try 192.168.0.254 just for giggles. It can't hoight.

[daveyboy17]

This just gets more bizarre.....

When I type http://192.168.0.1 into a browser I come up with a configuration utility for a different make and model of router altogether!! I get the config page for the D-Link DI-624+

What's happening?!?!?

[daveyboy17]

Just had a thought...........

I got the router second-hand from a friend - could it be that he's somehow installed the wrong firmware on the router??

[prouton]

I just realized that your network connection problem is on the wireless side. I think what is happening, and it would explain both not being able to talk to the US Robotics router as well as getting the the D-Link router's configuration page, is that you aren't connecting to your router. You're connecting to a neighbor's router (which is a D-Link DI-624+) that isn't secured against foreign attachment. And if your neighbor is really clueless, you could even log into their router and change the configuration (which I do not recommend doing).

Basically, the wireless adapter in your computer grabbed the strongest, non-secured network signal and that was that. If you're using the built-in Wireless Network Configuration service of WinXP, it is notorious for ignoring the "default" setting in favor of a stronger (or less secure) signal.

I went back and looked at the US Robotics install guide, and by default it will hand out addresses in the 192.168.123.xxx range. So for as long as you've been using the US Robotics router, you've been wasting on a high speed internet connection -- you've been piggy-backing on your neighbor's! well, that's not quite true. The wired PC is using the internet service you're paying for.