Network Setup for Two Routers - Dynalink 1320 / Belkin 7230-4 Wireless Gateway

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DMC

78 posts

Master Geek

#9613 30-Sep-2006 21:15

Previously I was on the TCL cable network. I connected the cable modem direct into the Belkin wireless gateway / router and then could plug my desktop and work laptop into the Belkin and wirelessly link a couple of playstations using the Belkin ethernet adapter. This worked flawlessly

I recently shifted house and so have been required to shift to ADSL. After a long and torturous process of getting PDQ organised I eventually got connected using the dynalink 1320. Whilst this works ok (although had to reset the modem once already, after less than 24 hours) if I connect the dynalink direct to my desktop but the moment I connect it to my Belkin I cannot access the internet from the desktop. I assume that this is because I effectively have two routers and it is getting confused (and I don't know what to do to remove the confusion).

It seems to me there are three solutions.

1: Disable the router on the dynalink so it is acting only as a modem. Thought this would be any easy solution but can't find anywhere in the manual how to do this.

2: set up the network so that the two routers work together. I have tried reading manuals but they are very hard to unerstand for someone like me who does not work with networking every day

3: Ditch the dynalink and buy a Belkin ADSL2 Modem / Router / Wireless Gateway and then use the existing 7230 as a wireless access point for one of the playstations etc or streaming to an HPTC when I have the money. Probably the most expensive route to go down but maybe the most likely to succeed.

Any help here would be greatly appreciated

Thanks
David

3g

341 posts

Ultimate Geek

#47208 30-Sep-2006 22:01

I'm not totally familiar with these models (but did a quick google to get myself familiar) and it appears that my "normal" setup for this combination of devices would work.

The manuals will tell you to plug a cable from the DSL modem to the WAN port, then plug your desktop into one of the LAN ports (labelled 1-4). Sounds good in theory. Shame that I've never seen it work 8-).

So, what I normally do is:

(1) Enable DHCP on the DSL modem (Dynalink in your situation).
That way it hands out IP addresses to any devices you connect to the network (eg your desktop).

(2) Disable DHCP on the wireless unit (Belkin in your situation).
Two DHCP servers on the same network is "interesting" to say the least!

(3) Plug a cable from the DSL modem to one of the 4 ports on the Belkin (NOT INTO THE WAN port as the instructions will tell you).

That should basically give you internet access to anything on the wireless side of your network, plus to any devices that you plug into the other 3 ports.

The first time I did this setup was out of pure frustration. When I mentioned it to other engineers at my work, it turns out that most of us set things up this way (easiest way to avoid complicated configuration of the devices).

Hope this helps.

Nigel H.

DMC

78 posts

Master Geek

#47224 1-Oct-2006 11:18

worked a treat - thanks 3g - got to wonder why they don't say this in the manual

have yet to work out how to find the ip address on the belkin so I can change my wireless settings etc, but worse comes to worse presume I can plug directly into the laptop, make the changes and then connect back to the desktop etc

Regards

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
79145 posts

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Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#47228 1-Oct-2006 11:45

DMC, just to make it easier for other people looking for this information, which option have you used that worked?

DMC

78 posts

Master Geek

#47257 1-Oct-2006 17:53

It turns out I was too optimistic.

When I tried to access the internet from my laptop no luck. After various messing around with DHCP settings on both found that I could get one to work and not the other. Then I made a big mistake and set the dynalink to "No DHCP" and did an IPconfig / release on the desktop and from that point on couldn't get back to the dynalink and so lost all internet acccess from everything - why couldn't they have put a hard reset (ie restore to factory settings) on the dynalink!

I assume this happened because the dynalink was 192.168.1.1 and the belkin network was 192.168.2.x

In the end I gave up and went and brought an integrated ADSL2+ modem / wireless router. Less desk clutter, meant I did not have to be accessing two pieces of hardware when I changed settings and I could then use my existing wireless gateway as either a wireless access point or a range extender for the other end of the house.

I did note that the belkin has option to make itself a modem only, would have made life a lot easier if the dynalink had offered the same. Thought about buying just a modem but the only ones in the shop were ADSL only, not ADSL2, so decided no point in doing that as I live in the probably foolish hope that I might get some benefits from ADSL2 when it arrives.

And now everthing is working fine including VPN through to work's servers.

As an aside also found out that I needed to put filters on every phone in the house rather than just one, didn't know how easy cable modems were until I didn't have one although I have been pleasantly surprised by the speed of ADSL (getting 3.5 down but up is terrible. about 120!)

Fraktul

836 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#47309 2-Oct-2006 00:23

Have the DSL router with DHCP enabled from 192.168.1.100-254. Plug the wireless routers WAN port into the DSL router and set the wireless routers WAN port to have a static IP of 192.168.1.2 with a gateway of 192.168.1.1, NAT should be enabled, DHCP enabled and the internet network set to 192.168.2.1.

Disadvantage of this is NAT'ing twice and the extra stuff on your desk as you point out.

DMC

78 posts

Master Geek

#47319 2-Oct-2006 11:46

Thanks

Solution is very logical when its written down in three easy lines, you would think manufacturers would make it easy rather than have a manual chock full of detailed networking terminology without any practical examples especially when the product clearly needs to be plugged into another device to enable multiple computer access.

Regards