Major network problem

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raface

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#82999 8-May-2011 14:46

Network setup as per picture below:
[img]http://i51.tinypic.com/14kh4xs.png[/img]

The DLink wireless router had DHCP and UPnP turned off so it was only acting as wireless access point/switch.

Everything was working fine up until last night, while I wasn't home my brother plugged a network device into the WAN of the DLink wireless router. The internet then stopped working and all devices attached to the Wireless switch showed the network error "Limited network Access"

So far I have done a factory reset on the Dlink and tried setting up as it was before by:
-Turning off DHCP
-Turning off UPnP
-Setting the IP of the DLink to 192.168.1.101 (After the reset the ip is 192.168.0.1). The DHCP range of the Vodafone router/modem is 192.168.1.2-192.168.1.100

However when i plug the vodafone router/modem back into the DLink and try to repair the network of one of the PC's attached to the DLink, it fails and shows a message that there is no connectivity in the network.

So i opened up the CMD and ran arp -a and it showed that 192.168.1.1 (which is the ip of the vodafone router) is invalid.

What is wrong with the switch? how do i get it to work again?

Note: The router are at opposite ends of the house (About 30m) and I had the DLink before I got the Vodafone Modem/Router so that's why I have this set-up

mthand

148 posts

Master Geek

#466827 8-May-2011 17:44

What are the other settings of the dlink? Subnet Mask? Default Gateway?

When I used a second switch to extend my total available ports from 4 to 6, I had to specify the gateway as the ip of the dhcp device.

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raface

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#466832 8-May-2011 17:54

Subnet mask is the same as the Vodafone router 255.255.255.0. There is no option to change the default gateway. I had another spare router (not wireless) and I set it up in the same way I set up the DLink and it is working fine. I think that the DLink may be broken.

mthand

148 posts

Master Geek

#466845 8-May-2011 18:18

This sort of action shouldn't break it. I haven't had any routers fall over like that though.

Does the dlink work as a switch to the other items connected to it if you enable dhcp and disconnect from the vodafone?

Does the dlink work as a modem on its own?

Is there a bridging setting on either of them?

raface

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#466851 8-May-2011 18:26

The DLink isn't a modem/router its just a wireless router. I don't know whether my brother would be tell the truth about what exactly happened. I have a manual which explains how to set up the DLink for switching and I have followed it exactly but it doesn't work.

mthand

148 posts

Master Geek

#466858 8-May-2011 18:55

If i put myself in your position, I have a few more questions that I would ask.

For example, what is a WAN port doing on a device that isn't a modem? I thought that was the connection to the WAN?

Has the device been rebooted since you set the dhcp to off and set the static ip?

Can you check if you set a static ip on the vodafone device for the dlink one previously?

There may be more questions depending on any answers you want to give.

raytaylor

3835 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#466874 8-May-2011 19:30

By making the Dlink a plain access point, it doesnt matter what ip / subnet / gateway you program it, as long as it is outside the DHCP range of the VF modem/router.

You have probably thought of this but

Next, because computers are not using the dlink to connect to the internet, you dont plug anything into the dlink's WAN port. The vodafone router is connected to the dlink, via the dlink's LAN port 1,2,3, or 4.

Ray Taylor

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Azzura

579 posts

Ultimate Geek

ID Verified

#467393 10-May-2011 08:42

Did you try shutting everything down on your network...as in computers, router and switch. And by shutting down I mean everything off at the same time. Then turn/plug power back to the router...then switch and then bring the computer system or any other devices online.

If everything was working fine before, you shouldn't have to mess with things, powering down then back up should bring things online. However...now that things have been tinkered with, it is hard to say.

trig42

5604 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#467395 10-May-2011 08:48

Is the cable between the two units OK? It looks like the Vodafone Unit is not talking to the Dlink, because when the Dlink is acting as a switch (ie, routing off), then everything connected to it will get their network addresses via the DHCP from the Vodafone unit.

Are the correct lights on both units for the cable that runs between them - ie light 4 on the vodafone and light 1 on the Dlink?

trig42

5604 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#467402 10-May-2011 09:16

Just had another thought - a good way of testing that cable would be to plug it directly into a PC/Laptop (so go from VF router to PC, bypassing Dlink). If you get net access that way, it tells you that the VF unit and the cable are working OK and the problem is the Dlink.

webwat

2036 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#468059 11-May-2011 21:10

trig42: Just had another thought - a good way of testing that cable would be to plug it directly into a PC/Laptop (so go from VF router to PC, bypassing Dlink). If you get net access that way, it tells you that the VF unit and the cable are working OK and the problem is the Dlink.

But then it could be a crossover cable... Is the same cable connected to the modem as you had before? Tried all of the ports on both routers in case port was damaged? Do any cables/computers work if connected to the modem?

If you really want to use the WAN port to make it a wireless router, you could setup half-bridge mode on the modem too.

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