Horrendously difficult networking issue - Connect to network, not internet

Flippy_D

Hi guys,

Our old router seemed to be playing up, so we bought a new one. I've now spent about six hours trying to make it work and am starting to feel slightly ill.

I'm currently on a netbook plugged directly into the cable modem with an RJ45. I get the internet just fine. However, trying to access the net through the router - wired or wirelessly - just doesn't work.

I've tried everything I can think of, and entertained illogical prospects as potential solutions, but I am pretty sure I'm not going to be able to do this on my own.

Firstly, this is what the netbook ipconfig /all is:

IP Config

Host name (fine)
Primary DNS Suffix: (blank)
Node type: Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled: No
WINS Proxy Enabled: No

Wired through modem

Connection-Specific DNS Suffix: cable.virginmedia.net
Description: (model name)
Physical address: (fine)
DHCP Enabled: YES
Autoconfiguration enabled: yes
IP address: 82.35.35.233
Subnet mask: 255.255.248.0
IP address: fe80::224::8cff::fe7b::ff8b%5
Default gateway: 82.35.32.1
DHCP Server: 62.30.144.119
DNS Servers:  194.168.4.100 / 194.168.8.100
Lease stuff: (fine)

Obviously, that's all hunky dory. However...:

Wireless

Connection-Specific DNS Suffix: (blank)
Description: (model name)
Physical address: (fine)
DHCP Enabled: YES
Autoconfiguration Enabled: yes
IP address: 192.168.2.100 (makes sense)
Subnet: 255.255.255.0
IP address: fe80::222::43ff::fe92::14de%7
Default gateway: 192.168.2.1
DHCP server: 192.168.2.1
DNS servers: 192.168.2.1 / fec0:0:0:ffff::1%1 / fec0:0:0:ffff::2%1 / fec0:0:0:ffff::3%1
Lease stuff: (fine)

Wired into router produces the same result with one variation on the DNS line:

fec0:0:0:ffff::1%4 / fec0:0:0:ffff::2%4 / fec0:0:0:ffff::3%4

I don't know 100% whether it's fine having my router DNS results coming back the same as my gateway IP, but my research so far suggests it should not. This seems to be the main problem - that the modem DHCP is not assigning DNS IPs to the router. I am at a loss, though, to know how to fix this.

Stuff I have tried

• Endless ipconfig /relase /renew cycles
• Dozens of soft and hard resets / power cycles (which did actually fix my first problem, wherein the router wasn't being assigned an IP by the modem)
• Manually configuring multiple options on the router including DNS pointing to OpenDNS and Virgin's DNS servers according to the modem, which reflected in my ipconfig /all but still did not result in an internet connection
• Manually configuring TCP/IP preferences on windows to point to OpenDNS and Virgin's DNS servers, which had no discernable effect
• Swapping around MAC addresses on the Dynamic IP setup tool on the router - my computer's, my modem's and my router's - no change
• Leaving everything default
• Using static IPs and static DNS
• Using dynamic IPs and static DNS
• Switching wireless adaptors
• Winsock commands as per this post

Nothing works.

I'm running 7, am on a home network and nobody can access the internet unless plugged directly in to the modem.

Help =(

punk

I don't know 100% whether it's fine having my router DNS results coming back the same as my gateway IP, but my research so far suggests it should not. This seems to be the main problem - that the modem DHCP is not assigning DNS IPs to the router. I am at a loss, though, to know how to fix this.

You're fine. The router will proxy/relay your DNS requests.

With your netbook connected to your router, and your router connected to your cable modem, ensure that the router has pulled an IP address and DNS information via the modem. You can also confirm that the router itself can reach the Internet if it has any on-board diagnostic tools. Look for "Ping" or "Trace Route" and try to reach 4.2.2.2 - it's a public DNS server on the Internet. If your router can reach it, things on the router should be OK.

Next, from your netbook, connect to the router and ensure that you have an IP address, etc. From a command prompt, try to ping the same address - 4.2.2.2 - from your netbook. Can you reach it? If so, you're OK up to Layer 3.

Next, attempt to manually resolve a domain via the command line. Use "nslookup cnn.com" or some other domain. Does it return a valid result?

Let me know. Keep in mind that some ISPs require certain information to be entered into the router, such as the domain name. For example, you may need to add "cable.virginmedia.net" to your router's domain settings. It's usually somewhere under your basic setup menu. I've been poking around Virgin Media's help section, but I haven't been able to find any specific details on manually configuring a router for their service beyond the very basic - like where to connect cables.

Also, what is the make and model of your router?

Jazz Samurai

I hate to ask this but ... are you sure you're plugged into the proper ports on both the modem and the router? Besides just common sense, that weird DNS issue is what made me think this.

uean

Yeah, it kinda sounds like your router needs the DNS info entered manually. Your ipconfig is fine - your computer should have an identical DNS server as the default gateway (meaning, it'll get DNS entries from the router itself) so at that point you have to make sure that the default gateway (your router) is getting both an external IP and has proper entries in the DNS server.

Like was suggested before, you are free to use any available DNS server out there. Google operates one for example, so you can try entering 8.8.8.8 if necessary to use googles. But your ISP is giving you 194.168.1.100 and 194.168.8.100, so enter those.

Most routers will get this info automatically. Since yours is not, that's the issue.

Flippy_D

Hi chaps, apologies, just realized I accidentally made two threads. Have, obviously, been away. I tried OpenDNS and entering those ISP DNS values but it didn't work. The modem error log showed some fundamental problem with the DHCP processing. They're sending me a new one.

Thanks though.