Network between routers fail.

[splitcold]

For some reason the network from point A to B keeps failing. Going to explain the set up I have right now. DSL and modem are in room 1 then that plugs into the wall to the switch in room 2. Many things are connected to the switch, roku player, dish network receiver and other Ethernet connections for other rooms and a router so we can get wifi. Now for some reason the connection from the switch to the modem keeps going out.

The internet works just fine because i can plug the ethernet cable from the modem directly to a computer in the office. However from a computer in another room I cannot cmd ping the modem says 0%. What would cause this to fail, it works for hours then i have to unplug/re-plug the cables to get it working again.

I have tried it without a switch using two routers, room 1: (modem to router router) room 2: (another router) and still the connection from the 2 routers will stop after working for days without problems!

 

[chev65]

From what you are saying you have the switch plugged directly into the modem which is not how it should be.

You need to plug the Modem into the WAN port on the router first then plug the switch into one of the router's LAN ports. This is the reason your network is not reliable.

Switches are always plugged into LAN ports on the router not the modem.

If you are going to use two routers you need to turn off DHCP on one of the routers plus some other adjustments will be required, link below explains the process.

Connecting Additional Routers | Tech Support Forum

 

[splitcold]

Yeah I've changed the dhcp settings, and the modem im using actually has one. But I wanted the switch for the extra ports. Right now I'm just using the modem and 1 router and still its failing so much.

 

[chev65]

Yeah I've changed the dhcp settings, and the modem im using actually has one. But I wanted the switch for the extra ports. Right now I'm just using the modem and 1 router and still its failing so much.

You can still have the switch and the extra ports but the switch needs to be plugged into the router and not the modem.

Try using one of the other routers as the DHCP server and see if the problem persists or not.

 

[edwar]

Yeah I've changed the dhcp settings, and the modem im using actually has one. But I wanted the switch for the extra ports. Right now I'm just using the modem and 1 router and still its failing so much.

That is because the Modem is also a Router. Then you have connected a second router and you are using it as a Router.

Connect a PC to the second router all by itself and turn off the DHCP server in the second router. Then when you connect that second router to the switch do NOT use the WAN/Internet port on the second router. Connect from one of the ports on the switch to one of the LAN port on the router.

 

[splitcold]

So I got really sick of the routers screwing up, and I've just been using one, but it sucks not being able to use all my stuff so heres to another try. And thanks for all your help guys.

Set-up im using now, and this usually stops working for some reason, gonna leave it like this and hopefully it all still works when I wake up.

Modem

So the modem has DHCP settings and I have disabled them and had to reset the modem because the computer or router can't connect to it. So it stays on.

The modem has no wireless and only 1 ethernet port.

Router 1

Modem plugs into router on the internet port of the modem not the LAN 1-4 ports.
DHCP is on, didn't change any settings from a reset other than wireless name and security and google DNS.





Router 2

From a reset changed wireless name, security, disabled DHCP.
Router 1 is plugged into the LAN 1 slot on router 2.
Use this router for all the wireless devices.

Settings I have now, if you want more screen shots let me know.







Switch

I have an 8 port switch but its not installed because I tried it with the above setup and stuff just didn't work anymore so its out for now. Am I supposed to plug it before or after the 2nd router? Do I plug the cables all in then turn on or what cause I tried it nothing worked. Couldn't connect to the internet or router #1 when router #2 was plugged into the switch on LAN port 1.

Also is it normal even though I'm wireless connected to router #2 I can't go to the setup page. I had to reset it to get the screen shots.

 

[edwar]

If the modem is also a router and has a DHCP server then when you connect router 1 the wire from the modems Ethernet port should be plugged into a LAN port of router 1 NOT the WAN/Internet port. Let the Modem do all the DHCP server IP addressing of all equipment connected on your LAN.

What is the IP address of the modems Ethernet port? It should be 192.168.1.X, what is the X number.
If it is 192.168.1.1 then router one should have a IP address of 192.168.1.2 and router 2 should be 192.168.1.3.
Each piece of equipment must have a different IP address for all pieces to work correctly and they should all be in the same IP address range, 192.168.1.x

Your problem is the Modem is also a router and for a good working LAN you should only have one router and one DHCP server. As soon as you use the WAN/Internet port on one of the other 2 routers you are introducing a Second LAN segment, which you do not want or need.

 

[edwar]

This is how it should be set up.

Connect a computer to Router one with a ethernet cable without router one connected to anything else except the power. Log in to it and change the IP address to 192.168.1.2 and turn off the DHCP server. Then disconnect the computer and connect router one to the modem from modems LAN port to LAN port on router one.

Connect a computer to router 2 and nothing else except power. Log in to it and set the IP address to 192.168.1.3 and turn off the DHCP server. Now connect for LAN port of router 1 to LAN port of router 2. Now you should be able to log in to any of those routers or the modem by typing in their IP addresses. Modem 192.168.1.1 or .254, Router 1 with 192.168.1.2 and router 2 with 192.168.1.3. You can then setup the wireless side on each router from any computer connected to any LAN port on either router.
You can then put the switch you have anywhere in that line. Before router one, between router 1 and 2 or after router 2.

With this setup the modem/router combo box is doing all the IP assigning for the computers or printers and the second and third routers are just switches with Wireless Access Points.

 

[chev65]

In my opinion the Op would be far better served ditching the modem/router combo POS and going with a standard modem plugged into a standard router.

Trying to set up a reliable network with one of those modem/router combo's is not something I'd ever attempt, every time I see someone with one they are constantly having problems.

 

[edwar]

In my opinion the Op would be far better served ditching the modem/router combo POS and going with a standard modem plugged into a standard router.

Trying to set up a reliable network with one of those modem/router combo's is not something I'd ever attempt, every time I see someone with one they are constantly having problems.

That is all completely false.
If the OP is using DSL most all modems supplied these days from DSL providers are also routers. Also most all supplied today can not be set into Bridge mode or can not be replaced by generic modems as the provider is using the modems serial number or some proprietary system for logging into the providers network allowing access to the Net.

Setting up a standalone router as a switch, with or without a Wireless Access Point in the router, by not using the WAN/Internet port on the router and turning off the DHCP server on that router works every time with no problems. The problems come when the standalone router is used AS a Router using the WAN/Internet port and the DHCP server in the standalone router.

If the OP follows my instructions for setting up both standalone routers he will have no more problems.

 

[splitcold]

Thanks for all the help, so far so good. I'm using the modem as a DHCP server and I got rid of router 1 cause its not needed. So changed the router two to, 192.168.1.2 and turned of DHCP and it works great. Hopefully with this setup the network wont quit after a little while. Will post about the switch in a bit.

 

[edwar]

you should be find for a Long Time. that is exactly the way I have my LAN working but with 2 routers

Cable modem to router one, router one does DHCP as the cable modem is just a modem. Then router 1 LAN port to a GB switch. 2 computer connected to that switch and that switch connected to another GB switch. From that second switch a Netgear N router is connected setup just like I described and then 2 other computers are wired to that second switch. Everything is connected and always works. Wired Wireless you name it they all work.

 

[chev65]

In my opinion the Op would be far better served ditching the modem/router combo POS and going with a standard modem plugged into a standard router.

Trying to set up a reliable network with one of those modem/router combo's is not something I'd ever attempt, every time I see someone with one they are constantly having problems.

That is all completely false.
If the OP is using DSL most all modems supplied these days from DSL providers are also routers. Also most all supplied today can not be set into Bridge mode or can not be replaced by generic modems as the provider is using the modems serial number or some proprietary system for logging into the providers network allowing access to the Net.

Setting up a standalone router as a switch, with or without a Wireless Access Point in the router, by not using the WAN/Internet port on the router and turning off the DHCP server on that router works every time with no problems. The problems come when the standalone router is used AS a Router using the WAN/Internet port and the DHCP server in the standalone router.

If the OP follows my instructions for setting up both standalone routers he will have no more problems.

Sorry bro going to have to disagree with you on that one. I don't know about DSL but with broadband cable they don't ever supply some POS modem/router combo. It's a straight high speed modem "the right way".

I won't get into the fact that the OP never even mentioned he was using a modem/router combo, all I saw was him plugging a switch into what he said was a modem.

I've seen first hand the problems those units cause "5 here in the last couple weeks" and every one of them was having problems, mostly because people try to plug another router straight into them without making the proper adjustments, that is the problem in a nutshell, people don't take the time to set them up properly, if it was just a modem the set up would be greatly simplified which is better for the average consumer.

 

[edwar]

Well please tell me where you get a DSL modem that is only a modem and does not have a router included?
I ran with DSL for 9 years, from early 2002 until 2011 until I switched to a cable connection, and the modem I got was also a router. That was back in 2002.
Yes most of the problems are caused by the end user. You are completely wrong in your assumption that the modem/router combo boxes cause this problem, just like you stated it is the User.
All cable modem that I know of or have ever seen are just modems. Cable is different then DSL and the modems they use are completely different.
With the advent of VDSL it has changed once again. To my knowledge with VDSL there is no PPPoE log on system like on ADSL where the user logs on to the DSL providers network with a Username and password. The log on is all handled by the modem the provider supplies and that modem can not be changed except by the provider. Also it has been my personal experience dealing with these types of modem router combos that you can not set it into Bridged mode so you can use a normal router in the normal way. It has to be setup as I described as a Switch with WAP.
You may disagree all you like but that does not change the facts.

Sorry bro going to have to disagree with you on that one. I don't know about DSL but with broadband cable they don't ever supply some POS modem/router combo. It's a straight high speed modem "the right way".

I've seen first hand the problems those units cause "5 here in the last couple weeks" and every one of them was having problems, mostly because people try to plug another router straight into them without making the proper adjustments, that is the problem in a nutshell, people don't take the time to set them up properly, if it was just a modem then the set up would be greatly simplified which is better for the average consumer.