New Router Setup

[seekermeister]

My new Belkin N1 Vision MIMO router (F5D8232-4) arrived today, and I'm muddling my way through, trying to set it up. The Quick Start Wizard seems to have worked well for basic internet connection for the primary computer, but I'm running into a roadblock attempting to set it up for the LAN to recognize my secondary computer.

I don't know exactly what the problem is, but I'm guessing that it is with the MAC addresses. There is no problem with the primary mac, but when I try to add the secondary's MAC, it always pops an error saying that it is invalid. This may be due to the manner in which I enter it, but not the basic number copied from ipconfig. The error message gives an example:

The correct MAC address should be one of xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx / xx-xx-xx-xx-xx-xx. x should be between 0-9 and a(A)-f(F)!

The numbers are separated by a space / and space, and each set is made of 12 numbers paired in duads as shown. Ipconfig separates them with hyphens, but apparently the router want colons instead, so that is what I used.

What is it that I'm missing?

 

[seekermeister]

I figured out that part, I guess that the / was only there for an example. I deleted that and it took. However the secondary rig still doesn't appear on the LED display, so something else is missing.

 

[Kari]

The display only shows how many wireless devices are connected, not how many wired devices.

I do not understand why you don't just connect the computers normally. There's no need to enter the MAC's manually.

Kari

 

[seekermeister]

Ahh! I thought about that as a possibility, after posting, but I'm glad that you confirmed it. As I said, I'm really groping even with the simpler aspects of dealing with this. Two things seem prominent at the moment. I can't seem to get to the screen to show download speed. I can get to the screen displaying connected components as just mentioned, and I can get to the other menus, but when I attempt to escape these and use the left arrow as it seems to instruct, or for that matter, any other button, nothing happens...unless I return to the menus. Is this thing defective or am I simply missing something?

The other thing is still getting the secondary computer on the hardwired LAN. Is that not possible? My Belkin adapter hasn't arrived yet, so I can't do it WIFI. When I go to Network in the OS, it does show the Secondary as belng listed, but clicking on it does nothing either.

 

[Kari]

First, I really hope you didn't use the Belkin CD to setup your new router. This post tells you how I recommend to set it up: http://www.sevenforums.com/network-...-router-need-help-configuring.html#post669998. Not the same model but exactly the same setup.

I believe your second rig (wired) finds the net automatically if you follow those steps (forget the modem resetting mentioned if your connection already works).

Second, you move in Belkin N1 Vision menus with up and down arrows, exit the menus with left or right. When not in menu, the left and right buttons switch display modes. When in main display (the symbols showing computer, router, modem etc.), pressing right once brings you to DL speed display, pressing it once more to DL / UL speed display etc.

Kari

 

[seekermeister]

No, I didn't use the CD. Actually, both computers do have access to the internet, it is just the LAN that isn't working.

When I press the left arrow once when at the main display, it goes to the clock, not the speed meter. If I press it again, it goes to something about guest access, and that is as far to the left as it will go. I read something about the Powersave feature effecting whether graphics would be enabled, but the Powersave is turned off, so that shouldn't be a factor. Before going much farther, is there anything else that I need to do to get the speed meter showing? If not, I think that I'm going to have to RMA it for another.

 

[Kari]

I edited my post, I meant press RIGHT once to get to DL speed. Sorry

Mine works fine, left and right buttons. It goes through all displays coming back to main when either left or right button is pressed repeatedly.

For instance, pressing right repeatedly goes through this cycle:

• Main
• DL speed
• DL & UL speed
• Connections / Speed (per connected device)
• Usage past 24 hours (per connected device)
• Guest Access ON / OFF
• Clock & Date
• Main
• etc.

And vice versa when left button is pressed repeatedly.

Kari

 

[seekermeister]

I could have sworn that I had tried the right arrow, but I guess that I didn't, because it is now working. Now to tackle the LAN. I did not change anything from when the old router was connected, however, I did find that Belkin had reset my network type from Home to Public, but I set that back as before. I have forgotten about everything that I had learned when first setting it up, so do you have any ideas about what may still be amiss? It was a security blanket when the LAN was functioning, which I would like to have again. Besides, I suspect that I will have to clear this up before even the WIFI will have proper access.

 

[Kari]

What do you mean with LAN not working? Computers not seeing each other?

 

[seekermeister]

Not exactly, the secondary rig seems to be okay. It sees everything as before, but the primary doesn't see the secondary. The only items listed in Network are itself and the router. When I tried this a bit earlier, it did list the secondary, but wouldn't access it.

 

[Kari]

IMO that's not a router related issue. If both rigs belong to same workgroup and have same gateway and subnet, check the sharing settings.

 

[seekermeister]

I could easily be wrong, but the fact that the network was fine prior to switching routers, and the fact that Belkin changed the type of my network without any input from me, makes me feel that the problem is indirectly router related...I just need to figure out how. I've been going round and around throughset the network settings and have not found anything amiss. After rebooting just now, the network map now does show the secondary rig, but like before, it is not accessible.