Home network nightmare (Home Hub Linksys WRT320N)

rockingskier · 14 Aug 2009 at 22:19

Hello everyone,

I have a nightmare network set up at home, it just has a mind of its
own. This might take some explaining so I've drawn you all a nice
diagram to help.

Ok here we go....

2 buildings, 1 has the internet and the HomeHub (cringe). The other
has no internet but a nice new Linksys WRT320N. There is one long
cable reaching between the two to pass the internet from one to the
other. Probably about 30 of cat5. It does go outside and someone has suggested cat6 would be better.

Both have wireless set up with different SSIDs and different WPA keys.

The Home Hub has DHCP enabled and the Linksys has it disabled (so the
HH should do all the work?).

Anything connected to HH gets internet both wireless or cabled.

At the Linksys end everything either works or it doesnt and I cant
find a reason why it may or may not work. I also dont have an way of
making it work again, it just decides to sometimes. Resetting both
doesnt seem to work.

The Linksys has all kinds of OSs attached, Vista, W7, Ub9.0something and a 360.

Thats about all I can say at this moment and any help would be
amazingly awesome.

Please ask away if you need more details.

Thanks in advance.

RockingSkier

Biffa · 15 Aug 2009 at 00:10

Do the buildings share the same power meter?

rockingskier · 15 Aug 2009 at 00:29

The Linksys is in a converted shed so its the same power meter but it has its own fuse box.

Fanatic · 15 Aug 2009 at 00:34

I'm probably wrong (as per usual) but can't you just use a switch instead of the Linksys?

Edit: I see you need wireless from the Linksys to the laptop.

rockingskier · 15 Aug 2009 at 01:16

I would like to say I could go without the wireless and I did try for a few days but it just didnt go down very well.

It would have course probably sort this whole thing out but I have just paid for this Linksys so my aim is to get it to work.

PhillyDee · 15 Aug 2009 at 01:35

Its probably an IP conflict. Despite everything being on DHCP. Both routers are different ips im guessing . . . .

rockingskier · 15 Aug 2009 at 01:52

yeh both routers are different IPs, 192.168.1.254 and .253

I have two PCs set with static IPs and the rest are dynamic. I've set the DHCP range to be .100 - .199 and the static ones are .2 and .3

Biffa · 15 Aug 2009 at 02:09

rockingskier said:
The Linksys is in a converted shed so its the same power meter but it has its own fuse box.

I have the same setup.

I use powerline network adapters between the buildings.

rockingskier · 15 Aug 2009 at 13:34

Ah good plan, I'm might have a look at doing that, assuming I can get this working.

came down this mornign and all Linksys computers has funky IPs (167.95.265.327, all made up and not relating to each other or the network). I assume this is because they arent/cant get IPs from the HH?

blastman · 15 Aug 2009 at 14:46

that above ip address is the auto assigned address that a nic will give it's self if it cant access a dhcp server.

If i where you i'd have both devices running dhcp. They would both have to have static addresses, .1 and .2 Then I'd configure the HH DHCP scope to be x.x.x.10 to x.x.x.125 and the Linksys scope to x.x.x.126 to x.x.x.254.

That also gives you an extra 8 addresses for static machines if needed.

Then all dhcp requests will be handled by whichever server (or service in this case) answers first. (you'll find that they both handle the buildings thier in)

Since all the address being given out are on the same subnet, the router shouldn't have any issues in allowing them through to the internet.

I should say that I've never set a network up like that, but I see no reason why not.

Hope it helps

rockingskier · 16 Aug 2009 at 00:39

Good suggestion, seems like a logical option but unfortunately it doesnt seem to help.
I set it up like so...

HH xxx.xxx.xxx.254
DHCP range .100 - .149

Linksys xxx.xxx.xxx.253
DHCP range .150 - .199

Subnet 255.255.255.0 for everyone.

I've also removed all static IPs from the network for now to try and make life simpler.

However with this they act like seperate networks. Things on the HH side can see each other and the Tubes and computers on the Linksys side can see each other but no internet and neither side can see the other.

I can imagine its all down to one little option somewhere that I have missed or ticked by accident but untill then I am internetless

blastman · 16 Aug 2009 at 09:14

rockingskier said:
Good suggestion, seems like a logical option but unfortunately it doesnt seem to help.
I set it up like so...

HH xxx.xxx.xxx.254
DHCP range .100 - .149

Linksys xxx.xxx.xxx.253
DHCP range .150 - .199

Subnet 255.255.255.0 for everyone.

I've also removed all static IPs from the network for now to try and make life simpler.

However with this they act like seperate networks. Things on the HH side can see each other and the Tubes and computers on the Linksys side can see each other but no internet and neither side can see the other.

I can imagine its all down to one little option somewhere that I have missed or ticked by accident but untill then I am internetless

Did you tell the linksys that that gateway address is the HH address??

Other wise it will be telling all it DHCP clients that it has direct internet access, which it doesn't.

When you say you cant see other devices is that just house to house or is it for everything??

can you ping devices in another house??

try doing a tracert <ip address> to see how far it gets.

You might have to enable bridge mode on the HH and Linksys routers.

GhostlyPea · 16 Aug 2009 at 10:53

Set both routers with the SAME security details and put the second router into bridge mode?

- Pea0n

csmager · 16 Aug 2009 at 17:02

I'd stick with one DHCP server, as you started. The Linksys device is then acting purely as a switch and access point. It's very un-complicated.

I think you'll probably find the issue is the 30ft cable - ditch the Linksys, connect a PC/Laptop to the end of it and prove it works reliably.

blastman · 17 Aug 2009 at 08:53

csmager said:
I'd stick with one DHCP server, as you started. The Linksys device is then acting purely as a switch and access point. It's very un-complicated.

I think you'll probably find the issue is the 30ft cable - ditch the Linksys, connect a PC/Laptop to the end of it and prove it works reliably.

I agree that the issue is more likely the cable and that the DHCP requests are going unanswered. Hence my suggestion to have two DHCP services on either side with bridge mode on.

Have you got another cable to you test your link with??

rockingskier · 17 Aug 2009 at 20:20

Hey all, thanks for you help and sugestions.

csmager and blastman you are correct, I plugged a PC into the cable and it would flick between enabled and disconnected every sercond or so. I up routed the Linksys, took to next to the HH and cabled them up and it all worked prefectly within seconds.

I have now bought some of the powerline adapters and are holding up nicely (well they have done for 24 hours which is longer than I've manage for a while now.)

Thanks all for you help, you be the first to kwno if it all goes downhill again.

RockingSkier