Recommendations for wireless routers?

[wizard10000]

Re: Recommendations for wireless routers?

Asus has a really cool dummy RT-N16 configuration page at

http://event.asus.com/2009/networks/...rt-n16/as.html

that's good for reference as the manual is useless.

Anyway, here we go. On the wireless tab -

SSID: *put SSID here*
Hide SSID: No
Wireless Mode: Auto b/g Protection: yes
Channel bandwidth: 40MHz
Channel: Auto
Extension Channel: Auto
Authentication Method: WPA2-Personal
WPA Encryption: AES
WPA Pre-Shared Key: *put network key here*
WEP Encryption: None
Key Index : *leave this alone*
WEP Key 1: *blank*
WEP Key 2: *blank*
WEP Key 3: *blank*
WEP Key 4: *blank*
ASUS Passphrase: *blank*
Network Key Rotation Interval: 1800

Then just hit apply at the bottom right

[DoYouKubuntu]

Re: Recommendations for wireless routers?

Thanks, wizard. I like that dummy config page.

I'm done experimenting for today, but will try your suggestion tomorrow.

[DoYouKubuntu]

Re: Recommendations for wireless routers?

I don't know if anyone's going to read new posts in this thread, but I didn't want to start a new one since my current problem is related to this thread's topic.

Last night--during a RARE thunderstorm here in the beautiful San Gabriel Valley--I suddenly lost...everything (router-related)...on my laptop. I had no Internet access. I could not access the router's config page, for a variety of reasons. First, entering its address, 192.168.1.1, brought up the username/password prompt (both of those are stored in my browser) but when I clicked 'ok' it just kept reissuing the prompt in an endless loop, as if the username and/or password were incorrect. I even manually typed them, with the same result. Later, after rebooting the router, NOTHING happened when I tried connecting to 192.168.1.1.

I went to a different computer, one that's wired to the router, and its Internet connection was fine--but it couldn't access the router's config page either. NOTHING happened when I tried.

Then I tried another computer, wireless, and it was prompting for the WEP password, but when I entered it, and it didn't connect, I looked further and realized that the SSID I had assigned when I got the new router [working!] was not showing; in its place was the default SSID, ASUS, with no security. I could connect to it and have Internet access, but still could not connect to the router's configuration.

Finally, I went back through most of the steps I originally did when I first got everything working last week--I turned off all computers, hard reset the router, turned off the cable modem, brought the modem and router back up, brought up one computer (this laptop, wired), and could then connect to the router's config page. I recreated the new SSID, added back WEP protection, etc., and was back up and running. Today everything's back to normal--wired, wireless, they're all working.

BUT...WTF happened?! Just to be clear, although it was storming when the problem started, at no point did the electricity even flicker or anything like that.

Ironically, my mother had just asked if the Internet connection was going to go out [because it was raining, and that was one of the triggers that made the DSL connection go out] and I replied, quite smugly, "um...no...that's NOT going to happen any more!" and rolled my eyes at her. She went off to her bedroom a few minutes later--and I never said a word to her about what happened!

[rpg_poser]

Re: Recommendations for wireless routers?

Something caused your Asus router to go back to it's defaults. Can't really say for sure what it was. Aren't you glad that you understand how to set up your router now?

FYI - I lost my WRT54G due to a lightning storm, and the power never went off. The lightning hit somewhere near the cable underground (or where it's connected at the pole). It went through the cable modem, fried two LAN ports on the router, killed my netgear 8 port switch and HP all in one printer.
The modem was fine, but that lightning bolt caused about $500.00 worth of damage to my home network.

[DoYouKubuntu]

Re: Recommendations for wireless routers?

Thanks, rpg. Yeah, it's good knowing that I can now get the router back up and running with my eyes closed.

BTW, I've always kept all computers and printers plugged in to surge protectors. Good thing, too! Years ago, I had a then-very-expensive 19200 external modem--which was not connected to the surge protector (ran out of slots)--get fried during a thunderstorm, even though I had unplugged its power cord--the damage came through the phone line, and it hadn't occurred to me to unplug that, too.

Now, because of where the DSL modem had to be hooked up, I had it and my old router in a room without a surge protector, but connected to a powerstrip, and that's where the cable modem and new router are. I know the powerstrip doesn't provide the same level of protection that a surge protector does, but it is what it is.