Problem with Linksys modem/router

Hi there - hoping someone can help with this problem.

I have a Linksys HG200 Wireless-G Gateway (similar to WRT54GC I think).

I installed it and it worked fine for a couple of weeks. Then I
switched it off for the first time, then on again next morning. After
that it won't work.

After trying all options with Linksys support (hard reboot, config
settings, firmware upgrade etc.), they concluded the router was faulty
- so I exchanged it for a new one. Tried to install the new one - same
problem. It's hard to believe the new one has the same fault - so I
can't work out what the problem is.

All seems to work OK - the wireless network seems to work fine - just
that I can't get ADSL or Internet connection (DSL and Internet lights
never blink). Internet connects fine with a USB modem.

Any ideas please?

In article <(E-Mail Removed) .com>, "linkman" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>Hi there - hoping someone can help with this problem.
>
>I have a Linksys HG200 Wireless-G Gateway (similar to WRT54GC I think).
>
>I installed it and it worked fine for a couple of weeks. Then I
>switched it off for the first time, then on again next morning. After
>that it won't work.
>
>After trying all options with Linksys support (hard reboot, config
>settings, firmware upgrade etc.), they concluded the router was faulty
>- so I exchanged it for a new one. Tried to install the new one - same
>problem. It's hard to believe the new one has the same fault - so I
>can't work out what the problem is.
>
>All seems to work OK - the wireless network seems to work fine - just
>that I can't get ADSL or Internet connection (DSL and Internet lights
>never blink). Internet connects fine with a USB modem.
>
>Any ideas please?
>

Who is your provider (ISP)? When you say USB modem, is this the one the
provider 'gave' you? Could the issue be that they are looking for a
particular MAC and your new Gateway of course has a different one from your
USB modem?

fundamentalism, fundamentally wrong.

I don't think so - beause the modem/router was working fine until I
switched it off and then on again. My USB modem is a Speedtouch 330
from Virgin which has no problems. ISP is Virgin.net.

On Wed, 16 Nov 2005 07:17:22 -0800, linkman wrote:

> Hi there - hoping someone can help with this problem.
>
> I have a Linksys HG200 Wireless-G Gateway (similar to WRT54GC I think).
>
> I installed it and it worked fine for a couple of weeks. Then I
> switched it off for the first time, then on again next morning. After
> that it won't work.
>
> After trying all options with Linksys support (hard reboot, config
> settings, firmware upgrade etc.), they concluded the router was faulty -
> so I exchanged it for a new one. Tried to install the new one - same
> problem. It's hard to believe the new one has the same fault - so I
> can't work out what the problem is.
>
> All seems to work OK - the wireless network seems to work fine - just
> that I can't get ADSL or Internet connection (DSL and Internet lights
> never blink). Internet connects fine with a USB modem.
>
> Any ideas please?

Sounds to me that you have a broken wire somewhere or a filter problem or
your phone company has been doing some rewiring somewhere. What are you
using to separate the phone line from the DSL? Are you using an in-line
filter or do you have the phone service separated from the DSL at the NID?
(Network Interface Device - the box mounted on the back of the house).
Check for broken wiring in the house or at the NID. A filter mounted in
the NID that's defective will require phone company service. It could be a
configuration problem if you have a static IP and the phone company
changed the DSLAM service (that's happened to me 3 times). HTH

On Wed, 16 Nov 2005 18:26:22 +0000, Rico wrote:

> In article <(E-Mail Removed) .com>, "linkman" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>Hi there - hoping someone can help with this problem.
>>
>>I have a Linksys HG200 Wireless-G Gateway (similar to WRT54GC I think).
>>
>>I installed it and it worked fine for a couple of weeks. Then I
>>switched it off for the first time, then on again next morning. After
>>that it won't work.
>>
>>After trying all options with Linksys support (hard reboot, config
>>settings, firmware upgrade etc.), they concluded the router was faulty
>>- so I exchanged it for a new one. Tried to install the new one - same
>>problem. It's hard to believe the new one has the same fault - so I
>>can't work out what the problem is.
>>
>>All seems to work OK - the wireless network seems to work fine - just
>>that I can't get ADSL or Internet connection (DSL and Internet lights
>>never blink). Internet connects fine with a USB modem.
>>
>>Any ideas please?
>>
>
> Who is your provider (ISP)? When you say USB modem, is this the one the
> provider 'gave' you? Could the issue be that they are looking for a
> particular MAC and your new Gateway of course has a different one from your
> USB modem?
>
> fundamentalism, fundamentally wrong.

He should have been more specific as to what kind of modem also - DSL or
V.90?

Well today - miraculously - it's working. Not sure for how long....
I'm reluctant to turn it off again in case the same thing happens.

It's a DSL line/modem. I've ruled out wiring problems - based on fact
that USB modem always works fine. Modem is connected to an in-line
microfilter.

Fingers crossed that the problem is solved. Thanks for the help.

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, johnny <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>On Wed, 16 Nov 2005 18:26:22 +0000, Rico wrote:
>
>> In article <(E-Mail Removed) .com>, "linkman"
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>>Hi there - hoping someone can help with this problem.
>>>
>>>I have a Linksys HG200 Wireless-G Gateway (similar to WRT54GC I think).
>>>
>>>I installed it and it worked fine for a couple of weeks. Then I
>>>switched it off for the first time, then on again next morning. After
>>>that it won't work.
>>>
>>>After trying all options with Linksys support (hard reboot, config
>>>settings, firmware upgrade etc.), they concluded the router was faulty
>>>- so I exchanged it for a new one. Tried to install the new one - same
>>>problem. It's hard to believe the new one has the same fault - so I
>>>can't work out what the problem is.
>>>
>>>All seems to work OK - the wireless network seems to work fine - just
>>>that I can't get ADSL or Internet connection (DSL and Internet lights
>>>never blink). Internet connects fine with a USB modem.
>>>
>>>Any ideas please?
>>>
>>
>> Who is your provider (ISP)? When you say USB modem, is this the one the
>> provider 'gave' you? Could the issue be that they are looking for a
>> particular MAC and your new Gateway of course has a different one from your
>> USB modem?
>>
>> fundamentalism, fundamentally wrong.
>
>He should have been more specific as to what kind of modem also - DSL or
>V.90?

Too right, my serious mistake.

fundamentalism, fundamentally wrong.

Spoke to soon. Still won't reconnect after switching off. Think I'm
going to have to replace it with a non-Linksys type.

On 16 Nov 2005 12:35:00 -0800, "linkman" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I don't think so - beause the modem/router was working fine until I
>switched it off and then on again. My USB modem is a Speedtouch 330
>from Virgin which has no problems. ISP is Virgin.net.

This isn't really a wireless issue and should probably have been
posted to a DSL related newsgroup or blog. Are you in UK? You're
posting IP resolves to NTLI.NET which is part of NTL.COM. What's the
connection to Virgin.net? (Just curious).

I'm not familiar with the HG200 DSL modem/router/wireless
conglomeration. I read some reviews on the subject:
| http://www.chrisjames.me.uk/blog/_ar...28/891895.html
| http://bbs.adslguide.org.uk/showflat...w=&sb=&o=&vc=1
which seems to suggest that it's a repackaged WAG54Gv2 or WAG354G.

Did you try the latest firmware (for UK)?
| http://www1.linksys.com/internationa...fwid=98&coid=6

Are you on an ADSL2+ service at 10Mbits/sec?

Does Virgin lock your IP address to your hardware MAC address? If so,
then juggling modems might confuse their router. You might want to
leave both modems uplugged for a few hours to clear the ARP cache, and
then try the HG200 again.

Have you called Virgin support and asked them for line statistics on
your HG200? They can query the DSLAM and provide a good clue if there
are any line or DSL modem issues. Have them run an ATM loopback test
to your HG200 and determine if they can even see the modem from the
DSLAM.

My guess(tm) is that you're getting a rather high line error rate when
connecting. The usual problem is not the DSL modem, but the house
wiring and the DSL microfilers or DSL splitter. Are you sure you have
microfilters on every instrument in the house including cable TV
settop boxes, satellite receivers, auto dialers, alarm circuits, fax
machines, answering machines, etc? Plugging the filters in backwards
is another common problem. Double check the wiring. If the DSL
disconnects when answering the phone, filters are certain to be the
problem.

Another common problem is the excessive use of the flat 4 conductor
telco ribbon cable (forgot the official name for the stuff). For some
odd reason, using more than about 10ft of the stuff causes problems,
probably because it's not a twisted pair. I dunno what level of
diagnostics the HG200 offers, but check the signal to noise ratio (or
noise margin) and line levels and see if they are reasonable. Noise
margin should be >9dB for anything to work.

I'm a big fan of seperate boxes for DSL modem, router, and wireless
access point. Many reasons, but your experience is one of them. There
is no easy way to determine if your problem is in the DSL modem
section, or in the router section DHCP client. With seperate boxes,
it would be easy (but admittedly more expensive and messy).

--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Thanks for the detailed analysis. I'm in UK - it's a Virgin.net adsl
line - that's all I know about it. I have no other devices/fax etc. -
just 1 phone/adsl line with microfilter.

I'm assuming the problem is with the modem/router and not the
line/cabling/ISP because:

1) It always works fine with a USB modem
2) It almost never works with the HG200 modem/router (Very
occasionally it does work. When it does work it takes about 10 minutes
after connection before kicking-in - typically it never does kick-in.)


Switching averything off for a few hours (overnight) has no effect.
I have the latest firmware and have done hard reset. Phone works fine
simultaneously with ADSL.

Thanks for the help - I'm thinking I need to replace it with a
different manufacturer's model and see if I have better luck.