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Help with Router and Modem

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 11:21 am
by TurtlePerson2
I recently moved and switched from using DSL to now using TimeWarner Cable Internet. I have a Motorola Surfboard SB5101U modem and a Netgear WGR614v10 wireless router. I am having trouble getting the modem to work with the router. My Internet works just fine if I plug an ethernet cord between the modem and computer, but if I plug the ethernet cord into the router it doesn't work.

I've searched about the problem online and it seems like there are a lot of people with the same issue and there are various fixes available, but I'm having trouble getting any of them to work. I figure that one of the gerbils here has probably had this same problem at some point and may be able to help me troubleshoot it.

I've tried turning everything off then back on, including a few different orders of turning things on, but I haven't had any luck with that. I've tried disabling and enabling DHCP with the router, but that hasn't given me any success. The modem has DCHP enabled and I can't figure out how to disable it or I would have tried that. I've also tried fiddling around with the DNS and IP settings in the router. All without success.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Re: Help with Router and Modem

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 11:34 am
by DancinJack
You shouldn't have to fiddle with any of that stuff.

I'm fairly certain you've already tried, but factory reset the router and update the firmware. That's a fairly old router, have you considered upgrading?

Re: Help with Router and Modem

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 11:43 am
by druidcent
One other thing you can try is cloning the MAC address of the computer to the router. There is usually a setting somewhere in the router administration which will let you do this, or at least manually enter it.

Re: Help with Router and Modem

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 12:50 pm
by vandy
druidcent wrote:
One other thing you can try is cloning the MAC address of the computer to the router. There is usually a setting somewhere in the router administration which will let you do this, or at least manually enter it.


+1

Cable internet identifies you via your mac address so they can know who is authorized to use their network.
You have 2 options:

1. Get your router to clone your pc's mac address. From what you are saying it seems TW provisioned your pc's mac address. Like druidcent said, there is a setting on your router.

2. call up time warner and have them provision your router's WAN mac address. If you ever need to replace your router, you'll need to have TW to reprovision your new router's mac address.

From my experience with cable internet, option 1 is better as it make swapping routers more convenient.
You might want to upgrade your router in the near future to take full advantage of your internet connection. I used to own that router and the WAN -> LAN throughput was not that great. (sorry don't remember hard numbers as it was a long time ago)

Hope this helps!

Re: Help with Router and Modem

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 12:58 pm
by SomeOtherGeek
Try this first. Unplug the power to both the modem and router. wait a few minutes. Plug in the modem first til it is fully started up then plug in the router. See what happens. The router might be having trouble getting the DHCP number. Hope that works. Usually works 90% of the time for me.

Re: Help with Router and Modem

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 1:14 pm
by Captain Ned
vandy wrote:
Cable internet identifies you via your mac address so they can know who is authorized to use their network.

As much as I hate ComCrap, the only MAC address they care about for me is the addy in the modem.

Re: Help with Router and Modem

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 2:18 pm
by DancinJack
Captain Ned wrote:
vandy wrote:
Cable internet identifies you via your mac address so they can know who is authorized to use their network.

As much as I hate ComCrap, the only MAC address they care about for me is the addy in the modem.


That's the way Cox works too. I was a little confused when he said that as I hadn't experienced it any other way except for the MAC on the modem.

Re: Help with Router and Modem

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 2:30 pm
by vandy
DancinJack wrote:
Captain Ned wrote:
vandy wrote:
Cable internet identifies you via your mac address so they can know who is authorized to use their network.

As much as I hate ComCrap, the only MAC address they care about for me is the addy in the modem.


That's the way Cox works too. I was a little confused when he said that as I hadn't experienced it any other way except for the MAC on the modem.


It seems like different cable companies do it differently. Back when I had Time Warner, they used the MAC on my PC. After a move, I had to get comcrap and it only cares about the MAC on the cable modem.

I just remembered something; I used to have a Motorola surfboard modem that I purchased myself (got tired of paying their modem "rental fee") and when I set it up, I recall needing to set the modem to full bridge mode to get it working with my router.

Re: Help with Router and Modem

Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 3:25 pm
by TurtlePerson2
Thanks for all of the help. I ended up solving the problem by using druidcent and vandy's advice. I cloned the MAC address of the computer to the router and the Internet is now working fine. I had previously tried changing the MAC address of the router, but I think that I had used the modem's MAC address, which the modem must not have liked.

Again, thanks for all of the help. I spent two or three hours searching for a solution to this problem and solved it with all your help in about 15 minutes.