Help setting up DSL via D-Link router

Ok, I’m tearing my hair out over here. My roommate has a DSL connection through Cavalier Telephone. The connection works just fine when connected directly through the DSL modem (Paradyne), but when I try to connect via the router (D-Link model #DI-604 rev. E3) I get nothing. I can access the router’s control panel via the manufacturer’s default IP address (the IP address of the router, not an internet IP) from my computer, but not through the other. The DSL has a static IP asigned by the ISP, which is correct because my roommate’s computer can connect when run directly through the modem. What am I missing here, and why can my computer access the router’s control panel, but my roommate’s cannot?

What are the network settings on your roommates computer? I am guessing that it has an incompatible IP address or that the gateway address is set wrong. For example, if the router internal IP is 192.168.0.1, then the computer has to have an IP 192.168.0.x (x>1) and gateway 192.168.0.1.

As far as reaching the net from your computer, what have you done to set up the router? I don’t recall the specifics of setting up my router on the modem side, but I suspect that there are probably some settings (login name, password, IP address) that you are missing in the control panel.

Sounds like you need to set the static IP that the DSL company gave you in the router, and then set both computers to get IPs from the router via DHCP.

If you have the static IP information from the DSL company, call D-Link and they’ll walk you through it (877-453-5465).

Your computer is most likely set to get an IP address via DHCP, putting it on the same subnet as the router and allowing you to then access the routers configurations, while your roomie’s computer is probably set with the DSL’s static IP, and thus not on the same subnet, and unable to get to the router configurations (if I’m guessing right, that is…).

I’ve had a similar issue with D-link routers twice. I solved it by changing the zero in the default subnet address to something else (1-255 should work). My best guess is that XP doesn’t like that zero in the subnet address.

The router and modem might also be both trying to use the same local IP. The default for both is generally 192.168.0.1. We changed our router’s IP to 192.168.1.1 (we also had a login name and password for our DSL modem we needed to enter on the router.)

My first guess is that the computer that works when directly hooked up is getting its IP information using DHCP from the DSL provider. If this is the case then they probably have the MAC address of that computer’s network port assigned on their end, and any other MAC address won’t work until they change it. Most routers give you a way to change the MAC address reported on the WAN port for exactly this scenario.

Have you tried calling the ISP technical support? It might be as simple as hooking the router up and calling support so they can reset it on their end.

I’ve also had situations with the DSL not recognizing a new device (such as your router) until the modem is powered off and back on with the device connected and powered up.

That should say “with the DSl Modem not recognizing a new device”. Lost a word in the bit bucket there. :smack:

Well, I’ve given up on the router for today. I think there may be a problem with it. At least now both computers can access the Internet when plugged directly into the modem, so we’ll just have to switch cables when my roommate wants to use it. No biggie. We’re going to get a new router in the next few days–definitely not a D-Link; all the problems I’ve ever had with routers have been D-Links.

Oh, and why my computer could address the router while the other once couldn’t? I forgot to change from a static IP to automatic IP. D’oh!

And where are my manners? Thank you to everyone who posted here. It’s much appreciated!

Have you tried resetting the router to factory defaults? There is also a firmware update available for download.

Do the computers connect to the existing modem via USB, or is it an ethernet cable? If it’s the latter, you could keep the existing modem and exchange your D-Link modem/router for just a router - plug the computers into the router and the router into the modem.

Success! It was apparently an issue with the MAC address registered with the ISP; unplugging the modem for an hour or so to allow the MAC address to release, starting completely over and rebooting both computers seems to have solved the problem. Also, I made sure to set both computers’ IP configuration to “automatic” instead of “static” and the router’s to “static” BEFORE powering up the router and modem. From what I can tell, the ISP was capturing the router’s MAC address instead of the modem’s if I set the computer’s IP settings AFTER hooking everything up, and that’s what was causing the problems.