Problem with getting IP address

[Ghosthunter]

Here goes:

I got an Nexland ISB Soho on Monday this week. So far things have been working flawlessly.

Tonight after been on the pc for several hours, my dns started to stop wroking incosistentely. For example I would go to a web page and it would give me dnserror, that it could not find the url, but if I refreshed it would then find it and connect.

For troubleshooting purposes, I reset the ISB, that did not do anything. At this point I still was not sure if it was the ISB, or my cable isp - timewarner roadrunner having issues. So I decided to unplug the router, and plug my NIC directly into my cable modem, to see if problem followed.

Here is the odd thing, when I took out my router, I could not get an IP address frommy cable modem? I rebooted on win98 btw, winipcfg, release, renew, but kept giving me error renweing addapter. Tried rebooting several times, shutdown pc, and recycle cable modem. Nothing worked, so I plugged the router back in, rebooted, and was able to get an ip address. Not sure if dns is working correctly yet.

So why is it I could not get an IP address from my cable modem? Also is the problem I am describing sound lik a router issue, or timewarner?

The dns address the isb gave me was 192.168.0.1, my ip address is 192.168.0.2.

Btw, i was able to ping the dns servers roadrunner assigned to the ISB router, with no problems. Thanks

[Ghosthunter]

ok problem seems to have been fixed, but not sure what resolved it.

Only 2 things I can think of, when I was having a hard time trying to get an IP address from my nic directly from the cable modem, I decided to recycled the cable modem. Can that of fixed the original issue?


Only other thing I did was , take out the patch cable from the isb router and plug it into my nic for a direct to my modem, then switched it back again.

[C.M. Weaver]

The DNS Server address is not correct. Since your not running a DNS Server you should not have a non-routable IP (192.168.0.1) from your LAN entered into the DNS entry.

If it truly is a DNS issue then there isn't anything you can do about it because the problem resides at the ISP. Resetting the modem isn't going to fix the DNS problem unfortunately.

I'm guessing that the cable modem does not support or is not configured to act as a DHCP server.

[Ghosthunter]

As far as I understand 192.168.0.1 is forwarded through my isb router to Roadrunner dns addresses which are

24.92.226.13
24.92.226.171


I was able to ping both of those directly.

Why would it be working like that for almsot 5 days and then stop working all of a sudden. What really annoys me more is I dont know what I did to fix it, and wish I knew if it was the isb or my cable provider.

[C.M. Weaver]

Originally posted by davy19
As far as I understand 192.168.0.1 is forwarded through my isb router to Roadrunner dns addresses which are

24.92.226.13
24.92.226.171


I was able to ping both of those directly.

Why would it be working like that for almsot 5 days and then stop working all of a sudden. What really annoys me more is I dont know what I did to fix it, and wish I knew if it was the isb or my cable provider.

I'm looking at the PDF manual for your router now and I see how it has your DNS setup UNLESS you setup your connection in a static manner it will require DNS entries.

[Ghosthunter]

So I dont need to overrider the dns it has assinged me?

192.168.0.1 should work

[C.M. Weaver]

It appears so from reading the documentation. I haven't used this router hands on, but it looks like when your DNS servers are assigned by DHCP they are stored in the routers configuration and don't physically show it anywhere on the configuration screens.

[Ghosthunter]

I still dont get why I could not get an IP address directly from the cable modem after I unplugged the router? What would happen if my soho needed service?

[C.M. Weaver]

Who manufactures the cable modem you have? Like I said before, the cable modem may not have a built in DHCP server to assign an IP to machines on your LAN or it's not configured. This isn't likely, but something to consider.

Is the IP assigned by your ISP static or dynamic? It sounds to me that it is dynamically assigned.

[Ghosthunter]

It is dynamically assigned, and it is a Surboard 3100 modem.

But I never had to do anything special before, or call up my ISP before.

[C.M. Weaver]

Something is goofy with the configuration with your 3100 I believe that is not assigning an IP to your computer when directly connected.

I found manual (http://www.neotechcc.org/modemscd/sb3100/sb3100.pdf) for the 3100 that gives more than just specs.

You might want to go to http://192.168.100.1/config.html and verify that the built in DHCP server is enabled.

[Ghosthunter]

Thanks for the manual that has some good info in there.

Yep just double-checked those settings, and DHCP enabled.

[The Dude]

The reason you couldn't connect directly to your cable modem with your nic card may be because it has a diferent MAC address. If you connect directly and call your isp they can read the mac address of the nic card and restore service. I had to do this when i changed nic cards. If you check you may find that your router can copy the mac address of the nic card so you could connect it again without calling your isp. When i put my router in i used static ip addresses for my machines and enter the dns ip's manually, i get them from the status screen of my router. I also have to enter the ip address's i use in the client privlidges setup screen in my router for it to work. I leave the DHCP enabled as a backup incase i have trouble connecting to my router. Sorry it is a bit long winded but i hope it helps.

[cyberskye]

because it has a diferent MAC address

Exactly. Whereas @home used hostname/workgroup for authentication, RR uses MAC address. A buddy of mine had the same problem a while ago.

As stated, I would clone my primary PC's MAC address to the router, then call RR support and have them reset it - if they ask, your NIC failed and you had to buy a new one.


Cheers,

Skye

[zxc47]

davy19; I run a nexland turbo.
the only thing you should have to put in is domain name and your ip adress , then click save . up plug you modem and reboot . when the computer is back up plug the modem back in, it should be set. any time you put your cable modem on another net lan card you need to unplug it so it can reset.

(my dns started to stop wroking incosistentely) When that start to happen just open Http://192.168.0.1 click save . that take about 2 sec to do and it will be back to normal. It is the cable modem line trying to drop the modem

[Ghosthunter]

Well today, my ISB Soho totally froze up, it seems.

dns was not working, nothing was wroking I could not get thourgh it. I had to reset it. My wife called me up and complained I cannot get through to the interent. This is sort of pissing me off, since I thought the ISB Soho was a lot better router than this, and disappointed with dns issues and now freezing up.


IS there anyway to fix dns without having to go in and constantly save? My wife does not know how to do this, and I dont want her to call me up everytime it goes out.

[zxc47]

It sound more like your modem or isp is droping your IP that why you keep haveing to reset it. you may have the wrong IP put in setup. Take the router off the modem then plug it into your computer . unplug the modem so it will reset , after you have done that , look and see what ip you have . then hook the router back in and unplug the modem and reboot . then set up the router using the ip that you had when just your computer was on the modem. then click save.what OS are you running?

[Ghosthunter]

I am running win98se.

I cannot plug the cable modem directly into my nic on pc, because my pc wont get an ip address, someone said in the thread earlier I will need to call up my cable company and have them reset it, but since everything is working now, and my cable comapny techs might scrwe things up worse, I dont think I want to call them up yet, until the problem starts again.

I am not sure how I put the wrong info in. When i first got the router, it would not work until i put the domain, mac address, and host info. No problem. I plugged that info, saved and right away it worked. That was Monday, and wroked great until thursday night, when dns problems started, and then today freezing. So far it only froze once, so maybe not that bad, I will have to wait and see.

[zxc47]

if it happen again just go to http://192.168.0.1. and just click on save at the bottom and see if that get you back up

[Ghosthunter]

Yep that is what I did and it fixed it, but I guess I amannoyed for having to do that, since I want to know for one why it happens? ISB Soho advertises as no freezes?

Also if I am not home and it happens wife calls up ad yells at me.

[zxc47]

It not the router it is your ISP . what is happen your modem stops working for 10 or 15 sec .if it keep doing it i would call them to come out and test your lines

[zxc47]

Also the router can over run the modem if you don't have a good line .so if it keep doing it call them out .

[Ghosthunter]

Sorry but that does not make sense.

I have no issues when I never had the router installed.


Even if my cable dropped for a few seconds why would the router freeze up? It is just like if I pull the patch cable on the wan link and reinsert it, it should not lock up.

[YeOldeStonecat]

What I've found to be the best performing setup, is to not use the router's (any brand routers) DHCP service, which includes DNS forwarding. It's giving you the router as your DNS server, which most routers do. I prefer manually specifying my workstations IP address, enter the router as the gateway, leave WINS disabled, and enter your ISP's two DNS servers.

Problem will be solved, DNS resolving will be quicker.

[Ghosthunter]

Cool Thanks YeoldeStonecat!

I wil try that tonight when I get home, not sure why I didnt think of it.

[Ghosthunter]

Acutally the router has been working flawlessly since Saturday Night I think, so going to leave it as is, if the problem happens again I will do what Yeolde said, otherwise maybe it was just a one time thing who knows.