Using my Belkin router with the 2wire [ Edited ]

[leighangela]

I want to use my old Belkin router for my wifi.  I have it plugged in to the 2wire and it works, but it keeps dropping the signal about once an hour.  The light on the Belkin turns red then fixes itself.

I think I have the iNID FTTN-BP.  My modem is outside.

I got it working by trial and error and I'm wondering what can I check in my Belkin router's settings?  Or the 2wire settings?  I turned the wifi off on the 2wire.  I'm using channel 1 and extension channel 5 and have looked at inSSIDer and there is little overlap or interference with neighbors on those channels.

Should I change the IP address on the Belkin?  It is 192.168.2.1 now.  My internet settings on the Belkin are:

Connection Type     Dynamic
   WAN IP     192.168.1.71
   Subnet Mask     255.255.255.0
   Default Gateway     192.168.1.254
   DNS Address     208.67.222.222 

Under WAN>DNS there is a box for "automatic from ISP" that is not checked. 

[SomeJoe7777 ACE - Geek]

See the following post for instructions to set up your own wireless access point:

http://forums.att.com/t5/Residential-Gateway/U-verse-for-BUSINESS-2Wire-3600HGV-bridge-mode-or-anoth...

[leighangela]

Thank you but I'm already stuck on step one.  It says "Set your router's WAN interface to get an IP address via DHCP." but it doesn't say how to do that.  I know the exact steps are different for each router, but would I be looking for something like "enable DHCP?"

Also in step 5, select your router, I don't see my router.  I see a bunch of things with lots of letters and numbers. No idea how to identify which one is my router.

Are you sure these steps apply to the iNID FTTN-BP?

[SomeJoe7777 ACE - Geek]

No, you are following post #2 in that thread. The link is to post #13, which is simpler. Post #13 tells you how to set up your unit to be a wireless access point only.

[leighangela]

Oops. Thanks.

One more question, in doing those steps does that mean that one of my computers needs to be hard wired to the 2wire?  ETA:  I didn't really want it that way, I just wanted to use my router for all my home's computers and network.  I was under the impression that my computers would be safer that way, in addition to having the better (n) router.

Also, my 2wire's DHCP says 192.168.1.0 / 255.255.255.0 (default).  So what should I set my Belkin IP to?

[SomeJoe7777 ACE - Geek]

Safer? Not really. The 2Wire's firewall will be protecting your computers, same as if you used your router as a wireless access point or not.

However, yes, your router uses 802.11n, which is faster and has more range.

You will need to hook one of your computers to the Belkin's Ethernet port during this setup procedure. Once it's configured, then you can remove the Ethernet wire and go back to wireless.

Set the Belkin to 192.168.1.10. This is on the same subnet as the 2Wire, so everything will behave as one network, and it's outside the DHCP range of the 2Wire so there won't be an IP address conflict.

[leighangela]

It's not working!  After steps 1 and 2 I can no longer communicate with my belkin so I can't change the IP address.

The light on the belkin is red so it seems like it isn't communicating with the 2wire anymore.  Even tho I'm hardwired into the belkin, I cannot access its page anymore.

[SomeJoe7777 ACE - Geek]

1. Reset the Belkin to factory defaults. Usually this is done by holding down the small reset button on the back for 10 seconds, or sometimes by holding down the button while plugging in the router and continuing to hold it down until the router resets.

2. Once it's reset, plug your computer into the Belkin using an Ethernet cable between the computer and one of the router's LAN ports.

3. Change the IP address to 192.168.1.10 on the LAN port, then reboot your computer so that your computer can communicate with it again.

4. Turn off DHCP on the Belkin.

5. Unplug your computer from the Belkin. Link together the Belkin and the 2Wire using an Ethernet cable, LAN port to LAN port.

6. Plug your computer into the 2Wire using an Ethernet cable. Verify that you can access the internet. Now configure your Belkin's wireless by going to http://192.168.1.10

7. Once the wireless on the Belkin is configured, now you can unplug the Ethernet cable from your computer, and configure your computer to connect to the Belkin on wireless. Once it's done, verify you can access the Internet.

8. Turn off wireless on the 2Wire, using http://192.168.1.1

[leighangela]

It's no use, I tried resetting but I can no longer communicate with the belkin.  This is awful :-(  I'm going to have to reconfigure my network in my entire house now.

[leighangela]

Finally got to communicating with the Belkin again, and when I try to change the IP address it says "The LAN IP address cannot be in the DHCP address pool."

Scared to turn off DHCP though because you put that as the step after rebooting computer.

[SomeJoe7777 ACE - Geek]

Take a look at the DHCP pool range on the Belkin. It's probably 192.168.1.2 through 192.168.1.254, or something like that.

Change it first to a smaller range. Use 192.168.1.100 through 192.168.1.200. Reboot your computer.

Now you should be able to change the LAN IP address to 192.168.1.10 and continue with the procedure.

[leighangela]

Wow.  So the first three boxes the IP Pool starting and ending addresses are greyed out.  I can only change the last numbers of each.  When I try to change the IP address, the IP Pool address automatically changes at the same time. 

So now my IP address is 192.168.2.1.  If I try to change it to 192.168.1.10, the IP pool changes to 192.168.1.2 - 192.168.1.100.

I can do what you said but it might mess with what I'm doing.

[leighangela]

edited to remove.

[SomeJoe7777 ACE - Geek]

OK, then do it in this order:

1. Change IP address to 192.168.1.1. Reboot Belkin, reboot your computer.

2. Change DHCP range to 192.168.1.100 to 192.168.1.200. Reboot Belkin, reboot your computer.

3. Now change IP address to 192.168.1.10. Reboot Belkin, reboot your computer.

Now continue with step 4 from the procedure above.

[leighangela]

Finally getting somehwere!  Question:

You wrote:

7. Once the wireless on the Belkin is configured, now you can unplug the Ethernet cable from your computer, and configure your computer to connect to the Belkin on wireless. Once it's done, verify you can access the Internet.

8. Turn off wireless on the 2Wire, using http://192.168.1.1

What needs to be configured?  And is that the right ip address for the 2wire?  On my gateway it says 192.169.1.254

[leighangela]

edited to remove.

[leighangela]

I really appreciate all your help. I got to step 7 and I have internet access on my desktop but only because it's plugged into the 2wire.  Belkin is connected to 2wire but I cannot connect to its network.  I cannot connect wirelessly to the 2wire now anymore either.  It says "limited access" and I can't get online.

[leighangela]

NO WIFI access at all now.  Stuck on step 7.  I thought if all else fails I'll just use the wifi from the 2wire, but I can't even get on that now!  How can I get the wifi back??  Tried restarting both.

[SomeJoe7777 ACE - Geek]

Connect to the Belkin on http://192.168.1.10 You will need to configure your wireless like you want. You need to put in:

- SSID (Wireless network name)
- Encryption type (I recommend WPA2-AES)
- Password

Once you have that configured, try to connect another computer to it on wireless.

And yes, you connect to the 2Wire on http://192.168.1.254

[leighangela]

Nope.  No wifi from the Belkin. Just blinks red.  (Got wifi back on the 2wire.)

[leighangela]

To be more specific, my computer can see the network from the Belkin, but it is not getting internet from the 2wire.

[leighangela]

So I reset the belkin again and went back to how it was, connected to the 2wire via the Belkin's modem port rather than a lan port.  It works fine except it drops the internet connection once per hour for a minute.  We'll see how long I can handle this I guess.  Scared to just use the uverse wifi...when I tried connecting my laptop and phone to the uverse wifi, my tv signal dropped on my wireless receiver!!!!  This is so frustrating!

[SomeJoe7777 ACE - Geek]

Well, I'm sorry, I don't know what else to suggest. Many people have successfully set up a variety of different wireless routers using these procedures and have it working fine.

Perhaps the Belkin has some peculiarities that prevent this from working. I can't confirm that, but I have not worked with the Belkin routers before, so I don't know.

You may have to use a different type of router or purchase a standalone wireless access point to do what you want.