Wireless to wired?

[Zealot]

So I've had my router and modem plugged into the wall (I'm using cable) for about 2 years now. Both of them have not been connected to a PC in that time since I'm using wireless in my house. I also have a second router which receives signal from my modem that belongs to my brother.

 

So My Modem is connected to 2 different routers.

 

M

/ \

R1 R2

/ / \

My laptop Brothers comp Mom's comp

 

Now I have my new computer and I really need internet to update to wim7 but plugging in an ethernet cable to my router (R1) isn't giving me a signal. Is there something I'm missing here? I'll provide pics if necessary.

[Harry]

Are you using a "cable-router" (coaxial plugs into it, and Ethernet ports and wireless for clients are on the box)? Model number of your devices? Are the routers both in the same room/general location? Do you have physical access to the devices? Please answer these

 

My guess about the problem is that your router is not getting an IP from your ISP. Most residential ISPs only give one IP at a time to customers. Connecting two routers to one modem breaks the routing, as it's assigning a single IP to two devices.

 

The easiest "fix" is to just stick with using Wireless (I don't understand why you can't use wireless to update to Vista).

The easy SOLUTION is, if your budget permits, to just but a router with more Ethernet ports, and ditch using two routers.

The hard fix is to configure router 1 to act as a bridge for router 2. This is a lot more complex and leaves more room for breaking. I do not have much experience with this, but I know it's possible.

 

I am just 99% sure that the problem with "not getting a signal" would be that your ISP's DHCP server (server that gives the IP to your router and modem) is assigning the same IP to more than one device, which is IMPOSSIBLE to work.

 

PS: I suggest using the CODE tags on the forum for "text diagrams", as it won't remove the blank spaces.

[Bilbo Baggins]

Wait, I'm not sure I entirely understand how you're set up right now. Is the second router connected wirelessly to the first router acting as a repeater or are they both wired to the modem?

 

Also Tech support bucket is there for a reason

[Zealot]

Nevermind, called my uncle. When he set up the wireless network he encrypted it so that only our 3 pcs could connect without adding new physical mac addresses.

[Bilbo Baggins]

mac address filtering ftw!