Does anyone understand routers who can explain terminology?

[seaglass]

I have a Linksys wireless access point router. My PC is connected directly to it and my laptop is wirelessly connected - both are fine.

My son's PS2 which used to be connected wirelessly is not. I think the router is not recognizing it anymore and I'm guessing this because I don't see the MAC address in the DHCP Client table. (excuse me if I'm getting the terminology wrong - I'm trying to learn).

Anyway, there is some info on the Linksys site about setting up a PS2 BEHIND a Linksys router and I need to know what this means because I think this is what I want to do. I'm guessing it means without firewall protection which is OK with me because I understand I can't get viruses from data sent to the PS2.

There were some other things I was looking at - Port Forwarding (though I don't know if this makes sense if the PS2 is not hard-wired to the router and I don't have a Static IP) and something about a DMZ Client but I want to try the simplest solutions first

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. It's a stupidly obvious question, but it absolutely has to be asked:

did you turn off the modem and the router for ten or more seconds and fire them back up?

ALWAYS when my laptop can no longer talk to the router it's because it needs a turn off/turn on moment. Sometimes the wireless routers just "slip" that way.

[Midlodemocrat]

3. I hate that about my laptop.

I can be happily working/surfing away and all of a sudden the signal goes and I have to trek up two flights to reset everything.

It's a hugh pain in the ass.

[seaglass]

6. Yep I did. I checked all connections too. I have a feeling it is

because I enabled a WEP key to protect my laptop and though the PC could deal with it, the PS2 couldn't.

I am just having trouble understanding the answers on the Linksys support pages because I don't understand the terminology.

[Fredda Weinberg]

8. Yes, that would do it

You've protected passers by from piggy backing on your signal ... no more a hot spot for your neighbors, but if you can't put the password into the PS, then you've locked him out too. Take out the wireless encryption protocol and see if that restores things to the way they were before.

[seaglass]

9. Thanks Fredda. I'll try putting it into the PS2 - which I'm pretty sure

I've already tried but if that doesn't work - I'll take it out altogether.

I thought that if I was able to install the PS2 behind the router I would be setting it up without a key while my laptop and pc would still be protected.

I'm really not so concerned about someone stealing my signal as I am about someone getting access to my data.

[Fredda Weinberg]

11. You're not the only one who's finding this difficult

Don't feel bad. After doing a quick search ...

The WGA54G does provide a wireless interface for the XBOX but has a problem working with WEP. Worked with Linksys support several times for several hours and was unable to get WEP working. If you do not mind having an unsecured wireless network the adapter work well.

http://shopping.msn.com/Reviews/shp/?itemId=20323594

More trouble reported here

http://forums.linksys.com/linksys/board/message?board.id=Game_Adapters&message.id=105

The WGA11B adapter could work right off the box, but only if your network address is in the range 192.168.1.xxx and if your router has SSID broadcast enabled and WEP encryption disabled. Of course, that is not the case of my home network, so I decided to follow the instructions on the User's Guide, step by step. Linksys' documentation is not even close to be considered stellar, but if you stick to the process described in the manual you will be able to set up the game adapter with little or no trouble. I did exactly that and the setup process was not painful at all. Yet, here are a few recommendations that might be useful to some users:

- Connect the game adapter to a laptop or PC. You will then run the setup software on this computer to perform the configuration process. Using the little cable provided with the game adapter, plug one end into the Ethernet port on the game adapter, and then plug the other end into the Ethernet port on the computer.

- Page 6, Ch. 4, Step 3 - In most cases, the crossover switch should be set to X. If the Ethernet LED does not come on when you plug the cable, try the other setting (||).

- Page 9, Ch. 5, Step 3 - If you don't have a Linksys router, leave the Keyphrase field blank.

- Page 9, Ch. 5, Step 4 - The default password is admin. If you type admin and you cannot get through, either you are using the setup software from the CD, or you may have a broken game adapter.

- Page 10, Ch. 5, Step 5 - My game adapter is configured to use DHCP to obtain its IP address. If you plan to use a static IP address, make sure you assign a valid address in your network, the appropriate subnet mask and the corresponding default gateway.

- Page 10, Ch. 5, Step 6 - If you enter your network's SSID, you can disable SSID broadcast in your router if you want. Also, if you want to use WEP encryption, enter your network's WEP key (either 64- or 128-bit) and keep WEP encryption enabled in your router. I disabled SSID broadcast and enabled WEP encryption in my router (a D-Link DI-634M), and still the Linksys game adapter works beautifully.

- Page 11 - When you click No at the end of the setup process, the configuration is saved as Profile #1 (P1) in the game adapter's memory. For normal operation, you need to make sure the LED display shows P1 -- if it doesn't, press the blue button repeatedly.

As I'm writing this, my son is playing Call of Duty: Big Red One online on his PS2, and from what I've heard from him there is no lagging and signal is strong and steady. Zero drops so far. Definitely a great buy for only $20.

I hope this helps.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/B0000AJVBW

[seaglass]

14. When I first set it up on Christmas morning, it only took a 1/2 hour

to get it up and running (My son was soooo impressed:-) ) but I had a friend who spent hours/days setting it up for her son and I think it was because her network was secured.

I think it is the WEP key but I am afraid to disable it. Other than someone hopping on my signal, do you know what other damage I'm exposed to if my network isn't secured? I do have Norton's Internet security installed which I think will protect me from someone hacking directly into my laptop. The PC is not protected but there is no personal data on it.

And thank you for all your help Fredda.

[Rabrrrrrr]

16. Since you have a router, and Limksys, you can kill the Norton.

And you should kill the Norton anyway, since it's a piece of bloviated clock-wasting shit.

But your router is a brilliant, phenomenal firewall in and of itself.

As to the neighbors piggybackking, they would have a very difficult time hacking into your computers. The only real drawback to making yourself a ahotspot is that if they are downloading mp3s or videos or something, they can suck a lot of your bandwidth and make your connection seem slower.

I've been running myself as a hotspot for a couple years, and never noticed a problem. Though truthfully, unless your neighbors are really close, they aren't going to see your router anyway.

[seaglass]

18. Yikes, the Norton stuff is also anti-virus. I just installed it last

week after I got a virus and ended up having to reformat my laptop:-(

Is my firewall through Linksys still activated if I disable the WEP key?

Thanks for helping me to understand this Rabrrrrr.

[Rabrrrrrr]

19. Use AVG for anti-virus.

Uninstall the whole Norton pack'o'crap, and install the free AVG. Google search and you'll find it.

The encryption protocol only protects communication between the router and computers nd prevents unauthorized use of the router (well, except for the very clever). The firewall is always there whether you have encryption running or not.

[Rabrrrrrr]

13. Fredda already said it, but it's the encryption that's doing it

Is there any chance of you using ethernet to connect the PS2?

The other option is to kill the WEP and become a hotspot for the neighborhood, and then your PS2 can speak with the router again.

[seaglass]

15. I don't know what that means using ethernet to connect the

PS2 - do you mean run a cable directly from the PS2 to the router?

I don't care about sharing my signal so much (I haven't noticed any improvement since I enabled WEP) but I don't know what other exposure I have if my network is not secured. Do you know?

[Rabrrrrrr]

17. Yes, I meant a cable

Sorry! I left the word "cable" out. :)

I answered your other question up above.

[Critters2]

2. No

Well, you did ask.

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. You are probably wrong, though - to proclaim so boldly that "no, no

one understand routers and can explain terminology" is likely an act of hubris, or at least illogic.

You could have answered "Damn few can" and been quite right, but I think your answer of "no" will prove to be in error, even given the small sample size of DU Lounge people.

[Critters2]

5. True enough. Let me elaborate....

Not me.

[seaglass]

7. Me neither. I really hate it when I need to learn something that

I'm not that interested in learning about.:-(

[Stardust]

10. Have you tried calling Linksys? I've had to several times, and

while I dread it because it always involved a very long phone call, the call centers techs have always been extremely patient and helpful. Usually, they have been from India, and while I don't agree with outsourcing, I gotta admit, those techs are so nice it's hard to resent them.

The last time, my router needed 3 updates and I've only had it a few months.

[seaglass]

12. I haven't yet and as far as I know I haven't had any updates to

my router since it was set up in 2002.

I spent many hours on support calls with Microsoft, Verizon and Dell last week - on a totally different matter and I really need to get myself motivated to make the call to Linksys.:-(

[Stardust]

20. I know. I only call them when I know I have an hour to spare, but they've

always come through for me. Good luck.

[billyskank]

21. Port forwarding means setting up the router so that incoming requests

like HTTP requests, SSH requests, etc - none of which is going to be of interest to your PS2 - get forwarded to one computer on the local network connected to the router. This is so that one of your machines can act as an internet server. You might want to do this if you wanted to host a web site at home, or if you ran Linux and wanted to be able to log in to your home machine from far away. Like I said, this is of no interest to your PS2 at all.

This is also called Network Address Translation or NAT for short - I have also heard it called IP Masquerading. It's all the same thing.

[seaglass]

22. Thanks for that explanation. I thought it meant I could forward

the game data directly to the PS2.