# Router problem: DHCP works for WLAN, but not LAN?



## theJesus (Aug 8, 2011)

*Problem as it stands right now:*
My Asus RT-N16 router will assign IP addresses to wireless clients, but not wired clients.  Additionally, even with a manually assigned (static) address, wired clients can't connect to anything (although Windows will say they're connected).  With DHCP enabled on wired clients, they just get APIPA.

*I've tried (in no particular order):*
-ipconfig release/renew
-Reverting to factory default settings on router.
-Reloading latest firmware onto router. (It was already at up-to-date)
-Rebooting everything.
-Different cables.
-Different ports.
-Different machines.
-Cursing at it under my breath.
-Probably some other stuff I'm forgetting.
-Different combinations of the above.

*What happened before the problem:*
The onboard ethernet NIC in my parents' computer seems to have died sometime between last night  and this morning, possibly during a storm.  No link/activity lights on it no matter what it's plugged into, so I threw in a random 10/100 NIC I had laying around.  I saw the link/activity lights go up on it and got happy, but then I noticed it wouldn't get a DHCP address, so that's when I tried all the troubleshooting above.

I'm beginning to worry that the router may have been damaged somehow during a storm or something.  I noticed since last night it was rebooting itself a lot, but that stopped today after I reloaded the firmware and loaded default settings.

Anybody else have any ideas?


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## remixedcat (Aug 8, 2011)

have you tried rebuilding the TCP/IP stack:


> Use a manual method to reset TCP/IP
> Note This section is intended for advanced computer users. If you are not comfortable with advanced troubleshooting, ask someone for help or contact Support. For information about how to contact Support, see the Microsoft Help and Support contact information Web site:
> http://support.microsoft.com/contactus
> The reset command is available in the IP context of the NetShell utility. Follow these steps to use the reset command to reset TCP/IP manually:
> ...





> Click on Start button.
> Click on Accessories.
> Right click on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator.
> Type netsh int IP reset C:\resetlog.txt in the Command Prompt shell, and then press the Enter key. Do not restart computer.
> ...


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## theJesus (Aug 8, 2011)

remixedcat said:


> have you tried rebuilding the TCP/IP stack:


No, and I don't think that will work either, because the problem isn't on just one machine.  However, I'll try it on one of them anyways.


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## remixedcat (Aug 8, 2011)

Ok Hope it works! 

That's the last thing I can think of that's non router here shy of trying DDWRT or something.

If not you may need to get a new router.


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## jsfitz54 (Aug 8, 2011)

Try uninstalling the onboard nic from device manager that is not working, then do hard shut down.
Upon booting, turn of that nic in the BIOS so when you get to Wndows its not looking to install new hardware.

Trouble shoot from that point.


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## theJesus (Aug 8, 2011)

remixedcat said:


> Ok Hope it works!
> 
> That's the last thing I can think of that's non router here shy of trying DDWRT or something.
> 
> If not you may need to get a new router.


No worky.  Don't I need a wired connection to install DDWRT anyways?

In any case, I may call Asus tomorrow.


jsfitz54 said:


> Try uninstalling the onboard nic from device manager that is not working, then do hard shut down.
> Upon booting, turn of that nic in the BIOS so when you get to Wndows its not looking to install new hardware.
> 
> Trouble shoot from that point.


It's not exclusive to that machine though.  Neither of my wired clients will get an IP.

edit:  Although I should probably do that anyways.  I just don't have admin rights on that one atm.


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## jsfitz54 (Aug 8, 2011)

Did you reset the router with the software/firmware or did you press the little hidden pin hole button in the back of the unit?

You did not indicate that you unpluged power from  cable/dsl modem for 5 minutes.  There is a reset sequence for that hardware as well.

Did you set router to CLONE IP ADDRESS for primary wired pc(((could be parents pc that was cloned and the NIC is dead)))?  For some routers this is a MUST! Clone the new NIC IP Address.

How many PC's hard wired? Some ISP's only allow 3 pc's Max.  Then you use router to circumvent issue.

Did you reset the clock/time on the router?


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## remixedcat (Aug 8, 2011)

yeah I would call asus.... I thought your router had USB ports and you could have installed with that but I don't think you can ;-(


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## theJesus (Aug 8, 2011)

jsfitz54 said:


> Did you reset the router with the software/firmware or did you press the little hidden pin hole button in the back of the unit?


I used the firmware to revert to default settings.  I'll try the actual button in a sec.


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## theJesus (Aug 8, 2011)

jsfitz54 said:


> You did not indicate that you unpluged power from  cable/dsl modem for 5 minutes.  There is a reset sequence for that hardware as well.


Not for 5 minutes, more like 10 seconds.  In any case, my computer upstairs is connected wirelessly and accessing the internet just fine, so I'm not too worried about the modem.


jsfitz54 said:


> Did you set router to CLONE IP ADDRESS?  For some routers this is a MUST!


I'm not aware of an option for that.  The router gets it's WAN IP from the ISP's DHCP server without issue and has worked fine for a while until now.


remixedcat said:


> yeah I would call asus.... I thought your router had USB ports and you could have installed with that but I don't think you can ;-(


The USB for connecting storage devices and printers.


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## remixedcat (Aug 8, 2011)

that sucks how you can't install the F/W with USB.... ;-(


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## theJesus (Aug 8, 2011)

theJesus said:


> I used the firmware to revert to default settings.  I'll try the actual button in a sec.


Forgot to mention that this didn't make a difference when I tried it.

Anyways, I logged into the router via telnet and ran "ifconfig -a" so here are the results if anybody wants to help look for clues there.




			
				ifconfig -a said:
			
		

> BusyBox v1.7.2 (2010-10-22 10:00:52 CST) built-in shell (ash)
> Enter 'help' for a list of built-in commands.
> 
> #
> ...


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## newtekie1 (Aug 8, 2011)

So there was a storm, and it killed an onboard NIC(or something killed it anyway, likely a power surge).  I'm willing to bet it also killed the LAN switch in the router too.

I know I just had a Gigabit switch that got fried in a recent storm(as well as 3 TVs and 2 cable boxes.).


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## theJesus (Aug 8, 2011)

newtekie1 said:


> So there was a storm, and it killed an onboard NIC(or something killed it anyway, likely a power surge).  I'm willing to bet it also killed the LAN switch in the router too.
> 
> I know I just had a Gigabit switch that got fried in a recent storm(as well as 3 TVs and 2 cable boxes.).


That's what I was thinking


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## twilyth (Aug 8, 2011)

I'm putting my money on the hardware being bad.  Having the wireless side of the router work and the wired side not work doesn't seem to be a common problem, but I've seen a few threads like that here.  Sometimes it's the other way around.

I've had lots of router problems the past few years.  I've gone through routers from belkin, linksys, dlink and trendnet.  I'm using a buffalo AirStation now and it's been the best so far.

You can at least be grateful that it died outright and didn't instead give you intermittent problems.  Those are impossible to track down but since you are still under the impression that the router is functional you waste many hours trying anyway.

RMA that POS but get another router to have as a backup since this probably won't be your last router thread - at least if your experience ends up being anything like mine.  I have a 100mbps router that's NIB if you're interested - free + shipping.


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## remixedcat (Aug 8, 2011)

I got a spare NETGEAR as well. LOL.


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## theJesus (Aug 8, 2011)

I've got a spare Airlink router, but it's had almost the exact same problem since I bought it


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## remixedcat (Aug 8, 2011)

WOW those routers love you


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## Mussels (Aug 8, 2011)

from what you said about a NIC dying, i think a power surge fried the link between the router and the built in ethernet switch.


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## theJesus (Aug 9, 2011)

A very awesome member of the forums here sent me a $30 Newegg gift-card to get a temp/replacement router while I deal with Asus for the RMA.

So, what's a good 802.11n router in that price range?


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## newtekie1 (Aug 9, 2011)

D-Link DIR-601 Wireless Broadband Router IEEE 802....

Probably the best you will get in that budget, and it is DD-WRT compatible I believe.

If ou can scrape together another $5 you can go with D-Link DIR-615 Wireless Broadband Router 802.11b/g...


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## theJesus (Aug 9, 2011)

newtekie1 said:


> D-Link DIR-601 Wireless Broadband Router IEEE 802....
> 
> Probably the best you will get in that budget, and it is DD-WRT compatible I believe.
> 
> If ou can scrape together another $5 you can go with D-Link DIR-615 Wireless Broadband Router 802.11b/g...


Thanks, I just ordered the DIR-615.


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## remixedcat (Aug 9, 2011)

Good you made sure it ran DDWRT!!!!! careful with dlinks they do overheat a good bit. same with belkins. my sister bought a belkin and it overheated all the time. she took it back and got a netgear LOL.


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## Mussels (Aug 9, 2011)

why does everyone love DD-WRT? its dogshit compared to the stock firmware of my TP link router... harder to use, and less features (not more!)


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## brandonwh64 (Aug 9, 2011)

Mussels said:


> why does everyone love DD-WRT? its dogshit compared to the stock firmware of my TP link router... harder to use, and less features (not more!)



Being a network technician, I must disagree. I have used a TP link router as an access point once and the firmware it comes with is less customizable compared to DD-WRT or tomato. I have gotten much better performance from DD-WRT firmware than any other but thats just personal experience.


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## Mussels (Aug 9, 2011)

i couldnt reserve IP addresses, or setup shaping rules to IP ranges, and needed to jump massive hoops for shaping to specific IP's.



sure it does a few things better, but overall it was not fun.


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## brandonwh64 (Aug 9, 2011)

I have all my IP address reserved by mac address. IP range 100-105 is reserved for every PC and device i have in the house. the rest is in the IP address pool. Its a more complex setup and also allows for cisco commands on routers like my WRT54G Linksys.


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## theJesus (Aug 9, 2011)

Mussels said:


> why does everyone love DD-WRT? its dogshit compared to the stock firmware of my TP link router... harder to use, and less features (not more!)


I originally bought my Asus router for DD-WRT, but the stock firmware wasn't that bad so I never loaded it 

I just like knowing that the capability is there if I can't stand the stock firmware for some reason.


brandonwh64 said:


> I have all my IP address reserved by mac address. IP range 100-105 is reserved for every PC and device i have in the house. the rest is in the IP address pool. Its a more complex setup *and also allows for cisco commands on routers like my WRT54G Linksys*.


Really?  Is it enough that it would be worth picking up a couple for a dirt-cheap CCNA lab?  lol


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## brandonwh64 (Aug 9, 2011)

theJesus said:


> I originally bought my Asus router for DD-WRT, but the stock firmware wasn't that bad so I never loaded it
> 
> I just like knowing that the capability is there if I can't stand the stock firmware for some reason.
> 
> Really?  Is it enough that it would be worth picking up a couple for a dirt-cheap CCNA lab?  lol



IT only allows for certain commands. You will NOT be able to use all of the commands you would like say on a cisco 3750E switch.


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## theJesus (Aug 9, 2011)

brandonwh64 said:


> IT only allows for certain commands. You will NOT be able to use all of the commands you would like say on a cisco 3750E switch.


Ah, didn't think so.


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## brandonwh64 (Aug 9, 2011)

theJesus said:


> Ah, didn't think so.



Your best bet is to find someone with a older 2900 series rack mounted managed cisco switch to do your cert on. I have a full linksys (cisco firmware) rack mounted switch fully managed that I practice on when im bored. I have a bunch of VLANs setup.


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## remixedcat (Aug 9, 2011)

There are virtual labs as well. I've used those.


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## theJesus (Aug 9, 2011)

brandonwh64 said:


> Your best bet is to find someone with a older 2900 series rack mounted managed cisco switch to do your cert on. I have a full linksys (cisco firmware) rack mounted switch fully managed that I practice on when im bored. I have a bunch of VLANs setup.


Do you have any idea what a good price on one would be?  I'm thinking of picking up one of those and either a 2500 or 2600 series router.  Actually, if I had the cash, I'd buy two or three of each


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## newtekie1 (Aug 9, 2011)

Mussels said:


> why does everyone love DD-WRT? its dogshit compared to the stock firmware of my TP link router... harder to use, and less features (not more!)



I doubt your TP-Link had more features, and if it did have more feature then it was an extremely high end one that probably costs a bundle, but I will agree with the harder to use part.  But the reason it is harder to use is because it has far more options.  Kind of a paradox.  The extra features are why people like it, and having access to those features on relatively inexpensive routers, as well as the better stability in some cases too.  The stock firmware is fine for normal users, I will say, but for someone like me a 3rd party firmware is a blessing.  Personally, I don't like DD-WRT all that much, mainly because it can be over complicated and god forbid I have to walk someone through something over the phone that has no clue what they are doing.  I prefer tomato actually.



Mussels said:


> i couldnt reserve IP addresses, or setup shaping rules to IP ranges, and needed to jump massive hoops for shaping to specific IP's.
> 
> 
> 
> sure it does a few things better, but overall it was not fun.



DD-WRT allows for all of that, you just have to know how to configure it(which can be a pain in the ass, and why I prefer Tomato).  Does your TP-Link allow you to adjust the radio power?  Does it allow you to adjust the CPU clock speed?  Show you realtime RAM and CPU usage?


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## theJesus (Aug 9, 2011)

remixedcat said:


> There are virtual labs as well. I've used those.


Like packet-tracer?  I've got that and used it a bunch in class, but I'd really like to setup my own physical labs.  We had physical equipment in class, but my group was a bunch of lazy douche-nuts that just cheated on everything so I didn't get as much experience as I wanted.


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## m4gicfour (Aug 9, 2011)

Mussels said:


> why does everyone love DD-WRT? its dogshit compared to the stock firmware of my TP link router... harder to use, and less features (not more!)



DDWRT is better than a lot of stock firmwares. It's got it's issues but it's nice to have a standard interface for any number of different routers. Not all stock firmwares are inferior to DDWRT/Tomato/OpenWRT/etc, and some of the companies out there are really stepping up to the plate in the firmware department. It'd be nice to see a time when DDWRT is almost nonexistant and rather user optimized builds of the native firmware, along with a more user-friendly  version of OpenWRT and the other 3rd party firmwares are available.

That said... Did a moderator just pull this thread offtopic? 

I guess I really shouldn't talk. I'm guilty of it as often as not.

EDIT - ROFL! I just quoted a post from the first page. How did I not notice an entire page more of posts? D'oh!


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## OneMoar (Aug 9, 2011)

follow this for getting ddwrt flashed to this unit http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Asus_RT-N16


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## OneMoar (Aug 9, 2011)

Mussels said:


> i couldnt reserve IP addresses, or setup shaping rules to IP ranges, and needed to jump massive hoops for shaping to specific IP's.
> 
> 
> 
> sure it does a few things better, but overall it was not fun.



thats probably because you where either limited to a micro build or where using a very very old build


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## theJesus (Aug 9, 2011)

OneMoar said:


> follow this for getting ddwrt flashed to this unit http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Asus_RT-N16


As has already been determined, the LAN ports are messed up, so I can't install DD-WRT, because it needs to be done over a wired connection.

In any case, I got a reply from Asus


			
				Asus said:
			
		

> if you restored the router and the lan ports still fail. then i would return the unit to place of purchase.


K, that's great except Newegg's standard return policy is only 30 days and it's been almost a year.  I mentioned that and asked if I could just send it to Asus so now I'm waiting for that reply.


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## OneMoar (Aug 9, 2011)

as long as you have a local ip 192.168.x.x you can flash ddwrt


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## theJesus (Aug 9, 2011)

OneMoar said:


> as long as you have a local ip 192.168.x.x you can flash ddwrt


No, I tried static IP and I was still unable to access the router at all.


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## newtekie1 (Aug 9, 2011)

theJesus said:


> K, that's great except Newegg's standard return policy is only 30 days and it's been almost a year. I mentioned that and asked if I could just send it to Asus so now I'm waiting for that reply.



Yeah, that is ASUS' standard reply.  I've had to deal with them a few times with motherboards, they will handle the RMA once you tell them newegg won't take the item back.


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## theJesus (Aug 10, 2011)

newtekie1 said:


> Yeah, that is ASUS' standard reply.  I've had to deal with them a few times with motherboards, they will handle the RMA once you tell them newegg won't take the item back.


Yeah, they said I could RMA to them, I just have to go fill out the form now.


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