Belkin 54g and NetComm Adapter problem

[arbpotatoes]

hey everyone,

I'm not very knowledgeable in the field of networking, so bear with me. I have a home wireless network set up with a NetComm NB5Plus4 modem router, a Belkin 54g wireless access point and several NetComm NP285 wireless 'homeplugs'. (you plug them into a power socket and one into the router and the others into the back of whatever you want to use wireless on.)

A while back I tried to connect the Homeplug from our PC into my xbox to access xbox live. however, I couldn't get it to work, and after following the instructions on xbox.com and power cycling the router and 54g returned it to the PC. however, when I plugged it back in, the PC said that it had limited or no connectivity. On trying to repair the connection, it could not renew the IP address. The wireless connection works perfectly on our laptop (with its own internal connection to the access point), but when I pinged the 54g's IP the PC and got nothing back except for a message reading "destination host unreachable".

I can't use any internet features at all. I'm using my laptop right now.

I have also tried the release/renew method. It couldn't connect.

any help would be MUCH appreciated as my laptop doesn't run games very well, and has some overheating problems.

thanks in advance

Edit: I pinged the 54g with the laptop and got all of the packets back.

 

[rf6647]

Unplug/plug the np285 adapters to reset them.

I assume the np285 adapters came with a utility program that repairs its connection and it surveys the homeplug network for addressable plugs. Use the utility to enumerate what plugs are still working in the network.

 

[arbpotatoes]

Unplug/plug the np285 adapters to reset them.

I assume the np285 adapters came with a utility program that repairs its connection and it surveys the homeplug network for addressable plugs. Use the utility to enumerate what plugs are still working in the network.

I tried that, It registers ONLY the one connected into the PC.

I'm thinking perhaps the powerplug isn't letting the PC communitate with the other homeplug? I'm told (by command prompt) that I cannot connect the the DNS server. (by the way, I have no idea what DNS servers are, or subnet masks, or any of that.)

thanks

 

[rf6647]

Only 1 PC you say!

Your Main screen, upper section identifies the np285 attached to the PC.
Your Main screen, lower section identifies other np285's on the network.
MAC identifies each np285. If the lower section does not list the MAC (of the np285) attached to your router (54g access point assumed), this is a problem.

I interpreted your 1st post mention that the PC could not ping the 54g to mean that the homeplug network is headed there.

I assume you re-scanned your network several times (Main screen, lower section).

Have you used the diagnostic screen? Check network names for consistency (match). How recent are the time stamps?
Have you used the privacy screen?

If you only have a pair of np285's, interchanging the two gives limited information, unless one does not even talk to the PC.

If you have a 3rd np285, connect it to the laptop, install the utility there, and determine if you can find a working pair. (You only mentioned the laptop, but you may already have other computers on the homeplug network.)

The methodology that I am using to discover your network is as follows:
- Establish communications with the homeplug network using utility program
- Use the browser to communicate with the 54g
- Use ipconfig, ping, etc. to troubleshoot

 

[arbpotatoes]

Only 1 PC you say!

Your Main screen, upper section identifies the np285 attached to the PC.
Your Main screen, lower section identifies other np285's on the network.
MAC identifies each np285. If the lower section does not list the MAC (of the np285) attached to your router (54g access point assumed), this is a problem.

I interpreted your 1st post mention that the PC could not ping the 54g to mean that the homeplug network is headed there.

I assume you re-scanned your network several times (Main screen, lower section).

Have you used the diagnostic screen? Check network names for consistency (match). How recent are the time stamps?
Have you used the privacy screen?

If you only have a pair of np285's, interchanging the two gives limited information, unless one does not even talk to the PC.

If you have a 3rd np285, connect it to the laptop, install the utility there, and determine if you can find a working pair. (You only mentioned the laptop, but you may already have other computers on the homeplug network.)

The methodology that I am using to discover your network is as follows:
- Establish communications with the homeplug network using utility program
- Use the browser to communicate with the 54g
- Use ipconfig, ping, etc. to troubleshoot

sorry, now that I check, the utility is registering the two homeplugs. So it's connecting to the other homeplug, but my PC can't get internet. and how do you mean using the browser to communicate with the 54g?

I found out that the other homeplug is in the back of the router, not the 54g.

I only have the PC and Laptop, and 2 NP285s

Plus, I switched the two homeplugs, and with the homeplug from the router in the PC, I can't see the other homeplug.

perhaps the problem is with that homeplug?

 

[arbpotatoes]

actually, it tells me the last time 'device 1' was seen was january 30, i assume this year (2007).

Edit: I plugged the PC's Homeplug into the laptop and got the same thing: limited or no connectivity, but it saw the other homeplug.

 

[rf6647]

My short answer is that the np285 connected to the PC is the one that is suspected bad because far end is transmitting a network ID. HOWEVER, a 3rd homeplug adapter is needed to fully isolate the problem.

A last effort to try something different: at the router, plug into a different port with a new cable. It should not improve the situation.

Here is how I interpret your post.
The LAN side of both homeplugs (np285) are working. Each registered on the PC in the Main screen upper section.

Device .............. transmit ..... receive
PC np285 .......... unk ............ ok
Router np285 ...... ok ............ unk

In the first configuration, the np285 attached to the PC received the wireless signal from the far end. OK-OK in the above table (diagonal).

In the second configuration, the np285's are reversed. Now the Main screen, lower section does not detect a network. Unknown - Unknown in the above table.

A third homeplug adapter could be used to decide the Unknown - Unknown shown above.

Your use of ipconfig probably makes the following extraneous and the result of poor communication from me.
Using the browser (e.g. IE6) to communicate with router & ap. For this discussion use your laptop and use its Ethernet port (LAN) to connect to the router (unless your wireless connection has full privileges).

Use command window; ipconfig /all; make note of the IP for the gateway

In the browser enter the IP into the URL window
192.168.1.1 (is an example)

You will be presented with a login screen. Consult your user guide for user / password information (admin/admin is the usual default).

Once you arrive at the main screen, the hunt begins for the status page or log page to discover the IP's assigned to connected devices. Somewhere you will find the MAC for the 54g AP and its assigned IP [ Status | dhcp clients]. Once found, use that IP to direct the browser to logon to the 54g AP.

How you connect the pieces of the network matters. Your NB5plus4 is both a DSL modem and a wireless router. I assume that the 54g AP is being used to extend the range of your wireless network.

My attempt to access documentation at Belkin gave me nothing useful (at this time servers could be offline).

 

[arbpotatoes]

the belkin is obviously being used as a network extender, as when I type the IP into the brower and login, I'm communicating with the NB5plus4. when I checked the DHCP clients, it came up with this:

MAC Address
00:12:f0:aa:d8:6b

IP Address
192.168.1.3

Host Name
pmnote

Lease Time
0 days 0:51:32

one of the slots in the back of the router is connected to a homeplug and one to the 54g.

does this help?

 

[rf6647]

Use 192.168.1.3 in your browser. It will take you to the home page for the Belkin54g. The login page does not need a password (default); for one model, merely click ‘submit’.

MAC address information appears on product label. You can confirm my observation.
Routers will not report MAC for homeplug adapters. In the context of DHCP, they are invisible.
For your laptop, IPCONFIG reports the MAC for its LAN port and for the wireless port.

Good News:
- Your network has untapped wireless capabilities.
- Your laptop (wireless) is a good diagnostic tool.

Bad News:
Homeplugs are normally used to overcome physical barriers to wireless connections.

A wireless connection to your PC has possibilities. The solution ranges from simple to complex. Only you can assess the physical barriers involved. Your wireless laptop is a measuring tool for this.

One of the possible outcomes moves the access point (54g) to a location where the xbox connects to it with a LAN cable.

I will follow your lead. This good news / bad news may be more of a complication than you care to stand at this time.

Presently you have demonstrated access and control of your network elements.

 

[arbpotatoes]

sorry, I couldn't post for a while.

The PC has been moved close to the whole setup, so it's going straight from netcomm to PC now. Thanks for all your help. =]

 

[DelJo63]

>> Use 192.168.1.3 in your browser

oops, that's the PC address. The router will be at 192.168.1.1

 

[rf6647]

I'm glad that you found some peace on this problem.

After reviewing the history, I am surprised that a more expert contributor did not weigh in on this thread. If you still have networking issues to the mbox, open a new thread and I'll stand clear.

I found your home network capability to be quite interesting. Since it appeared that you are using newer technology, I was fairly confident that the connection between the Netcomm and 54g AP would be wireless (bridge) and the 54g AP would connect to the mbox with a cat 5 cable (LAN / Ethernet). Actually, the AP can support an entire subnet.

Oops - here I go again. Sometimes it is better not to take things to extremes. Happy Computing.

[edit] Jobeard, at the time of the older posting, I was trying to understand the network element (Belkin 54g AP ). Once the Homeplug network experienced a failed plug, wireless was an option.
Old DCHP client table:
192.168.1.1 Netcomm NB5
192.168.1.2 guessing 54g AP
192.168.1.3 computer (yep, an oops)

The status tables for the router (NB5) may be difficult to interpret and locate the correct display.

Since the 54g AP was wired to the router, I was trying to understand the physical distances and barriers involved. The router already has its own wireless AP.

Your seasoned background will help Arb... get on the right track to getting the most from his network.
[/edit]