Router problem

[Oexmelin]

Dear tech / network savvies...

I am back in my apartment after 4 months of travels... When I try to log on the internet via the wifi (through the network I set up in August), my computer detects the networks, connects... and then asks for user name and password in order to access any site. i.e., it connects regularly using the network key - it's after that it doesn't work. The router (Netgear Nighthawk 7000)'s internet light remains amber. I have restarted the router (multiple times): nothing. I have done the full power cycle (restarting the broadband modem), nothing.

I have also tried to do the full factory reset, and it doesn't seem to have worked: the name I gave my network remains (or perhaps it is supposed to? what resets?).

Running out of options (also because I need internet to work...), I did a manual update of the firmware, also to no avail.

When I run the netgear genie, it starts by saying it can't recognize the ethernet cable (I have switched cables, did not work either). But sometimes, it does, but then says it's not properly inserted. Or other things to that effect.

When I pinged the modem from window's command box, I did get replies. But the netgear genie diagnoses:

IP 0.0.0.0
Connection: DHCP
IP Subnet Mask 0.0.0.0
Domain name server 0.0.0.0

(I only have the vaguest sense of what those are).

I have internet access when I connect directly the computer to the broadband modem, so I imagine it's not an ISP problem.

I have no idea what the problem is, and what I can do to solve it. As far as I know, nothing catastrophic happened to the router during my absence.

[viper37]

the IP adress for the router should be 192.168.x.1 where 'x' would usually be 0, 1, sometimes 2.

For Netgear, it should be 192.168.1.1

If you try this adress in your browser, do you get access to the router's configuration page?  default username should be admin and default password is password

Since you have internet access with the modem, it looks to me like the router is dead, like it can't acquire an IP adress from your modem (that's why you see 0.0.0.0 for IP and DNS).  You might want to try unplugging it (no power) for a few hours, and try it again.

This is your user manual, I think:
http://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/R7000/R7000_UM.pdf

See page 15 for configuration instructions.  I'd say try to redo the basic configuration with an ethernet cable, bypass Genie, then switch over to wifi to see if it works.

[Grey Fox]

Do you have a password/username combo from your ISP?

[Vricklund]

Like Viper and GF said, looks like you're not getting an ip address to the WAN side of the router.

Could be a whole range of things gone wrong but the "can't recognize cable" thing sounds ominous. Especially since it works when you plug your laptop in directly.

First make sure your ISP hasn't changed something while you were gone. Limiting the number of devices, MAC address locking, something like that.

If you turn off dhcp on your LAN and plug in the cable on the LAN side, instead of WAN, can you connect to the internet over wireless then?

4. Select ADVANCED > Setup > LAN Setup.
5. Clear the Use Router as DHCP Server check box.

[Oexmelin]

Thanks everyone.

Tried different cables - same result, so no cable thing. It does look bad - the light switches on and off to the slightest movement of the cable into the router.

I'll try Vricklund's suggestion when I come back home. Nothing changed with the ISP, AFAIK (the landlord pays for ISP, he says nothing has changed, and the upstairs neighbor has access (i.e., he gave me his network key while I sort this out).

[viper37]

Thanks everyone.

Tried different cables - same result, so no cable thing. It does look bad - the light switches on and off to the slightest movement of the cable into the router.

I'll try Vricklund's suggestion when I come back home. Nothing changed with the ISP, AFAIK (the landlord pays for ISP, he says nothing has changed, and the upstairs neighbor has access (i.e., he gave me his network key while I sort this out).

I'd say buy a new router.
This one here would be ok for an appartment:
http://www.ncixus.com/products/?sku=91525&vpn=ARCHER%20C7&manufacture=TP%20Link

[Oexmelin]

I bought a new router, but it still doesn't work. Now, apparently, the landlord remembered there might indeed be something about the ISP only allowing one MAC ID...  He's supposed to come later today.

[DontSayBanana]

I bought a new router, but it still doesn't work. Now, apparently, the landlord remembered there might indeed be something about the ISP only allowing one MAC ID...  He's supposed to come later today.

That's an easy fix.  Just clone the MAC address of whatever's most closely connected to the modem.  Every router has that in its config somewhere.

[Oexmelin]

I bought a new router, but it still doesn't work. Now, apparently, the landlord remembered there might indeed be something about the ISP only allowing one MAC ID...  He's supposed to come later today.

That's an easy fix.  Just clone the MAC address of whatever's most closely connected to the modem.  Every router has that in its config somewhere.

Tried that, didn't work. Or perhaps I need to clone the MAC address of the upstairs neighbor's modem.

[Vricklund]

Since you plugged in your computer and it worked you should try cloning your pc's mac address.

[viper37]

With the new router, did you configure it with the disc/automated setup provided or did you do it manually?

[viper37]

Since you plugged in your computer and it worked you should try cloning your pc's mac address.

given this rule, if someone hacked through Oex' wifi network/router, found his router MAC address and used it on his own router, would that result in Oex losing internet access??

Oex, since you are in an appartment, make sure to change the default username and password for your router, and try a passphrase for the wifi instead of a simple password.  You never know...

I'm really puzzled that the new router doesn't work out of the box.  it never happenned to me.  A router dying is a common occurence, but the problems you're experiencing are totally new to me.

[DontSayBanana]

Dumb question, but is your modem just a modem or is it a modem/router combo from the ISP?  Because if the latter, it may be the router built into the modem that's configured incorrectly, and your MAC address may have been put into it through the ISP config...

Reason being that for modem/router combos, you're actually putting one router behind another, so the LAN has to be configured correctly on it as well.

[viper37]

it still does not explain why it stopped working suddenly...

Oex, did you configure your old router yourself?  Do you remember having done anything special the first time?

[Monoriu]

10 times out of 10, I have to call the ISP technicians to my place to fix router problems.  Fixing it myself never work.  I tried calling the generic computer fix-it people to my home.  After fiddling with everything for an hour, their only advice was to call the ISP people. 

Also, 10 times out of 10, the ISP people will refuse to come because "you bought the router yourself, hence we suggest that you get a friend or neighbour".  My experience is that if I tell them "I bought a new router", they'll refuse to come.  But if my excuse becomes "my internet has stopped working and I don't know why", they will