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Andrew11
@bell.ca
| IP fail. Help!
I have been having a lot of trouble setting up a wireless netowkr that will support my Xbox in my home. We have a gateway up here on the 2nd floor that is connected to a wireless range-booster on the main floor (they are communicating). The reason for this boost in range is the presence of my Xbox 360 in the basement that wasn't getting a connection to it's wireless adapter because the distance was simply too far. Now that I have the wireless range-booster configured, the signal is strong in the basement, but now I'm being told that the console is not getting an IP address. I have the DCHP enabled, and the console is set to recieve an IP address from it automatically, and yet the problem persists. If the console is getting it's connection from the wireless range-booster, must the range-booster be the source of the IP? I am at a loss, and I have very little knowledge of these things. On the main floor the console grabs the connection from the 2nd floor gateway, and connects just fine, but now that this range-booster is here, it cannot find an IP. What should I do?
Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you! | |
tubbynet
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| If the range-booster is not a Layer 3 device (i.e. router), then the range booster will not actually need to give out IP addresses.
The only thing I can think of, is if the range booster needs to "forward" DHCP requests to the router using a name similar to "IP Helper" or something of the sort (though I can't see this really being a problem).
What happens when you set the xBox to a manual IP address?
Also, it may be helpful to those on this board if you give the make/model of both the router and the range booster.
q.
--
"Don't hate the media, BECOME the media..." ~Jello Biafra | |
Andrew11
@bell.ca
| The router is a Siemens Speedstream 6520 and the router is a D-Link DWL-G710.
The Range booster has no additional ethernet jacks on the back other then the one I initially used to set it up to talk with the gateway.
The Xbox does aloow for manual input of IP address/DNS/gateway info, but I wouldn't know what information to enter... I'm sure a random series of numbers with 'dots' between them would not work (haha).
If the range booster and the router are communicating and I am now getting a signal in the basement, does that mean their IP's match, or does it mean they have different IPs that are able to talk?
When I talked to the Xbox technical support he told me to contact Siemens and have a MAC address registered...? I have no idea what this means. I don't understand how this makes sense, as it is not the Siemens router/Xbox that need to communicate, but the D-Link range booster/Xbox that need to.
My apologies for not offering up the model info to begin with! | |
Andrew11
@bell.ca | *Range booster* is a D-Link DWL-G710. My bad. | |
tubbynet
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| Ok. I assume that you did no other configuration on the D-Link Range Booster other than plugging it in. After a quick glance at the DLink website, I can see that you can confirm a few settings and ensure that the range booster is "talking correctly". The way I see it, you have two places to start: (1) you can go online to DLink and look at the quick start guides for your device to make sure that everything is set up correctly (2) if you have a wireless device, take it down to where your XBox is (like a PC, etc) and see if the PC connects. If it does, then something is wrong with the way the xBox is linking wirelessly.
If you are seeing the signal (i.e. the same SSID), I would assume that the rangebooster and router are talking, however, I am not sure if there are settings that need to "mesh" so to speak. However, if you don't have the IP address configuration set up correctly on the range booster, then this may explain why you have never seen DHCP work on your xBox. I've never actually set one of these up, so I am just guessing here based on what I have read for the Dlink device.
If you could also print the output from:
Click Start -> Click Run -> Type "cmd" (sans quotes)
When the black window pops up, type "ipconfig /all" (again, minus quotes) and look for the entry that says "Local Area Connection". Do this on a computer hooked up to the router that is working on the internet.
q. | |
Andrew11
@bell.ca
| Okay, I Have a Siemens SpeedStream 6520 Router/Modem that allows for wireless connection. I would like to wirelessly connect my Xbox 360 to it (via the Xbox 360 wireless network adapter), but the initial problem was the range of the SpeedStream router/modem. The Xbox must wirelessly connect from one end of the house, in the basement, to the other end of the house, on the 2nd floor. Obviously, there was limited or no connectivity, so I've invested in a D-Link Wireless G Range Extender (DWL-G710).
I connected the Range extender to the computer set it up to use the same SSID as the rest of the wireless devices in the house (2 laptops), then removed the ethernet cable, took the range extender down to the main floor and plugged it into a power outlet, hoping to bounce the signal between the router/modem and the range extender and thus increse the range to include the basement. Where before my Xbox only recieved 1 connectivity bar (out of 4) in the basement every now and then, it now recieves 4 full bars and is actively connected to the same SSID as the rest of the house, but when I attempt to check my media/Xbox Live connection to allow for online, it tells me that it fails to recieve an IP address.
I thought this would be such a simple process and now I've been working at this for a week, and I'm at the end of my rope. I don't know what else I can say that will be useful, other then that I've been on the phone with tech support for both D-Link and Xbox, and both have basically told me to call the other (how helpful). The Xbox support technician told me that I need to register the MAD address for my Xbox 360 wireless network adapter, but I don't know how to do that, or even where to begin learning how to do that. I don't know enough about wireless networks to tell you guys any more then I have here, but I will gladly try anything you can think of that might allow my Xbox to pick up an IP address downstairs.
tubbynet, do you want me to actually copy/paste the "ipconfig /all" info into a post...? is that safe? Like I said, I know very little about the world of wireless networks.
Thanks a ton for the help so far though! | |
Andrew11
@bell.ca | Gaaaaah...! I meant MAC Address, not MAD... sorry. | |
tubbynet
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| reply to Andrew11
andrew,
thanks for clarifying all of what you have done. this makes my job a little easier.
the dhcp process is essentially a series of broadcasts from the client (in this case, the xbox) and a series of unicasts (meant for one person, sent from the dhcp server to the client). here is the process (simplified):
(1) client broadcasts "i need a dhcp server"
(2) server responds "i'm a dhcp server"
(3) client responds "i need an address from you"
(4) server responds "here is your address"
if something happens anywhere in this process, you will never pull an address. typically, once the first exchange (1,2) happens, the address will be pulled by the client (unless the dhcp server has no more open dhcp leases, something that shouldn't happen in your case).
this is why i suggested (if you had one) taking another wireless client to the location of your xbox to verify whether or not the problem rests on the wireless network or on the way the xbox is interpreting the requests. if you don't have a wireless pc, obviously this can't be done.
i suggested setting a "static" ip address on the xbox, as this simplifies the process a little. when a client connects to a wireless network, the following steps must occur:
(1) the wireless client receives the signal from the access point and associates to that access point's channel and SSID
(2) any encryption keys are negotiated so as to ensure that the client has the credentials to connect to the access point
(3) once the connection is initiated, the dhcp address request process occurs
(4) once the dhcp request finishes, any user authentication can occur (if you have wireless clients that are authenticated against a RADIUS or LDAP server, doesn't apply to your scenario)
the reason i wanted to set a static ip is to simplify this process. obviously if you can't associate and communicate with a static ip, there is no sense in adding another layer of complexity.
an ipconfig won't be a security risk. you are behind a router which performs network address translation (NAT) and hides your public ip address from view. ideally, i'm looking for an address and a gateway that your router is handing out. while the "/all" switch isn't necessary, i want to look at the follwing information (this is run from my pc)
Ethernet adapter Built-In Wireless:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : tubbynetworx.net
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.189.164
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.189.1
as you can see, i'm handing out ip addresses in the 192.168.189.0/24 subnet, and my gateway is .1 in that subnet. if i were to set a static ip address, i would choose something in the lower portion of that subnet (.30-.80).
i hope that this clarifies a little what i was telling you to do and my reasons behind what i suggested.
q.
--
"Don't hate the media, BECOME the media..." ~Jello Biafra | |
Andrew11
@bell.ca
| Alrighty,
I took a wireless laptop downstairs and turned it on sitting next to my Xbox, and recieved "limited or no connectivity" which leads me to believe that it is still getting it's signal from the router/modem on the 2nd floor. Would this also suggest that the range extender is not doing it's job properly at this point? That doesn't make sense to me as the Xbox now recieves a great connection...
The Wireless SSID has a WEP encryption key, but the range extender doesnt have a security key of any kind (upon setting it up, I chose not to include one for the sake of simplicity), does that matter? Might that been the cause of the problem? Do the security keys need to match on both of them if it is bouncing the signal from up here -> range extender -> Xbox?
Now, the computer I'm using right now is hardwired into the router/modem, so it is technically not using "wireless" but it is connected to the same router that the wireless in the house uses, so should that be a problem?
Here is that same info you requested, from this hardwired, desktop PC:
Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
Connection-specific DNS suffix . : no-domain-set.bellcanada
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.10 Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0 Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
Hopefully I've helped you to help me...? (haha) | |
tubbynet
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| YES!
there is your problem!
to adequately send signal and associate correctly, you need to have the router and the range extender "talking the same language". if the WEP keys don't match, the range extender won't pass the correct credentials and it will never pass DHCP. you can get great signal, but no where to authenticate to. thats the point of using WEP/WPA/WPA2, to ensure that you are authorized to access the network.
set up the range extender to match the WEP credentials on your router and all should be golden.
Wired/wireless networks shouldn't be any different when dealing with consumer grade routers. you will see that once you set up the WEP on the extender, you will pull a 192.168.2.x address.
this should solve your problem.
q. | |
Andrew11
@bell.ca
| After a week of frustration, tech support phone calls yeilding zero results, going back and forth to stores for new routers and range boosters and item exchanges for store credit, you, sir, have solved my problem!
I now have internet tat reaches the basement, and a fully functional Xbox 360 for unwinding and relaxing.
Thank you my friend, your help has been amazing!
PROBLEM SOLVED!
My faith in wireless networks has been restored!
Take care pal, again, thanks a ton, take 'er easy!
One love. | |
tubbynet
Just a green in a sea of blue and red
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| Good to know that everything worked out for you.
The important thing when dealing with wireless is this:
When connecting to a wireless network, the endpoints have to talk the same language (frequency) and dialect (SSID). These are pretty easy to figure out since your PC will either see them or not. However, once you connect, you have to make sure that the client knows "the secret password". I like to think of this like little kids with secret forts. You can talk and request all you want, but they won't pay attention to let you in unless you know the password. Once you know the password, you're in and the party can commence. If you apply this to each piece in the wireless puzzle, you will always have (consumer) connectivity. It gets a little more intricate when dealing with a large wISP or enterprise connectivity, etc.
q. | |
Quaoar
join:2004-08-11
Fort Collins, CO | What an exceptionally great help thread, Tubby. Nice, concise work and advice!
Q | |
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