Thread: Help me for setting up wifi network with MT841 and WRT54G2

Hi all.

Experienced guys and the experts on this forum come across similar problems almost everyday. Very useful guides/tutorials are also provided by many knowledgeable members like admin, justforkix, essbebe, superprash2003 and many more. Although I went through all the tutorials for setting up my wifi network but either I made some mistakes or I have not been able to comply with all suggestions due to some technical constraint and hence posting this request.

I have a desktop running on XP-SP2 and a laptop running Vista Business. Then I have BSNL broadband unlimited (severely limited by Bandwidth though!!) connection. I am using Huawei MT 841 Type IV modem. Since I wanted a wire-free access of internet on my laptop along with simultaneous wired access on desktop, I bought a Linksys WRT54G2 wifi Router (I didn’t try to find WLAN card for MT841). An account of what I did so far with these pieces of hardware and what I am facing today is as follows:

1. Installed the Router as directed in the installation CD. I remember providing my ISP user_id and password during the installation (I think this enabled Router to dial BSNL or get it dialed through modem). Provided an SSID to the connection and WPA Pass-phrase. I started getting wireless access on my laptop without any hassles. But at the same time no internet on the desk top.

2. I assigned IP address manually to Ethernet port as 192.168.1.2; subnet mask 255.255.255.0 and default gateway as 192.168.1.1

Accessed 192.168.1.1 on my browser and configured MT 841 for PPPoE. The DNS I entered there are 218.248.255.194 and 218.248.255.162. DHCP; the range of IP is given from 192.268.1.3 to 192.268.1.34 and lease time 720 minutes (It does not accept 1440 min or any value bigger than 720 min as suggested in some guide).

The WAN interface on the modem shows IP 117.199.208.202, Subnet mask 255.255.255.0, Gateway 117.199.208.1. Saved all. Rebooted modem

Then connected the Router, tried 192.168.1.1 on my browser (as suggested in the guide) to access and configure the router but it opens Modem page only. Couldn’t do anything anymore. But now I was able to get internet on my desktop. PPPOE autodialing is working fine. Just one thing I would like to mention that modem needs to be connected to one of the four Ethernet ports of the Router. Connecting to internet port doesn’t work. So I get the internet now on desk top but no internet on laptop.


3. The problems:

a. I can’t get internet on my Laptop any more. It gets connected to the network but for local access only.
b. I can’t access router page to make any modifications. I tried a number of IPs 192.168.0.1, 192.168.1.3 etc..etc.. but to no avail. I have given user-id and password for bsnl dialing during the router installation. As the modem has been setup in PPPOE mode, it doesn’t seem to be a clean thing to have dialing option in both equipment. I think Router can be reinstalled if it is hard reset. But there should be some interactive option too.
c. The biggest problem is that I don’t get internet on my laptop now even for a wired Ethernet connection with my modem.


I hope you would help me to setup my wifi network. At least let me have wireless access on my laptop as earlier, if it is not possible to get both (laptop and desktop) working simultaneously.

Briefly:
1...Setup MT841 in "Always On" mode.
2....Enable DHCP.

3.....Assign new IP to dlink WIFI router. ( say 192.168.2.1)

4......In both computer and laptop
...... ..Network settings
..........TCP/IP properties
....... ....Obtain Ip address automatically.

5............Try laptop in LAN/ethernet mode along with desktop.
6........... Then wifi mode.

REFerences :

Socrates’s experience: How to configure Linksys WRT54G wireless router

http://www.indiabroadband.net/broadb...ys-wrt54g.html (Setup of UT-300R2 with Linksys WRT54G)

http://www.indiabroadband.net/bsnl-b...tml#post148023 (Need help in setting up BSNL smartAX MT882 with linksys WRT54G router)

Thanks essbebe,

The link referred to guide by just4kix is about configuring the setup with modem working in Bridged mode.I went through other two but still no sucess

refer to your hints.

1. OK done
2. OK. Done

3. Done.Set the IP of the router to some other value (192.168.2.1 or say 10.10.0.1) but now I can not access the router through my browser using these new IPs. It is only possible to access the router with new IP is by setting the TCP/IP properties to...'Obtain IP address automatically' but then I do not get access to my modem (192.168.1.1) and not able to connect to internet on my desktop.

The only way I am getting connected to internet on my desktop is when I set default gateway of my ethernet as 192.168.1.1

4. As explained above, option of automatically obtaining IP address is not working.

5. Laptop doesn't access internet in either case.

Please help. Do you think I should switch back to Bridge mode? Or still some hope is there?

Finally Got success.

The guide by Just4Kix as suggested by essbebe was immensely helpful

I reset the modem to Bridged mode and followed the guide. Would like to add minor modifications though e.g. you might need to switch off the modem when you power up the router for configuration because router was not accessible at 192.168.1.1 as long as modem is on.

Thanks to Just4Kix for putting up this guide online.

Thanks to essbebe for his willingness to help and thanks to this wonderful forum.