UGN Security
Posted By: Ghost Belkin router woes - 12/27/05 08:31 AM
I got a new Belkin Pre-N router for Xmas. Now, for the most part, it works great. However, it flat out REFUSES to do two things that I need it to do if I hope to get the most out of it.

First of all, it doesn't seem to have the ability to let my Xbox 360 wireless adapter connect to it via WPA. I have it configured to use WPA-PSK, as obviously i haven't setup a Radius server (yet, anyway). Now, I enter the keys into both the router, my wifi laptop, and the 360. The laptop is able to connect fine, where as the 360, with the same key, is unable to connect. Is there some sort of security setting that i'm unable to locate on the Belkin, or is this user error? It's actually the first router i've had with WPA shipped on it, so i've never configured it before.

Also, to avert NAT issues with online gaming via the 360, I setup my network like this...

I attached the D-Link router I used to use via Ethernet to my Cisco ISDN router, using one of the LAN jacks. I then attached other machines within cable distance to the D-Link's LAN jacks. I had a wifi laptop connecting to the D-Link's access point.

All machines on this network were configured on the same Class C with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. They were all configured to use the ISDN router as a Gateway, and it worked perfectly. As I didn't have the ISDN router attached to the WAN jack of the D-Link, I didn't have to deal with two devices messing around with NAT.

Now, this same thing fails to work on my Belkin. I have no idea why. I have looked at the documentation, and do plan on looking through it more thoroughly as soon as I fly back home and have access to the router.

Any suggestions before I call support?
Posted By: Gremelin Re: Belkin router woes - 12/29/05 08:23 AM
Easy, return it and get a wireless G router, I recommend the Linksys WRT54GL running the Sveasoft Firmware.
Posted By: Infinite Re: Belkin router woes - 12/29/05 11:35 AM
Giz, that doesn't help. Infact, it's completey counter-productive and most likely a complete waste of time. Allow me to explain why...

I use an SMC barricade as my inet boundary router, and I have a Linksys WRT54G (what the GL replaces) running Sveasoft connected via LAN ports to the SMC. An Identical setup to what Ghosty here has. At first, it didn't work worth [censored].

For some reason the damn Linksys won't forward DHCP requests (All broadcasts???) out its LAN ports to the SMC that is the DHCPD. So while I can get associated via the WiFi, and plug directly into a LAN port, the whole thing is useless.

So much for your advice eh? :p

However, I have no way of knowning if this is the same issue affecting ghost because when he asked me in IRC it went somethign like this:

Quote:
23:39 <@Ghost> well, uh
23:40 <@Ghost> i'm about 800 miles away from said router :x
23:40 <inf> so what's the questin here then?
23:40 <inf> wpa or somethign else?
23:41 <@Ghost> i have two
23:41 <@Ghost> one, why doing what I did with the D-link to make it so only the
ISDN router is doing NAT
23:41 <@Ghost> doesn't work with the belkin
23:41 <inf> what kind of cable?
23:41 <inf> better be a cross running from the cisco to the belkin...
23:42 <@Ghost> yes
23:42 <inf> can the belkin ping the cisco?
23:42 <@Ghost> heh, no clue
23:43 <@Ghost> i suppose that doesn't help
That's not complete, but you get the idea.

Anyways, Ghost, if this turns out to be your issue I put a workaround in place of dividing the available addresses up in half and creating two DHCP pools with half in each. One DHCPD on the SMC, and one on the Linksys.

smile
Posted By: Gremelin Re: Belkin router woes - 12/29/05 11:02 PM
The Linksys is just a linux machine, tiny one at that, sveasoft allows you full control of command line via SSH/Telnet, you can do anything in linux that you want to the router, including configuring the DNS/DHCP daemon by hand (vs the GUI)...

BTW, Pre-N is worthless IMO until they get their heads out of their asses and agree on a spec..
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