Network/Router advice

[Aaron B]

Hi LTT lads & Ladies,

 

First post long time viewer.

 

I've been having issues with my network setup for some time now and it just got to the point I just don't have a clue what to do next.

 

When we moved into our house (Renting) we had to get NBN installed due to the copper lines being cut. The ISP sent us one of their provided routers (AudioCodes MP264) which worked fine but had a poor signal when outside (not even 50ft from the router).

 

I looked around and decided on the Asus RT-AC5300 as a replacement as I thought it was NBN ready? 

Upon setting it up I would only get about at best half the bandwidth available (100/50 connection) and could not for the life of me figure out the VOIP.

After a quite a few calls to the ISP, they pretty much gave me little to no help in regards to setting it up due to it not being their own router. So after a few days of mucking around, I decided to use the ISP router as a modem and connect my Asus router as an access point. (ISP router Wi-Fi turned off). This worked well for a few months then all of a sudden my connected devices on the 2.4 GHz band just started disappearing from the devices menu on the Asus router (would show on initial login then just disappear off the device list) but still showing on the ISP router.

 

What I mean about them disappearing is they were connected to the Wi-FI but not discoverable i.e. smart TVs, Wi-Fi printer, Raspberry pi. They still had working internet connection on their end.

 

So to combat this I ended up having to disable the 2.4 GHz band on the Asus router and run them back off the ISP router. I spoke to quite a few techies in the local area and none of them had an Idea what was happening. I ended up taking the Asus router back to the place of purchase to have it checked and to also have the antennas looked at as there were a few looses ones. They couldn’t find an issue but replaced it as the loose antennas were an issue from the factory.

Still, had the same issue.

 

Last weekend I decided to turn off the Asus router as I only had 1 device attached (this laptop I’m currently using).

So now I can't access the ISP router settings through its own Wi-Fi unless I connect up the Ethernet cable or log into it via the Asus router (See pic attached)

I also have a NAS attached to the ISP router and can access it through windows but can't log into the Web browser unless I do the same above.

 

I am at a loss as to what to do now as this is driving me up the wall.

 

Side note: I purchased a CISCO SPA112 ATA for the VOIP setup to the Asus router.

                 ISP router has been reset to factory

                 current laptop has just had a clean install of windows 10.

[Timothy11]

I have set up a few networks with the ISP modem router used as just the modem and a nice Wifi router for the main network.

 

To give me an idea of how much you know about networking (so that I can give advice at the correct technical level) can you answer the following questions.

• Do you know what IPv4 addresses are and the basics of using them?
• Do you know what a sub net is? (sub net mask)
• Do you know what a router is?
• Do you know what a modem is?
• Do you know what a DHCP server is?
• Do you know what a DNS server is?
• Do you know what a gateway is?

If you answered no to most of the above or you just want better Wifi coverage/speed you probably want to just set up the modem the way the ISP tells you to and the connect the  Asus RT-AC5300 as just a wifi AP (Access Point Mode page 89 of the manual). If you answered yes to most of the above or if you want to use some of the fancy functions of the Asus RT-AC53000 then I can try and talk you through configuring a more complicated setup.

[Aaron B]

16 minutes ago, Timothy11 said:

I have set up a few networks with the ISP modem router used as just the modem and a nice Wifi router for the main network.

 

To give me an idea of how much you know about networking (so that I can give advice at the correct technical level) can you answer the following questions.

• Do you know what IPv4 addresses are and the basics of using them?  
• Do you know what a sub net is? (sub net mask)
• Do you know what a router is? yes
• Do you know what a modem is?
• Do you know what a DHCP server is?
• Do you know what a DNS server is?
• Do you know what a gateway is?

If you answered no to most of the above or you just want better Wifi coverage/speed you probably want to just set up the modem the way the ISP tells you to and the connect the  Asus RT-AC5300 as just a wifi AP (Access Point Mode page 89 of the manual). If you answered yes to most of the above or if you want to use some of the fancy functions of the Asus RT-AC53000 then I can try and talk you through configuring a more complicated setup.

 

IPv4 address: very basic knowledge. Is assisned to each individual device connected to your network? not too sure?

Sub Net: very basic knowledge. for routing traffic? again not sure 

Router: Yes. Device for connecting your devices to either by wi-fi or ethernet

Modem: Yes. Connects to isp for internet access

DHCP server: kinda creates/ assigns the ip address for each device

DNS: I know what it is but thats about it

Gateway: not really

 

Im willing to learn if your willing to teach.

[Timothy11]

16 hours ago, Aaron B said:

IPv4 address: very basic knowledge. Is assisned to each individual device connected to your network? not too sure?

Sub Net: very basic knowledge. for routing traffic? again not sure 

Router: Yes. Device for connecting your devices to either by wi-fi or ethernet

Modem: Yes. Connects to isp for internet access

DHCP server: kinda creates/ assigns the ip address for each device

DNS: I know what it is but thats about it

Gateway: not really

 

Im willing to learn if your willing to teach.

Ok, here goes.

 

IPv4 address, correct.

On your network most devices get given an IPv4 address by the DHCP server but some devices (servers, Modems, Access Points...) has a static IPv4 address that is manually given to them.

 

Sub Net, wrong.

The sub net is the collection of IPv4 address that make up your local network. This is defined by the Sub Net Mask and an IPv4 address that is part of your network. Most router/modem/access point combination units that you by default to using IPv4 addresses from 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.45.255, the sub net mask for a network like this is 255.255.255.0, a 255 just indicates that the number in this position is the same for all IPv4 addresses in the sub net and the 0 indicates that any number can be used in this position and it will still be in the sub net (other numbers can be used but that is a lot more complicated).

 

Router, wrong.

A router is just a device that connects two or more sub nets, the router will have an IPv4 address on each of the sub nets that it connects.

 

Modem, close.

A Modem just changes protocol. In most cases it will change DSL to standard network traffic. Think of it as a translator.

 

DHCP server, correct.

When you configure a DHCP server you give it a range of IPv4 addresses in your sub net and when a new device joins the network it asks the DHCP server for an IPv4 address, if it has any spare it will assign the device on off the spare IPv4 addresses for a set time period (lease), every now and then devices on the network will as request that their lease is extended so if a device never leaves a network it will keep the same IPv4 address but if it leaves and comes back it can end up with a new address.

 

DNS, ok.

It is just a server that stores a Name and maps it to an IPv4 address. When you try and connect from one computer to another you are asking the DNS for the IPv4 address for the name and then connecting to it using the IPv4 address.

 

Gateway, ok.

This is just the IPv4 address in your sub net for the router that you want to send traffic through when you try to connect to an IPv4 network that is not part of your sub net. For example when you connect to the internet.

 

Now to configure your network.

 

The simplest way to configure your network if you want to use all of the fancy features of your new router is to set up two sub nets.

 

Sub net A will be the default network that your modem/router that you got from your ISP configures. Sub net B will be completely controlled by the new router that you purchased.

 

To configure this turn off your new router and configure your original mondem/router access point as directed by your ISP (feel free to run the wifi from this modem/router as well for now so that you have working home wifi). Then reboot a windows computer computer (to reset network settings) that is on the network and run "ipconfig /all" and post its output so that I can advise you on the configuration to use with your new router.

 

[Aaron B]

Wow thanks very much for all your input on this you are amazing!!

 

EDIT: Do you know why I currently can't connect to my ISP router over Wi-Fi?

 

As requested.

 

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.15063]
(c) 2017 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

   Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Acer-Laptop
   Primary Dns Suffix  . . . . . . . :
   Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
   IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
   WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
   DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : home

Ethernet adapter PIA:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : TAP-Windows Adapter V9
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-FF-00-E5-02-21
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Ethernet adapter Ethernet:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . : home
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom NetLink (TM) Gigabit Ethernet
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 30-65-EC-70-6A-A0
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Wireless LAN adapter Local Area Connection* 2:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : D2-53-49-46-AD-8B
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi:

   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . : home
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Qualcomm Atheros QCA61x4 Wireless Network Adapter
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : D0-53-49-46-AD-8B
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
   Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::3c4b:936:2659:c5e4%6(Preferred)
   IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.4(Preferred)
   Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
   Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Friday, 5 May 2017 4:48:57 PM
   Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Friday, 12 May 2017 4:48:56 PM
   Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
   DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
   DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 97538889
   DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . : 00-01-00-01-20-97-65-42-30-65-EC-70-6A-A0
   DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
   NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

C:\WINDOWS\system32>

 

 

[Timothy11]

1 hour ago, Aaron B said:

Wow thanks very much for all your input on this you are amazing!!

 

EDIT: Do you know why I currently can't connect to my ISP router over Wi-Fi?

 

As requested.

 

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.15063]
(c) 2017 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

   Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Acer-Laptop
   Primary Dns Suffix  . . . . . . . :
   Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
   IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
   WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
   DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : home

Ethernet adapter PIA:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : TAP-Windows Adapter V9
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-FF-00-E5-02-21
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Ethernet adapter Ethernet:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . : home
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom NetLink (TM) Gigabit Ethernet
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 30-65-EC-70-6A-A0
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Wireless LAN adapter Local Area Connection* 2:

   Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : D2-53-49-46-AD-8B
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi:

   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . : home
   Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Qualcomm Atheros QCA61x4 Wireless Network Adapter
   Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : D0-53-49-46-AD-8B
   DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
   Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
   Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::3c4b:936:2659:c5e4%6(Preferred)
   IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.4(Preferred)
   Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
   Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Friday, 5 May 2017 4:48:57 PM
   Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Friday, 12 May 2017 4:48:56 PM
   Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
   DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
   DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 97538889
   DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . : 00-01-00-01-20-97-65-42-30-65-EC-70-6A-A0
   DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1
   NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

C:\WINDOWS\system32>

 

 

If you are connected to your new Wifi your will be in a different sub net to your ISP modem/router so the DNS on the your new sub net will not know about your ISP modem/router. You could probably connect to it by IP address instead of by device name.

[Timothy11]

The data you posted shows that your ISP modem/router is creating the following sub net

IPv4 addresses - 192.168.2.x (192.168.2.1 - 192.168.2.255)

All of the servers (DNS, DHCP) and the Gateway router are in the same device (The modem/router the ISP gave you) and this device has an IPv4 address of 192.168.2.1

 

Because of this we are going to configure the following sub net for the new modem/router.

IPv4 addresses - 192.168.1.x (192.168.1.1 - 192.168.1.255)

All of the servers (DNS, DHCP) and the Gateway router are in the same device (The new modem/router) and this device has an "WAN" IPv4 address of 192.168.2.254 on sub net A and an IPv4 address of 192.168.1.1 on sub net B (The sub net all of your computer will be on).

 

1. Reset your new router to factory defaults (should be a button for that).
2. Set up the new router as outlined on page 12 of the manual (1.6.1 wired connection) make sure you connect from a standard port on the ISP router to the WAN port of your new router.
3. Connect your computer directly to the new router with an Ethernet cable (or connect to the default Wifi network if the details are written somewhere).
4. Navigate to the web GUI for your new router http://router.asus.com (2.1 Logging into the Web GUI).
5. This should start the QIS wizard for connecting to the internet. This should detect that the sub net above it is trying to give it an IPv4 address (for Automatic IP (DHCP) you should be able to just click next.
6. Then it will get you to configure your Wifi network, you can use anything that you want but give it a different name (SSID) to the Wifi network from your ISP router.
7. If everything works perfectly the new router should be up and running make sure you change all of your devices across to the new Wifi or plug them into your new router. Any device that you leave connected to the ISP router will not be able to see the other devices as they will be on a different sub net.

Things to note...

1. When connected to your new router you will probably not be able to manage the ISP router, you will have to connect to the ISP router Wifi of plug directly into it to change setting.
2. If you set up any server in your home that you want access from the internet (Plex, VPN, Game servers) you will have to change your new router WAN connection Type from Automatic IP to static IP. This will let you set up the port forward from your ISP router to your new router and the you can set up a port forward from your new router to the server. (I would set a static IP of 192.168.2.254 anyway just to ensure stability - if you want advice on what to set the option to when changing this please post a screen shot showing the settings that it is asking for)
3. To ensure stability you should remove 192.168.2.254 from the ISP modem DHCP range if you do item 2. This will ensure that no other device is given the IPv4 address that your new router is using (this should not be a problem anyway as you would have to have 250 devices connected to the ISP router before it would give a new device this address).
4. You should try navigating to http://192.168.2.1 when connected to your new router as this could let you connect to your ISP router manager when connected to your new router (this might work depending on how your new router handles routeing and if your ISP router accepts connections from outside of its sub net). We can try and get this to work later if it is important to you an maybe even add a DNS record for it to your new router so that you can navigate to it using a name instead of an IP address.

This should be enough information to get you going. If you have any issues post here or email me Timothypage.TP@gmail.com as i might not see your post. (will be away the next two days).

[Aaron B]

I have done as stated above and all is working well. Can even log into the ISP router again through the Asus router YAY!!

 

a lil help with the static IP setup (See Pic)

Also, have this issue of needing an external WAN IP (See Pic)

[NoobCase]

@Timothy11 wow... that's pretty awesome help!

 

@Aaron B mark his answer as answer or best answer. It will give him some LTT street cred as well as marking the thread as solved.

[NoobCase]

9 hours ago, Aaron B said:

I have done as stated above and all is working well. Can even log into the ISP router again through the Asus router YAY!!

 

a lil help with the static IP setup (See Pic)

Also, have this issue of needing an external WAN IP (See Pic)

Use the drop down menu at WAN connection type and choose DHCP or set IP address to 192.168.2.254 subnet mask to 255.255.255.0 and default gateway to 192.168.2.1

[Timothy11]

21 hours ago, Aaron B said:

I have done as stated above and all is working well. Can even log into the ISP router again through the Asus router YAY!!

 

a lil help with the static IP setup (See Pic)

Also, have this issue of needing an external WAN IP (See Pic)

As NoobCase said (but missed DNS settings) IP Address 192.168.2.254, Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0, Default Gateway 192.168.2.1, DNS server 1 to 192.168.2.1, DNS server 2 to 8.8.8.8 (google DNS).

 

The other stuff you should be able to leave as is. Let me know if you have issues.

[Aaron B]

thanks so much for your help all is working well.

I did as NoobCase suggested but put dns server 1 the same as dns 2 will change now