Installing New Wireless Router

We are installing a new router and we are having some problems. We got to the point in the installation that the program assessed that our Internet connection is static. I wasn't sure so I click yes and the it asks for IP address, IP Subnet Mask, Gateway IP address, Primary DNS, and Secondary DNS. I found all but one of those addresses(secondary DNS) but it urned out that the gateway and primary are the same digits. I try to continue and it says that the LAN and the WAN IP addresses can't have the same subnet. I was stuck so I called cox support and they told me to call the router company but after telling me that our connection is not static but dynamic. So I got back to the part where it asks about the type of Internet connection and it says to turn off the modem and router then turn them back on. It still says the connection is static after three tries so I ask Mom to help and we end up back at step one in the installation plan and the router isn't installed so we can't even start the installation again. Now we forgot where all the wires go and the Internet only works on the main computer currently. If you think you can help us by using solely email then please do so. Here are some questions that would help us out greatly if you answered them.

Do you know if our Internet connection is static or dynamic etc.(Cox said dynamic but I don't know how to solve the problem)?

Do the other wireless computers have to do anything when installing the different router?

Is there an easy way to find all the IP addresses and numbers?

What is the cable layout for the wires connecting the computer, modem, and router?

Anything else you ca think of to help us understand this predicament would be helpful.

Thanks,

Zach and Mom.

"Do you know if our Internet connection is static or dynamic etc.(Cox said dynamic but I don't know how to solve the problem)?"

If your internet connection is with Cox then it's most likely DYNAMIC and NOT static. Those customers with static IP's are either commercial clients or customers who pay extra to have static IP address in order to have a server (webserver, ftp server, etc.) setup at their home.

"Do the other wireless computers have to do anything when installing the different router?"

By default any new wireless router does NOT have security enabled (like WEP, WPA, etc.) so computers wishing to connect to the new wifi signal do not need to enter a key in order to connect to the new signal. Therefor it's just a matter of knowing what the wifi signal name is (by default the manufacturer's name), and to pull up the wifi mananger software on the computer and tell it to connect to that signal. Most wifi managers will detail the new wifi signal as an unsecured wifi signal.

"Is there an easy way to find all the IP addresses and numbers?"

On each computer, open up a DOS console window by going to START button, looking for the RUN or search bar, and typing in CMD. A black DOS console window will appear and you then type IPCONFIG and press enter. You will then see a group of IP addressed which correspond to the IP address, Default Gateway, and Subnet Mask. The addresses shown for IP address and Default Gateway will always be in the pattern of 192.168.xxx.yyy, where xxx is usually 0, 1, or 2, and yyy is usually 1 for the Default Gateway and the numbers 2 - 254 for IP address. If you see "auto ip config" address or just see zero's then you have a problem.

"What is the cable layout for the wires connecting the computer, modem, and router?"

The wiring layout for Cox highspeed using a router (or wifi router)

1. CABLE MODEM
-ensure there is a thin black wire for electrical power plugged in
-ensure there is a thick white rounded "coaxial" cable screwed in - the other end goes to the wall and to the Cox service
-ensure there is an ethernet cable clicked in - blue, gray or yellow and looks like thick oversized phone cable

2. CONNECTION BETWEEN CABLE MODEM AND ROUTER
-ensure the ethernet cable goes from cable modem and into the router into an ethernet port that is sometimes labelled INTERNET or WAN or not at all. This port is also usually segregated from the other 4 ethernet ports that are always grouped together. Most routers have this one ethernet port that goes to the cable modem and other the 4 ethernet ports.

3. CONNECTION FOR SYSTEMS NOT USING WIFI
-ensure that all systems (desktop, laptop, xbox, etc) that needs to access the internet have an ethernet cable plugged into them and the other end plugged into any one of the 4 ethernet ports on the router - doesn't matter which one of the 4 ports as they are all the same.

4. CONNECTION FOR SYSTEM USING WIFI ACCESS
-from the desktop screen find the wifi manager which can usually be accessed by looking for a wifi icon in the "system tray" the area at the bottom right corner of screen by the clock. Usually by right clicking or double clicking on it, you can open up the wifi manager. And with a little luck you want to find a tab or page that lists the available wifi signals floating above your noggin as your reading this. Then it's a matter of selecting the wifi signal name that is yours and finding a CONNECT or OK button to proceed to connect to the signal.

NOTE: IT is the completion of steps 3 or 4 that then allows the computer to receive (from your router) the network addresses required (IP, gateway, subnet mask, etc.) to officially be "connected to the network". this is when you get that bubble message that stays "now connected 100mbps" or "connected 54mbps" etc. When doing the IPCONFIG command from the DOS window, problems with steps 3 and 4 causes the "auto ip config" or zero for network addresses.

AT THIS POINT YOU ARE CONNECTED TO THE ROUTER (OR WIFI ROUTER) AND "CONNECTED TO YOUR OWN HOME NETWORK". BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN YOU ARE CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET.

5. ENSURE PROPER WAN CONFIGURATION ON ROUTER
-by using the IPCONFIG command on a system now connected to your network, take down the default gateway address which is most likely 192.168.0.1, or 192.168.1.1, or 192.168.2.1.
-open up your internet explorer browser (or firefox, safari, chrome, etc. take your pick) and in the address bar (NOT THE DANG SEARCH BAR!!) type in the gateway address. Do not include http:// or www.
-this should open up the login page into your router so that you can further configure it directly. The CD that comes with your router tries to automate this process, but most the times messes it up while installing the worst versions of Norton and McAfee on your system.
-login with the username and password supplied by any setup poster or sheet or little sticker on the bottom of the router. You can also try combinations like the following all lowercase:
user/pass: admin/admin
user/pass: admin/password
user/pass: (leave blank)/admin
user/pass: (leave blank)/password
user/pass: admin/(leave blank)
user/pass: (leave blank everything)
If those don't work, then go ahead and use the CD and hope for the best....
-once logged in, look for an area or page for WAN settings. You might have to go into ADVANCED config or click on tabs... have fun.
-then ensure you have it set for DYNAMIC
-APPLY or SAVED the settings. If you play around with this router setup pagee(s), you may also find a STATUS page or area that reports wether or not your router is now "CONNECTED" to the internet. If so, then you are on the right track! Then just for good measure, pull the power cable from both cable modem and wifi router to power them down. Wait 10 seconds, then power back up the cable modem first. Wait until all the appropiate lights show up then power back up your router.

THAT'S IT! The above steps establishes the connection between the router and the cable modem. And gives the router access to the internet through the cable modem. And so by association, any system connected to your router (wifi router) is now also connected to the internet. This way you also have a clear idea of how computers can be connected to the "network" but not necessarily connected to the "internet". If just your cable modem is down, your are still connected "to the network", and are able to share network files, printers, etc. But if only your router is down, you can't do squat. In this situation, you get to choose your favorite computer and plug its ethernet cable directly into the cable modem to get it on the internet. (be sure to reset your cable modem whenever doing this direct-connect method and vice versa so that the poor thing knows what just happened)

NOTE: most routers automatically are set for DYNAMIC by default for the WAN connection method, so step 5 is never really necessary and that's why the requirement for using the supplied CD is therefore not usually necessary.

6. CONFIGURING AND SECURING YOUR WIFI SIGNAL
-by default a wifi router outputs a wifi signal that anyone can connect to without needing to type in a security key or password. Yes, you want to secure your wifi signal.
-log into your router (refer to step 5), and look for the wireless configuration page(s)
-ENABLE your wifi security and choose among several security methods (WEP, WPA, WPA2, etc). WEP is the weakest and can be cracked by anyone who knows how to do a Google search for "how to crack wep security". You should try it hahahaha! WPA and WPA2 are the better ones.
-when security is enabled, you are required to create a key/passhprase. When done, apply/save those settings.
-now anyone system that was connect to your wifi signal before step 6 will be kicked off the signal. You now need to go to those wifi enabled computers and re-connect to your signal, but this time you will be required to enter the key/passphrase you just created.
-you can optionally change your wifi name (from Belkin, Linksys, Netgear, Dlink, etc.) so your neighborhood doesn't know what brand of wifi router you just got. Good names are: "Go Away", "Infected Wifi", "Hackers and Crackers", "You Die", "Sweet Candy and Rainbow Land", etc. One you rename your wifi, give your wifi-enabled systems time to refresh their wifi list (approx 1-2 minutes), and then connect to the wifi signal which now sports the new awesome name.

Hope this helps.