HELP! - Wireless Router Configuration

[Phil3]

I need help configuring a Linksys BEFW11S4 ver 2 router to communicate with a TIVO and Playstation 3. My daughter did this for the TIVO, although not with a LOT of frustration. Basically, I have no idea what the terms mean or how to configure any of this stuff.

My objective is simple, but need help getting there.

1) Make network invisible or inaccessible to others.
2) Permit access only to the TIVO and PlayStation 3.

I am on Comcast. Signal strength is good for both TIVO and PS3. The router did work with TIVO, but I may have killed that working with the Linksys router. What do I need to set how to make this do what I need it to do?

Thanks.

- Phil

[Joe]

First you would need to insert the cd that came with the router and install it on your computer. Then go through the router setup process to set up your wireless network. Once this is complete your router will now be ready to connect to devices wirelessly.

To get the playstation connected you have to go to the settings in the playstation and go to the network connections area. There will be an option to set up the playstation to connect on the wireless network.

Not sure how to do it with the tivo. But typically to get the tivo connected I'm almost positive you will probably have to go through the tivo also. There should be some type of option in the settings menu that allows it to setup a wireless connection.

[Joe]

This link may help you

tivo to router:

http://support.tivo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/406#wireless

[Phil3]

I did not make clear that the TIVO does work, but the PS3 does not. I can not for the life of me figure out why. I disabled MAC and WEP security settings, and it sill won't connect. PS3 shows failure to obtain an IP address. ???

- Phil

[1JimMarch]

No...actually, the first thing you do with the CD that came with the Linksys router is THROW IT AWAY. It doesn't give you access to the full range of options.

Unfortunately, the second thing you need to do to get what you want is, you throw out the router and buy another one. Seriously. It's too old. It only supports WEP encryption, which any idiot can hack in less than 15 minutes.

I went and found the manual for it:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=2&ved=0CAoQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.clearwire.com%2Fsupport%2Fhelp%2FLinksys_BEFW11S4.pdf&ei=fA3_SoPrBqimtgfp35iTDg&usg=AFQjCNElcHQOMjcC6vlPQAdU6NaBGRIodw&sig2=MjKK5bzfpXhAuWs7H-1UPg

You want WPA encryption, and use a longish password not found in the English dictionary. It can be a phrase...something like "ithinkgunsarereallycool" would work well.

Once you have a modern router, you need to find out what it's default IP address and initial user password is. You might need to use the CD that came with it to set the initial router access password - this is NOT the same as the password needed to access the router for internet connections, it's the password needed to get into the "setup area". Once that's set, don't use the CD that came with it any more. Use a PC connected directly to the router with an Ethernet cable, fire up a web browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.) and in the URL line at the top type in the default IP for the router, like 192.168.0.1 - that lets you talk *directly* to the router.

Go into the wireless setup area, name the network (set the "SSID" to something that doesn't ID your home...the funniest I ever saw was "ISawMyNeighborNekkid" followed by "ThisNetHacksYou"). Set the password type to WPA, put a GOOD password in as described, you're good to go.

[1JimMarch]

It's quite possible the router is so old it's only doing the old "B" series transmission, not the more modern "G" that the PS/3 needs.

Any new router will be either a "G" or "N" class - the latter also supports "G".

[Phil3]

OK, the router is history. It says it does 802.11b. From what I can tell, the PS3 does support that.

Next question, what is a good router? I don't mind spending the money for something good. I want best security, signal strength (Tivo is weak due to location about 40 feet as crow flys, but through walls and appliances).

The PSA asks lots of questions using terminology which I have no idea on what it means. Even with a new router, I am at a loss as to how to configure the PS3.

Thanks.

- Phil

[G17GUY]

PS3 will work with that router but it will be very slow as 1jimmarch stated. make sure you have DHCP enabled to the amout of devices you want to connect.

[G17GUY]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124190

or http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833124296

[Phil3]

PS3 will work with that router but it will be very slow as 1jimmarch stated. make sure you have DHCP enabled to the amout of devices you want to connect.

But it should connect? I am concerned that because the PS3 won't connect at all, I will have the same problem with a new router. PS3 says it can not find IP address when doing a test connection. The TIVO works, the PS3 does not, and the PS3 gets a much stronger signal.

- Phil

[G17GUY]

Did you check Setup > Basic setup > Maximum number of DHCP users?

You can also set a static IP in your PS3 for it to use to connect, did you try that?

[Phil3]

Did you check Setup > Basic setup > Maximum number of DHCP users?

I presume you mean this on the router. Right now, it says DHCP Server is disabled, starting IP address is 192.168.1.0 (with "0" being changeable), number of DHCP users is 0, with nothing in DHCP clients table and nothing entered for DNS or WINS. I have no clue what any of this means, but here in case it means something relevant.

You can also set a static IP in your PS3 for it to use to connect, did you try that?

I tried to do this, but could find no way to save it. I don't know what IP address I am supposed to be entering any way.

- Phil

[G17GUY]

You need to enable DHCP, # of clients is how many devices (computers, PS3, laptops, iphones,etc) you want to be able to connect to the router.

If your "starting IP address" is 192.168.1.100,, and you select "5" under the "number of clients" then you have IP addresses 192.168.1.100- 192.168.1.104 available.

Maybe you should call a computer guy or something.

[Phil3]

I built the computer, but networking is confusing, only because all instructions I have ever seen assume a level of knowledge that average Joe Public does not have. Saying "set DHCP users" to something or other assumes the person knows what DHCP is. Yet, the Linksys instructions appear to think their customers do.

I did get the PS3 to connect, after doing the DHCP user thing, enabling it, and setting number of users. Not sure why the TIVO never needed this, but the PS3 did. I have no idea what DHCP even is or how it works. But I was happy, until I found out later that whatever I did killed the connection to my main PC that the router is hard wired to. I just hit the reset button and disabled all wireless for now. My patience is at an end. I am shooting tomorrow and may bring the router and instructions as targets. They, and other makes have a LONG ways to go before their stuff is anywhere close to user friendly.

- Phil

[G17GUY]

DHCP is what assigns multiple IP addresses to your computers so they can all talk to the router.

If your PS3 connects to the router while the computer is off and you have not increased the number of clients, the PS3 will be using the only Ip address available and when the computer is turned on DHCP will not have any IP addresses available to give out to the computer. If you set clients to 10 does everything work?