Linksys WRT54GS wireless router AT&T DSL settings

[burro]

My dear neighbors have just switched over the AT&T DSL and would like to attach their WRT54GS Linksys router to create a wireless network.

Their OS is Mac OS X v10.5.x
The AT&T Modem has 5 lights.

The Linksys router has one "Internet" ethernet cable port, to connect the cable from the modem, and then four wired ethernet ports.

When they connect their MacBook with an ethernet cable to one of the Linksys wired ports, they get internet access just fine.

Also, their MacBook sees the wireless router (lots of bars), and can edit the router settings wirelessly at 192.168.1.1, or wired.

BUT, they do NOT get internet access wirelessly.

So the modem is working, the wired aspects of the router are working, the wireless connection between the laptop and the router is working, but the internet communication is not working through the wireless aspect of the router.

Any ideas?

 

[Guest]

There are sometimes issues with different generations of Mac and wireless security.
So turn off wireless security temporarily in the router and see.

NB: I found a) I could only access the router's user screens using a PC laptop.
b) in the end because security was needed, one Mac had to be connected by ethernet cable instead of wireless.

 

[burro]

Thanks for the reply, fihart,

However, responding to your points,

(a) I was able to see the router web interface with the Mac

and

(b) In many years of setting up wireless networks, I have never found a PC better able to connect wirelessly than a Mac -- very often the opposite -- the Mac's offer a wider array of security protocols than do Windows machines, generally.

I suspect ATT has selected a modem that has to be set into a particular mode (e.g. bridged mode) in order to work with a wireless router. They seem to enjoy doing that and then charging customers $99 each to remotely configure the modem and router. Indeed -- that is exactly what they offered when I called them.

I just need to be able to figure out the "trick" with this particular Westel ATT modem, either in setting its mode or some obscure setting for the router.

If anyone knows, I'd love to hear about it!

Thanks!!

 

[Guest]

Correct me if I'm wrong (and I often am)....If the wireless router also has a modem capability it will need to be set in bridged mode anyway.

I can see we are not going to agree on the Mac vs PC networking thing -- the PC has an almost infinite range of wireless adapters available, each with a marginally different interface -- I use Netgear mostly and I find it has the tools I need whereas the Mac (insofar as I can discover) has very limited information displayed.

 

[burro]

Thanks fihart,

Maybe I wasn't clear enough about the set-up.

There is a Westel modem (not a rrouter) supplied by the ISP (ATT) and we are trying to attach a Linksys WRT54GS wireless router.

Wired connections work with the router, but wireless connections do not. I'm just helping friends -- for all I know the wireless router is broken, but I know from past experience that sometimes there is a little setting in either the router or the modem that "makes things go." Was just hoping someone here would have experience with the particular set-up.

Mac vs. PC -- In my experience, the built-in wireless protocols capabilities of Windows machines are typically very limited relative to the Mac. Also, the web interface of a router is exactly the same for PCs and Macs.

 

[burro]

Buying a new wireless router solved the problem -- apparently, it was that the router's wireless component was on the fritz.