TP Link Router with Fiber Optic - Wireless Network not serving internet

[Chris_57]

I finally got fiber optic internet today and everything is working like a charm. The technician basically handed me a Cat 5 cable which I proceeded to plug into my 16 port switch in my basement which feeds my desktop computer where I now have super fast internet.

The next step was getting a wireless network configured. I proceeded to run a Cat 5 cable from the 16 port switch to my TP-LINK TL-WR841N Wireless Router. Upon powering up, my iPad immediately connected to the network (the router remembered the settings), however, I do not have a connection to the internet. This doesn't change when I connect the Cat 5 cable into the WAN port.

When I first run the Cat 5 from the fiber optic box into the WAN port of the TP Link router, before feeding into the 16 port splitter, I get no internet on my desktop at all. Please help!

 

[kanewolf]

Your ISP has "remembered" the MAC address of the PC which first direct connected to it. You will have to disconnect everything and wait. You may have to call your ISP and have them reset your connection. THEN plug into the WAN port of your router -- not the switch. Unless you were given multiple public IP addresses you HAVE to have a router as the first device in the chain.

 

[Chris_57]

I plugged the fiber optic cat 5 feed into the WAN port of the wireless router and just let everything be over night (as per your recommendation). Lo'and behold: The next morning, everything is functioning! Hard to believe but it must have definitely been some software thing on the router. It's odd because i reset it to factory settings more than once.

 

[kanewolf]

I plugged the fiber optic cat 5 feed into the WAN port of the wireless router and just let everything be over night (as per your recommendation). Lo'and behold: The next morning, everything is functioning! Hard to believe but it must have definitely been some software thing on the router. It's odd because i reset it to factory settings more than once.

Not your router, but the ISP router upstream. It remembers the hardware ID (MAC address) of the hardware plugged in. When you let it sit with nothing plugged in it "forgot" the old hardware address and then learned the new address of the router.

 

[Chris_57]

We actually switched ISPs. Our old ISP didn't provide fiber optic service

 

[kanewolf]

We actually switched ISPs. Our old ISP didn't provide fiber optic service

When you plugged your PC into a switch that was connected to the ISP provided cat5, the hardware address of the PC was remembered by the fiber optic ISP. When you tried to connect the router, the ISP wouldn't give an IP address (DHCP) to the router because it "thought" the PC was connected and assigned the IP address. Allowing the connection to be off for several hours allowed the fiber ISP to forget the old MAC address and grant an IP address to the "new" device it saw on your connection.

 

[Chris_57]

Allowing the connection to be off for several hours allowed the fiber ISP to forget the old MAC address and grant an IP address to the "new" device it saw on your connection.

I understood now! Basically my desktop computer hogged up the only dynamic IP the ISP was assigning my connection when I first connected it, when it should have gone into the WAN port of the router. Makes perfect sense now

 

[kanewolf]

I was gonna keep trying... Glad you finally understand what I was trying to say ...

 

[Chris_57]

I was gonna keep trying... Glad you finally understand what I was trying to say ...

Yes! I am a complete fool! Thanks for your patience!! 😀