Wireless Connection

Posts: 8 · New Forum Member Joined: Feb 04, 2008 Posts: 8

I am new to this forum, so please forgive me if I am posting this in the wrong area. I have attemtped to search for my answer but haven't had success in finding it. So here it goes...

I am trying to set up a wireless network and don't think I have the right equipment to make it work, but would like opinions to confirm before I buy any additional equipment.

I live in Bermuda (equipment is expensive!) and have a Powerbook G4 with OS X. I have tried this configuration to make set up the wireless network...

DSL to Zoom X5 adsl modem > WAN ethernet blue cord from port 1 to Vonage device > LAN ethernet yellow cord from Vonage device to Airport Exress

If I remove Vonage from this equation, the wireless network works fine, but with Vonage in the setup, it doesn't work.

What am I missing? Wrong configuration or do I need to purchase a router/model (i.e. an airport extreme, etc)?

Thanks in advance!!!

Posts: 831 · Vonage Forum Evangelist Joined: Jun 08, 2007 Posts: 831

What is the IP range your airport set to provide?

Posts: 8 · New Forum Member Joined: Feb 04, 2008 Posts: 8

I believe it is in the default range - 10.0.1.2-10.0.1.200, but not absolutely certain.

Posts: 831 · Vonage Forum Evangelist Joined: Jun 08, 2007 Posts: 831

Kman99 wrote:

I believe it is in the default range - 10.0.1.2-10.0.1.200, but not absolutely certain.

Could be your problem as the Vonage device is probably in the 192.168.x.x. range.

Check the IP of your Vonage device. Assuming it is 192.168.15.1, choose a rage of 192.168.55.X or 100. X or whatever as long as it is NOT 192.168.15.X.

If your Airport operates as a router,

Set a static IP to your Airport of 192.168.15.2 if your Vonage device is 192.168.15.1, and so on.

Set the DNS and gateway on your Airport to 192.168.15.1 if your Vonage device is 192.168.15.1.

Use DHCP on your MAC's (the Airport will assign in the rang you specified, the DNS will be picked up fromyour Vonage device which picks it up fom your DSL.

If you have settings in yor airport for two additional DNS settings, use 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220 (opendns.com) as the 2nd and 3rd settings, just in case your dsl's dns craps out.

Posts: 8 · New Forum Member Joined: Feb 04, 2008 Posts: 8

ED56 - thanks. Yes, my Vonage device is in the 192.168.x.x range. So your solution makes sense and should work. What is the best way to set the static IP on my airport express? Airport admin?

Posts: 831 · Vonage Forum Evangelist Joined: Jun 08, 2007 Posts: 831

Kman99 wrote:

ED56 - thanks. Yes, my Vonage device is in the 192.168.x.x range. So your solution makes sense and should work. What is the best way to set the static IP on my airport express? Airport admin?

I looked at the manual for the airport express and was underwhelmed by the seeming inability to do direct settings.

This may not at all be a router and may not have DHCP capabilities (not sure) - as my wireless ACCESS POINT simply lets the upstream router assign IP addresses.

I would go into the Admin software, and first set your range, if you have a range choice) as follows:

If the Vonage router is 192.168.15.1 then set the range of the LAN settings to 192.168.15.100 - 200.

If a single IP is requested, set it to 192.168.15.100. Note, I am changing my advice to setting in the SAME 192.168.15.XX (or wahtever) with the last octet starting at 100.

Please note these are not the settings to replace the routers WAN settings. Keep those to DHCP.

Posts: 8 · New Forum Member Joined: Feb 04, 2008 Posts: 8

I believe it does have DHCP capabilities, but I am far from an expert in this area...

What I should add to my orig post, is when I remove Vonage from the equation and connect the LAN ethernet cord directly from the modem into the Airport Express, the network preference settings need to be set to connect via PPPoe. In this set up, the wireless connection works well.

Adding in Vonage, in a wired format, accessing the net and using the phone service, the network preferences are set to connect by DHCP.

To go wireless, it seems that I either need to get the Airport Express configured in PPPoe - which I believe can only be accomplished in bridge mode (what ever that means?)

Or, I need to get all compents to 'communicate' via DHCP.

I'll spend more time on this tonight as right now, my day job is getting in the way...

Thanks for your input so far...

Posts: 831 · Vonage Forum Evangelist Joined: Jun 08, 2007 Posts: 831

Interesting . . .

If the Vonage adapter works via DHCP I would think the wireless would work for DHCP. One thing is for sure, the Wireless cannot access the Vonage adapter via PPPoE.

Also, I don't think you can set up the Vonage adpater to bridge.

You can set up two ways:

Set up your PPPoE settings (IP address, username and password) in the Vonage adpater and use DHCP (or a static IP) from the Vonage adapter to your wireless then DHCP from your wireless to your MAC(s).

Since you say that you do not seem to need PPPoE to connect to the modem, perhaps using DHCP would be easier.

Posts: 8 · New Forum Member Joined: Feb 04, 2008 Posts: 8

My plan of attack is to do a hard reset of the airport express and try to get it going via DHCP. I will post back tomorrow with an update.

Posts: 831 · Vonage Forum Evangelist Joined: Jun 08, 2007 Posts: 831

Kman99 wrote:

My plan of attack is to do a hard reset of the airport express and try to get it going via DHCP. I will post back tomorrow with an update.

May be the simple solution. good Luck!