Ethernet Connection questions

[JAS]

My MyWireless Desktop modem was delivered on Thursday. I knew it didn't include an Ethernet cable, but was expecting it to have a standard RJ-45 connectors. I certainly wasn't expecting to have to pay another R250 for a special Ethernet cable because of the special connector.

I first tried the USB connection, which worked fine on my Windows 2000 Professional (SP4) test machine.

I actually want to connect the MyWireless to my Dlink DI-624 wireless router (IEEE802.11g Access Point + 4 port switch + WAN port). The WAN port can be configured as PPPoE, but I have been unable to get the DI-624 router to see the MyWireless modem. The DI-624 router has the following settings:-

- Dynamic PPPoE selected.
- User Name.
- Password.
- Retype password.
- Service Name (optional) - tried "sentech" and have also left blank
- MAC address.
- Clone MAC address button.
- Maximum Idle Time = 0 (i.e. not active).
- MTU - defaults to 1492, and have tried 1460 and even 576.
- Enable Auto Reconnect selected.

(greyed out various IP addresses for Static PPPoE usage).

I know that the MyWireless Ethernet is only 10Base-T so have tied the WAN port set to Auto 10/100-Base-T and 10Base-T only.

1) Does anyone have anything to suggest? The log doesn't give much information, just "PPPoE retry failed" so I don't know if it is even seeing the modem, or if it is failing to connect to sentech.

In order to try to get a clue about why the DI-624 router was not seeing the modem, I uninstalled the supplied USB software, rebooted, attached the modem directly to the Ethernet port on the Windows 2000 test machine, and installed the supplied software, selecting the connection method as "Ethernet". When I connect the Ethernet cable, Win2k immediately reports a 10Mbs Connection, and the link light on the Ethernet cable comes on. However, when you start the software it reports a communications failure, with the usual helpful troubleshoot advice like "Is the modem switched on?". Using the "LAN Status" windows I can see that one packet is sent when I start the software, but no packets are received.

2) Has anyone tried the supplied software with an Ethernet connection?

3) When using the Ethernet cable do the Tx and Rx lights on the modem flash like they do with a USB connection? I don't see any activity on the modem with the Ethernet cable connected to either the router or the PC with the supplied software.

I am starting to suspect either the Ethernet cable or the Modem itself. I'll call FastComm tomorrow to see if they have facilities to test the Ethernet cable. Of course, sentech don't support "Networks" so there is no point in phoning them.

Thanks in advance
John Smith, Pretoria

 

[privet]

I have been using the modem under Linux and PPPoE since day 2 of having the service. I have not used the supplied Win32 software with the ethernet cable. I have also tested it (successfully) on a Gigabit WAN router. Two things that you need to keep in mind:
- when changing from USB to Ethernet, reboot the modem
- Set the MTU on your wireless router (see other topics for suggested values... forgot what I set it too)

 

[JAS]

Hi Privet

When you say "reboot the modem" do you just mean switch OFF and then ON again? I always change the cable with the power OFF, and then switched ON again. Or is there some other special action that needs to be done before the modem will recognise the Ethernet cable?

Do the Tx and Rx lights on the modem flash to indicate activity in Ethernet mode?

Thanks, JAS

 

[privet]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">
When you say "reboot the modem" do you just mean switch OFF and then ON again? I always change the cable with the power OFF, and then switched ON again. Or is there some other special action that needs to be done before the modem will recognise the Ethernet cable?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Nope- that should do it...

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">
Do the Tx and Rx lights on the modem flash to indicate activity in Ethernet mode?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Yes- it does.

 

[JAS]

Thanks Privet. The problem turned out to be a faulty modem. The people at FastComm were extremely helpful. I went through to their offices and after some testing we verified that it was in fact the modem at fault, and not the Ethernet cable, or finger trouble on my part.

I can now verify that the supplied software does work with the Ethernet connection. Also my DLink DI-624 router also had no trouble detecting the modem on the WAN port and connecting to the internet, with the MTU set to 1458. Unfortunately, the client machines also have to be set to 1458 the same as for ICS.

John Smith, Pretoria

 

[chuckl]

Thanks JAS,

I have had exactly the same problem, both with desktop PC, laptop and EWAN router. Router I could believe as it had no facility to set MTU (proudly SA hmmmmm....). Guess it's time to swap out the modem.

 

[regardtv]

Quick question concerning ethernet cable - is the cable a cross-over or a straight cable ?

R

 

[JAS]

The Ethernet cable is intended to plug directly into an RJ-45 Ethernet port on a PC. Thus you cannot plug it into one of the normal ports of a hub/switch (unless the hub/switch is auto cable sensing). However, you can plug it into the MDI/Daisy Chain/Expansion port of a hub/switch. Remember too, that the modem is a 10Base-T ONLY device, so ensure that any 10/100Base-T hub/switch is capable of auto-sensing the speed, as well as being able to interconnect the internal 10 and 100 busses (some early switches had this limitation).