1800HG DSL modem/router: Cannot access any of the setup pages.

Hello,

In this guide I will go over the steps needed to setup a basic home network. In this network, we will have a desktop computer, a wireless laptop, printer, router and cable modem.



*All devices should be turned off at this point*

1) The cable modem which is usually provided by your internet service provider, should be connected to your coaxial cable(broadband internet) that is active, and can be anywhere in your household. This modem can also be for DSL connections(phone line).

*If you only have one device you wish to connect to your home network, this device can plug directly into the modem and you will not need a router*

2) Next, you will need to connect the router to the modem. You will use a Cat5 cable to do this. It is also commonly referred to as a Ethernet cable or patch cable. On the modem, you will see a Ethernet port, plug one end of the cable to this port. On the router, you will see many Ethernet ports. The port you wish to use to connect the modem to the router is usually separated from the other ports and may be labeled (modem or internet). The ports labeled 1-6 for example are your LAN ports and normally for computers etc. So, plug the other end of the Ethernet cable into the port labeled modem or internet that is away from the other ports.



3) Now, for each device you wish to have wired network access(computers, laptops, game consoles) you will need to plug an Ethernet cord into each one, and plug the other end into one of the LAN ports on your router.

4) Power on the cable modem, wait 30 seconds then power on the router.

4) Next, you will need to power on your desktop in order to configure the router. Please consult your routers manual in order to do so.

5) Once your router is configured, you should be able to access it from any of your devices and these devices should have access to the internet. If you wish to have wireless access also, you will need to setup wireless security, password and a SSID. Your SSID is the name you give the router, and this is the name that will show up when you search for routers within range of your computer. Below is a picture of a list of wireless access point SSID.



6) At this point there are several ways to connect a printer. For simplicity, you can connect it to one of the computers, and give access to the other computers. The following guide will go over this step,
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Install-a-printer

I hope this guide helps you in your quest to setup a basic home network. There are many factors that come into play and additional steps may need to be taking but this will get you started!

Regards,
G33k

Here is a simple way share your home internet connection with more than one computer. This will work for both wired and wireless and doesn't require alot of technical or computer skills to accomplish. I'm sure there are other ways, but if you're looking for a simple repeatable setup, here it is.

If you've got a dsl connection through a dsl modem, this TIP will work for you.
If you've got a cable modem, this TIP will work just as well.

Here's a list of what you'll need.

1. Dsl or cable modem that works on your system and you can access internet with one computer (If you're using the internet, most likely you've got this already).
2. Wired (Ethernet) or Wireless Router (wifi routers have 4-6 ethernet ports also).
3. For Wired: Ethernet cable to connect modem to router.
4. For Wireless: Wifi compatible computer or wifi card for your computer (follow manufacturer's instructions for proper install).
   

Procedure:

1. Turn all components off. This includes anything on your existing network- computer, modem, printer and any router you may currently be using.
2. With all power off, connect an ethernet cable between your modem and your new cable/dsl router(wired or wireless).
3. Turn on the power to your new router only and let it boot up completely.
4. Turn on the dsl/cable modem and allow it to boot. Since the router was booted first, the modem with recognize the router's MAC address (ethernet numerical address) and connect that address to the internet.
5. Connect all the other components onto the router with the ethernet cables as needed and turn on the components- no particular order is necessary after the router and modem are booted. Your router will assign MAC addresses to all the ethernet components. Once the MAC address is assigned, your computer should work correctly with the internet and shouldn't drop out when the second computer is turned on.
   
6. For wireless connections, boot up your computer with the properly installed Wifi card, airport card and allow it to "find" your router. Once you get confirmation of the signal, you're good to go.

Following this procedure will allow your modem, your router to use their designed software to connect you without a bunch of programming. You will actually enjoy having more than one computer sharing an internet connection.

Remember this procedure and follow the steps again if you lose power and have to reboot your network.