I just bought a Microsoft MN-700 Wireless router, and am currently connecting it to my PC's ethernet card via direct link. When connected directly to my cable modem, my internet works perfectly, but when I connect it through the router i get frequent "this page cannot be displayed" or "server not found" errors. They are totally irregular, and can mostly be fixed by refreshing numerous times. Only when I connect it through the router though. I really have no idea what could be the cause, as I obtained a replacement router to the same result.

I'd imagine that you have your DNS settings in your OS to obtain IP and DNS servers automatically.

One thing to check - what's the DNS settings on the router set to? I've found that sometimes you need to explicity set the DNS servers for your ISP within the router rather than letting the router pick them up automatically otherwise nothing will resolve and you'll get the error messages that you describe.

Regards,

Martyn

It sounds like a DHCP configuration error. Your router is either not picking up the DNS addresses properly from the server, or is not handing them off properly from the router to the PC.

OK, I'm really not sure what to do, but here is what I have:

Under LAN settings: I can change IP address, or disable/enable DHCP and give it a range of addresses to use.

Under WAN settings: I can choose static where I need to input IP, subnet mask, DNS server address, gateway etc...
I don't particularly know what numbers to put in there, but maybe I could figure them out somehow.
Otherwise I could choose dynamic where I can basically choose to get DNS address manually or automatically, again I don't really know what numbers I'd put in there if its not getting the right ones automatically.

Please help me to figure out which settings I can screw with to make this work. Thank you in advance, sorry if I'm just a stupid newbie to this networking thing.

If you bought a "WIRELESS"router, why are you 'connecting' it to a PC? Enable the router to be a DHCP server and give it a range of IP addresses to use (a scope), then configure your PCs (with wireless NICs of course) to "obtain an IP address automatically".
Z
PS.Your ISP will give you the addresses of the DNS servers they prefer that you use.

OK, I am going to get a new PC this week, but not all of the parts have arrived yet, I plan on using that computer with a wireless card, but still hardwiring this one to the modem. I checked all of the IP/DNS settings, and it was obtaining the right numbers from the server, same ones it uses w/o router. And DHCP was set just fine also. Getting quite frustrated at this whole situation.

But as for DHCP config, it gives my comp a completely new IP, with all of the DNS servers and things set to the fake LAN IP of my router. I'm pretty sure thats configured right also

Hi,

I would first verify if you have IP connectivity. You can do this from the command prompt on most flavors of windows. Ping will end up being most helpful for diagnosing the problems you are having. Also, you didn't mention if you were rebooting the cable modem when you switch from the pc to the router, a lot of ISPs require this since they will only allow one device at a time. Depending on which sites appear to be working you might just be looking at cached versions of those sites. Another question, do you have firewall software running on your pc like Zone Alarm?

Reboot everything first.

Start-->Run-->cmd and click "Ok"

Do you have an IP?

Run command: ipconfig

Should output something like:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.110
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

These are hypothetical ip settings...the numbers might be different but take a look at what the gateway is and see if you can ping it.

Use command prompt for IP connectivity:

ping your gateway...good entry to test IP:

C:\>ping 192.168.1.1
Pinging 192.168.1.1 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=2ms TTL=150
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=2ms TTL=150
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=2ms TTL=150
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=2ms TTL=150

if that works...

ping by name to see if

a. you are getting ip connectivity to the outside
b. you are getting name resolution (or dns as seen in this thread)

ping google.com

...if the requests work you will get replies in times of ms:

Pinging google.com [216.239.37.99] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 216.239.37.99: bytes=32 time=16ms TTL=239
Reply from 216.239.37.99: bytes=32 time=14ms TTL=239
Reply from 216.239.37.99: bytes=32 time=16ms TTL=239
Reply from 216.239.37.99: bytes=32 time=16ms TTL=239
Ping statistics for 216.239.37.99:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 14ms, Maximum = 16ms, Average = 15ms

IF you get messages back "request timed out" you may not be getting name resolution try a ping to an external server by IP:

ping 216.239.37.99
(keep in mind that a lot of sites don't allow these kinds of packets so make sure that the destination you want to ping accepts ping "icmp" packets, I happen to know Google does)

...if you get response back on the IP address but not by name then your problem is with DNS. From what I gather you are letting the router obtain IP information automatically and your hosts are obtaining IP automatically as well.

YES I have connectivity, Yes I can ping just about anyone successfully. Downloads go uninterupted, but I still get frequent "page cAnnot be displayed errors". SOmetimes a page will work, sometimes it will not, refreshing usually helps, but some sites can not be viewed at all.

I have had the same problem. I have a Netgear RP114 and sometimes it wouldn't let me access webpages, but I can still be connected to online programs and stuff. Heres what I would do, make sure you have the lastest firmware version of your router. Then go ahead and edit the settings. If that doesn't work, give your router maker a call. Good Luck.