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New Westell 7500 DSL router wireless not working

DMR5713

Verizon just provided me with a new Westell 7500 DSL router (to replace the Westell 2200 DSL modem I had that had stopped working). After a couple of tech support visits to get some wiring interference straightened out, the router worked nicely for a week or so, providing both Ethernet and wireless connectivity at home.

Yesterday, however, when I turned on the router, it stopped providing wireless DHCP services, although it still provided a physical (and perhaps a data link) wireless connection. (Wired still works fine.) Specifically, the green light for wireless on the router was on solid, and our wireless devices at home had no trouble seeing the router and making an excellent connection, but they did not get IP addresses from the router and so had no Internet connectivity. (I) Has anyone else ever seen something like this? If so, do you know of a fix?

As a workaround, I configured the Westell 7500 to run in bridge mode and reconnected the Linksys WRT54GX2 wireless router that I had been using with the old Westell 2200 modem (using the Linksys for both wired and wireless connectivity), which works OK but seems to be a bit slower than using the 7500 directly. (Because the 7500 included wireless routing as well as DSL modem services, I had stopped using the Linksys when the 2200 was replaced with the 7500.) (II) Does anyone know whether I should run the 7500 in bridge mode or in routed bridge mode, and if it should be in routed bridge mode, how to find out what the various settings for routed bridge mode should be? (I'm using it in bridge mode now, but might it be faster in routed bridge mode?)

Accepted answers

DMR5713

Just to follow up (in case anyone is still reading this), it's still working! I realized that I made one other change besides allowing the SSID to broadcast -- I also explicitly set the range of IP addresses the built-in DHCP server could give out (instead of using the default). Perhaps that forced a complete reset of the DHCP server on the wireless side, which kicked it into action again.

Anyway (fingers still crossed) it's still working. Thanks again to dslr595148 for sticking with this.

All comments

dslr595148

#1 In the Westell did you change the SSID from the default one?

If not, with a wired computer go into the Westell and change the SSID.

#2 What firmware is the Westell router using?

#3 In the Linksys, did you setup some sort of wireless security ( For example, WEP/WPA ) ?

DMR5713

dslr595148,

Thanks for taking an interest in this. In answer to your questions:

#'s 1 & 3: Yes, when I first set up the Westell 7500, I did change the SSID to the same (nonbroadcasting) one I had been using on the Linksys. I also set up WPA-Personal with the same key I had used on the Linksys. For the first week I had the Westell 7500, our wireless devices (which were configured to use that SSID and to use WPA with that key) had no trouble communicating with the Westell 7500. Indeed, when the 7500 stopped giving out IP addresses to wireless devices, the first thing I checked (and double-checked) was the SSID and the WPA settings to make sure they had not changed and that they still matched what was on the wireless devices.

Note also that the wireless devices had no trouble "seeing" the 7500. The wireless connection software on these devices showed a good (physical level) connection to the network with the right SSID. They just weren't getting IP addresses.

#2: I don't know, and I've hit a snag: when I make a wired connection to the 7500, I can't get its own web page to come up. (When I switched the 7500 to bridge mode, I kept its IP address at 192.168.1.1, and I changed the IP address of the Linksys from its default of 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.1.2 to be sure they wouldn't step on each other, although I realized after that I probably should have kept them in separate subnets -- the subnet mask is, as usual, 255.255.255.0. But in any case, even with the Linksys disconnected and a wired computer directly connected to the 7500, I can't seem to get to the web page. I suppose I could reset the 7500 to factory defaults and then go back to bridge mode after finding out what I need, but it would be nice to avoid the necessary reconfiguring if possible.)

dslr595148

@DMR5713 wrote:
#2: I don't know, and I've hit a snag: when I make a wired connection to the 7500, I can't get its own web page to come up. (When I switched the 7500 to bridge mode, I kept its IP address at 192.168.1.1, and I changed the IP address of the Linksys from its default of 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.1.2 to be sure they wouldn't step on each other, although I realized after that I probably should have kept them in separate subnets -- the subnet mask is, as usual, 255.255.255.0. But in any case, even with the Linksys disconnected and a wired computer directly connected to the 7500, I can't seem to get to the web page. I suppose I could reset the 7500 to factory defaults and then go back to bridge mode after finding out what I need, but it would be nice to avoid the necessary reconfiguring if possible.)

Ok,

I will tell your options to get into the modem combo, how to do them, and the consequence(s).

If you have any questions, please ask.

* Option number 1*

Note: From Step 1 to step 6d, you will not be able to access the net.

Note: From Step 3 to step 6b, if you have other computers they will not be able to acces the net.

#1 Disconnect your computer from behind the Linksys.

#2 On your computer, set the computer to use the following settings..

IP Address: 192.168.1.3

Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

#3 If the 7500 only has one LAN Port, disconnect your Linksys from it.

#4 Connect your comptuer to the 7500.

#5 With your web browser go to 192.168.1.1 and log-in as need be.

#6 When done getting the info from the 7500, reserve the steps to get back online, this means....

a) Disconnect the computer from the 7500

b) Connect the Linksys to the 7500.

c) Change the computer back to use DHCP.

d) Connect your comptuer to the Linksys.

* Option number 2 *

Note: If the 7500 has at least two LAN ports, you do not need to do this.

Note: If you have a comptuer with at least two NICs, you do not have to do step 2.

Note: From Step 2 to step 13c, you will not be able to access the net (this assumes that you do not have at least two NICs).

Note: From Step 4 to step 8, if you have other computers they will not be able to acces the net.

#1 In the Linksys change the LAN IP to 192.168.2.1

#2 Disconnect your comptuer from behind the Linksys.

#3 On your computer, set the computer to use the following settings..

IP Address: 192.168.1.3

Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

#4 Disconnect your Linksys from the 7500.

#5 Connect a wire to the port next to the uplink port of a hub or standalone switch.

By standalone switch: not one built into a router!

#6 Connect the other end of that wire to the 7500.

#7 On the hub or Standalone switch connect a third wire next the first wire that connected but not to the uplink port.

#8 Connect the other end to the Linksys's WAN port.

#9 On the hub or swtich, connect a forth wire next to the third wire but not the uplink port.

#10 Connect the other end of the forth wire to your computer.

#11 Now your network, looks like the second recommend method as addressed on

http://www.dslreports.com/faq/7267

#12 With your web browser go to 192.168.1.1 and log-in as need be.

#13 When done getting the info from the 7500, to get back online (if you do not have at least two NICs) :

a) Disconnect your computer from the hub or standalone switch.

b) Set the computer to use DHCP.

c) Connect your computer to the Linksys.

* Option 3 *

Note: From step 2 to step 3, no one can access the (you Or any other computers) net.

#1 In the Linksys change the LAN IP to 192.168.2.1

#2 In the Linksys change the WAN IP to 192.168.1.3

#3 With your web browser go to 192.168.1.1 and log-in as need be.

#4 When done getting the info from the 7500, set the Linksys back to what you use to get back online ( DHCP / Static IP / PPPoE)

---

DMR5713

dslr595148,

OK, the firmware version on the Westell 7500 is VER:5.01.00.02

By the way, while I was in the 7500's web site, I changed the bridge mode from bridge to routed bridge, as recommended in Verizon's help page for configuring 7500's in bridge mode (specifically, here), and (not knowing what to do about the routed bridge mode parameters) I set the 7500 to run as a DHCP client (and get IP configuration settings for routed bridge mode automatically), which works for Internet connectivity. (Of course, the original problem of no wireless DHCP services from the Westell 7500 remains).

Thanks again for continuing to take an interest in this.

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