Wireless Router Problem
 

Two weeks ago I got rid of my desktop computer and installed a NAS device in its place. Since then, all of my wireless devices have trouble connecting to the router. I suddenly have to power off/on the router so that anything wireless can connect.

I have the NAS and a network printer physically connected to the router, and have two laptops, a Wii, and a BlueRay player that use a wireless connection to the router. I haven't tried to use the BlueRay player since the problem started.

Whenever I want to connect a wireless device (a laptop or the Wii), I have to turn off the router, turn it back on, then wait for it to come back online and I can connect. If a laptop goes to sleep or I turn off the Wii, I have to repeat this procedure. If one laptop is connected, and another is asleep, the second laptop will not be able to connect to the router when powered up (get a generic "unable to connect to router XXXXXXXXXX" message). If I power off the router, I can connect both laptops and the Wii at the same time.

Any ideas what is going on. The problems seem to have started when I got rid of my desktop computer. Do routers still need a primary network node to work properly? Can the NAS or printer not be that node?

I am guessing it's a dynamic IP address issue.

I did get a "duplicate IP address" error once.

Is this something I can fix in the admin setting for the router? What would I change?

To clarify.

You had a router running when the PC was in place.

You dropped in a NAS and the router still exists.

First thought is that both devices are set to provide DHCP.

Only one should supply.

I would set the NAS up with a static address and let it provide DHCP.

Almost certain both devices are providing DHCP.

Most consumer routers can be accessed via a web browser at 192.168.0.1, 192.168.0.10, 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.1.10

Check the IP address of another device on the network to verify the range.

Google the model for the default admin/pasword.

I know how to log on to the router and the NAS. I had to set up security on both...

So I should turn off dynamic IP address on the router?

Only one should be supplying DHCP.

Either way I'd still give the NAS a static address.

+1. I had similar problem once when the router and the wire modem both had the same address. If that is the case, you will need to manualy change the default address (192.168.x.x) on one device.

I assigned a static IP to the NAS over lunch. We'll see if this fixes the problem when I get home from work and try to log on again.

Did you disable DHCP provisioning from the router? Or verify that only one of the devices has DHCP provisioning enabled?

I looked at the setting on both the router and the NAS.

The router still has DHCP turned on, but will always assigned the same IP to the NAS.

It looked to me like the NAS is set to accept either DHCP or a static IP, but it has to be told which. It didn't look to me like it would try to provide DHCP, just accept it.

I think part of the problem is almost everything on my network "sleeps" at different times. I think with Windows 7 (based on a little online research), it will try to re-assume the same IP address that was given before, but sometimes finds that the IP address has been taken by something else.

I think what I may end up doing is leaving DHCP on, but assigning an IP to each device, so that they won't conflict. Then Microsoft will fix the problem...

That's how I set up my stuff at home, dedicated IP for the servers and DHCP for guests who drop by.

Once done it's much easier to manage.