Here is how my network is set up: I have a home network involving two routers, one wireless, one wired. My cable internet connection comes in on the second floor of my house, into the WAN port of a Linksys WRT54GS Wireless Router. A laptop on that floor makes use of the wireless connection and is used for work purposes, and a Desktop PC also connects to an ethernet port on the wireless. A network cable connects to another one of the ports on the wireless and runs down to my basement where it connects to the WAN port of a SMC Barricade SMC7004ABR wired router. Two desktop PCs connect to the wired router in the basement. The internal IP of the wireless router is 192.168.1.1, it has DHCP enabled with a lease time of one day and distributes IPs in the 192.168.1.100 - 192.168.1.149 range. The IP of the wired router with respect to the wireless is 192.168.1.100 at the moment, I can't figure out how to get the lease time to last forever on the wireless, so it changes every day. The internal IP of the wired router on the basement network is 192.168.2.1, distributing IPs in the 192.168.2.2 - 192.168.2.40 range. The wired router has DHCP enabled and has the option of a lease time of forever, so those IPs stay static. The laptop upstairs is used for work purposes and needs a stable internet connection. It also has been configured with WEP wireless security to encrypt it or whatever. Two ports are forwarded to the wired router and then to my main PC in the basement, for gaming/downloading. These are a pain in the ass, as the wireless router keeps changing the address of the wired router, and I have to re-forward these every day. When this is all set up at first, everything works 100%. After a day or two, sometimes less, the laptop's connection no longer works, while the connections on the other PCs sometimes continue to work perfectly. The laptop's connection seems to drop most often when my main PC in the basement is doing something that takes up alot of bandwidth, and returns to normal if my PC is shut down. Although, sometimes this doesn't work, and the only solution is to reset and reconfigure the wireless router's settings, WEP security and all. I should also mention that the connection on my main PC occasionally stops working, at which point I disconnect power to the wired router and then reconnect it and the connection is re-established. Every computer in the house is running Windows XP, with the exception of the upstairs desktop, which is running WIn98Se. Please, help me fix this network!! -Joe

A few things first. If the laptop must have connection why not use a wired solution? Also why use the Wan port of the second router? WEP is not that secure if you leave it on all the time. Consider changing the key often and limiting the time that the radio is on if you must use wireless. The web based setup app of these soho routers sometimes provide a log of why the connection is going on and off. Be sure to see the windows event viewers too for info. It may be that the router is trying to protect your system from outside attack or even inside attack. Learn how to setup your router to take advantage of all the tools it offers to protect your lan. Lastly why not go into the web based settings of the first router and set lease time to forever. Some models might use an odd term such a maybe zero meaning forever.

You are making things WAY too difficult. Best solution, IMHO, is get rid of the 2nd (wired) router and replace it with a switch - then all devices get their IPs and connection from the 1ts router. Or you could connect the cable from the 1td router to the 2nd router via one of the LAN ports - do not use the WAN port. Then configure the 2nd router to not use DHCP. This should make the 2nd router act the same as a switch. Michael J

The cable you need for Michael J suggestion is a crossover cable not a regular patch cable. Give a person a fish you feed them for a day. Ask a person to internet search and they learn a skill for a lifetime.

"The cable you need for Michael J suggestion is a crossover cable not a regular patch cable." You are absolutely correct, if you are connecting router LAN port to router LAN port. However, if you go with a switch, many switches use uplink ports that would only require a strait-through button Michael J

Sorry, crossover cable/patch cable? I don't understand what you mean, I'm just using a regular old ethernet cable.

"Sorry, crossover cable/patch cable? I don't understand what you mean, I'm just using a regular old ethernet cable." If you are connecting LAN port on one router to the WAN port on another - as you are doing now, then you would use a patch cable (i.e. regular old ethernet). However, if you want to get rid of the problems you are having now, youcan 1) connect LAN port to LAN port on the routers (requires a cross-over cable) OR you can get a switch. If the switch has an uplink port you can use patch cable otherwise you will probably need a cross-over. Michael J