Alright, Im trying to get 2 pcs networked so that they can both go on the internet. I bought this Linksys Router (Model BEFSR41). And here are the many different steps I took, ALL ending with the same results. Step 1: Unlplugged my previous setup. Turned off everything. Plugged Router to Modem, and Pcs to router. Since pcs were previously set up to obtain IP automatically, I left the settings the same. Turned everything on and voila, success. Internet works for about 10 minutes then goes down completely. Now, the internet is STILL up and running, like If I connect just one of the pcs to the modem again, no problem. Step 2: Tried the lame ass installation CD that comes with the Router and it doesnt even detect the internet connection. Threw that idea out the window. Step 3: Unlplugged my previous setup. Turned off everything. Plugged Router to Modem, and Pcs to router. Since pcs were previously set up to obtain IP automatically, I left the settings the same. Turned everything on. Went to your typical "Http://192.168.1.1" addy to configure router. Played around with it, it instantly received all the info it needed (DNS, IP, Gateway, etc.). Went to my pcs, opened CMD prompt. Did an Ipconfig /release and then an Ipconfig /renew. Success! Internet works for about 10 minutes, then goes down. Whats the problem? Anyone have any ideas? Please help!!! Ill check this forum again tonight when I get home. Ive been screwin around with this router for 2 days now and I think I need to get some fresh air. Many thanks in advance! PS. Ive got RCN Cable. A midwest cable company. Is it possible that using this router affects the MAC address? Do I need to call them for something???

The Linksys is a good router...we intstall them at our clients office...we probably have 50-60 of them installed... We have had issues of various kinds, but not like you are describing... Try this... 1. Set the WAN side of your router to DHCP 2. I don;t know of your ISP uses PPPoE, (that's usually for DSL), or gives you a static IP, but if you set the router WAN with DHCP, it should get the stuff... 3. Set ALL your computers to DHCP, including the DNS... 4. Set the LAN side of the router to send out a DHCP signal...this will give IP addresses to your computers... 5. Plug all computers into the router, router to the modem... 6. Unplug the power to the modem and to the router... 7. Wait about 1 minute, plug the power to the modem in and wait 1 minute... 8. Plug the power to the router in and wait about 30 seconds... 9. Reboot all the computers... This should set everything up and get it working... Now, see where you are with ipconfig /all, try the Inet, see if it's stable... If it is NOT stable, then you need to contact your ISP and find out what special stuff they require to make everything stable... Example, you may need to static your DNS entrys... Good luck Steve 6.

Thanks a million man, ill try this out tomorrow morning. If it works, Ill post here so that others in the future can have an answer as well.

Log into your router and check the firmware level. The BEFSR41 v2 should be version 1.45.7. The BEFSR41 v3 should be version 1.04.17. If not these or newer, go to the LinkSys.com site, Support, Downloads, select model/version, Firmware, and download the update package to upgrade the routers firmware. Most of the ones on the shelf are back level. May solve problem if back level. Make sure the WAN Blocking is enabled in the router to provide its firewall. It should work. If it gives problems then, try checking your modem status at 192.168.1.1 and make sure it is OK. Then try 192.168.100.1 and see if you can reach your Cable MODEM. Check its status before it stops and after. You should be able to see both, unless the Cable is dropping sync. From command prompt you should be able to ping your 127.0.0.1 loop back, your router and modem at the 192.168.x.1 IP addresses and your modem with its IP assigned address. You should also be able to ping you DNS addresses. And your Gate way address. Try a TRACERT of your DNS IP address. Note the first IP address it goes through. That should be one of the two IP address of your local gateway router. Write it down. When it quites working see if you can still ping the Gateway IP and the DNS server. I have had about the same problem you have, where I can not ping the gateway or the DNS without powering everything off and back on. First fix was to fix my house Cable wiring! You want the cable modem signal strength seen by your modem on its status page to be around 0 dBvM or better. Must be between 15 and -15 dBvM. But if it is on the low side below -10 you will have problems. Make sure you have only one good 5-1000Mh splitter in the path to the Cable Modem. A 5-900Mh TV splitter or three-way will not do. If necessary, replace all the cable connectors and even run new cable from the outside ground block with no connectors to your modem. If you can not get at least 4 dBvM at the outside ground block on your side, get the cable company to fix their connectors on the pole and the ground block. If channel 2 had noise with no splitter, you have a signal strength problem. To explain, if you have a bad cable or connections, your cable modem has to put out a higher power to transmit, anything above 55 dBvM on the Upstream side is too much. You want it to be below 45 dBvM. If it is too high of a power setting, it will heat bad connections and make them worse or the modem will start to over heat and shut down until you power cycle it. Second Fix, if modem power levels are OK. The ISP might not have your connection configured correctly. Call them and tell them you are losing your connection and mention you have a router. They will want to have that information in their data base. This may effect how they configure your access to the DNS servers. Pick a good web site and get its IP address, see if you can ping it by its IP address but not by its URL. This would tell you it is your ISP's DNS servers not responding to you for some reason. ie. they don't recognize the MAC address behind the modem.

Alright fellas, I did everything stated in the posts. Updated the firmware and did everything to the letter. It seems to a bit more stable now. Well, yes and no. After I did all these things, both pc's worked online beautifully for about 4-5 hours. Then the first occurence of the router crapping out happened. (new router btw, I exchanged the other one for the same model). Then I simply reset the switch in the back of the router, not the modem, and it worked for about 45 minutes. Now its back to only working for about 10 minutes at a time before both pcs lose internet access. Also, I cant ping the 2 DNS IP's supplied in the ipconfig. Its pissing me off. But at least I know it was able to work for a good 4 hours at one point and that tells me theres hope. Any other ideas as to what may be the issue? Im hoping we can get to the bottom of this. And to those who responded, thank you so much for your help!

Nightshadow, I am having the EXACT same problem on a router with one XP machine, and one Win98 machine. I detached the XP machine, and the W98 has no probs at all and will surf endlessly. I attach the XP machine, and the whole network tanks within 5-10 minutes. The XP machine alone also tanks itself (W98 machine detached). Is this the result of some kind of crazy trojan horse or virus? Anyone out there able to help? ISP: Cox Cable (Hi Speed) Internet

Dido-same EXACT prob as above and BD...I just keep a good phillips screw driver on desk with router turned to side so I can reset it twice a day or so, on avg 10 hour day.....screwed set-up, doesn't work very well overall and help line said, in essence, "return it". Not perfected obviously, as who can understand ALL the BS above? Not I-an ivy league engineering grad....I also reloaded my IE-6 (explorer) on XP machine, and that has helprd clear-out all the old firmware and home-page changing "trojan horses'... that developed AFTER router.... I'll keep fooling around with it and look for different better brand, plus get a satellite feed, as I need a 100% reliable connection for investing and COX/Linksys is quite unreliable... I'm going to add 3d computer to this mess soon, that ought to be good... I expect to eventually pay one of you techs to come to my house and fix this s--- and also clear all the "crap" from my computer that adware/virus checkers miss... BR