Help! Got a weird problem I have a vanilla cable internet connection coming into an old TPLink ...

[G+_Rich Fowler]

Help! Got a weird problem. I have a vanilla cable internet connection coming into an old TPLink router running DDWRT. I have tried adding a switch to the router (to get extra ethernet ports), and every time I fire up the switch, the Internet craps out. I can't figure out if it's the router freaking out or if it's my Evil ISP somehow messing with my switch. (Which sounds dumb as I type it, but I won't put anything past Time Warner.)

 

This is how I'm firing things up: first, cable modem, second, switch, third, router. I've also tried modem, router, switch, but that also doesn't work. In fact, just having the switch connected, even though it's *not* drawing power, is causing me to lose internet connectivity over the WAN connection. (Which is really making me think it's time to buy a new DDWRT-compatible router...)

 

If it's a dying router, do you have any recommendations for good DDWRT-flashable routers?

 

Ideas? Thoughts? Appreciated!

 

#switch #router #badmojo

[G+_Joe Phelps]

To which port on the router are you connecting the switch?

[G+_Rich Fowler]

The instructions on the switch didn't say it had to be connected to any particular port, so I plugged it into one of the 4 LAN ports on the back (#4 of 4), not the WAN port, and plugged that cable into the first port of the switch. 

[G+_Travis Hershberger]

The order should be modem -> router -> switch.  Can you power the switch on, then plug it into the router?  Your symptoms sound like more than 1 network cable is plugged into both the router and the switch.  Assuming that's not the case something is wrong with the router or switch.  Could you take the switch somewhere else to test?

[G+_Joe Phelps]

Rich Fowler Have you tried another cable between the switch and router? Maybe a connector is bad and shorting.

[G+_G Riedell]

Perhaps neither your router or your switch is handling the connection between them correctly, have you tried using a crossover cable to connect them?

[G+_Rich Fowler]

To answer all the questions: I have tried the modem->router->switch order. That was the first one I tried, and it didn't work on two switches.

 

I have tried regular patch cables and crossover cables. 2-3 different cables. Same result.

 

I have checked all connections, and only one item was plugged into the switch-- my laptop I use for streaming TWiT. It has a 50-foot run, and that's it. (That and the patch cable to the router.) It runs fine off of the router.

 

And yeah, I've tried a TPLink switch and now a Netgear switch. Same problem. Both are unmanaged. The router is an older TPLink running DD-WRT.

 

And yes! I've even done a 30-30-30 reset on the router! I'm stumped!

[G+_Travis Hershberger]

Sounds like it's time to try another router as that's the only thing you haven't test/changed.

[G+_Rich Fowler]

Yeah, it's probably that. Anybody have a favorite router for DDWRT? Or does the BASH exploit make it too vulnerable? Ugh.

[G+_Travis Hershberger]

DDWRT can't possibly load BASH, just not enough storage space available on most (old) routers.  I don't know that this is really meant for home use, but I really like Ubiquity products (www.ubnt.com)

[G+_Rich Fowler]

Did some reading on it here: http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=268817 and yeah, most DDWRT builds use BusyBox. Optware can run BASH, but that's not standard. So standard DDWRT should be safe from this exploit. :D

 

Now I'm going to go back to frowning at routers.

[G+_Rich Fowler]

Yup, it's a dumb switch (unmanaged). Both of them were. I'm beginning to wonder if there's something wrong with the settings in DDWRT. I'm looking up the VLAN settings, because I think that may be the culprit... but I'm doing it tomorrow, because it's late!

[G+_Akira Yamanita]

Have you disconnected everything else from the network (wired and wireless)? When your Internet goes down, is your LAN still functional? Can you get to the router's management interface? What if the switch is connected to the router but nothing else is connected to the switch?

[G+_Rich Fowler]

Sorry, it took a while to get back to this (crazy week!) When the network goes down, it goes down hard. I have a difficult time getting access to the router-- it's sporadic at best. Remove the switch, and it's like new again. I still have no idea why.