Need Help With Modem-Router-Switch

[gecko]

I have a friend (some distance away from me) who is trying to connect
up a LAN consisting of three computers and two printers with
accessibility to the internet and the printers from all three
computers.

His two printers have cat5 ports, as do his external modem and all
three computers.

He says he has the following with the idea that expansions would be
simpler:

Windows XP PRO SP2 on all computers
Verizon DSL
Modem: Westell, model 6100
Router: SMC Barricade, model SMC7008ABR (8-Ethernet ports + uplink
port on front; parallel, WAN port + parallel & serial sockets)
Switch: Netgear, model FS116 (16-ports; port 16 is convertible from
normal to uplink)

He says he has tried cat5-connecting the printers and the router to
the switch and the computers and modem to the router. all to no avail.
He says he has tried skipping the router altogether by connecting the
modem and the computers to the switch, again to no avail.

Does anyone out there have any experience with this router and switch?
If so, can you advise how best to hook things up?

Thanks

Gecko

 

[jameshanley39]

I have a friend (some distance away from me) who is trying to connect
up a LAN consisting of three computers and two printers with
accessibility to the internet and the printers from all three
computers.

His two printers have cat5 ports, as do his external modem and all
three computers.

He says he has the following with the idea that expansions would be
simpler:

Windows XP PRO SP2 on all computers
Verizon DSL
Modem: Westell, model 6100
Router: SMC Barricade, model SMC7008ABR (8-Ethernet ports + uplink
port on front; parallel, WAN port + parallel & serial sockets)
Switch: Netgear, model FS116 (16-ports; port 16 is convertible from
normal to uplink)

He says he has tried cat5-connecting the printers and the router to
the switch and the computers and modem to the router. all to no avail.
He says he has tried skipping the router altogether by connecting the
modem and the computers to the switch, again to no avail.

Does anyone out there have any experience with this router and switch?
If so, can you advise how best to hook things up?

Thanks

Gecko

I guess the way would be to connect each to the switch and 'search for
a network printer' in win xp.

your terminology is good, but what is missing here is troubleshooting.
Can he access the internet, can he ping each device, e.t.c. Where is
he hitting a wall. Is he getting an error when he tried to search for
a network printer a specific error message from that would be a common
problem i'm sure.

 

[kony]

I have a friend (some distance away from me) who is trying to connect
up a LAN consisting of three computers and two printers with
accessibility to the internet and the printers from all three
computers.

His two printers have cat5 ports, as do his external modem and all
three computers.

He says he has the following with the idea that expansions would be
simpler:

Windows XP PRO SP2 on all computers
Verizon DSL
Modem: Westell, model 6100
Router: SMC Barricade, model SMC7008ABR (8-Ethernet ports + uplink
port on front; parallel, WAN port + parallel & serial sockets)
Switch: Netgear, model FS116 (16-ports; port 16 is convertible from
normal to uplink)

He says he has tried cat5-connecting the printers and the router to
the switch and the computers and modem to the router. all to no avail.
He says he has tried skipping the router altogether by connecting the
modem and the computers to the switch, again to no avail.

Does anyone out there have any experience with this router and switch?
If so, can you advise how best to hook things up?

Thanks

Gecko

Start with the simplest configuration. Hook one PC up to
the router over the lan port and login to the router.
Configure as needed, if needed. Instructions should be in
the router manual, IF the broadband is DSL then you may need
to enable PPoE on the router, and will not need software
installed on the PC (which an ISP might've provided), should
uninstall any software that might have been installed.
Observe whether the network adapter link lights are lit
appropriately on the two connected devices.

Don't proceed to the next step until this much can be done,
and handle each further step the same way that it should
work before adding more items (or at least a step by step
focus systematically in this order).

Next hook the cable modem up to the router's WAN port and
get that working. The one PC should have internet access.
Don't move on to other devices until it does.

Next hook the other PCs up to the router, or to the switch
connected to a router LAN port. The router and switch
should be power cycled when each new thing is added.

Confirm the networked PCs see each other in Network
Neighborhood, that they have same workgroup (they would be
default, but if such settings have been changed then they
may need changed back). They should all now have internet
access.

Finally hook the printers up. If they have a control panel
and manual IP number assignment, you might need to change
that to an IP number in the same range as the rest of the
LAN, or set them to DHCP so the router can assign the IP
number. A static IP number is preferred because the printer
driver may need that input and you wouldn't want it subject
to change. The router configuration screens might allow the
router to designate a fixed IP address that is still served
up by DHCP function, it is another alternative to the IP
address being fixed on the printer control panel. Some
printers now also have a browser webpage interface, if that
is the case you can instead configure them through this but
the system and printer still have to have the same IP
address range, whether that occurs by configuring the client
system to the range of the printer, or the router IP range
to be the same as the printer (which through DHCP then
issues the client PC a number in the same range).

 

[gecko]

Start with the simplest configuration. Hook one PC up to
the router over the lan port and login to the router.
Configure as needed, if needed. Instructions should be in
the router manual, IF the broadband is DSL then you may need
to enable PPoE on the router, and will not need software
installed on the PC (which an ISP might've provided), should
uninstall any software that might have been installed.
Observe whether the network adapter link lights are lit
appropriately on the two connected devices.

Don't proceed to the next step until this much can be done,
and handle each further step the same way that it should
work before adding more items (or at least a step by step
focus systematically in this order).

Next hook the cable modem up to the router's WAN port and
get that working. The one PC should have internet access.
Don't move on to other devices until it does.

Next hook the other PCs up to the router, or to the switch
connected to a router LAN port. The router and switch
should be power cycled when each new thing is added.

Confirm the networked PCs see each other in Network
Neighborhood, that they have same workgroup (they would be
default, but if such settings have been changed then they
may need changed back). They should all now have internet
access.

Finally hook the printers up. If they have a control panel
and manual IP number assignment, you might need to change
that to an IP number in the same range as the rest of the
LAN, or set them to DHCP so the router can assign the IP
number. A static IP number is preferred because the printer
driver may need that input and you wouldn't want it subject
to change. The router configuration screens might allow the
router to designate a fixed IP address that is still served
up by DHCP function, it is another alternative to the IP
address being fixed on the printer control panel. Some
printers now also have a browser webpage interface, if that
is the case you can instead configure them through this but
the system and printer still have to have the same IP
address range, whether that occurs by configuring the client
system to the range of the printer, or the router IP range
to be the same as the printer (which through DHCP then
issues the client PC a number in the same range).

WOW!

Thanks a meg. I have e-mailed your instructions to my friend, and I
thank U.

Gecko

 

[DaveW]

He's missing the needed Print Server to connect to his Router and THEN
connect the two printers to the Print Server. Print Servers are not too
expensive.

 

[kony]

He's missing the needed Print Server to connect to his Router and THEN
connect the two printers to the Print Server. Print Servers are not too
expensive.

A printer with ethernet (RJ45) port already has a network
adapter built in, has no need for an add-on, separate print
server.