Lose Internet Connection with Wireless Router

What brand & model cable modem do you have?

Standard method is connect it in this sequence:

Part 1
1. connect comp to router LAN port using a cat 5 cable.
2. access the router control panel using a Web browser.
address = 192.168.1.1 for most routers
some use 192.168.0.1
3. set up router to "obtain ip address automatically ".
4. setup wifi preferences in router (SSID, security, etc).

Part 2
1. turn off computers.
2. unplug modem power & unplg router power.
3. plug in modem & let synche w/ Cox headend. (about 10-20 seconds)
4. connect modem to router WAN port.
5. power up router & let synche w/ modem. (about 10-20 seconds)
6. start comp & connect to wifi router.

 

Great!

You see, the reason it's done the way I described is because the cable modem "registers" the MAC address of the device it's connected to, be it the network card in your comp or the router.

Every electronic networking device has a MAC address (Media Access Control), a unique number that distinguishes it from other devices. The modem associates with the network card on the comp, associates using the cards MAC address.

If you don't recycle the power on the modem when connecting to a new MAC address (router), the modem will remain associated with the comp net card and the connection will fail.

The above sequence allows a "clean" association via MAC addresses.