Netgear wireless router + No IP

I'm using a netgear router to act as a switch/wireless access point on a network that has a dedicated DHCP server.

The problem I'm experiencing is that my wireless clients cannot get an IP address, unless they connect to a wired port on the switch first.

If you plug your cable into the switch your NIC gets an IP address, quickly followed by your wireless. However, if you don't connect via wire to the switch you just don't get an IP address despite the fact that you have full wireless signal strength and see the wireless network.

I do not have any WEP or WPA protection enabled. It is a unsecure network.

I know that the switch is peforming it's duty properly because the wired funtion works flawlessly. What's up with the wireless?

 

Is this a company network or your home network? If so, they may have specific policies or access restrictions on the network that is preventing the assigning of IP addresses. If it's a company network, are you part of the IT dept and are you allowed to conenct a wireless AP? This can cause MAJOR security holes in your network if not setup and locked down correctly.

-Vb-

 

Yeah, it is a company network and yes I do have authorization to set this up.

While I am aware of the security issues that an unsecure wireless network brings up, it is not a high priority right now. The setup is at a factory in the middle of nowhere, and there are only a few people that have wireless capabilities within along with some other factors.

I am going to try to set up WPA or WEP encryption to see if that will get us an IP when we connect to the wireless. I have set this up before (securely) with linksys and d-link routers. I think my netgear might be broken.

 

Setting up WPA or WEP encryption won't help you get an IP address (if the system is already open).

There are a couple things that could prevent you from getting an IP address.

1. Does the router have DHCP enabled? You should have this disabled so you get an IP address from your internal network.

2. Do you have MAC filtering enabled? You need this disabled so new NIC's can connect.

3. Try connecting it to a different port. I believe in this type of a setup, you don't connect to the WAN port.

Other than those 3 things, the problem can also be related to the networks' policies that could be restricting wireless access. A secure network might be setup to prevent someone from connecting a wireless AP. This might be the problem, if it is, you'll have to get the admins to make a change to the policies.

-Vb-

 

Yeah, I've already got those 3 things covered already...DHCP disabled, MAC filtering disabled, and it's connected to a regular port on the router, not the WAN port. I was hoping that by enabling the WEP or WPA that it would make more of a "connection" because sometimes the non-secure wireless connections don't stay connected all the time.

I still think that the router is jacked up...I had this same set up on the same network about a month ago using a d-link router, except that I miss-placed the router and now have this netgear one instead. I don't think they changed thier security policies.


*UPDATE:
I found my d-link router stuffed in a drawer. I've got it working now. It was just the Netgear router that was messed up. I applied the same settings for the D-link as I did for the Netgear, but now I can get an IP address through wireless. Works like a charm.

Thanks for your help!


I also don't know if this has anything to do with it, but the switch that my router/AP was connected to was a D-Link switch. It *technically* should work with any brand router, but I know that sometimes they are finiky.

Once again, thanks for your help.