# Solved: "server is not detected" - buffalo router troubles



## samo.kritik (Mar 26, 2007)

Hello!

I am quite inexperienced regarding networking and wireless networks. Here is my problem:

I have a notebook (Acer Aspire 5101AWLMi with wireless device: Atheros AR5005G Wireless Network Adapter) and a cable internet connection. I bought a Buffalo AirStation WHR-HP-G54 router hoping to get wireless internet connection.

I've put the installation CD in and followed every step in the easy step-by-step installation wizard and (successfully?) got to the point where the installation program opened my default browser (Mozilla Firefox) going for the 192.168.11.1 address. As far as I understand the program was at that time trying to determine the type of my internet connection (Auto detect). After several seconds a message was shown: "server is not detected" and lower: "DHCP Server or PPPoE Server not found". Needless to say my cable connection is working. I had my cable modem and router connected and also the router and my notebook (installation manual advised not using wireless connection during installation). 

I've retried several times with no success. At that point I've decided to try out the AOSS function for which I was not sure if my hardware would support it. I've installed a client program from the official router CD and tried to connect with AOSS - unsuccessfully. then I uninstalled the client and left everything for the day. When I next turned on the computer my Atheros Wireless Network Adapter wasn't working any more! It says: "This device cannot start. (Code 10)".

So at this point I'm asking the experts to help - or anyone with similar experience. I am totally lost.

Thanks,

Rok

(sorry for mistakes - english is not my first language)


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

You have two problems? 1. Cannot access internet through router. 2. Cannot start wireless adapter.

For 1: Reset the router to factory default settings. If you want quick access to the router's User Guide, copy it from the CD to your hard drive somewhere. Then put the CD in a safe place away from any computers. Unplug modem. Connect modem to router's WAN or Internet or Modem port. Connect PC to a router LAN port. Plug in modem. Plug in router. Boot or Restart computer. If you don't have internet now, login to the router through your browser and find the function to "Clone MAC address."

For 2: Is the wireless switched on? (Sometimes a user switches it off my accident.)


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## samo.kritik (Mar 26, 2007)

Hey!

Thanks for helping TerryNet! Still I cannot set up the network.

I've reinstalled drivers for the Atheros (wireless network adapter) and it works fine now. But the original problem still exists:

I haven't found any "clone MAC address" function in my router settings. I've tried to establish connection manually. I had four options:

picture >> http://www.badongo.com/pic/534310

First I've tried "Manual IP Address Setup". I've inserted informations gained from "ipconfig /all" in cmd. The checking went on for a while: "Cabling" part went OK as well as "Manual Setup" part but it finally stopped at "Name resolution" where it said: "Failed name resolution for the BUFFALO Server":

picture >> http://www.badongo.com/pic/534302

Then i've tried "Automatic IP Address - Manual DNS Server and MAC Address Configuration". Here it confirmed "Cabling" as OK but went on and on and on forever (i've finally stopped it after some 10 mins or so) with "DHCP Server" part:

picture >> http://www.badongo.com/pic/534308

----

I've solved another issue regarding my notebook's network in the mean time but I think it had no influence on my main problem: i had a "PXE-E35: no boot filename received" message during bootup (for some time / before even buying router) but windows did work OK as well as the internet connection. I've simply changed the order of boot devices moving Realtek Ethernet on the last place. It booted fine and without the previous message but still - the original problem exist!


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

I guess that 99% or more of cable internet connections use Dynamic IP configuration (Dhcp). This would be "Automatic IP Addressing" in that program you are trying to use.

If you want confirmation on your connection post an ipconfig /all here.

I guess I was too subtle in my previous post. I meant for you to NOT use anything (except User Guide) that might be on that CD you got with the router. It's far, far too easy to get lost trying to use one of those "easy setup" things. The great majority of the time a router will work out of the box on a cable connection.


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## samo.kritik (Mar 26, 2007)

Hey

Screenshots shown in my previous post are from a browser when I logged to the router (to router's IP address from the manual). Look:

picture >> http://www.badongo.net/pic/535071

two more pictures of sys info and WAN settings also from router's IP: http://www.badongo.net/pic/535072 & http://www.badongo.net/pic/535073

When I try the "Automatic IP Addressing" function it goes forever on and on when processing "DHCP Server" (Cabling is marked as OK).

Below are two pictures of "ipconfig /all" function:

modem-comp connection: http://www.badongo.com/pic/535089
modem-router-comp connection: http://www.badongo.net/pic/535070

The thing I should probably be worried by is why "media state" shows "media disconnected". Assuming that by media is meant my Realtek network card, I had downloaded and installed the latest drivers - no success. I also don't know if these settings are OK:

Link Down Power Saving >> disable
Link Speed/Duplex Mode >> auto negotiation
Network Address - not present
Optimal Performance - disable
Receive Buffer Size - 64K bytes
Wake Up On ARP/Ping - enable
Wake Up On Link Change - disable
Wake Up Using APM Mode - disable

Perhaps I should fix something in advanced settings for TCP/IP in my local network settings? Or should I try to configure router over wireless connection (which is not recommended as I was told)?


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

Your "modem-comp connection" shows that your connection is indeed Dynamic.

Your "modem-router-comp connection" shows that you were connected wirelessly to your router. Why your ethernet is disconnected I do not know. Maybe the cable is bad; maybe a LAN port on the router is bad.

I couldn't find a User Guide for your router, but I still have trouble believing that connecting it can be that hard or complicated.

Did you reset it to factory default settings after playing around with it?

Did you then connect it to the modem properly while both were unplugged? And then connect a computer via ethernet to a LAN port?

Did you then power up modem first, router second, computer third?

Then try to access the internet? If no go, check your ipconfig to make sure you have a good IP configuration from the router. Then login to the router and see if there is a status page showing the WAN address--what is it? If it's not connecting, maybe there is a log that will show an error message.


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## samo.kritik (Mar 26, 2007)

It really looks like the cable that came with the router was bad (???!!). After connecting router to computer with a different cable the ipconfig showed me this:

picture >> http://www.badongo.com/pic/536127

Looks good (well to me) but after setting router to factory settings and following the procedure exactly step to step the result was the same: no connection. Below is described exactly what I did:

1) shut down comp & setting router to factory sett.
2) unplugged modem & router
3) modem - router (WAN port)
4) router (LAN port) - computer
5) turned on modem and waited for led lights to settle down
6) turned on router and waited for diag light to settle down
7) turned on computer

8) tried connection - no internet

9) accessed router via it's IP
10) run "automatic IP addressing" function >> result: when trying to confirm DHCP connection it just goes on and on forever (it stops from time to time only for authentication --> I type in "root" for username and leave blank for password --- default settings)

http://www.badongo.net/pic/536128 >> here is a printscreen of a log shown just after the step 10 (which I cancelled after some 12 minutes)

11) finally I tried to set the connection manually with these data* >> http://www.badongo.net/pic/536132 (from ipconfig when successfully connected to the internet without router >> http://www.badongo.net/pic/535089)

*here I am not sure if I inserted the right WAN MAC Address (well it didn't work with the default one anyway) and for the port number I left blank the first time and inserted 80 next time.

I've searched the whole manual (which can be found here >> http://www.buffalo-technology.com/support/downloads-product.php?productid=124) but came up with nothing. Seriously thinking of disposing router over the balcony...


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

OK, I'm beginning to think that router is working as well as the bad cable! 

If the problem is that your ISP insists on tracking the WAN MAC address, the one you use is the one for your computer's ethernet connection (0016D4561CAE if I read the small print correctly). You could check with your ISP tech support to see if the MAC address is an issue.

Then I think you need to spend some quality time with the Buffalo folks, arranging for a replacement router unless they can explain what's going on. And you want a replacement cable too! You've tried everything I can think of and a few more for good measure.

Thanks for the link to the User Guide. As you told me, the router has no function named "clone," but that WAN MAC address that you found is the same idea.


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## samo.kritik (Mar 26, 2007)

Hmm thanks for trying TerryNet! I Appreciate it. I'm going to check the router on some other computer&connection to see if it is indeed something wrong with it. 

Regarding my ISP - this particular company is the biggest cable internet provider in the country so I doubt the problem is there. It is written in the documentation given to me that I can get "all the data from IP address to DNS on the basis of MAC Address from my network card over the DHCP server". I don't know if they "insists on tracking the WAN MAC address" (what does that mean exactly?)- but I'm going to check with them too.

So, thanks again, 

will post an epilogue to this 4-day involuntary networking course.

Rok


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

"insists on tracking the WAN MAC address" (what does that mean exactly?)

I mean that most cable companies don't care what computer or router is connected to the modem. A few require that the MAC address of the computer or router is registered with them. For these companies if you change computers you have to register the new computer's MAC address. If you change from a computer to a router you have to register the router's WAN MAC address or else "clone" the router's WAN MAC address to be the same as the computer's address that is already registered.


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## samo.kritik (Mar 26, 2007)

Just one more question: are the two cables needed for modem-router-comp connection of the same type? I mean the cable connecting modem to router and the one between router and the computer. I am asking this because my judgement that the supplied cable was bad has been made from the testing of that cable in a (previous working) modem-computer connection. With the normal cable I always got a good response in "ipconfig" but with the supplied cable (which was intended for the router-comp connection) the "ipconfig" says: media disconnected.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

"Same type" is the short answer.

For connecting unlike devices (e.g., modem to router, modem to computer, router to computer) use a regular ("patch," "straight") ethernet cable.


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## samo.kritik (Mar 26, 2007)

So the router-comp able that came with the router should work in a modem-comp connection if it would be OK, right?


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## samo.kritik (Mar 26, 2007)

Jesus... It looks like it is the cable that has to be blamed for everything. I did try with a new cable but it didn't work then - I really do not know why. Well the main thing is that it is working now.

Well thanks again for help TerryNet!


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

OK, Good! Do you still need to get the wireless configured?

If you're all OK, you can mark this 'solved' using the Thread Tools at the upper right.


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## samo.kritik (Mar 26, 2007)

Everything works fine now. Now I think I know why it still didn't work after the new cable. It actually did work - I just didn't test any URL...after plugging a new cable in an running the "automatic IP addressing" I assumed it didn't work since the "server not detected" message was shown. Manual settings didn't work as well. When I realised the actual connection was OK I run the automatic ip addressing again - for the first time - didn't work - and then miraculously - for the second time - it did work ?!

My guess is - one has to wait for a couple of minutes before running the automatic detection test. Well at least that was true in my case. Perhaps it depends on hardware.

Just glad it is over..

Oh, thanks TerryNet but wireless settings went smooth after everything I've learned in these couple of days hehe

Regards

Rok


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