Home network help

[NiGHTS]

The condo I've just moved into is prewired for the webernets in some rooms, but I'm trying to find the best setup for it.

Currently, I have the connection going from the cable modem to a switch. The switch sends the signal out to 3 wall jacks in the house. A wireless router is plugged into one of these jacks.

Wireless works well in the house, but we're having trouble with one of the wall jacks. Currently whatever's plugged into the wall will require the cable modem to be unplugged and replugged in before it is able to connect to the network. A 360 is what uses that jack.

I have fairly limited networking knowledge, and my google searches haven't come up with much, but I'm guessing two LANs are being set up by both the wireless router and the switch.

I've adjusted the router to DHCP a signal from xxx.xxx.xxx.50 to .99 to make sure it doesn't give out an IP address that I'm assuming the switch is giving off - something static, which is why the device hooked into the wall won't always connect because it's looking for a new IP.

How should I go about properly setting up the house for both wireless internet and wired connections? The reason we have the wireless router out of a wall is because it's more centralized in the house, giving a better signal out.

Thanks guys. I hope I've explained this all clearly - I've got a copy of Visio somewhere around here that might help visualize the issue if needed.

[primesuspect]

Switches don't give IPs. That's probably a misconception on your part.

Are you sure it's a switch and not a router?

Have you tried the 360 in a different jack just to see if you can duplicate the problem?

You gotta use the process of elimination with networking stuff; eliminate the jack as the problem, eliminate that cable run as the problem, etc. work your way back.

[primesuspect]

Re-reading, I think I found your problem:

You need a router between the cable modem and the switch. You can't just plug a cable modem into a switch and have it "broadcast" to the devices. You need to have something giving out IPs. The cable modem has only got one IP to give - it has to go to a router.

Your problem is that the xbox 360 is trying to get an IP at the same time some other device is trying to get an ip. If you could read the logs, you'd see that you're getting IP address conflicts.

[NiGHTS]

While I don't doubt that's true, we've been able to have 3 xboxes gaming at once (2 in the router, 1 in the wall) and browse the internet simultaneously. How's that possible?

Sorry, it's a hub (EN104TP) that is directly plugged into the cable modem and relays the signal to the wall jacks. I've replaced and removed to try to isolate, as well.

[primesuspect]

It's possible that your ISP gives you two IPs. Your router would claim one, and your third xbox the other.

[NiGHTS]

Thread solved via IRC. Router must come first to properly assign IPs, however setting a static IP on the wall jacked xbox may provide a bandaid to the issue.

inb4thraxcomplaint.

[Thrax]

What's there to complain about?

Problem -> solution. Done.

[NiGHTS]

Using IRC.