I doubt anything is possible here...but maybe someone has an idea that might work.

I live on campus at UB. The IT department decided to be their usual stupid selves and mess with the network that serves on campus housing over the summer, just creating more problems. Not that I've come to expect anything else.

Some change that they did basically renders most routers incompatible with the network. My friend (who works with IT) tells me it is Linux based routers that aren't working. They only officially support three routers (see here: http://ubit.buffalo.edu/resnet/index.php). Apparently there are problems with Linux computers now too, thy need this fix applied: http://ubit.buffalo.edu/software/linux/resnetfix.php.

I'm trying to get an Asus RT-N13U router working. I plug it in and it blinks as if it's connected to the internet...but I can't get to any web pages. I've tried almost everything I can think of. I've switched the LAN IP addresses around. I've used the MAC address spoof function to make it appear as the MAC of my computer. I've tried setting it in static IP mode with the IP, subnet mask, and default gateway assigned to my computer's MAC. No dice.

IT department is no help, they basically say to buy one of the supported routers. Which I will do if I have to...but it's idiotic that what seems to be a majority of the routers won't work.

Is there any other settings I should try changing to make it work? I was thinking of installing DD-WRT on it - not sure if there's any settings in there that would help. But since DD-WRT is a Linux firmware, it would seem to fall under the same problem.

Any ideas?

Just an idea, but have you tried registering the mac address of your router with?

I would also ask what specific settings they're using to DENY access...

DD-WRT usually gives you more configuration options than OOB firmware. IIRC though, the routers they have listed are runng a Linux-based IOS, so their claim that linux based routers won't work doesn't make any sense.

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I'm guessing that they are blocking the unwanted network routers with their firewall settings. So unless you can hack into your routers registry or registry equivalent control center, there is no way to rewrite the signature of the device. And even if you did, who knows what kind of trouble that will cause on other networks outside of school. So buy a new one and stop being so cheap!

You can get a 1gb LAN/100mbs wireless N-router for around $60, $30 if you go in halvsies with a roommate.

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"I love that you know how to do that." Cheryl/Carol/Crystal

"And I love that I have an erection that doesn't involve homeless people." Kreiger

They only support the Linksys routers because they then don't have to worry about learning the other ones. Too much support investment.

However, whatever they've done didn't make these other routers incompatible. It sounds to me like you need to register the MAC address of the WAN side of your router with them, and that's what they'll hand off an IP too.

I don't really have enough info to help you here, sorry. My advice would be wander in the computer science areas of the school, and offer a 12 pack for some assistance. (Or a copy of a porn collection, either one is usually enough to bribe most networking geeks.)

I'm no help here, but I'd like to agree that the IT people at UB are stupid. I don't really like this new system they put in place. For some reason I can't log on with Chrome, so I have to open Firefox login there, then open up Chrome and it works. (Which, does anyone here have suggestions for that?) While it's not that big of a deal... it's still annoying. Oh, how I'm looking forward to the issues UB wireless has this year...

That kind of irks me. In reality, pretty much all routers have the same options.

I can tell you the default username/password for about 8 different models, because it's some combination of 'admin' and 'password' or 'blank' and 'blank'.

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You don't actually have to register your MAC by calling them or anything. Basically, each time you connect a new device, or reconnect the same device after having it disconnected for a few hours, it automatically takes you to an HTML page where you have to log in before you can access the internet.

When plugging the router in, this page won't come up. Last year they had a browser login box pop up, and it would work.

I've tried fooling it by having the router clone the PC's MAC address after authenticating the PC's MAC...that still doesn't work. Can't get to the internet.

I'm at a loss to what other settings I could change. My friend works for the IT help desk and said with some routers they (the people trying to help people, not the people who set this damn thing up) can't figure out how to get them to work.

To me, it doesn't make any sense...and yeah, those routers seem to use a Linux firmware...

Got it working! Friend at the IT help desk was able to get this solution.

Solution was to install DD-WRT on the router, then enter this as a command line (default firmware doesn't allow for command lines).

echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/neigh/eth0/locktime

This is the same thing entered in the rc.local file on an Ubuntu machine.

I have no idea what this changes or even means, but it works.

Out of curiosity, anyone able to decipher it?