wireless set up

Hi,
just found this site...am having major difficulties setting up
my wireless network. I know a LITTLE about networks, not a lot..
Here is my hardware configuration:
SMC Barricade Wireless Router
Orinoco Silver PC cards for 2 laptops
Orinoco Silver USB adapter for 1 desktop
Orinoco ISA adapter and a PC card for 1 desktop
all machines running Windows XP
cable internet provider is RCN (I'm in the Boston area).
Here's the problem:
I can connect sometimes, but often lose the connection. I think it's
something in the way I have configured things.
a few questions:
1. in the SMC setup, there is a place to Clone the MAC address. Should I do this? I put in the MAC address of the router. Originally I clicked on Clone (which seemed to work for a while), but the WAN MAC address that then showed up was not the MAC address for the router or for my cable modem. What should it be?
2. RCN doesn't say anything about a host name, which is another thing in the setup for the router. I left it blank. Any ideas about this?
3. I disabled encryption and the firewall thinking it might be easier to just get the thing working without those things set. Any comments?
4. Can I go back and forth between using my wireless PC card and my
other network card (directly connected to the cable modem), or will that screw up the MAC address thing. I've had to call RCN a few times to get them to reset stuff, but I really don't quite understand why.
5. This may be a total coincidence, but I thought I'd mention it. Two times that I lost the connection were: 1 - when I tried to connect to AOL (which I won't do again) - do you think it could mess things up?
2 - after I mapped a drive to a machine in my office.
Thanks for any advice. I am pulling my hair out over here!!!!!

1. RE: wireless set up
DJ Net2Infinity Jun-11-02 09:17 PM
In response to message 0

1. Your cable modem learns the mac address of the NIC card that was in the pc that was originally attached to the cable modem when it was installed. I had to clone the MAC address in my routers setup, it wouldnt work otherwise.
2.You dont really need the host name.
3.If you are talking about the firewall in your router, then yes it should be turned on, encryption thats up to you.
4. If you are talking about unplugging the router and plugging it straight to your pc, yes you will confuse the modem and you will have to call the cable company and get them to reset the modem.
5. Never have had that problem ...

2. RE: wireless set up
lbyard Jun-12-02 12:07 PM
In response to message 1

My MODEM will learn a new MAC address if all power is removed from it for a few minutes. Larry

3. RE: wireless set up
DJ Net2Infinity Jun-12-02 12:11 PM
In response to message 2

Sounds like I need your modem then, I actually believe its the way Time Warner has their system setup ..... I'm glad I have a router.

4. RE: wireless set up
lbyard Jun-12-02 12:19 PM
In response to message 3

Believe most of the Surfboard MODEMs work that way. I didn't discover it for a long time because my cable company told me to power-cycle the thing a few times and that workd sometimes and didn't work most of the time, probably because I didn't wait long enough. try it... Larry

5. RE: wireless set up
trumpetr Jun-12-02 09:26 PM
In response to message 3

Each Time Warner affiliate is a little different in how they handle the whole modem/clone addressing issue. From what I understand Most (including the one that I work for) do not require you to clone your address, simply do as larry suggested and power down the modem for a couple of min and all should be good.
MC

6. RE: wireless set up
itsdoh Jun-18-02 02:59 PM
In response to message 5

I believe most modems are setup to relearn the mac address after being powered down for ~2min. I ran into a problem setting up a router with AT&T's new england area cable service. AT&T requires that you register the mac address with them over the phone before the cable modem will work. It's a pain in the butt but any router which lets you clone the mac address of the nic will help you get around it. Good thing to know if you do residential networking since it can halt your progress for awhile if you dont know.