PC without WiFi

Terrysdelight

A_Lert said:

The PC being connected to the WAN port is really weird. Unless the ports are mislabelled. I'd be phoning up BT to figure out what's going on.

He connected the PC to it because there was no space in the back of his router.

It is a business bt set-up.  He has about six phones set up to it and I guess the idea was for transferring calls to his warehouse and he does have several lines coming into his business.   The numbers are on the company service vehicles and it sort of gives people the idea that the company is bigger than what it is.

It is strange though, its an expensive system, I don't think it is needed, it certainly isn't being used the way it could be.   You can have all your customers numbers programmed in so that when they call you know exactly who is calling.  Or if you miss a call, you can see exactly who called.   I showed him how to do a conference call and he had no idea it could be done.

I'm quite a careful person and I cringe at how much money is going down the drain but, it has nothing to do with me.  Sometimes if you point out too many things which could be done differently, you will end up losing friends.  Baby steps is needed!

Mickey666

Terrysdelight said:

A_Lert said:

The PC being connected to the WAN port is really weird. Unless the ports are mislabelled. I'd be phoning up BT to figure out what's going on.

He connected the PC to it because there was no space in the back of his router.

In which case a simple Ethernet 'switch' is all that's required to add a few more ports to the router.  Something simple like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-TL-SF1005D-5-Port-Desktop-Ethernet/dp/B0766D8HZ3/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=ethernet+switch&qid=1610484463&sr=8-3
Or maybe a gigabit (faster) version for a few more £££s.
Disconnect something from the router, connect the switch in its place, connect the disconnected thing into the switch.  There's now three spare ports to use - just plug the PC into anyone of them.  Hey presto, everything is now on the local router network.

debitcardmayhem

VEry commendable , I know how you feel from a previous life which seems like a lifetime ago, It would/could be possibly easier to install a switch on the router, but I am still unsure how/why the router is attached to the BT "BOX" and the PC is on the wan port but hey that's another bridge to cross, as you say baby steps without using baby elephant steps. Let us know and good luck

Edit: seems like Mickey was on my wavelength I was spleell checking darned bouncy keyboard

Mickey666

Yes, fair point about really needing to know the reasoning behind the PC-on-the-WAN-port issue.  An Ethernet switch will certainly solve the printer connectivity issue (as would the USB wifi stick suggestion), but without a better understanding of the WAN port thing, it's possible that disconnecting it will cause some other issue we're not aware of.   OTOH, if it doesn't then it could be a baby-stepping win!   Let's hope so.

Terrysdelight

Mickey666 said:

Terrysdelight said:

A_Lert said:

The PC being connected to the WAN port is really weird. Unless the ports are mislabelled. I'd be phoning up BT to figure out what's going on.

He connected the PC to it because there was no space in the back of his router.

In which case a simple Ethernet 'switch' is all that's required to add a few more ports to the router.  Something simple like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-TL-SF1005D-5-Port-Desktop-Ethernet/dp/B0766D8HZ3/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=ethernet+switch&qid=1610484463&sr=8-3
Or maybe a gigabit (faster) version for a few more £££s.
Disconnect something from the router, connect the switch in its place, connect the disconnected thing into the switch.  There's now three spare ports to use - just plug the PC into anyone of them.  Hey presto, everything is now on the local router network.

Perfect - thank you.

getmore4less

Might be worth a full investigation into the network topology both physical, ip, and the phone system if coming in through the same boxes.

Product models  and all the physical connections
A list of the wireless devices that have connections
 
Access the administration interface and document what's there and how they are configured
(It has been a while, but I do recall boxes that could be used either with an incoming ethernet on the WAN port and also had a modem interface built in)

List what the boxes think they have connected.

On each device check out their network settings to match up with the stuff found out so far.

Far too early to be thinking about what could be done, need to understand properly what is there first.

Terrysdelight

Mickey666 said:

Terrysdelight said:

A_Lert said:

The PC being connected to the WAN port is really weird. Unless the ports are mislabelled. I'd be phoning up BT to figure out what's going on.

He connected the PC to it because there was no space in the back of his router.

In which case a simple Ethernet 'switch' is all that's required to add a few more ports to the router.  Something simple like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-TL-SF1005D-5-Port-Desktop-Ethernet/dp/B0766D8HZ3/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=ethernet+switch&qid=1610484463&sr=8-3
Or maybe a gigabit (faster) version for a few more £££s.
Disconnect something from the router, connect the switch in its place, connect the disconnected thing into the switch.  There's now three spare ports to use - just plug the PC into anyone of them.  Hey presto, everything is now on the local router network.

Is this a better one?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-LS105G-Desktop-Wallmount-Ethernet/dp/B07RQHL251/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3PM2MYFA0ARIX&dchild=1&keywords=ethernet+switch+gigabit&qid=1610537346&sprefix=ethernet+switch,aps,276&sr=8-2

Terrysdelight

Mickey666 said:

Yes, fair point about really needing to know the reasoning behind the PC-on-the-WAN-port issue.  An Ethernet switch will certainly solve the printer connectivity issue (as would the USB wifi stick suggestion), but without a better understanding of the WAN port thing, it's possible that disconnecting it will cause some other issue we're not aware of.   OTOH, if it doesn't then it could be a baby-stepping win!   Let's hope so.

It was connected up on the WAN port purely because there was no other connections.  My friend just plugged it in there in front of me - I thought he knew what he was doing.   It's only been like this a couple of weeks, but clearly I can see the gigabit switch thing will resolve this issue.

debitcardmayhem

Terrysdelight said:

Mickey666 said:

Yes, fair point about really needing to know the reasoning behind the PC-on-the-WAN-port issue.  An Ethernet switch will certainly solve the printer connectivity issue (as would the USB wifi stick suggestion), but without a better understanding of the WAN port thing, it's possible that disconnecting it will cause some other issue we're not aware of.   OTOH, if it doesn't then it could be a baby-stepping win!   Let's hope so.

It was connected up on the WAN port purely because there was no other connections.  My friend just plugged it in there in front of me - I thought he knew what he was doing.   It's only been like this a couple of weeks, but clearly I can see the gigabit switch thing will resolve this issue.

If you do that then you wouldn't need a wifi dongle since you have already set up the printer

Mickey666

Terrysdelight said:

Mickey666 said:

Terrysdelight said:

A_Lert said:

The PC being connected to the WAN port is really weird. Unless the ports are mislabelled. I'd be phoning up BT to figure out what's going on.

He connected the PC to it because there was no space in the back of his router.

In which case a simple Ethernet 'switch' is all that's required to add a few more ports to the router.  Something simple like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-TL-SF1005D-5-Port-Desktop-Ethernet/dp/B0766D8HZ3/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=ethernet+switch&qid=1610484463&sr=8-3
Or maybe a gigabit (faster) version for a few more £££s.
Disconnect something from the router, connect the switch in its place, connect the disconnected thing into the switch.  There's now three spare ports to use - just plug the PC into anyone of them.  Hey presto, everything is now on the local router network.

Is this a better one?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-LS105G-Desktop-Wallmount-Ethernet/dp/B07RQHL251/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3PM2MYFA0ARIX&dchild=1&keywords=ethernet+switch+gigabit&qid=1610537346&sprefix=ethernet+switch,aps,276&sr=8-2

Better as in faster, yes.