Is my wifi router broken?

If it is a wifi router. You know the black box Chunghwa Telecom installs in your home when they set up your Internet connection? Well, one of my cats recently thought it was a pretty cozy place for naps. Suddenly, I realize it is not “emiting” any wifi signal anymore. All lights are green, but there are three at the end of the box that usually flicker green -or red if there is a problem- and now they are off. Dead off.

Yes, I turned it on and off. That is the limit of my technical expertise.

From what I can discern, the “land” connection is OK, it is the wifi what’s missing. How I dunno, not how to fix it. Any ideas?

Connect a computer to one of your router’s LAN ports using a CAT (Internet) cable, then go to 192.168.1.1 using your browser. That should take you to your router’s setup page.

Login / password might be user / user, or you could try cht / chtnvdsl or cht / chtnadsl

If you can login successfully, you can see if the wifi setting is turned on. If it’s on and you get no signals, chances are your router is kaput.

If you could log in to the router, and you know your PPPoE password, there is a reset button on the box. Try pushing it for 10 seconds, and log back in and configure your PPPoE and wifi settings. If that still doesn’t work, you need to get the CHT guys over to replace the old wifi router.

You could also forget CHT’s crappy wifi router, buy a standalone wifi router and connect it to one of your old router’s LAN ports. Configure the new router and enjoy.

Kuabuo la, but thanks.

I did try the RESET button, too. No reaction. As to whether the wifi is turned on, where do I see that?

I hate to call the CHT guys because their working hours and mine are not compatible. Can’t I take the machine to the nearest CHT outlet and see if it is kaput or not? Wonder what the cat did to it.

There’s a step by step with pictures version of the first part of my solution:

It would take you as far as getting to the login / password screen.

You can usually skip the part about finding your router’s IP, it is usually 192.168.1.1

Type that IP address into your browser’s URL bar, it should take you to your router’s configuration web-UI.

Guá guân-pún mah khuànn-bô, but life is hard without the Internet.

Thank you, LOL. :notworthy:

Question:

Can someone “steal” your Internet, the way they leech off cable?

The problem with my Internet service is outside. One line is broken. Coincidentally, my downstairs neighbor had made some overtures about sharing the wifi\Internet and I said hell no. Now I have changed the router twice and we still have problems. No one else in the building, even the block, has Internet issues. No, my pets do not chew electronics.

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A good router usually can show you how many connections is being serviced, and also will show the device’s MAC address, which helps identify the device’s identity.

If you know for sure how many devices you have that currently connects to the router, say 1 PC, 1 Laptop, 1 cellphone, 1 IP cam, 1 dyson fan, 1 smart A.C., 1 chromecast, then you should see 7 connections on your router. If you got more than that on the router and you are sure it’s not from one of your devices, then you can be sure someone is stealing your internet.

So, you are saying it IS possible to leech someone’s Internet?

Currently, nothing should be connected to the Internet because nothing can connect. Anyways, it should be only the cellphone.

Can the Chunghwa Teelcom tell that or will he laugh off my concerns/say it is not his job?

It is possible. If they can somehow get to your LAN connection, they don’t even need a password. If they somehow guessed or snooped your WIFI password, then they can also leech off your WIFI.

CHT guys probably can only tell if someone is leeching using the same way I mentioned above. The issue with that is you would have to catch them in the act. It is possible to check router logs to find out if an unknown device connected to your router in the past, but you would first have to know all the MAC addresses of all your devices, so it would be easier to rule out possible leech devices.

I do not think it is naything that sophisticated, since the damage is physical.

Will ask Chunghwa anyways.

Haha. The hell no response to the neighbor was awesome lol

Also you’ve probably already dealt with this as it’s been three weeks I’m Pretty sure you didn’t go without Wifi for that long, but you actually can change your HINET login credentials on the 中華電信 123 service site just for future reference. As for checking connections assuming you connect directly to the modem/router combo I guess that’s what you have? I wasn’t aware theirs was a dual function when I signed up for so I have a router as well and the modem is just ok bridge mode, but obviously you need to change these settings for the modem as this is where the internet is coming from in the first place, but if you login the modem as an admin then one of these passwords shall be the admin login for 192.168.1.1, username is “cht” password may be one of the followings: “chtgpon”, “chtvdsl”, “chtnvdsl”, “chtcvdsl”, “chtsvdsl”. Once your in the Control Panel you can see any connected devices assuming you just have the combo and as well MAC addresses for devices should show and you can actually specifiy that all devices besides the whitelisted MAC addresses you provide are blacklisted. Obviously there are numerous other vulnerabilities with routers but at least that’s more on the safe side. Sorry if this was more confusing then helpful or too late haha.

No, no, not too late. I haven’t had time to deal with this. It sort of stabilized, meaning now I can use it… sort of. Sometimes I can use it for 20 minutes, sometimes won’t bother for 2 hours, sometimes it won’t turn on at all. It comes and goes.

Hermana, are you on 吃到飽 with your phone plan?

You can actually use your phone as a “router” for your new tablet or any other gadgets around the house.

I’ve found out that the internet at home is much slower than my 4G 吃到飽 from Chunghwa, so I’ve just been using the hotspot function on my phone for my PC.

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Yep, but I am paying extra for the fastest house wifi/Internet connection to get a speedy eh speed, you know, those Supernatural episodes must be watched soon.

The thing is that I do not have many gadgets around the house. I only use the phone or the tablet. And the tablet is recent. So you can imagine my frustration.

Unless your phone doesn’t get good service, I understand why you need wifi, but if your phone has good service, I can see you saving a few hundred NT every month. Which can go towards something for Bobby or one of the fur babies.

Download this app on the phone and tablet. One connected to the Wifi and one to the 4G network. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if your 4G network was faster…

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Mine is actually like that as well man like. I mean I’ve done it so many times now that it’s not that much of a hassle cause I can do it quickly but I literally rest and reprogram the modem and router like at least twice a week sometimes 3-4 haha. Those combos are s really old tho and I mean honestly I’m using VPN’s on my router all the time and DNS crypt and stuff so I mean it’s probably to be expected but if it’s just cooping out all the time you shouldn’t be paying for that man especially if your paying more for the higher speed internet. I would just schedule a tech if you agually so look on your modem and there are no MAC users you don’t recognize. I’m actually kinda surprised that 中華電信 doesn’t offer another combo because I purchased a router as well for 802.11AC comparability And 中華電信 is still at 802.11n, at least mine is. Honestly if you want to go though the trouble to look through your Mac list and it’s not a big deal try that, In the meantime I’d call a tech because they take forever and at lest if that fails you’ll have a day less to wait haha.

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I’d been having problems over the past year in my new place with the wifi signal giving out at times. Although plugging and unplugging helped, it would still do it again eventually.

I called the cable company to check it out and they said it was the cable outside, going down the side of the building. Apparently it was old, had perhaps been chewed on by one rat too many, and if the wind blew a little hard the signal would go. They replaced the cable and now no more issues.

Thank you, guys. Will look into this stuff.

Now…How do you say MAC in Chinese?

Also it largely depends on what area your in how your 4G coverage is (Almost none existent in my apartment in Xinbei) And as well the distance from the router and most importantly what your internet speed is your paying for. Wifi is typically better for short distances and 4G for outside typically could be different in your case tho. It’s a lot of factors as well what wireless standard 802.11n/802.11AC which is newer and then speed that you purchase from HINET as well. Either way if my internet was just not working like I’d be calling or making an appointment online. Mainly cause if I had no wifi 3G actually is faster where I live then 4 haha.