This specific instance of the problem affects users of the dd-wrt firmware.  In my case, I am using build 24461 of the firmware.  The solution is to run the following commands on the router (either with ssh or telnet):

swconfig dev eth0 set enable_vlan 1
swconfig dev eth0 set apply

I’ve since put this in the startup commands that the router will execute, so these settings will stay even after a router reboot.

For some routers, it might be eth1 instead of eth0.  It depends on which network interface is assigned to the WAN.  This can be check in the router page under Setup > Networking.

Link to forum post: http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=152738&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Virus & Spyware Removal

Best Buy: Apparently they charge a whopping $249 for in home or in office service and $189 for online service or in store support.  This package includes:

Looking at each of these items are the list, these are all things that people could do themselves for free if people took the time to learn.  Some of these tasks take only a few minutes to do.  For example, malware removal just takes a few clicks on the antivirus and the rest is just waiting for results.  Updating the system just requires getting Windows Update to look for them.  Actually, Windows will even tell you that you need to update.  It is just that a lot of people ignore it or disable automatic updates.  Backing up the files on the computer only requires moving files from the computer to an external storage device with a simple drag and drop.  The time consuming part isn’t moving the files, but is actually thinking of what files need to be backed up.  Geek Squad can’t help with that.  Anybody that knows how to use a computer should be able to do that.  And if people don’t have access to external storage, their friends most likely do.

The rest of these services provide little detail about the extent of their service.  Formatting the computer solves most software issues, but a fix like that is quite brute force and not extensive at all.  On the other hand, an extensive fix means determining which piece of hardware or software is responsible for the problem.  Say that the client gets a blue screen or that Explorer is crashing repeatedly.  Solving this problem requires knowing what people do on the computer.  But the problem is that some people are not even aware of what they did (whether directly or indirectly) to cause the computer to behave a certain way.  These computer problems make formatting an attractive repair option.  Again, this fix takes only a few clicks, and the rest is just letting the computer do what those clicks told it to do.

A few minutes worth of work to save over a hundred dollars.  Even if someone is new to computers, a quick Google search will show solutions to these problems catered to beginners.  Sounds like a bargain to me.

Security and Performance

Here are more crazy computer repairs/maintenance services that Best Buy offers.  A little more reasonable this time.

Yet again, Best Buy charges people for easy fixes (see the first nine included services on the list).  They are all quick things that people can do on the computer if they put the time in (see pseudo-rant in the previous section).  One thing here that people that I can see people would pay for is physically setting up the computer, but people should not have to.  It is really not that hard.  In grade 3, my mother set up the computer all by herself, and she had never touched a computer in her life before.  It was mostly typewriters back then.  Organizing the wires and cables is an even less daunting task than setting up the computer.  It merely involves taking wires and cables together, wrapping them together and putting them neatly against the wall so it doesn’t look ugly.  Some would say that organizing the wires isn’t even necessary because people don’t even see the mess of wires behind the computer even if it was there.  The next thing on the list seems like a good idea at first, teaching people how to use a computer.  But realistically speaking, people will always forget.  Like many stereotypical middle aged and older people, no matter how many times they are taught to do something on the computer, they will inevitably forget.  The last three things on the list are a joke.  Simply knowing how to read will allow one to complete those tasks.  People do not need to pay so much to get a computer fixed.

Wireless Networking

Here are more things that people pay for at Best Buy.

Three words for people who pay for this.  Read the manual.  Reading the manual for the router not only teaches people how to hook it up, it also tells people how to set up your entire network complete with enabling the router’s security features.  They don’t even have to purchase an upgrade to install an additional device!  The manual explains how.  All that is required, is pretty much plug in the cable in the spot that the manual says and it will work.  Taking thirty minutes to read the manual to connect to the Internet can help save you $169.  Even better deal than switching to Geico for car insurance!

Conclusion

Getting a computer fixed from Best Buy looks like a huge money grab.  Best Buy’s site featured even more computer services that people could purchase, but I didn’t go through it all.  They are all very similar.  They all offer solutions that literally cost people nothing if they took the time to learn.  Aside from the people that are just not very knowledgeable with computers, maybe some people are just lazy and would rather throw money at a problem to make it go away.

Source: http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/category/computers-networking/28857.aspx?path=3aa9e4f25b9e89f41bd934261dff9881en01

I didn’t really go into specifics as to what kind of modem lights to look for because all modems are different.  But they almost always will have an “Online” light.  If that is off, then there is clearly a problem.

Router lights are usually just a power light, the WAN and LAN lights.  If the WAN light is off, it means the router has no access to the Internet.

Each network adapter on the computer can be disabled and enabled by accessing “Network Connections” in Windows.  That can be accessed by typing the name without the quotes in the address bar in any open Explorer window.

Warning: After doing this, I’ve lost all contact with my router even with the IP of the router changed.  This is probably because my router is acting as a switch.  The only way that I’ve found to access the router page is to reset the router.  This is probably due to the fact that my router is a piece of junk and I don’t know if this is something consistent among all routers.

1. Change the IP of the router to something else that is unused in the network (I changed mine to 192.168.0.254)
2. Disable the DHCP client on the router
3. Plug the ethernet cable from the wall/modem to one of the LAN ports on the router (Don’t use the WAN port anymore)
4. Plug ethernet cables from each computer to any free LAN port on the router
5. Release/renew IP’s on all computers

Note: Do not use the WAN port since the DHCP functionality has been disabled.

Despite the drawback of not being able to access the router afterward, I now have all my computers networked.  Some people on forums had solutions on retaining access to the router, but those methods didn’t work for me.

One problem I’m still having though is that whenever I try to connect to my own wifi network, I have to connect to it a few times before it works.  If I connect to my neighbour’s, it works right away, so I’m thinking that it’s a router issue.

Another thing is that Coreplayer’s Youtube function likes to stop working for some reason.  Could it have been a setting I changed which messed up Coreplayer?  I don’t know.  It worked fine before and nobody online seems to have had any problems.

Because of that, I’m now using the phone’s in built media player for Youtube videos, but for some reason trying to watch a second video will freeze my phone.  No idea why.

This assumes that: 1. you don’t have any drivers installed, 2. you don’t have PC Suite installed. Otherwise you may need to do the steps differently.

1. Install PC Suite for Sony Ericsson from their support site, the version for your device, and restart.
2. Connect your phone to the USB cable and let it install the wrong drivers that it does automatically automatically.
3. Uninstall old drivers (very important, in device manager uninstall and check the “delete drivers” checkbox on: “Ports Com&LPT->Sony Ericsson … something”, “Universal Serial Bus Controllers->Sony Ericsson … somethin” (there should be 2 listed))
4. Disconnect your phone from USB
5. Restart Windows
6. Unpack the p1_usb_signed_drivers package
7. Right click the setup.exe and choose “Vista” compatibility mode, apply.
8. Right click the setup.exe and choose run as administrator and install
   (If there are any errors with this driver package you will have to uninstall and reinstall it and reboot until it works, and maybe try other compatibility modes)
9. If the drivers were successfully installed, disconnect from the Internet, so that it doesn’t automatically download wrong drivers when you connect your phone.
10. Once disconnected from the Internet, connect your phone, and it should find the drivers and the mrouter driver.

You may need to do the steps differently if you don’t have the drivers already installed, or PC suite already installed.

Source: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/w7itproappcompat/thread/47fe4ea2-7d73-4615-9a7e-5f5dd4ff8546

UPDATE (Dec 7/ 09):  For me, this method was kind of on and off.  I used this method and it worked, but then after I reinstalled the firmware on my phone, PC Suite was no longer able to identify my phone anymore.  I uninstalled the drivers from device manager, and let Windows 7 install my drivers for again and it worked.  I guess I can’t really narrow down which method works, but this is worth a shot I guess for those who are looking for solutions