WNCE2001 inappropriately providing DHCP connections

I am still having this problem. I would be interested in speaking to NetGear about it by voice, but there is no customer service phone number that I can find.

Here is my further insight on the problem...

I see this behavior when the bridge has been up for a few days without a "live" ethernet-wired device attached to it. It appears to me that the buit-in WNCE2001 configuration program is somehow escaping from the intended ethernet-wire-only behavior and is running amok wirelessly on my network.

My experience has been that if the WNCE2001 is up and my printer has been in "power save" mode (hibernate) or off for a few days, the bridge will start behaving like a DHCP provider. The WNCE2001 broadcasts something that bears the SSID of my home network, intercepts DHCP requests from wireless devices in my house and assigns IP addresses to the devices. (I have verified that the bridge is the problem by checking the MAC address of the device that has provided a "rogue" address to my computer.) The behavior of the WNCE2001 is different than DHCP, though. It only allocates addresses so that attached devices can configure the WNCE2001. The devices that end up connected to the WNCE2001 can access the WNCE2001 configuration program/URL and my home router, but they cannot access the internet. The documentation leads me to believe that all configuration of the WNCE2001 needs to be done through a wired connection, so I believe there is an error that leads the WNCE2001 to connect to my wireless devices.

I can find no configuration setting that allows me to prevent this wireless connection configuration behavior. The only solution has been to turn off the WNCE2001.

My WNCE2001 is currently unplugged and my home network is operating properly again. I am unlikely to use the WNCE2001 again unless a fix for this is posted. :( If you have a concrete recommendation, please accompany it with instructions for implementation. I still cannot figure out how to "do a back trace" on my network. I'm a home user, not a network administrator.

He was saying "back track" as a common suggestion - in other words, go back through all of your various devices and settings and make sure they are correct (i.e. "back track" or "back trace" - kind of like "going back over your tracks).

I have not yet seen this behavior, but I have downloaded a relatively recent firmware update; but I have NOT yet updated the firmware - since my device is working, I don't want to mess with it.

I have been experiencing the same problems as SFD has mentioned with the WNCE2001. It's been pissin' me off for about a week now! I tried setting the device up manually since my Verizon Fios Actiontec doesn't support WPA yet. I'm no newbie when it comes to home networking which is why this frustrates me even more...LoL It appears that the WNCE2001 somehow acts as a wireless Access Point once in awhile. Just like SFD is attempting, I have this thing hooked up to an HP printer that has an ethernet port on the back. Once I have it all set up it works for a couple hours and then all of a sudden my wireless laptops will have no internet access and a NETGEAR page will pop up on my browser. This damn thing is hi-jacking my wireless cards! It's like an imposter outer...LoL I've hit the little reset button on the WNCE2001 multiple times and reconfigured it...but I end up with the same result time after time.

Here's my theory! If you look on the underside of the WNCE2001 there's a small platic shiny, rectangular cover that looks glued on. There is really small text below that read AP/CLIENT/RT. I bet that if I pop that little plastic peice off, there will be a tiny switch under there! And I would thing it should be set to CLIENT...but perhaps Netgear set it to AP (Access Point) by mistake. I'm a little afraid to attempt to pop off the plastic peice because I might void the warranty...but I'm getting to the point of wanting to crack it in half anywayz!

Here's my theory! If you look on the underside of the WNCE2001 there's a small platic shiny, rectangular cover that looks glued on. There is really small text below that read AP/CLIENT/RT. I bet that if I pop that little plastic peice off, there will be a tiny switch under there! And I would thing it should be set to CLIENT...but perhaps Netgear set it to AP (Access Point) by mistake. I'm a little afraid to attempt to pop off the plastic peice because I might void the warranty...but I'm getting to the point of wanting to crack it in half anywayz!

should be in client mode

Well, I pryed off the little plastic thing and there was no switch under there...just a white sticker with a serial number I think. THAT SUCKS.

Rats! I was really hoping that you'd found the magic formula to FIX this thing. Thanks for posting the theory and the test results.

jmizoguchi - I realize that a sample size of 3 customers having the same problem is hardly statistically significant considering the number of units sold, but it DOES indicate that this problem is NOT imaginary or the result of user error. How do I contact NETGEAR directly to get this problem properly diagnosed and resolved?

I have to tested myself to see but seems there is an issue I don't know :)

Perhaps you would like me to ship you my unit so you can test with that one?

Na... I haven't had chance to talk to my contact see if they can send me test unit bur been busy.

I very attempting to to store and pick up one.

Mine's doing this too! Its connected to my Sony TV and occaisionally it will hijack my laptop which will then only go to the netgear WNCE configuration page! I look at the WNCE and can see only two of the three leds are on. (WLAN is off I think)

Did anyone find the answer? I have to unplug mine from the TV and repair the network on the laptop and then the laptop is ok again. Then plug it into the TV again.

I know nothing about computer thingys - so is it something I've done?

Thanks
Keith