Setting up a router to a modem

I bought a wireless router from linksys yesterday, to connect my laptop and my desktop pc to the net. and i ran into quite a few problems(although setting up a router is supposed to be the easiest thing on the planet! )
so i blog this for anyone who wants help.....

basically its just another network device that connects your computer to the modem. i use a PPPoE connection, so what i am documenting is for that kind.
PPPoE means Point to Point Protocol over the Ethernet.

try all this only if u are sure u want to do it yourself, and dont want to get professional help.
we do the wired connection first. then any wireless connections.(u can use the wired connection as a wireless connection later if u like. )
before we start....make sure u have recorded the ip setting of your machine.
open command prompt (start->run->type cmd)
there type ipconfig/all
just copy all that u see exactly as you see it and save it as a notepad file. (you will have to type it down)
Run the Cd provided with the router, and things should start working.
If they dont.....Continue read, thats why you are here :D
many ISPs bind your computer with the modem, that is the modem will accept and send packets only with your computer.
that is because it recongnizes the address of your computer, not the IP address, but another kind, the PHYSICAL address, or MAC address. so either u call your ISP and tell them to bind the routers MAC address with the modem, or use a feature called MAC cloning.
this just makes the routers PHYSICAL address the one that was your machines. so that the modem still thinks that it is communicating with the computer to which it was bound.
to do this:
go to your browser and there put in the ip address of the router, most routers come with the default ip of 192.168.1.1
in the address line of the browser just type http://192.168.1.1
it should open a page that describes the setup of your router.
if it doesnt,
then check your LAN card (Ethernet card) settings.go to network connections, right click on LAN, goto TCP/IP and hit properties. there make sure the ip is obtained automatically.

set the DNS field to obtain automatically.
the page should open in your browser now.
if it the linksys router, then goto advanced setup, and there on the setup tab to MAC cloning.
now, in the fields provided enter the PHYSICAL address from the notepad file that u saved. it should be a 12 digit alphanumeric. and save the settings.

now go to the command prompt and do the ipconfig/all command again.
for your Ethernet Controller(LAN card) make sure the default gateway is 192.168.1.1

this means that for your computer the gateway to the internet is your router(with the address 192.168.1.1)
you do not have to change any other settings. just enter your User name and password correctly that u use to dial to the modem.
other problems that could hamper connection is that the comp and the router now have the same MAC address. common sense has it that that cant be....so we will manually change the MAC address of the computer.
read carefully if you have never done this before.
goto network connections. right click on your Ethernet controller card, (lan card),when the window opens, u will find a button with the name configure. hit that.
a new window opens, hit the advanced tab. there u will find network address, change that from not specified to value, and enter the MAC address u noted down, but with any one digit changed (the value must range only from 0 to 9, or A to F)and save it.
thats should help connecting.

after each step, it takes a while to identify the changes, so my advice to u is not to get impatient.
its not complicated, but if it goes wrong, u will have to change a lot of things.
anyway...after a lot of banging my head on the wall, (which i realize now is of no particular help) ITS WORKING. u can set your wireless connection after the wired connection. the wireless connection must obtain the IP automatically too.
i dont think i have missed anything, mostly if u did everything right, u wont have to dial at all after the router is set up. u should be all set to access the net.
All the best, i hope this helped u, many sites give a varied way of doing this. i hope this helps you out.