transformation from Roadrunner to DSL not a good 1 with my router :(

[bwjones]

Okay here it goes. I recently moved to a rural area from an Urban one and had to give up roadrunner for DSL (i know, it sucks). The tech came in hooked the modem up and made some changes in network connections, didn't really pay much attention at the time. I should have asked him to hook the router up to but it didn't cross my mind. Anyway, My connection is stable with only the modem setup. But when I hook the router up to, my machine tells me it's connected to the net, but I can't access anything on the net. Also when I go into my router setup, the WAN IP address i get is a 192 address. That's not correct is it? I tried cloning my MAC address, I tried using a MAC address from an extra NIC card my dad has in Florida. I tried many things and haven't been able to get access with my router. Its weird because I didn't have to make any alterations with the router when I had roadrunner, just plugged it in and I was good to go. I want to get this up and running though so I can better regulate the traffic coming and going from my connection, so I can establish a subnet, and so my roommate can get his PC online as well.

Thanks for any insight everyone.

[DMR]

What is the exact make/model of the new "modem"? It sounds like it may really be a combo modem/router.
For that matter, give us the make/model of your router as well.

[bwjones]

The modem is a Westell DSL2+ router. So I guess your right about the Modem+router combo. The 4 port I have is a LinksysNR041. Any suggestions?

[DMR]

The Westell itself (which definitely has a built-in router if it's a Versalink model) has 4 Ethernet ports and wireless capability as well, right?
If so, do you really need the Linksys at all?

[bwjones]

Negative, the modem has only one port. I only wish it had 4 ports, and then yea I wouldn't need the linksys. And no it doesn't have wireless capabilities, not that I use a wireless connection anyway. I'm including a link to the webpage for it............. http://www.westell.com/content/products/pdf/liteline.pdf

[DMR]

Negative, the modem has only one port...I'm including a link to the webpage for it...

Ah, I see- it's a LiteLine model, not a Versalink, although judging from the 192. address you're getting, it looks like it's one of the liteline models (6100, maybe?) that does have a built-in router.

The easy solution is to wire the Ethernet port on the modem to one of LAN ports on the Linksys (instead of connecting it to the Linksys' Internet/WAN port). This bypasses the router functionality of the Linksys and basically turns it in to a glorified switch. The "pro" of this is that there is no need to configure anything on the Linksys; the "con" is that it does eat up one LAN port on the Linksys. If you do wire things this way, you may need to use a special "crossover" Ethernet cable (instead of a normally-wired cable) to connect the two devices. This will be the case if Linksys has no "autosensing" or "uplink" port .

The other option is to connect the router to the modem in the way you normally would (which, from the sound of it, is what you originally tried). You would then either disable NAT on the Linksys so that it passes through the DHCP-assigned IP info supplied by the modem, or configure the Linksys with the correct settings to allow it to route from its own network to that of the modem.

Let us know which option sounds good to you and we'll try to walk you through it.

[bwjones]

Yea my dad had me try and disable NAT on the Linksys, but on the setup page I couldn't find anywhere. The 1st port on the linksys has an uplink button though. So, it looks like maybe the first option is what will work. Let me try and I'll get back, thanks for the ideas.

[DMR]

Unfortunately, disabling NAT involves more than just a button click; configuring a router to work as I descibed in my second option can take a bit of twiddling sometimes. Try the uplink port configuration and get back to us with the results when you can...

[bwjones]

Okay, what I did was plug the DSL cable into port 1 of the linksys, and port 2 to my NIC, and port 3 to my roommates NIC. Weird thing is my PC is connecting to the net fine and his isn't. I even created a new connection on his and put in my ISP user and PW but to no avail.

[bwjones]

Well, if noone has any slick tactic for me to somehow get this other machine connected now that my router is essentially a switch, it looks like I'll have to just pay more money per month for a different modem from my ISP. This may not be a bad thing though, because now I won't have to unplug my roommate every time I play BF2 :twisted:

[DMR]

Okay, what I did was plug the DSL cable into port 1 of the linksys, and port 2 to my NIC, and port 3 to my roommates NIC. Weird thing is my PC is connecting to the net fine and his isn't...

Ah, crud- I forgot about that possibility. Here's what's happening: Your ISP is only allowing one machine to connect at any given time (giving out only one IP address), and maybe authenticating your computer by its MAC address. When used as a full router, the linksys would provide support for multiple computers via NAT; when using only the switch side of the Linksys, NAT is not available.

You will either have to get a multiport combo modem/router from your ISP or correctly configure the Linksys to work with your current modem/router. The exact setup for the later option will probably depend upon what method your ISP (and the modem they gave you) is using to serve you your IP info (PPPoE, DHCP, PPPoA, etc.).

One thing that would be useful to know in regard to getting the Linksys to work: Are you using (and do you need to use) special connection software supplied by the ISP in order to connect to the Internet? Does your configuration mention the use of PPP or PPPoE anywhere?

[bwjones]

Yep, my connection is titled in network connections as a PPPoE WAN miniport. And also, I do not have any software installed from the ISP, Hardware only.

[DMR]

With a router installed, you want/need to enter the necessary info (connection protocol, username, password, and possibly MAC address) in the router's setup pages to allow it to take care of connecting/authenticating to the modem instead of having that process be performed by the workstations. Once you've done that, you do not use a PPP connection between the computers and the router; you simply connect to the router via DHCP over the normal Local Area Connection.

Who is your current ISP? I'll try to find out exactly what configuration/protocol they use in their modems; that will tell me what info you need to plug in to the router to get this happening.

[bwjones]

The ISP's web page I have on the info. sheet I got from the tech is listed as www.bright.net

I know my user and PW already. Will I have to clone the my MAC address to my NIC card? I tired to doing that with my NIC card and an extra one my dad has in florida. Anyway, thanks for the help, I appreciate.

[cbemerine]

...it looks like I'll have to just pay more money per month for a different modem from my ISP...

Sounds like you need a DSL specific Router / Firewall, I personally have never read about anyone configuring a Cable Router/Firewall so that it would work with a DSL modem, but based on personal experience with people doing things that others stated 'could not be done' I am sure someone has accomplished this. If so I (and I am sure many others) would love to hear about it...so if you come across one, please, please share with the rest of us...thanks in advance.

Prices of DSL Router/Firewalls have come down just like the prices of Cable Router/Firewalls. I would seriously think about putting down $40 - $70 of my own money to have control over the device; rather than paying a monthly fee to the ISP. My current Router/Firewall has been running for me for over 6 years without breaking, so the $80+ I spent for it many years ago has paid off for me.

Okay, what I did was plug the DSL cable into port 1 of the linksys, and port 2 to my NIC, and port 3 to my roommates NIC. Weird thing is my PC is connecting to the net fine and his isn't. I even created a new connection on his and put in my ISP user and PW but to no avail.

It's because of your experience here, you connecting and your roommate not connecting that shows the power of 'cloning' (whether for DSL or Cable) of a router so that a single internet connection can be shared by many. Even with many people sharing, you will rarely use all the bandwidth you are paying for each and every month.

You had mentioned that you had a 'switch' with that configuration in another thread, my guess is that if you look at the definition between a 'switch' and a 'port' that you will still need some form of sharing that 1 internet connection between multiple PCs that require a router. Not trying to get on your case at all...just struck me as using the terms wrong (which we are all prone to, me included) which could lead to others taking a 'wrong' tangent when fixing their own problems. So pointing that out for the benefit of all.

Most important, your last post was back in May of 2006, what was your specific solution?

Please post it for all of us, thanks in advance. Even if this post was older than it is, your solution would help many others today and tomorrow...even years from now...so please post your solution, Thanks.