WRT54GP2- Can it work with NAT disabled?

Posts: 6 · New Forum Member Joined: Sep 03, 2004 Posts: 6

Hello

Here's my setup:

DSL
| (dynamic)
ZOOM X3 Router (running NAT)
|
| (10.0.0.0/24)
|
Linksys WRT54GP2
|
| (10.0.1.0/24)
|
Users connected wireless and wired

-----
Originally, in the ZOOM, I set the DMZ to the static IP of the Linksys WAN port. The Linksys also provided NAT. So I had one subnet for the zoom-linksys and a different subnet for the linksys-users.
Everything worked in this configuration so maybe I should leave it alone. But.... I am trying to avoid double-nat if at all possible.

Here's what I changed:
ZOOM continues to run NAT & DHCP
In the Linksys, I turned NAT and DHCP <off>
The zoom is connected to the LAN (not WAN) port of the Linksys.
The WAN port of the Linksys has no cable attached.
I suppose with NAT turned off the WAN port is inactive?

This works great for connectivity.
I've eliminated double-nat. All the comptuers work just fine.
But....
I have no more Vonage service.
Perhaps the Vonage service will only work via the WAN port.

Is it possible the run the Linksys without NAT and still have the phone service work?

If so, running as a simple bridge (no nat) would I still have QOS?

And a stranger question.... I can't get back into the Linksys now. I can of course reset it and set things back up, but I can't get to the web interface via the LAN port. But that I can figure out.... I am more interested in knowing if I can remove double-nat and still have phone service with QOS.

Any suggestions?

Jeff

Posts: 4777 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Aug 30, 2005 Posts: 4777

You're way ahead of me on this networking stuff, but from what I've read in other threads, the trick to getting Vonage service back is to connect one of the WRT LAN ports to its own WAN port.

Posts: 6 · New Forum Member Joined: Sep 03, 2004 Posts: 6

Right, I see how plugging the lan port (properly configured) into one of the LAN ports would achieve connectivity for the WAN port and therfore the Vonage service...

And if that's the solution, it's cool by me.

But then my question is related to QoS.
Is QoS ONLY available when running NAT?

If so, I'm probably better running the Linksys from a DMZ IP on the ZOOM and doing double NAT. But some stuff just doesn't work well through double-nat (my vpn for example)...

I'm stuck with the ZOOM, and it's NAT.
If the only way to keep QoS for my Vonage is to also run NAT on the Linksys, then I'll do what I gotta do.

There's just not much documentation about how these features really work in the router.

Any other thoughts?

Thanks
Jeff

Posts: 4777 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Aug 30, 2005 Posts: 4777

uptimejeff wrote:

Any other thoughts?

Afraid not. As I said, you're way ahead of me on networking, but there are others here that wll probably have things to add.

Posts: 277 · Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 8:07 pm Post subject:

uptimejeff wrote:

I'm stuck with the ZOOM, and it's NAT.
If the only way to keep QoS for my Vonage is to also run NAT on the Linksys, then I'll do what I gotta do.

There's just not much documentation about how these features really work in the router.

Any other thoughts?

Thanks
Jeff

I understand why you're stuck with the ZOOM, but not why you're stuck with its NAT. According to the X3 manual that I just looked up on the ZOOM website, you can run the X3 in either bridge or router modes. Why not just configure it for bridge mode, and let the WRT do the NAT and routing, since that's the device all your computers are connecting to?

Posts: 6 · New Forum Member Joined: Sep 03, 2004 Posts: 6

Dan
First a big Thank You for digging into the manual for me.

The router is currently in bridge mode.

So that being the case, I'm not sure what I would do with the Linksys.
If I turn off NAT in the X3, what IP would the Linksys WAN port have?
Would I need a second IP from the ISP?

If you are an AIM user, I could send you screenshots... or if you have other ideas please let me know (here or in aim: jdj@mac.com).

Thanks
jeff

Posts: 277 · Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 10:50 pm Post subject:

If the X3 is truly in bridge mode, and NAT, DHCP, etc are off, then the IP the router gets for its WAN port should be the single public IP assigned by your ISP. No, you don't need a second IP address, because the Linksys will be using its NAT to supply private IPs to the computers you connect, and to map them to the single IP address from your ISP. I'd go ahead and turn off NAT, make sure its in bridge mode, then reboot in order with a minute or two wait in between, the X3, then the Linksys, then your attached computer(s). The Linksys should then show that its assigned IP is the IP address assigned by your ISP.

-Gary-

Posts: 6 · New Forum Member Joined: Sep 03, 2004 Posts: 6

Gary, Thank you for your response.

So in the X3..
Bridge Mode, No NAT, No DHCP.

The Linksys should have it's WAN port configured in what way?
Would the Linksys then need to be set for PPOE (required by ISP) or would the X3 still be providing this function?

I want to be sure I understand how the config should be before I discombobulate it all.....

Thanks
Jeff

Posts: 6 · New Forum Member Joined: Sep 03, 2004 Posts: 6

.... and one other question ....
So if the X3 is in bridge mode, and the public IP is the address of the Linksys, then how would I access the X3 web interface should I need to make any changes?

Jeff

Posts: 277 · Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 12:11 pm Post subject: Re: To clarify- bridge mode

uptimejeff wrote:

The Linksys should have it's WAN port configured in what way?
Would the Linksys then need to be set for PPOE (required by ISP) or would the X3 still be providing this function?

I want to be sure I understand how the config should be before I discombobulate it all.....

.... and one other question ....
So if the X3 is in bridge mode, and the public IP is the address of the Linksys, then how would I access the X3 web interface should I need to make any changes?

Thanks
Jeff

Jeff, some of these things are kinda tough to answer definitively without having the two devices at hand to try things with, and I have neither of them. If the X3 offers a configuration where it handles the PPPoE and just presents an IP address to whatever's downstream, then I'd personally try that first. But I don't know if it offers that or not, and in true "bridge" mode, then yes, the router would have to do the PPPoE, which would answer your question about how to configure the router's WAN port. As for accessing the X3's web interface, again, I'm just not familiar enough with that device to say for sure. With my cable modem, its not doing NAT, but it does use DHCP to give the ISP-assigned IP address to my router on request, so my router WAN setup is to request an IP address via DHCP. PPPoE, of course, is different, and my mention of DHCP really doesn't apply since you're using PPPoE. You may have to experiment a little to figure out the exact settings that are best, but I still think disabling NAT and using the X3 as a bridge is the basic way I'd be trying to set this up. Sorry I can't be more specific here.