Instructions for Adding Router as Primary

Posts: 14 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jun 02, 2008 Posts: 14

Darrell,

Thanks for the help. Perhaps this can be a sticky to help ppl like me know the process of doing this.

However, after powering up and letting blinking lights stop blinking with modem first then followed by the GL, I cannot get online. I made sure everything was connected correctly. I tried all 4 ports of the GL. I then powered down everything and went through powering up steps again. I also restarted my computer a few times. I reconnected and logged into WRTP54G and changed all setting back in order to get back online to this forum.

Any suggestions?

I think I am going to try to power down and back up the modem only. As opposed to both modem and GL.

Posts: 881 · Vonage Forum Evangelist Joined: Nov 05, 2005 Posts: 881

It sounds like you had a DNS or ip issue which was preventing you from accessing the internet when you connected the GL. You are currently connected with your WRTP54G correct? Log back in to your WRTP54G and once again disable DHCP, disable wireless and enable remote router access. Be sure to save each setting after making the changes.

Now we are going to flush your dns and release and renew your ip by doing the following: Go to Start/Run and type in "cmd" without the quotes then hit Enter...A command prompt window will open. Type in the following: "ipconfig /release" without the quotes then hit Enter. In the same command prompt window type the following: "ipconfig /renew" without the quotes then hit Enter. Next we will flush your DNS. In the same command prompt window, type in the following: "ipconfig /flush dns" without the quotes then hit Enter. Close the command prompt window and shut down your system.

Remove your WRTP54G and disconnect the power to your cable modem. Wait about 5 minutes before you reconnect your cable modem to your PC. (Do not connect your GL or your WRTP54G just yet.) Plug the power in to the cable modem and allow all the lights to stop blinking. Once the cable modem has stopped flashing, power up your computer and try to access the internet. If all is good we will now connect the GL. Disconnect the power to your cable modem, disconnect the ethernet cable connecting your cable modem to your computer and connect this cable to the internet port of the GL. Take the ethernet cable that was supplied with your GL and plug it into ethernet port 1 on the back of the GL and connect the other end to the network port of your computer. Now, plug in the power to your cable modem, wait for all the lights to settle then plug in the power to the GL. Wait for the lights to stop flashing on the GL then restart your computer and try to access the internet. If all is good, you can now connect the WRTP54G to your GL.

Connect the ethernet cable to ethernet port 2 of the GL and connect the other end to the internet port of the WRTP54G. Connect the phone cable to the appropriate phone port and the power cable to your WRTP54G and try to make a call.

Posts: 14 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jun 02, 2008 Posts: 14

I am about to try this but wanted to mention something. In the original setup of the WRTP54G (no GL), if I connect the cable modem directly to the PC I cannot access the internet. However, when I connect cable to WRTP54G then go to PC I can access the internet.

I am not sure if this means anything but just wanted to mention it. Shouldn't I be able to access internet if cable modem is directly connected to PC without a router?

Posts: 881 · Vonage Forum Evangelist Joined: Nov 05, 2005 Posts: 881

You should definitely be able to access the internet when you connect your cable modem directly to your PC without the router. You either had a DNS issue or IP issue which was preventing you from connecting to the internet.

Just follow the procedure I listed for you and you should be able to connect with the GL and the WRTP54G all connected together.

Posts: 1179 · Member of the Week Joined: Feb 28, 2005 Posts: 1179

DallasGuy wrote:

if I connect the cable modem directly to the PC I cannot access the internet. However, when I connect cable to WRTP54G then go to PC I can access the internet.

I am not sure if this means anything but just wanted to mention it. Shouldn't I be able to access internet if cable modem is directly connected to PC without a router?

This is a very important observation. I just did this type of conversion just yesterday. Here is the reason why just power cycling everything will not work when you switch routers. The reason being that the modem "remembers" the MAC address of the first device after it. So if your WRTP54G was right after it, it remembers that MAC address. In order to reset the modem, you need to leave it off for a minimum of 5 mins. Then restart it. Next connect the GL via ethernet and turn the GL on. Now your modem will relearn the GL MAC address. Now you should be able to access the internet.

I strongly recommend that you consider getting the DD-WRT (a third party firmware) to enable better QoS control etc.

I also strongly recommend that you assign a static IP address to your WRTP54G so that you do not have to keep looking for its IP address when you need to control it remotely. Make sure that the IP address you assign is outside the range given out by the GL.

Hope this helps.