Day 2, and the frustrations are still here

Posts: 482 · Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2005 3:50 pm Post subject: Re: For best results

jrairden wrote:

i didn't mean for it to come off like that. i'll hook it up, i was just kind of asking (in an odd way) if the port forwarding would be affected

Well you're going to run into issues there. Your setup is almost identical to mine, I just have a different Linksys wireless router. So I've gone through this exact scenario myself.

The easiest thing to do is to use the RT31P2 as your router and configure port forwarding there. It's very similar to the WRT54GS since they're both Linksys, so making that switch shouldn't be a problem. Just write everything down from the WRT54GS first if you need to remember how it was configured and do the same thing as you did before. You might also write down the MAC address in case you need to clone it to the RT31P2 for your cable modem.

I would take the WRT54GS out of the equation for now and just get everything else working first, then you can add that back in at the end. I had more detailed instructions typed up, but you probably don't need me talking down to you--if you're doing port forwarding, you probably understand DHCP (you're probably using static IPs I would guess if you're doing forwarding, since the WRT54GS doesn't do DHCP reservations) and NAT and how to hook everything up.

However, before you disconnect from the WRT54GS, turn off DHCP so that it becomes just a plain old wireless access point, and make sure it's configured to receive it's own IP address from DHCP. It's a lot easier to make those changes before you disconnect everything. Then once you get the RT31P2 configured, plug the WRT54GS's uplink port into a port on the RT31P2 (don't use the WAN port in that configuration).

All that having been said, there's really no reason why your original hookup shouldn't have worked. I assume all you were plugging into the RT31P2 was a phone line?

Posts: 16 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Feb 27, 2005 Posts: 16

ToddlerTN wrote:

jrairden wrote:

i didn't mean for it to come off like that. i'll hook it up, i was just kind of asking (in an odd way) if the port forwarding would be affected

Well you're going to run into issues there. Your setup is almost identical to mine, I just have a different Linksys wireless router. So I've gone through this exact scenario myself.

The easiest thing to do is to use the RT31P2 as your router and configure port forwarding there. It's very similar to the WRT54GS since they're both Linksys, so making that switch shouldn't be a problem. Just write everything down from the WRT54GS first if you need to remember how it was configured and do the same thing as you did before. You might also write down the MAC address in case you need to clone it to the RT31P2 for your cable modem.

I would take the WRT54GS out of the equation for now and just get everything else working first, then you can add that back in at the end. I had more detailed instructions typed up, but you probably don't need me talking down to you--if you're doing port forwarding, you probably understand DHCP (you're probably using static IPs I would guess if you're doing forwarding, since the WRT54GS doesn't do DHCP reservations) and NAT and how to hook everything up.

However, before you disconnect from the WRT54GS, turn off DHCP so that it becomes just a plain old wireless access point, and make sure it's configured to receive it's own IP address from DHCP. It's a lot easier to make those changes before you disconnect everything. Then once you get the RT31P2 configured, plug the WRT54GS's uplink port into a port on the RT31P2 (don't use the WAN port in that configuration).

All that having been said, there's really no reason why your original hookup shouldn't have worked. I assume all you were plugging into the RT31P2 was a phone line?

no..please talk down to me. i only got lucky getting port forwarding to work. i really have no idea what i'm doing. if you have those instructions, feel free to post them. i won't mind

Posts: 16 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Feb 27, 2005 Posts: 16

[quote="ToddlerTN"]

jrairden wrote:

All that having been said, there's really no reason why your original hookup shouldn't have worked. I assume all you were plugging into the RT31P2 was a phone line?

yep..straight in with the phone. it seems a bit better today, but it still drops out and makes me powercycle.

Posts: 482 · Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2005 5:39 pm Post subject:

Ok, I'll give you step-by-step then. Are you using DHCP for all of your computers? Probably not with port forwarding. But tell me how many devices you have on your network, whether they are using DHCP or static addresses, and whether they are wired or wireless connections.

Posts: 16 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Feb 27, 2005 Posts: 16

ToddlerTN wrote:

Ok, I'll give you step-by-step then. Are you using DHCP for all of your computers? Probably not with port forwarding. But tell me how many devices you have on your network, whether they are using DHCP or static addresses, and whether they are wired or wireless connections.

i have no clue if i'm using dhcp. all i know is that i have 3 devices. 2 of them wired directly into my router (1 pc and ps2). pc is a .100 ip address, and ps2 is .102. i have my laptop running wirelessly using a .101 address. how can i check to see if its using dhcp. by the way, i ddin't set these myself. the computer did.

Posts: 482 · Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2005 6:03 pm Post subject:

Ok, you are using DHCP then...but would you also explain what you're doing with the port forwarding? If you're forwarding ports to a specific IP address, but that client is using DHCP, then eventually that client will grab a different IP address and your port forwarding will be all screwed up.

Posts: 16 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Feb 27, 2005 Posts: 16

ToddlerTN wrote:

Ok, you are using DHCP then...but would you also explain what you're doing with the port forwarding? If you're forwarding ports to a specific IP address, but that client is using DHCP, then eventually that client will grab a different IP address and your port forwarding will be all screwed up.

i'm going in my router..forwarding the ports for remote desktop and other things to my desktop pc .100. and i'm opening/forwarding ports for ps2 to that device. its been setup like this for about 8 months now. so either i'm lucky, or its due to break

Posts: 40 · Full Forum Member Joined: Feb 21, 2005 Posts: 40

are you not going to try plugging the phone adapter directly into your cable modem? if so, let me know so i will stop wasting my time on you.

Posts: 482 · Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2005 6:26 pm Post subject:

Ok, here you go:

- Write down all the forwarding rules you're currently using.
- Turn off the DHCP server on your WRT54GS and also make sure it's configured to get it's IP address from DHCP (this makes it act like a simple wireless access point)
- Turn off your entire network (PCs, cable modem, everything)
- Plug the Vonage RT31P2 into your cable modem
- Plug your PCs and phone line into the RT32P1
- Turn on the cable modem and wait for the connect light to glow solid
- Turn on the RT31P2 and wait for the phone light to glow solid
- Check for dial tone
- Turn on your PC and you should get a new address (probably 192.168.15.100)
- Check for internet connectivity
- Login to the RT31P2 and setup your port forwarding (note that the subnet is different now, not 192.168.1.x but 192.168.15.x, so make changes as necessary)
- Test your port forwarding
- Plug your WRT54GS by connecting its uplink port (not the WAN port) to the RT31P2 (you probably won't be able to manage it in this configuration, but that's not a problem...it's just passing traffic to your wireless devices, which will get their IP addresses via DHCP from the RT31P2)

Hopefully all that makes sense and works for you as it does for me. Good luck.

P.S. - I use static IP addresses for anything I don't want to change, like my FTP server, Exchange server, etc. When a DHCP lease expires, that device will probably grab the same IP address that it had before, which has been working for you for eight months. But if you have a power outage at your house (or change devices like you're doing here), it's a crap shoot. DHCP isn't wrong exactly, but it's not best. Just realize that if one day it isn't working, you might need to check your IP addresses and update your forwarding rules to reflect the changes.

Posts: 16 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Feb 27, 2005 Posts: 16

iskyfly wrote:

are you not going to try plugging the phone adapter directly into your cable modem? if so, let me know so i will stop wasting my time on you.

i tried. and it did the exact same thing. not as bad..but it happened once. it really affects it when i am viewing webpages. is there anything you want me to try when its hooked like this?