RT31P2 behind Linksys 8 port router

Posts: 17 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Mar 16, 2005 Posts: 17

OK this is a little odd. I must be doing something wrong. Here's my setup:
Cable modem > Linksys BEFSR81 8 port router > RT31P2

For starters I changed the RT31P2 settings to:
IP Address: . . . 192.168.1.2
Subnet Mask: . . . 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: . . . 192.168.1.1
I also added DNS numbers

Note I have set both the Internet connection and Router IP to 192.168.1.2 and disabled the DHCP server in the RT31P2

Here's where it gets weird. If I plug the BEFSR81 into the RT31P2 using the internet port, the Vonage phone works fine. But I cannot access the RT31P2 using a web browser.

Now, If I plug the BEFSR81 into the RT31P2 using one of the 3 Ethernet ports instead of the internet port, the Vonage phone stops working, but I can get to the RT31P2 using a browser.

I have also confirmed that the RT31P2 appears to drop off my network using Look@Lan from www.lookatlan.com (great program)

It doesnt make sense that the phone will work, yet the RT31P2 doesnt show up on my network at all.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Posts: 230 · Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 10:48 pm Post subject:

plug a cat 5 cable on the RT31P2 from the WAN port to a lan port on the RT31P2 and then from say port 2 on the RT31P2 plug that into your other router.

Posts: 17 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Mar 16, 2005 Posts: 17

tommy13v wrote:

plug a cat 5 cable on the RT31P2 from the WAN port to a lan port on the RT31P2 and then from say port 2 on the RT31P2 plug that into your other router.

When you say WAN port on the RT31P2 do you mean the "internet connection" port? If so, I just tried using a cat 5 cable and went from the internet connection to port 1 on the RT31P2 and then plugged port 2 into the my other router. Still no go. The phone works-but I still cant access the router.

Posts: 492 · Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 11:04 pm Post subject:

I could be wrong, but I think that Vonage, which is in constant communications with the router may be looking for a different IP in order to find the MAC. You might want to enable logging and check if there is communications going on. I always cringe when I hear that DHCP was disabled. I find it easier to get out a piece of paper and map everything out. You won't get the phone adapter to work unless you plug a WAN port into the RT31P2 internet port. Neither can you access the web based utility with the IP that you've put in there. Be careful with DNS. You should ask your ISP about that.

If I may suggest. Reset everything. Set your BEFSR81 DHCP to Automatic and the same with the RT31P2. Run a cable from a WAN port to the RT31P2 Internet. Allow for some privilege to the RT31P2 through the WAN port to the RT31P2 (either that or reverse the routers) to ensure some Qos. I like to keep things as simple as possible. It helps with the headaches when things go wrong. By leaving DHCP on Auto you won't have to figure out what addresses to use, the routers will do that for you. Good luck!

Mike

Posts: 230 · Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 11:15 pm Post subject:

That is the setup I am using currently and its working and I did turn off DHCP on the RT31P2 and am using an IP range of 172.17.9.2 for the RT31P2.

Check your IP of the RT31P2 again. Set obtain automatically for internet setup and network setup for an IP in your range.

No DNS or gateway info should be setup. Let your other router take care of it automatically.

Keep the config as I stated earlier as well. Internet port on RT31P2 to port 1 on RT31P2 and port 2 to a port on the other router. Setup RT31p2 to obtain internet ip automatically and give an IP for network setup that is in your network range.

Posts: 492 · Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 11:21 pm Post subject:

These are some very interesting manipulations of routers. A very interesting thread indeed. I plan on adding a WRT54G in the near future.

Posts: 230 · Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 11:24 pm Post subject:

The status page on the RT31P2 will look like this.

Firmware Version: 1.27.01, Jan 17 2005
Current Time: Mar. 29 2005 Tue. 20:17:41
MAC Address: 00-12-17-B2-37-06

Status

Login Type: DHCP
Internet IP Address: 172.17.9.115
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: 172.17.9.1
DNS 1: 172.17.9.1
DNS 2: 24.92.33.23
DNS 3: 0.0.0.0
MTU: 1500

Posts: 17 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Mar 16, 2005 Posts: 17

mbhn5204 wrote:

I could be wrong, but I think that Vonage, which is in constant communications with the router may be looking for a different IP in order to find the MAC. You might want to enable logging and check if there is communications going on. I always cringe when I hear that DHCP was disabled. I find it easier to get out a piece of paper and map everything out. You won't get the phone adapter to work unless you plug a WAN port into the RT31P2 internet port. Neither can you access the web based utility with the IP that you've put in there. Be careful with DNS. You should ask your ISP about that.

If I may suggest. Reset everything. Set your BEFSR81 DHCP to Automatic and the same with the RT31P2. Run a cable from a WAN port to the RT31P2 Internet. Allow for some privilege to the RT31P2 through the WAN port to the RT31P2 (either that or reverse the routers) to ensure some Qos. I like to keep things as simple as possible. It helps with the headaches when things go wrong. By leaving DHCP on Auto you won't have to figure out what addresses to use, the routers will do that for you. Good luck!

Mike

Thanks Mike. I set the RT31P2 to obtain IP automatically and also enabled the DHCP server. And it worked! When I disabled the DHCP server it still functioned fine, but I changed it back again to enabled.

As far as Qos is concerned, I have that disabled on my router right now. I've never messed with that before. I looked at it and it seems like all you need to do is tell it what port the Vonage router is using and then give it high priority.

Again, thanks for your help.

Posts: 230 · Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 11:29 pm Post subject:

you do not need the DHCP server on the RT31P2 all you needed to do was set obtain automatically on the internet port of the RT31P2. Having a DHCP server running on the RT31P2 is only for PC that are connected to it. I do not use the RT31P2 for DHCP at all either I have pc's connected to it and get there DHCP from a linux firewall that is in front of it.

Having 2 DHCP servers running can cause major problems

I just wanted to clarify that so people do not get confused.

Posts: 17 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Mar 16, 2005 Posts: 17

tommy13v wrote:

The status page on the RT31P2 will look like this.

Firmware Version: 1.27.01, Jan 17 2005
Current Time: Mar. 29 2005 Tue. 20:17:41
MAC Address: 00-12-17-B2-37-06

Status

Login Type: DHCP
Internet IP Address: 172.17.9.115
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: 172.17.9.1
DNS 1: 172.17.9.1
DNS 2: 24.92.33.23
DNS 3: 0.0.0.0
MTU: 1500

You only get this kind of setup if you change the internet setup to Static IP. I think that is where I had the problem. I had both the internet and the network setup set to the same IP.
I did have them set to different IP's previously, and still had the connection problems-but that was before I put the jumper cable on.

What is this MTU setting? Is yours enabled or disabled? And what does it change?