connecting ADSL wireless router as access point to Cable modem

Hi All
I'm in a temporary accommodation situation at the moment and trying
to sort myself out wireless Internet access for my laptop. I have a
Netgear Wireless router (DG834G) and just enough knowledge to be
dangerous...

The house has NTL broadband and the cable modem is an NTL Home 120,
with USB connection to the PC and a spare Ethernet port. So, Oh Ho,
says I ... If I connect one of the ports on my router to this port,
turn off the ADSL on the DG834 (turning it into an Access point, IIUC),
and configure things ... correctly ... I should be laughing.

Netgear have a couple of app. notes on theri wesite which mention this
sort of thing, using other routers, and indicate that it should be
possible. What I'm not clear about is how to determine the IP address
of the Ethernet on the Cable Modem. My DG834 is telling me that the
only connected device is the wired PC I'm using to configure it, even
though the LEDs on the front show both Ethernet ports have activity.

Also, what would I have to set the DNS addresses to - NTLs, or Force9s,
which is my ISP?

A pointer to any step-by-step guide to this sort of thing would be
appreciated, together with any tips...

Thanks Muchly
j^n

On 11 Dec 2005 13:02:31 -0800, in uk.telecom.broadband , "jkn"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Hi All
> I'm in a temporary accommodation situation at the moment

>The house has NTL broadband and the cable modem is an NTL Home 120,

.... which I assume you have permission to access.

>with USB connection to the PC and a spare Ethernet port. So, Oh Ho,
>says I ... If I connect one of the ports on my router to this port,
>turn off the ADSL on the DG834 (turning it into an Access point, IIUC),
>and configure things ... correctly ... I should be laughing.

Nope.

Only one of the two ports on the CM is active at once - either USB or
ethernet. For you to connect both PCs ,you'll have to remove the USB
cable, reboot the cable modem, connect the router to the modem and
reboot the router, then finally connect both PCs to your router via
ethernet (or wireless), and reboot them.

>possible. What I'm not clear about is how to determine the IP address
>of the Ethernet on the Cable Modem.

You don't need to. Put everything in DHCP mode (ie "get IP address
automatically") and presto! it'll work.

>Also, what would I have to set the DNS addresses to - NTLs, or Force9s,
>which is my ISP?

Same answer. Just leave it alone and it'll sort itself out.

>A pointer to any step-by-step guide to this sort of thing would be
>appreciated, together with any tips...

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/robin.d.h.walker/

Hi Mark
Thanks for your very useful reply...

Mark McIntyre wrote:
> On 11 Dec 2005 13:02:31 -0800, in uk.telecom.broadband , "jkn"
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
> >Hi All
> > I'm in a temporary accommodation situation at the moment
>
> >The house has NTL broadband and the cable modem is an NTL Home 120,
>
> ... which I assume you have permission to access.
>

absolutely. I'm making a wired connection with my landlady's permission

[much useful stuff snipped]

OK, thanks. I'm still surprised that my router is indicating activity
on the Cable Modem's Ethernet port, when you say that only either USB
or Ethernet is active at any time. Still, I have prepared myself with a
cheap PCI Ethernet card as well, so I can connect her PC to the router
as well.

Thanks for the link also

Cheers
Jon N

On 12 Dec 2005 01:07:24 -0800, in uk.telecom.broadband , "jkn"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>OK, thanks. I'm still surprised that my router is indicating activity
>on the Cable Modem's Ethernet port, when you say that only either USB
>or Ethernet is active at any time.

I've no idea what activity its detecting, but its bogus. Only one of
the two can be active at a time, without rebooting the modem.

"Mark McIntyre" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On 12 Dec 2005 01:07:24 -0800, in uk.telecom.broadband , "jkn"
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>OK, thanks. I'm still surprised that my router is indicating activity
>>on the Cable Modem's Ethernet port, when you say that only either USB
>>or Ethernet is active at any time.
>
> I've no idea what activity its detecting, but its bogus. Only one of
> the two can be active at a time, without rebooting the modem.
>

As the OP has not stated what cable modem he has I don't know how anyone can
jump to that conclusion.
Some cable modems can use both ports IIRC (scientific Atlanta do one, for
instance).

Hi Dennis
> >
> > I've no idea what activity its detecting, but its bogus. Only one of
> > the two can be active at a time, without rebooting the modem.
> >
>
> As the OP has not stated what cable modem he has I don't know how anyone can
> jump to that conclusion.
> Some cable modems can use both ports IIRC (scientific Atlanta do one, for
> instance).

err, my original post stated that the CM was an NTL home:120. Does that
help?

I did a bit more work on this last night, rewiring as per Matt's
posting. I still can't talk to the CM via the ethernet card on the PC.
I will try to post a few more details later today after I've read a
little more. FWIW this Netgear app note:

http://kbserver.netgear.com/kb_web_files/n101236.asp
and maybe this one:
http://kbserver.netgear.com/kb_web_files/N101496.asp

are the sort of thing I have. Looking at the diagram on the first app
note, a wired PC currently takes the place of the 'wireless PC' [tho'
I'll also be using my laptop wirelessly later], the blue router is my
DG834G, and the 'other router' is the cable modem in my case. Looking
at what Matt was saying I think I'm having trouble setting up the
default gateway part on the wired PC.

Jon N

dennis@home wrote:
> "Mark McIntyre" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> On 12 Dec 2005 01:07:24 -0800, in uk.telecom.broadband , "jkn"
>> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>
>>> OK, thanks. I'm still surprised that my router is indicating
>>> activity on the Cable Modem's Ethernet port, when you say that only
>>> either USB or Ethernet is active at any time.
>>
>> I've no idea what activity its detecting, but its bogus. Only one of
>> the two can be active at a time, without rebooting the modem.
>>
>
> As the OP has not stated what cable modem he has I don't know how
> anyone can jump to that conclusion.
> Some cable modems can use both ports IIRC (scientific Atlanta do one,
> for instance).

Yes but if you only get one allocated IP adress (as you normally are on
NTL), you can only use one port at any one time...

In article <439f0520$0$1454$(E-Mail Removed)>,
(E-Mail Removed)amming says...
> dennis@home wrote:
> > "Mark McIntyre" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> >> On 12 Dec 2005 01:07:24 -0800, in uk.telecom.broadband , "jkn"
> >> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> >>
> >>> OK, thanks. I'm still surprised that my router is indicating
> >>> activity on the Cable Modem's Ethernet port, when you say that only
> >>> either USB or Ethernet is active at any time.
> >>
> >> I've no idea what activity its detecting, but its bogus. Only one of
> >> the two can be active at a time, without rebooting the modem.
> >>
> >
> > As the OP has not stated what cable modem he has I don't know how
> > anyone can jump to that conclusion.
> > Some cable modems can use both ports IIRC (scientific Atlanta do one,
> > for instance).
>
> Yes but if you only get one allocated IP adress (as you normally are on
> NTL), you can only use one port at any one time...
>
>
>
And ISTR they both have the same MAC address as well. Could be
interesting.
--
Mugwump

Reply to 'usenetmail{at}discworld{dot}org{dot}uk

OK Chaps, an update...

I did a bit of reading and checked some of the information taken from
the PC when successfully talking directly to the CM via the USB port:

IP address: 82.30.xx.107 # via DHCP
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: 82.30.xx.254

So I then set up my Ethernet card manually (to begin with) with an IP
address of 82.30.xx.2, my DG834G router to 82.30.xx.99, and disabled
the USB connection. I then wired the router to the CM's Ethernet port &
rebooted the CM (ntl home:120, you may remember). So I have:

PC
|
|
DG834G port 1
DG834G port 2
|
|
NTL home:120

AFAICT these are all on the same subnet, unless I'm misunderstanding
something. The 'eth' LED on the CM was flashing mostly on.

Now, I can talk to the DG834G, but it reports that the only attached
device is my PC, and an attempt from the diagnostics screen on the
router to ping the CM fails.

Am I misunderstanding the IP address of the CM, or doing something else
wrong?

Thanks
Jon N

jkn wrote:
> OK Chaps, an update...
>
> I did a bit of reading and checked some of the information taken from
> the PC when successfully talking directly to the CM via the USB port:
>
> IP address: 82.30.xx.107 # via DHCP
> Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
> Default Gateway: 82.30.xx.254
>
> So I then set up my Ethernet card manually (to begin with) with an IP
> address of 82.30.xx.2, my DG834G router to 82.30.xx.99, and disabled
> the USB connection. I then wired the router to the CM's Ethernet port
> & rebooted the CM (ntl home:120, you may remember). So I have:
>
> PC
> |
> |
> DG834G port 1
> DG834G port 2
> |
> |
> NTL home:120
>
> AFAICT these are all on the same subnet, unless I'm misunderstanding
> something. The 'eth' LED on the CM was flashing mostly on.
>
> Now, I can talk to the DG834G, but it reports that the only attached
> device is my PC, and an attempt from the diagnostics screen on the
> router to ping the CM fails.
>
> Am I misunderstanding the IP address of the CM, or doing something
> else wrong?
>
> Thanks
> Jon N

Well it has been pointed out to you on several occaisions that you
haven't got the correct kit.

If you didn't listen then so why are you going to now?