Help with Mentor router desperately needed!!!!

I can't figure this out at all and they offer nothing in the way of tech
support.

I'm trying to open a port range so I can participate in an online game but I
can't figure how to apply the vague info provided by the game's tech support
to the set up pages for this router. If anyone has been able to get specific
ports and port ranges open on a Mentor router I'd like to hear from them.

If I do actually manage to get this working how do I protect myself from
malware, worms, hackers etc etc as wouldn't I now have a large gaping hole
(or several) in my defences?

Another problem I'm having that I'll mention here as this might also relate
to this router - my connection keeps falling asleep or just plain falling
over and generally acting weird and cranky. If I don't use the connection
for a while I get this message to cancel/try again with the connection
attempt as it can't get a signal - if I select 'try again' the connection
wakes up. Last night it fell over entirely and would not connect at all, I
had to go into the set up pages and reboot the router which worked then and
again this morning with the added bonus that it managed to boot up the other
computer in the LAN as well, which is a novel feature.

Bottom line maybe Mentor just plain suck and I should get myself a more user
friendly and properly tech supported model!

Cheers
Jay

On Thu, 03 Jun 2004 11:29:41 +0100, thripston wrote:

> I can't figure this out at all and they offer nothing in the way of tech
> support.
>
> I'm trying to open a port range so I can participate in an online game but I
> can't figure how to apply the vague info provided by the game's tech support
> to the set up pages for this router. If anyone has been able to get specific
> ports and port ranges open on a Mentor router I'd like to hear from them.

If you've the model number, may be some of us here can help you out.
Checking the net, there're few routers made by Mentor and I guess most of
them are quite generic (either Conexant or Alcatel chipset) ..

In message <c9muic$std$(E-Mail Removed)>, thripston
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>I can't figure this out at all and they offer nothing in the way of tech
>support.
>
>I'm trying to open a port range so I can participate in an online game but I
>can't figure how to apply the vague info provided by the game's tech support
>to the set up pages for this router. If anyone has been able to get specific
>ports and port ranges open on a Mentor router I'd like to hear from them.
>
>If I do actually manage to get this working how do I protect myself from
>malware, worms, hackers etc etc as wouldn't I now have a large gaping hole
>(or several) in my defences?
>
>Another problem I'm having that I'll mention here as this might also relate
>to this router - my connection keeps falling asleep or just plain falling
>over and generally acting weird and cranky. If I don't use the connection
>for a while I get this message to cancel/try again with the connection
>attempt as it can't get a signal - if I select 'try again' the connection
>wakes up. Last night it fell over entirely and would not connect at all, I
>had to go into the set up pages and reboot the router which worked then and
>again this morning with the added bonus that it managed to boot up the other
>computer in the LAN as well, which is a novel feature.
>
>Bottom line maybe Mentor just plain suck and I should get myself a more user
>friendly and properly tech supported model!
>
I think you may be too hasty to blame your router. The port forwarding
is v easy to set up, but you have to have the right firmware. That is,
of course, if we are talking about the same router. You have given no
info whatsoever to help anybody help you.
--
Pete Devlin
[{//////news03//////at\\\\\secondrow/////co\\\\\uk}]
A man's home is his castle, in a manor of speaking.

The router is a Mentor 4 port modem/router, model MR4C, that uses the
Conexant chipset.

Jay

In message <c9pqbi$np4$(E-Mail Removed)>, thripston
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>The router is a Mentor 4 port modem/router, model MR4C, that uses the
>Conexant chipset.
>
http://10.0.0.2 ----------->login--------->virtual server. Forward the
ports you require.-----> save settings----->submit.

Make sure you have a software firewall on the pc you are forwarding to.
--
Pete Devlin
[{//////news03//////at\\\\\secondrow/////co\\\\\uk}]
A man's home is his castle, in a manor of speaking.

> >The router is a Mentor 4 port modem/router, model MR4C, that uses the
> >Conexant chipset.
> >
> http://10.0.0.2 ----------->login--------->virtual server. Forward the
> ports you require.-----> save settings----->submit.

So it is that, I thought it probably was. I don't think that really solves
anything then. I'm not entirely sure how to forward the ports, but from what
I can make out, to enable the port range required to play this game isn't
possible with how the router wants it entered. The router won't let me
select a port range for a start, I have to select a specific port. It also
wants me to enter one specific IP address and you aren't provided with a
specific IP address by the company running this particular online game, they
give you the first 3 sets of numbers of each IP address but not the fourth
and they cycle through them constantly anyway.

> Make sure you have a software firewall on the pc you are forwarding to.

I'm already running the free version of Zone Alarm on both my systems. I
understand firewalls what I can't get my head round is routers and the
multitude of settings that goes with them. You saying that makes it sound
like I do have reason to be worried then, by opening these ports on my
router I assume I will be making myself vulnerable? Is that right? Assuming
I am this seems utterly ridiculous, couldn't they find a better way of doing
it?

Jay

On Fri, 04 Jun 2004 23:20:26 +0100, thripston wrote:

>> >The router is a Mentor 4 port modem/router, model MR4C, that uses the
>> >Conexant chipset.
>> >
>> http://10.0.0.2 ----------->login--------->virtual server. Forward the
>> ports you require.-----> save settings----->submit.
>
> So it is that, I thought it probably was. I don't think that really solves
> anything then. I'm not entirely sure how to forward the ports, but from what
> I can make out, to enable the port range required to play this game isn't
> possible with how the router wants it entered. The router won't let me
> select a port range for a start, I have to select a specific port. It also

Check this website http://www.cazart.plus.com/conexant/ .. it has a link
to download the latest firmware for Conexant based ADSL router with
improved software and allows port range .. You can use any firmware (from
any company) as long as it is for the same chipset ..

In message <c9qsja$2ji$(E-Mail Removed)>, thripston
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>So it is that, I thought it probably was. I don't think that really
>solves anything then. I'm not entirely sure how to forward the ports,
>but from what I can make out, to enable the port range required to play
>this game isn't possible with how the router wants it entered. The
>router won't let me select a port range for a start, I have to select a
>specific port. It also wants me to enter one specific IP address and
>you aren't provided with a specific IP address by the company running
>this particular online game, they give you the first 3 sets of numbers
>of each IP address but not the fourth and they cycle through them
>constantly anyway.

As I said in my first post, you have to have the correct firmware. Then
you can open a range of ports. If you had given us your firmware
revision, then we could have told you that immediately. the IP referred
to is the IP of your computer on your LAN, not the WAN. It'll be a
10.x.x.x number.
>
>
>> Make sure you have a software firewall on the pc you are forwarding to.
>
>I'm already running the free version of Zone Alarm on both my systems.
>I understand firewalls what I can't get my head round is routers and
>the multitude of settings that goes with them. You saying that makes it
>sound like I do have reason to be worried then, by opening these ports
>on my router I assume I will be making myself vulnerable? Is that
>right? Assuming I am this seems utterly ridiculous, couldn't they find
>a better way of doing it?

You obviously don't understand firewalls. If you forward the ports
through your router, you lose the basic NAT protection only on those
particular ports. Without a software firewall and providing no games and
apps are opening those specific ports, all that is visible to the
outside is a port closed indication. Safe, but an indication that there
is a computer present at that address. A software firewall should make
that port invisible or stealth as it is now known. You should always be
worried, but when the time comes when it is appropriate, you'll find
that you were probably not worried enough, so it's not worth worrying
about. )

--
Pete Devlin
[{//////news03//////at\\\\\secondrow/////co\\\\\uk}]
A man's home is his castle, in a manor of speaking.

> >So it is that, I thought it probably was. I don't think that really
> >solves anything then. I'm not entirely sure how to forward the ports,
> >but from what I can make out, to enable the port range required to play
> >this game isn't possible with how the router wants it entered. The
> >router won't let me select a port range for a start, I have to select a
> >specific port. It also wants me to enter one specific IP address and
> >you aren't provided with a specific IP address by the company running
> >this particular online game, they give you the first 3 sets of numbers
> >of each IP address but not the fourth and they cycle through them
> >constantly anyway.
>
> As I said in my first post, you have to have the correct firmware. Then
> you can open a range of ports. If you had given us your firmware
> revision, then we could have told you that immediately. the IP referred
> to is the IP of your computer on your LAN, not the WAN. It'll be a
> 10.x.x.x number.

Firmware Version: ETHADSL_USB_080902_REL9
Customer Software Version: ARTCX-UBN.072403.00FA


It wants *my* IP address, well that simplifies things then.

> >> Make sure you have a software firewall on the pc you are forwarding to.
> >
> >I'm already running the free version of Zone Alarm on both my systems.
> >I understand firewalls what I can't get my head round is routers and
> >the multitude of settings that goes with them. You saying that makes it
> >sound like I do have reason to be worried then, by opening these ports
> >on my router I assume I will be making myself vulnerable? Is that
> >right? Assuming I am this seems utterly ridiculous, couldn't they find
> >a better way of doing it?
>
> You obviously don't understand firewalls. If you forward the ports
> through your router, you lose the basic NAT protection only on those
> particular ports. Without a software firewall and providing no games and
> apps are opening those specific ports, all that is visible to the
> outside is a port closed indication. Safe, but an indication that there
> is a computer present at that address. A software firewall should make
> that port invisible or stealth as it is now known. You should always be
> worried, but when the time comes when it is appropriate, you'll find
> that you were probably not worried enough, so it's not worth worrying
> about. )

Ok thanks.

jay

"Wira One" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Fri, 04 Jun 2004 23:20:26 +0100, thripston wrote:
>
> >> >The router is a Mentor 4 port modem/router, model MR4C, that uses the
> >> >Conexant chipset.
> >> >
> >> http://10.0.0.2 ----------->login--------->virtual server. Forward the
> >> ports you require.-----> save settings----->submit.
> >
> > So it is that, I thought it probably was. I don't think that really
solves
> > anything then. I'm not entirely sure how to forward the ports, but from
what
> > I can make out, to enable the port range required to play this game
isn't
> > possible with how the router wants it entered. The router won't let me
> > select a port range for a start, I have to select a specific port. It
also
>
> Check this website http://www.cazart.plus.com/conexant/ .. it has a link
> to download the latest firmware for Conexant based ADSL router with
> improved software and allows port range .. You can use any firmware (from
> any company) as long as it is for the same chipset ..

Thanks. I looked but as I have a different make and model I don't know which
one to download, there are several to choose from on the link for downloads.
I know I'll end up completely screwing things up if I make the wrong
choice. Dammit, why did I bother with bloody Mentor.

Jay