Novice questions about WAN port on the back of my linksys router

Hi,

I have a Linksys BEFW11S4
(Etherfast wireless AP + cable/DSL Router with 4 port switch)

Is it possible to have a cable run from a regular LAN ethernet
card to the WAN Port on this? and function?

My goal.. maybe misguided.

I want to setup a dhcp server on my linux box
which sends the DHCP setup information to the router, which
I figure would be best done via the WAN port.

Then the router would be it's own subnet and it's route
to the outside world would be via the WAN port. via the linux
box.

then there is the uplink port...
Is this just to piggy back routers together?
uplink to regular port on another router etc?

Answers.. suggestions... links to informative sites

All greatly appreciated...

Thank you in advance.

On Mon, 03 Oct 2005 15:04:02 -0700, Ou Phrontis wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I have a Linksys BEFW11S4
> (Etherfast wireless AP + cable/DSL Router with 4 port switch)
>
> Is it possible to have a cable run from a regular LAN ethernet
> card to the WAN Port on this? and function?

It should be. I don't think I've ever needed a cross-over cable for
a Linksys.

>
> My goal.. maybe misguided.
>
> I want to setup a dhcp server on my linux box which sends the DHCP setup
> information to the router, which I figure would be best done via the WAN
> port.

The WAN port on the Linksys routes is the only port that allows an address
to be assigned. So if you want to assign an address to the Linksys, you
have to connect the WAN port to the dhcp server.

>
> Then the router would be it's own subnet and it's route
> to the outside world would be via the WAN port. via the linux
> box.

Assuming the Linux box is set up to forward traffic, yes that should work.

>
> then there is the uplink port...
> Is this just to piggy back routers together? uplink to regular port on
> another router etc?

Yes, it's typically used to chain to another hub/switch. AFAIK, the only
difference between a regular port and an uplink port is that the uplink
port allows you to use a straight-through cable to uplink, as opposed to
requiring a cross-over cable.
Also, IIRC on Linksys switches, the uplink port is "shared" with the last
"regular" port. So you can only use one or the other, not both. You
said it's a 4 port switch. That should be 4 ports + 1 uplink. You could
only have 3 devices connected if your were also using the uplink
port...port 4 needs to be unused in that situation.

>
> Answers.. suggestions... links to informative sites

It would be easier to make suggestions if you gave a little more info on
what you're trying to accomplish. But, what you described is doable. But
I wonder if you even need the Linksys to do any routing at all. Seems to
me the Linux box, connected to a switch ( the Linksys via the uplink port
) could be good enough, and maybe eaiser.

Anyway...
Lot's of Linksys info here :
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/linksys

A decent logging util for non-linux versions of Linksys equipment here :
http://www.wallwatcher.com/


--
- Matt -

I want to use my linux machine with a wireless card to take a
connection
from my neighbour.

Then use the linux box as a gateway( is this the correct terminology)
and from the 10/100 lan card run a cable into the
linksys BEFW11S4 wireless router WAN port.
So anyone can use the wireless connection via the linksys router.

If I set the IP address to static on the WAN port of the linksys router
and then set the ip to 192.168.2.2
and gateway to 192.168.2.1

if I connect my linux box via a regular cable to a regular port, dhcp
enabled
and ping 192.168.2.2 I get a response.

if I plug this cable into the WAN port I get no lights on the front of
the
router in the WAN area.

If I swap the cable for a crossover cable I get some light.
Then if I make the ip on the linux box 192.168.2.3
and route add default gw 192.168.2.2
Then ping 192.168.2.2 the WAN Port.
I get no response on the linux box but the
WAN activity light on the router flashes.

How do I get the WAN port and thelinux port to
talk to one another ?????

Thanks again