How To Use a Router To Add Network Ports

[dreid]

To IMT

Man, this one is tricky. I like all your configurations, they look correct. I'm using similar configurations on a Netgear FVS336G on my LAN. I'm not using an Actiontec as the head router, but all that router has to do is have a working static route.

I noticed you have a WINS Server IP assigned on the FVS. What happens if you delete that setting?

Let's also enable logging and see what that tells us. On your Inbound service conifguration on the FVS, set Log to Always. Runs some pings to generate log messages. To see log output, click Monitoring-Firewall Logs&Email - View Logs.

Another thing would be to disable and re-enable your inbound rule on the FVS. Sometimes resetting these things does the trick.

 

[thiggins]

Guys. This is a lot of work to just add a few switch ports, isn't it?
Why not use method 1 or just a switch?

 

[imt]

Guys. This is a lot of work to just add a few switch ports, isn't it?
Why not use method 1 or just a switch?

Well this brings up the next question I was going to post.

I am not using this stricktly for addional ports. I am running a box to box vpn connection to another netgear fvs338 in my office. I use the vpn connection to do an offisute backup each night. I also like the ability to access my home NAS when I am at the office if I need anything. I am running a hub and spoke configuration and can access my parents house via the VPN in case they have any issues and then I can remote desktop in.

In a perfect worrld I would just use the FVS338 as my router and then a gigabit switch behind that for my home lan. However, this is not an option with Verizon Fios. If you have the TV service, you must use there router. Not going to go into the full details of why.

So I have been running my fvs338 behind the Verizon Fios actiontec router for over 2 years. But in this config, I am double nat'd since I am running nat on the fvs and of course the actuiontec. I originally had the fvs338 behind the actiontec in the actiontec's dmz. Since I was playing around with this config, I have moved it out of the dmz. The vpn works fine since the actiontec has vpn passthrough. Running the fvs338 in classical mode eliminates the double nat, thus my reason for doing step 2.

All of my testing has been with the vpn turned off since the vpn connection causes issues. I was trying to get this to work without the vpn and then once that was accomplished I would figure out how to keep this working with the vpn turned on.

I will try turning off the wins and see if that helps. Could be that the actiontec is blocking something as well. It seems that when I try to pull up a website it is sort of searching and doesn't time out right away, like if I force the 192.168.177.1 into the DNS for the lan settings on the fvs.

This brings me to ask if there is another way to accomplish my goal. Is there a way to run a vpn connection (that is constantly on) and avoid the whole double nat issue, either with the fvs338 or another device/method? The vpn is what I really need. I don't have to use the netgear. I just want to have one instance of nat running and a dedicated vpn connection to my office. Not sure how to accomplish this goal.

 

[dreid]

Another way

A way to accomplish your goal is to get a second public IP address from Verizon.

You could then run the WAN Ethernet cable from the ONT into a small switch, and then feed the Actiontec WAN and FVS WAN ports from the switch.

Both routers will then have public IP addresses and run indepently, eliminating the double NAT and ensuring the VPN works.

 

[imt]

I am on the residential service. Thus one dynamic IP only. In order to get a secondary IP, I would have to also sign up for business service. Not looking to spend that kind of $$.

 

[Spikehead42]

Okay, but how do I *un*do it?

Please pardon my lack of expertise, but I followed these instructions and everything worked perfectly - I was able to change my Wireless router into a downstream switcher / hub / access point (whichever terminology is right). But... now I want to put it back, and I can't for the life of me figure out how to re-login to my Wireless router (a Netgear WNR2000) via a web browser. I even did a factory reset (which hopefully didn't screw things up more), but even with a 192.168.1.1 basic browser login, I get nothing, on either a Mac or a PC (I tried both), on Safari or Firefox.

Did I hose myself here? Or should I be able to log back in and set things back to make my now Access point / switcher / hub back to being a regular old Wireless router? (the one I was using upstream is no longer even being used).

Any help would be *huge*ly appreciated.


D.

 

[05UFCaptain]

Please pardon my lack of expertise, but I followed these instructions and everything worked perfectly - I was able to change my Wireless router into a downstream switcher / hub / access point (whichever terminology is right). But... now I want to put it back, and I can't for the life of me figure out how to re-login to my Wireless router (a Netgear WNR2000) via a web browser. I even did a factory reset (which hopefully didn't screw things up more), but even with a 192.168.1.1 basic browser login, I get nothing, on either a Mac or a PC (I tried both), on Safari or Firefox.

Did I hose myself here? Or should I be able to log back in and set things back to make my now Access point / switcher / hub back to being a regular old Wireless router? (the one I was using upstream is no longer even being used).

Any help would be *huge*ly appreciated.


D.

If you followed the tutorial the way I understand it, you would have changed the IP of the downstream router (AP). To login to that particular router, you would need to use that modified IP address. After your logged in, you should be able to do a factory restore (resetting the IP) at which point you would be able to use your original login. Hope this was your problem. GL.
Nick

 

[05UFCaptain]

DIR-655 [A1] router with DGL-4300 A/P

The value of this solution is two-fold. You have gained an extra port over Method One. And by routing between the upstream and downstream LANs, you've effectively created a broadcast separation between the two networks, which can improve overall network performance in a busy LAN.

While I don't foresee needing the additional LAN port, I would like to know if the improved performance of Method 2 would be negated by the 100Mbps WAN connection on the DGL-4300. It would seem to me that the gigabit LAN connections on the DGL-4300 would produce faster data transfers than the increased overhead from a busy LAN setup according to Method 1 would induce on the DIR-655. I would do some test runs myself, but I have so been unsuccessful at bridging via Method 2.

Step 4: [Wireless routers only] Disable the downstream router's wireless function. It doesn't hurt to unscrew the antennas from the downstream router as well if they are detachable. This gets them out of the way since you aren't using them anymore. Figure 5 shows the wireless disabled for a D-Link DGL-4300.

In How To Add an Access Point to a Wireless Router, the downstream router (AP) wireless radio was left on. In my attempts to bridge the DGL-4300, the clients on the DGL-4300 could obtain an IP from the DIR-655 when wired but not when connected via wifi. If anyone has any ideas, please feel free to comment or PM me. TIA.
Nick

 

[HTMLSpinnr]

Newer routers support bridge mode

Some newer routers support Bridge mode, which essentially turns that WAN port into a 5th LAN switch port, and disables the DHCP server. You simply set the IP address (or use DHCP if you don't care or have the means to determine the IP later), disable wireless, and you effectively have another switch.

Worked out great for me this morning when I lost an 8 year old 5-port D-link Gigabit switch due to a dead power supply, and realized I had a decommissioned Cisco/Linksys E4200v1 lying on the desk. I fired up the E4200, switched the settings to bridge mode, set an IP address, disabled wireless, and had an immediate 5-port Gigabit Switch to replace the failed switch.

One suggest I'd make that is contrary to the article, however, is if you keep wireless active, use the EXACT same SSID and credentials for each band as your primary router/AP. Continue to use alternate channels (keeping things set to AUTO would be easiest as the two will likely land on different, non-adjacent channels). This allows devices to roam freely between the two access points w/o maintaining two sets of settings or profiles.