From: James Egan on

On Wed, 2 Sep 2009 09:01:48 +0100, "RJK" <nosuch(a)hotmail.com> wrote:

>Having bought a Linksys WRT54GC that I assumed had an adsl modem in it, as
>it was described on ebuyer.com as being "3 units in one,"
> and after fighting with it for a while - it seems that there is no adsl
>modem in it, also there is no PPPoA option in its' settings !
>
>So, have been trying to connect TalkTalks "free" Huwei SmartAX MT882
>http://www.practicalpc.co.uk/reviews/hard/comms/smartax-mt882.htm
>to this
>http://www.linksysbycisco.com/UK/en/products/WRT54GC with no success.

The Linksys only deals in PPPoE and not PPPoA so you can use the
SmartAX device to make the connection with your ISP and the Linksys to
distribute the wireless.

The two devices need to be on the same network so configure them as
follows :-

SmartAX
- Static LAN ip address (say) 192.168.1.1
- Whatever WAN settings your ISP needs
- Switch the dhcp server on and configure the pool to be (say)
192.168.1.50 to 192.168.1.70
- Connect the RJ45 port to a LAN port on the Linksys.

Linksys
- Static LAN ip address (say) 192.168.1.2
- Leave the WAN settings blank and the WAN port on the device
disconnected
- Switch the dhcp server OFF
- As mentioned above, connect a LAN port to the SmartAX

All clients
- Set to obtain an ip address automatically
- Set to obtain dns information automatically

In case any of the clients don't work still, set their default gateway
manually to 192.168.1.1 (the smartax device) and the dns server also
to 192.168.1.1

Setting the static ip addresses on the routers can sometimes be
tricky. Depending on their default settings you might have to
temporarily connect them to one of your pc's directly while you change
the static ip address.


Jim.

From: RJK on
"RJK" <nosuch(a)hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:%23fy%23FQ6KKHA.4136(a)TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> Having bought a Linksys WRT54GC that I assumed had an adsl modem in it, as
> it was described on ebuyer.com as being "3 units in one,"
> and after fighting with it for a while - it seems that there is no adsl
> modem in it, also there is no PPPoA option in its' settings !
>
> So, have been trying to connect TalkTalks "free" Huwei SmartAX MT882
> http://www.practicalpc.co.uk/reviews/hard/comms/smartax-mt882.htm
> to this
> http://www.linksysbycisco.com/UK/en/products/WRT54GC with no success.
>
> Not sure what the blue rj45/"Internet" port on the rear of the WRT54GC is
> for ? ...instruction manual says it's for DSL or Cable !
> ...have only ever seen a rj11 port for adsl/broadband signal, on "home
> gateway" units such as my WAG354G.
> Anyhow, seeing as there seems to be no adsl modem in this WRT54GC unit,
> and
> will have to connect it to SmartAX MT882, to get internet into main PC and
> off to a wifi enabled ADVENT 6651 laptop - I have several hundred
> questions,
> ....having never really understood how gateway and ip addresses relate to
> each other. I know, I know, it's simple if you know how but, I've never
> been able to grasp what goes where !
>
> Does DHCP have to be switched off in one of the units, if so which ?
> ... bearing in mind that the Huwei only has one rj45 port which will have
> to
> be connected to one of the four yellow rj45 ports on the rear of the
> WRT54GC
> ? ...didn't get anywhere connecting Huwei rj45 port to Linksys blue
> "Internet" rj45 port !
> i.e. Can the Huwei's DHCP dish up IP addresses for PC's connected to the
> Linksys's 4 (well....3 available), rj45 ports ?
>
> Does UPNP need to be switched on ?
> Does the DHCP address range have to not overlap, even if DHCP is switched
> off in one of the units ?
>
> Which mode does the WRT54GC need to be in ?
>
> Automatic Configuration - DHCP
> Static IP
> PPPoE
> PPTP
> L2TP
> ...and since reflashing it "HeartBeat" ? !!!!
>
> ...any help hugely appreciated
>
> TIA
>
> regards, Richard
>
>
>
>

Many thanks to Paul and Lem,

Paul is correct, (have now got it all set up and running fine - was unable
to get to my PC, (and this post), for a couple of days).
....and Lem, sorry, I should have explained that the MT882 and WRT54GC are at
a different (home) address than my own WAG354G i.e. here. I tried to keep
my OP as short as possible, as it's possible to write a small book, (which I
usually do), trying to cover all relevant information !

I had advised a friend to buy a Home Gateway, (similar to my own/old
WAG354G), as he'd recently bought an Advent 6651 Laptop - and wanted to use
it with wi-fi, and in view that his MT882 has no wi-fi in it, he bought the
WRT54GC which turned out not to have an adsl modem in it, so we were unable
to use it as we wanted i.e. a simple replacement for his MT882

In the distant past, (here at my home address), I fought with an Orange
Livebox+WAG354G, so had a rough idea of how to set up his MT882+WRT54GC (at
his home address).

So it took 3 visits in all, to finally get it set up ! On second visit, to
collect and bring the WRT54GC back here and fighting with it on my 2nd PC,
and finally spotting that the blue "Internet" port, (beside the 4 yellow
rj45 ports), seemed to be an rj45 port - and not a rj11 port - and reading
in the WRT54GC manual that the "blue" port is for "DSL and Cable," and after
discovering that adsl modem/PPPoA was not on offer in it - the only hardware
configuration option seemed to be to leave the MT882 in place and connect
the WRT54GC to it.

It would have been so helpful if ebuyer.com had contained a few words, in
its' WRT54GC item description, that this unit does not contain an
adsl/PPPoA (UK) modem ! ...or words to that effect !

Anyhow, both your posts contain VERY useful information, and I am grateful
for your responses.

I've left DHCP on in MT882,
DHCP off in WRT54GC, so that it's acting as a dumb router,
single rj45 port on MT882 is connected to yellow rj45 port 1 on WRT54GC,
his main PC is connected to yellow rj45 port 2 on WRT54GC, (thank heavens
for units auto-detecting straight thru/crossover cables ...I think ...etc).
....laptop / wifi is working fine - after tweaking both to WPA/tkip and
setting passphrase etc., ...and fighting with firewalls e.g. running AVG's
firewall configuration wizard etc.

....I was going to set up MAC access codes but, thought I'll leave well
enough alone !

Many thanks again,

regards, Richard

















From: RJK on

"James Egan" <jegan(a)jegan.com> wrote in message
news:7g9d3sF2orus1U1(a)mid.individual.net...
>
> On Wed, 2 Sep 2009 09:01:48 +0100, "RJK" <nosuch(a)hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>Having bought a Linksys WRT54GC that I assumed had an adsl modem in it, as
>>it was described on ebuyer.com as being "3 units in one,"
>> and after fighting with it for a while - it seems that there is no adsl
>>modem in it, also there is no PPPoA option in its' settings !
>>
>>So, have been trying to connect TalkTalks "free" Huwei SmartAX MT882
>>http://www.practicalpc.co.uk/reviews/hard/comms/smartax-mt882.htm
>>to this
>>http://www.linksysbycisco.com/UK/en/products/WRT54GC with no success.
>
> The Linksys only deals in PPPoE and not PPPoA so you can use the
> SmartAX device to make the connection with your ISP and the Linksys to
> distribute the wireless.
>
> The two devices need to be on the same network so configure them as
> follows :-
>
> SmartAX
> - Static LAN ip address (say) 192.168.1.1
> - Whatever WAN settings your ISP needs
> - Switch the dhcp server on and configure the pool to be (say)
> 192.168.1.50 to 192.168.1.70
> - Connect the RJ45 port to a LAN port on the Linksys.
>
> Linksys
> - Static LAN ip address (say) 192.168.1.2
> - Leave the WAN settings blank and the WAN port on the device
> disconnected
> - Switch the dhcp server OFF
> - As mentioned above, connect a LAN port to the SmartAX
>
> All clients
> - Set to obtain an ip address automatically
> - Set to obtain dns information automatically
>
> In case any of the clients don't work still, set their default gateway
> manually to 192.168.1.1 (the smartax device) and the dns server also
> to 192.168.1.1
>
> Setting the static ip addresses on the routers can sometimes be
> tricky. Depending on their default settings you might have to
> temporarily connect them to one of your pc's directly while you change
> the static ip address.
>
>
> Jim.
>

....many thanks, have now fathomed it out -
MT882 stays in place and, WRT54GC working as a dumb router etc.

regards, Richard


From: James Egan on

On Thu, 3 Sep 2009 12:06:05 +0100, "RJK" <nosuch(a)hotmail.com> wrote:

>...many thanks, have now fathomed it out -
>MT882 stays in place and, WRT54GC working as a dumb router etc.

That's right. To be precise the WRT54GC is acting as a "switch". It
isn't doing any routing at all in this configuration.

Cheers


Jim.