Adding Wifi to cable internet

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JayJWLH

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#138158 22-Dec-2013 15:28

I'm trying to help set up a WiFi connection to a house that has just recently got a cable internet connection. Sadly, once Vodafone set you up with a working internet connection via the modem and give you the settings (perhaps set up a single computer by ethernet), they do nothing extra for you.

What I've got here is a Motorola SB5101 SURFboard cable modem. From what I can tell, it is merely just a bridge with no layer 3 functionality what so ever. To connect to the internet the way I am, I am connecting to it directly, and manually setting up the IP address (a WAN one) onto my laptop.

I also have a NetComm ADSL2+ WiFi N300 Gateway. I can set up the WiFi just fine, however I'm having a lot of trouble setting it up with the WAN IP address and then the NAT (this feature of which looks to only handle virtual networks), as well as DHCP. I can't reconnect to this wireless router again once I change the IP address of it.

Is there any way I can get this wireless router to work, or would I be best getting a better (non-ADSL) router instead?

RunningMan

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#956191 22-Dec-2013 15:35

If the NetComm only handles the ADSL port as being the WAN, then that's the only way you will be able to set NAT up on it.

You need a router (not a modem) that has an ethernet WAN port. This will then handle the NAT and WiFi etc.

The way you are currently doing it, you only have 1 public IP address to use, and you are trying to allocate it to several devices at the same time.

EDIT: A quick skim of the N300 user manual confirms that you can't use one of the ethernet ports for the WAN interface - you'll need a different router.

chevrolux

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#956203 22-Dec-2013 15:53

Is it the NB304? Or NB6plus4?
Both of these only have ADSL2+ WAN so won't be suitable for using with the cable modem. You need something with ethernet WAN.

If you want a decent home router I would go for either the Netgear DGND series or the Asus RT series.

yitz

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#956216 22-Dec-2013 16:10

With the NB304N it's possible to assign one of the 4 LAN ports as WAN, a lot of mucking around is required to undo the default ADSL WAN config though. Begin under Advanced Setup > Layer 2 Interface > ETH Interface.

Similar process (same chipset) but GUI interface is slightly different:
http://www.tp-link.com/en/article/?faqid=344

Telstra/Vodafone Cable requires is a Static IP config (plus MAC address spoofing in some cases).

sbiddle

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#956221 22-Dec-2013 16:25

yitz:
Telstra/Vodafone Cable requires is a Static IP config (plus MAC address spoofing in some cases).

There no MAC issues now. At one stage there was a 10-15 mins wait before the cache cleared if you tried to swap our routers but this is no longer in effect.

Vodafone now supply Vodafone stations for cable customers. Was this turned down during the sign up process? If it was you might be able to see if Vodafone can supply one rather than buying a new router.

JayJWLH

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#956259 22-Dec-2013 17:28

yitz: With the NB304N it's possible to assign one of the 4 LAN ports as WAN, a lot of mucking around is required to undo the default ADSL WAN config though. Begin under Advanced Setup > Layer 2 Interface > ETH Interface.

Similar process (same chipset) but GUI interface is slightly different:
http://www.tp-link.com/en/article/?faqid=344

Telstra/Vodafone Cable requires is a Static IP config (plus MAC address spoofing in some cases).

This was the answer that put things in motion and got things working. Although this wireless router doesn't support MAC cloning, nor is it able to do the whole Virtual Port step at the beginning of that page you gave a link to, everything else worked out really well. I just had to make sure I selected the right port to be changed from a LAN to a WAN port, input the IP address from Vodafone, and everything else worked quite smoothly.

I am now happily wirelessly connected to the internet using my laptop and smartphone. And thankfully not having to purchase a new piece of hardware to do the job instead.

My thanks to you yitz.