Help with new modem/router semi Noob question.

[dtweek]

I've just bought a WAG320N Router which is ADSL but also works as a cable modem when 1st port is set to WAN(in theory)

I bought as it was gigabit which I need for home network and it has a USB port which enables any connected harddisk to function as a NAS drive which was attractive to me. It also gave me the freedom of leaving VM and getting BT broadband in the future if I wished.

HOWEVER

Can't get the damn thing to work. Plug it in, set port to WAN and it's having none of it. Haven't been able to find much help on the web other than this thread
http://homecommunity.cisco.com/t5/Cable-and-DSL/WAG320N-and-Cable-modem-connection/td-p/335689

Which states following

After some playing around, it seems that the WAG320N is specifically setup to configure Ethernet Port 1 as a WAN port and you can route all the internet traffic through the cable modem via the WAN port you have just configured.

If anyone is interested then load up your routers config page 192.168.1.1 by default.

Click on Setup
- Ethernet
Next to Ethernet Connection: Select the radio button labelled Use as WAN Port
Most standalone cable modems will have a static IP so under the Connection drop
down box select Static IP.

Enter your Cable modem's IP address, subnet mask, default Gateway and DNS address's.(These should have all be supplied by your ISP)

And finally click Save Settings at the bottom of the screen to commit your changes.

Then connect to your WAG via the Ethernet switch or Wireless connection and you should be good to surf the web.


From my old wireless it looked like my modems IP was 84.xx.xx.xx.xx but not sure if this is correct. Also tried various DNS servers but without the modem IP then I'm guessing it's not going to work.

It's a blue modem. Forgot to grab model number before I left for work.

Does the quoted text above sound like it will work or should I just take this modem back and get a proper cable modem, if so can anyone recommend a good one, must have a few gigabit ports and ideally have the ability to plug a hard drive in and use as a NAS.

Cheers guys.

[Kymmy]

You can't set it as a static IP as the modem will issue out a new IP when the MAC changes.

Set it to dynamic then try again..

When you say take the modem back I presume you mean router as no 3rd party modem will work on VM.

---------- Post added at 12:21 ---------- Previous post was at 12:17 ----------

Also the device is definately NOT gigabit

[dtweek]

Thanks. I've tried getting it to automatically assign IP. Wasn't working. Will just send back and get a normal wireless router as this doesn't seem to be working either. By the looks of things it should just be plug and play. I've even got it to clone the MAC from my laptop so the modem thinks it's connecting to a known device.

Also it is gigabit definately. Not wirelessly gigabit as I'm pretty sure that's not possible but it's a gigabit router which I need for my home network have cat6 run to every room in the house and a central NAS Drive/Media Streamer.

I was after a router with USB for cheap additional NAS for backup. This seemed to tick all the boxes but just doesn't work.

Can anyone recommend a good wireless router that is gigabit for wired connections for streaming copying over network and also has a USB which can have a HD hooked up to it for additional Network storage.

[zekeisaszekedoes]

It's a blue modem. Forgot to grab model number before I left for work.

Most likely the Ambit 250, NTL branding. The updated Ambit 256 is black and has VM branding, but apart from the absence of the USB port/front light is functionally identical.

---------- Post added at 15:01 ---------- Previous post was at 14:54 ----------

Also it is gigabit definately. Not wirelessly gigabit as I'm pretty sure that's not possible

Not yet anyway! The theoretical maximum of wireless N right now is 600Mbps, but due to the usual various mitigating factors you'll never get that kind of throughput. In my experience 300Mbps wireless N on 2.4Ghz channel 13 will give performance comparable to 100Mbps wired ethernet assuming the laptop isn't too far away from the access point (four or five bars signal).

[Dai]

Can anyone recommend a good wireless router that is gigabit for wired connections for streaming copying over network and also has a USB which can have a HD hooked up to it for additional Network storage.

If you can find a router that ticks all the other boxes you could daisychain a gigabit switch to give the network speed.

[zekeisaszekedoes]

Can anyone recommend a good wireless router that is gigabit for wired connections for streaming copying over network and also has a USB which can have a HD hooked up to it for additional Network storage.

This one.


http://cache.pakwheels.com/forums/2010/attachments/For-Sale/169841-TP-Link-Ultimate-Wireless-N-Gigabit-Router-1043ND-TL-WR1043ND.jpg (http://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-TL-WR1043ND-Ultimate-Wireless-Gigabit/dp/B002YETVTQ)


It's DD-WRT (http://www.dd-wrt.com/site/index) capable too, and compatibility is improving all the time. About the only thing it doesn't do is 5Ghz wireless N, but at that price you can't complain.

[dtweek]

I just got the superhub instead in the end. Does what I want and saves me a power supply by being all in one. Have my switch downstream so fully networked up now.

---------- Post added at 07:57 ---------- Previous post was at 07:54 ----------

as for the usb backup for NAS. I'm just going to buy a second NAS with USB on it and a wireless printer.