AL needs some help please

[PaphosAL]

This only concerns VOIP indirectly, but I'm posting my problem in here in the knowledge that mike557 is a Networking Guru and might be able to help me (if he still passes by). But if anyone else can help, then by all means wade in

My Virgin 256v2 hard-wired cable modem is becoming flaky, and VM decided to replace it. Problem is, they've stopped making the wired modems, and are only issuing 4 Port Wireless Router Hub modems now. Which gives me a headache...

You see, the existing modem connects to the WAN port of my Netgear FVS318 8 Port ProSafe Router. The router then connects to the following LAN devices, all with fixed IP addresses:

Compaq DS510 XP Pro
DM500S testbox
DM500S Lounge
dBox2 Bedroom
PAP2 VOIP Adapter
IBM Thinkpad laptop

Virgin insist that the new hub will work as a wired modem as well as wireless. We tried it yesterday with a direct ethernet connection from the XP PC to a port on the hub. After I'd change TCP/IP settings to 'Obtain automatically' instead of the fixed IP, and after they'd activated the new hub, yes- I could connect to the Internet.

Their attitude was this was a far as they would help, the rest being my Networking setup, all down to me. Well, nothing I tried would make the 8 port Router 'see' the internet via the hub.

I think the problem lies in my now effectively having TWO routers on my LAN, and I don't know how to deal with this.

In the end, I gave up and swapped-out the hub with the original modem, and got this reactivated with another phone call.

IS their anyway I can use their Router/Hub with my existing 8 Port Router LAN setup, please?

Cheers- AL

[Satsearching]

AL

Speak to cancellations, I did a few months ago and demanded a 256 modem to replace my flakey 100 modem. They sent it through the post the next day!

Failing that, I think Renny has one of them new wireless virmin boxes so could help? Maybe you just need to add an 8 port hub/switch instead of your router?

SS

[renwich]

AL I had the same issue, the new router they forced upon me was a modem with a built in 4 port router,

they eventually pushed some new firmware out that allows Modem only mode due to the complaints.

if you have the super hub



if not you should be able to forward all ports to a DMZ host, which is your usual router

[PaphosAL]

Thanks, both of you!

I can't believe that Vermin now assume that ALL their broadband customers are now WIRELESS ffs... Especially after that google street maps scam, where they were harvesting peep's data whilst driving past!

I shall try cancellations in the morning, like SS suggests, coz a 256v2 replacement would suit me fine. This has been going on over a month now. Okay, they have given me credit on my account, but the point is- they CANNOT suddenly stop supporting their WIRED broadband customers, surely???

And if the customer INSISTS on a wired solution, as I have, three times over now, then surely they should be sending me the Super-Hub, as Renny suggests? Don't think they they have, as I see no mention of Super Hub Status as appears in Renny's screenie shot....

Will keep you posted, and muchos gracias for the comeback, guys (and gals)

Cheers- AL

[mike557]

I am still here AL.

Not sure I understand why the new router is not working with the prosafe.
Lets clarify
Internet > virgin router > prosafe (wan port) > Lan ports >devices

The prosafe should get an ip address from the vm router and everything should work as before - I suspect it is not set-up for dynamic.

If I was building the network I would stop using the prosafe as a router and just use it as a switch. I would turn off dhcp (I assume it is already off) on the prosafe and connect a switch port directly to the vm router. This would effectively give you 3 ports on the vm and 7 on the prosafe. I would turn off dhcp server on the vm and configure its IP address to match the range already used on your lan.

All of that sounds complicated (which I suppose it is), so lets go back to your problem.

I suspect your prosafe is not configured to accept an ip address from vm and instead you were using static. If this is the case tell it to use dynamic and with a bit of luck everything should start working

I have sent you a PM with my home number and happy to help.

[PaphosAL]

Thanks, Mike- all of what you say makes sense to me. At Satsearching's suggestion. I was onto VM Cancellations (again, LOL!) this morning, and spoke to a really helpful chap named Barry, who firstly dropped another £20 credit into my account.

He said he'd get back to me to tell me if he can locate a new 256v2 to send out. If not, he's got to work out how he can send me a SuperHub FOC. (Normally, for peeps like me on 10mb broadband, they cost £60 - ouch!)

So we'll see what develops, and if I do have to fall back to one of these hubs, at least I know it'll work using the setup info you've provided.

I found the reasons it didn't work before, when I went back into the hub web I/F yesterday:

IP = 192.168.0.9 (changed by me to a free address)
DHCP = ON
Start IP = 192.168.0.2

ProSafe: DHCP = ON | IP = 192.168.0.1

DOH.....

Cheers- AL
Prosafe

[PaphosAL]

Mike- some afterthoughts on your suggestion about using the 8 port Prosafe as a switch, instead of a router...

1. Would this leave the WAN port on the Prosafe unused?
2. Would the hardware Firewall on the Prosafe still be active?
3. If the IP of the VM hub was 192.168.0.9 and the IP of the Prosafe were kept at 192.168.0.1 - what would the effective Gateway IP address be, in this setup?

I might add that the manual for the Prosafe (too big to be attached, but grab it here) seems to indicate that all eight LAN ports are 'Uplink' capable, and can handle x-over or straight through Cat5 patch cables, if that helps?

From what Vermin told me today, they agree with me that the standard 4 port hub does NOT have a h/ware firewall, but say that the SuperHub does. Perhaps Renny can confirm this, please?

Cheers- AL

[renwich]

The superhub is a netgear router, as with any soho router it has a basic firewall builtin, mainly stopping shit coming in but with piss poor configrability, I use a Netscreen firewall built for the job which is chained off my shity super hub which is set in modem only mode.




Juniper Networks NetScreen-5GT - Security Appliance Peripheral review - Trusted Reviews

[mike557]

Originally Posted by PaphosAL

Mike- some afterthoughts on your suggestion about using the 8 port Prosafe as a switch, instead of a router...

1. Would this leave the WAN port on the Prosafe unused?
Correct

2. Would the hardware Firewall on the Prosafe still be active?
Still be active but not used.

3. If the IP of the VM hub was 192.168.0.9 and the IP of the Prosafe were kept at 192.168.0.1 - what would the effective Gateway IP address be, in this setup?
You would need to check (cmd prompt - use "ipconfig /all" ) normally it would be either .1 or .254 You would do this on the pc plugged into the VM router and configured for dynamic.


I might add that the manual for the Prosafe (too big to be attached, but grab it here) seems to indicate that all eight LAN ports are 'Uplink' capable, and can handle x-over or straight through Cat5 patch cables, if that helps?
Just plug any spare lan port into vm router.


From what Vermin told me today, they agree with me that the standard 4 port hub does NOT have a h/ware firewall, but say that the SuperHub does. Perhaps Renny can confirm this, please?
As Renny has already commented - it will be basic.


Cheers- AL

I am no longer with VM (pleased to be gone) however I have heard a lot of negative comments associated with the superhub. Hopefully they have updated their firmware......

As I mentioned in the other post, you should be able to set the wan port of the prosafe to dynamic and plug it into the vm router. I would suggest using a different ip address range for the lan. As you have static ip's I appreciate this is a bit awkward. The way I normally allocate static is by making them dynamic and telling the router to always assign the same ip address to a particular MAC address. Unfortunately not all routers support that option

If you have the same ip subnet on the wan port as the lan (on the prosafe) there could be problems hence my suggestion to change addresses. A further option - Try to config the VM dhcp server, get it to give out a different dynamic IP range e.g. 192.168.1.x subnet 255.255.255.0 and you will not need to change the static ip's on your devices.

[PaphosAL]

Thanks again, Mike. The possible loss of my ProSafe hardware Firewall in a revamped LAN setup deeply concerns me, m8. Particularly as you indicate that the SuperHub firewall is only 'basic'...

Long while since I tested my LAN security on Steve Gibson Research - but I just did a Shields Up! Probe ALL Ports test, and this is how the ProSafe performed:

Your system has achieved a perfect "TruStealth" rating. Not a single packet — solicited or otherwise — was received from your system as a result of our security probing tests. Your system ignored and refused to reply to repeated Pings (ICMP Echo Requests). From the standpoint of the passing probes of any hacker, this machine does not exist on the Internet. Some questionable personal security systems expose their users by attempting to "counter-probe the prober", thus revealing themselves. But your system wisely remained silent in every way. Very nice.

VM haven't got back to me yet, but when they do, hopefully it will be one of two possibilities:

1. A new 256v2 modem- in which case it's status quo and everything stays as is, or

2. A SuperHub - in which case I shall try Renny's solution and configure it as 'Modem Only' connected to the ProSafe WAN port, meaning the Firewall is still doing it's job.

The other possibilities will be a last resort, if Sir Richie leaves me high and dry, with neither solution offered. Watch this space...

Cheers- AL

ps @ Renny: I take it that in Modem Only mode, the only purpose served by it's IP address is for the Web I/F Setup Utilty access, and nowt else at all?