An adventure I could have done without



Warning, this is no ordinary DSL modem.

If you just want to know how to hook up your router to the SpeedStream 5100B modem then scroll down. If you are interested in reading the whole story then be my guest. --->

It all started when I received a call from a customer. He was happy with the work I had done for him and now his sister needed the same treatment. Great, I thought... just another standard dsl-to-a-router and a wireless card on top. Change the password from "admin," set the WEP encryption and MAC filters and I'm done. Wrong!

I noticed right away that something was not quite right because the router didn't quite "kick in" as usual. I rebooted the DSL modem and the router several times and it eventually worked. I was working on a desktop and a laptop that (both) needed Service Pack 2. They were also infested with the usual spyware and crapware so needless to say my hands were full. Maybe XP itself was the reason the connection took some coaxing. We've all seen what spyware can do to a system! About 3 days later my uneasiness was confirmed.

I received a phone call from my customer. They couldn't connect. After some phone support that went nowhere I made another trip. I took my laptop and I couldn't connect either. The particular router I was using was the Linksys WRK54G. It comes in a combo pack with a wireless PC card that I would need for the laptop. The router seemed completely stuck and was not giving out any ip addresses. At this point I was not looking at the Speedstream modem as a culprit. I left the router completely unplugged for 5 minutes and then I gave it a hard reboot by clicking the small recessed button in back for about 15 seconds. The router now started giving out addresses but I STILL couldn't access the Internet. Back in the router config I noticed something very funny.

The ip address the Speedstream was giving the Linksys was pretty standard but the default gateway and dns were 192.168.0.1. That seemed awfully close to the ip address of the Linksys which is 192.168.1.1. I'm no expert in octets, routing and so forth but I decided I would change the default address of the Linksys to 10.0.1.1. After I did that everything worked! Not being able to leave well enough alone I had to know why the Speedstream was putting out that 192.168.0.1 number. All I had to do was pick it up and turn it over.

There it was on a sticker: type 192.168.0.1 to access the modem configuration (or something like that). Apparently you have to type this into your browser when you are first shipped the DSL install kit by SBC. So just to be nosy I typed that ip in Firefox and checked it out. I learned that the 5100B seemed to handle PPPoE all by itself and was loaded with pages and pages of info and options. Cool...whatever, I thought...time to go home.

About 3 more days later I received another phone call. Same problem!!! This time I put my customer's teenage son to work (Thanks man!). I asked him to read me the exact model number of the SpeedStream modem. It is a 5100 part number 060-E142-A02 which seems to designate it as a "5100B" modem. After some googling I realized many other people had similar problems with this modem. To be honest I don't know why the solution I implemented actually works. Even with the SpeedStream handling PPPoE I don't see why it can't behave with a router. I noticed the DHCP lease on the SpeedStream is only 10 minutes by default. Maybe that is too little time for the Linksys and it "fills up" somehow. Maybe switching the Speedstream to private mode and setting the Linksys to static takes care of any DHCP issues. I would love someone to give me a really technical answer but I am satisfied enough to know how to set this combo up for the meantime.

Okay, here you go.

This is what you need to do!

Here are the actual steps you need to take to get the SpeedStream 5100B DSL Modem and your router to work together.

1. With the Speedstream plugged directly in your computer open your web browser and type "192.168.0.1" (without quotes). You will probably be asked for a modem access code from time to time. The number you need is on that sticker on the bottom of your modem.

2. Click on Advanced then Connection Configuration. You should see a screen like the one above. Change "Yes, use public ip address" to "No, use private ip address" (see red arrow) then click "Save changes." The modem may tell you it needs to restart and so forth.

3. Now disconnect the modem from your computer and hook up the Linksys in its place. Open your web browser and type "192.168.1.1" (without quotes). This will work for Linksys routers. Your router may have a different address. Look in the manual for your particular router's information. For the purpose of this guide I will assume you know how to deal with your router's configuration. If you don't then seek professional help or use Google!

4. Change your router's default address to avoid any potential problems (especially if your router's adress IS 192.168.0.1!). I changed my address to 10.0.1.1 but you can also use 192.168.2.1.

5. Remember when we set the SpeedStream to use a private address? Well that forces the modem to give out an ip address of 192.168.1.64 instead of the "public address" that can change. What you need to do now is set the WAN portion of your router to a static ip address. Use the following settings:

IP adress --- 192.168.1.64
Subnet Mask --- 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway --- 192.168.0.1
DNS --- 192.168.0.1

6. Save/Apply settings in your router then hook up the SpeedStream to your router's WAN or Internet port and you should be all done! Reboot your computer if you are having trouble.

Good Luck!

Still having problems? Hire me or check out the links below.

The method I described is also the recommended method in the SBC forums at DslReports.Com. I just thought I would make it a little clearer and add the screenshot.

Much more info at these links:

http://www.dslreports.com/faq/sbc/3.1%20Speedstream%205100

http://www2.dslreports.com/faq/amfaq/2.3%20Efficient%205100%20Ethernet%20modem

If you just can't get it to go this combo DSL Modem/Router seems to be the way to go: http://www.netopia.com/equipment/products/cayman/3000/3300.html

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