configuring an ADSL modem plus a router

[nalooti]

Hi,

I have an ADSL modem/router which I use with PPPoE to connect to my ISP in routing mode.

I want to buy a 802.11n router (I haven’t find any Gigabit switch with 802.11n AccessPoint function) with Gigabit Ethernet ports and if possible with a built-in ADSL2+ modem.

I haven’t find yet such a device so I’m considering to buy an ADSL2+ modem (or maybe keep my current ADSL modem) and to buy a 802.11n router.

That is I’ll have an ADSL modem plus an 802.11n router.

Can you please guide me on how to configure my modem and my router to be able to continue with my current ISP ?

In order to be clear on how I see things, let me explain the solutions i imagine :

1/ Keep my current modem/router in routing mode. Then I’ll have to setup another subnet with my new 802.11n router. This has several drawbacks :
- I’d like to switch the packets in my home network rather than route them throughout 2 routers to join Internet, for performance reasons
- My modem in routing mode will still do the NAT (private/public IP@) but how about the DHCP ? Both of them will do DHCP ?

2/ Put my current Modem/router in bridging mode. Then I’ll have my new router do to DHCP as well as NAT (that is the modem has to just put Ethernet frames on ATM cells without knowing anything about addresses). The drawback is that I’ll lose all my ISP’s supported functions (e.g. I couldn’t have TV services) because my new router is now talking to my ISP not the one delivered by my ISP..

What do you suggest ?
If solutions 1 and 2 both can work, can you tell me how to configure both the modem and the router in each solution, or point me to some papers where people have already done the same configuration ?

Or, if you have a better solution, please tell me about it.

Thanks for your help
nalooti

 

[Osamede]

Hi,
I want to buy a 802.11n router (I haven’t find any Gigabit switch with 802.11n AccessPoint function) with Gigabit Ethernet ports and if possible with a built-in ADSL2+ modem.

I haven’t find yet such a device so I’m considering to buy an ADSL2+ modem (or maybe keep my current ADSL modem) and to buy a 802.11n router.

Personally I favour keeping the router and the modem apart. You can get a rock solid ADSL2+ modem for dirt cheap, meaning like 25 bucks eg a Drayetk Vigor 100, Alcatel Speedtouch 510 or 516, which are tiny and just run and run with no downtime. You will struggle to find the same stability with integrated modem+router units.

Also with the router, you have more options and better quality when you go with standalone units.

Plus the best you can get is a draft N router+modem then what are you going to do when draft N is standardised? Buy another one? They are expensive.

If you insist on getting a combned unit. You could look a the Draytek 2820n which as ADSL2+ combined with wireless and one gigabit ethernet port and 3 10/100 ethernet ports. So you would then connect that single gigabit port to a gigabit switch.

But if it were me I would get a basic standalone modem and add a D-link DIR-655 router and be done.

 

[nalooti]

Plus the best you can get is a draft N router+modem then what are you going to do when draft N is standardised? Buy another one? They are expensive.

there's a small risk that the hardware would have to be changed but usually a firmware upgrade should put the router up to the n standard. (i hope)

But if it were me I would get a basic standalone modem and add a D-link DIR-655 router and be done.

ok that's also my conclusion since i didn't find any decent device doing both jobs and with GigE ports.
But tell me about the config in this way. Modem in bridge mode or PPPoE?
In the first case the router should be configured with PPPoE.

In the second case, the router just route to the subnet on which the modem is connected to the router (I'll have 2 subnets; otherwise I missed something!). But, which one will do NAT and which one will do DHCP. The modem i think will have to do NAT because it initiate the PPPoE with the ISP so it know its public @. Then i think it will do DHCP client to the router configured as DHCP server, in order to obtain a private IP @ on the subnet on which it is connected to the router.

You see, I'm essentially confused on the configurations of these two devices. For choosing the device I'll probably post another request in order to not confuse the 2 different topics.

many thanks
nalooti

 

[thiggins]

Just convert the new draft 11n router to an access point. See
How To Convert a Wireless Router into an Access Point
How To Add an Access Point to a Wireless Router

 

[Osamede]

But tell me about the config in this way. Modem in bridge mode or PPPoE?
In the first case the router should be configured with PPPoE. In the second case, the router just route to the subnet on which the modem is connected to the router (I'll have 2 subnets; otherwise I missed something!). But, which one will do NAT and which one will do DHCP. The modem i think will have to do NAT because it initiate the PPPoE with the ISP so it know its public @. Then i think it will do DHCP client to the router configured as DHCP server, in order to obtain a private IP @ on the subnet on which it is connected to the router.i

The modem got was the simplest one (only one ethernet port out to LAN) and there was nothing to do it was already set up in bridge mode. I think the simpler the better on the modem.