Help with Configuring a Home Network Properly

[ElectronicTechnology]

Hello,

 

Let me start out by giving an explanation of what my situation is. I have a Netgear R7000 AC Router that I bought, and an AT&T U-verse Arris NVG589 that was given to me. My current configuration is plugging an ethernet cable into the WAN port of the R7000 and from there into one of the NVG's LAN ports. The R7000 LAN ports are only used by my gaming consoles and my PC. I have also disabled the NVG's wireless. The AT&T wireless TV Access Point, and the main TV cable box (connected only because it allows the other TV's to see the DVR recordings) are the only other LAN connections to the NVG. The access point is necessary because it allows wireless cable boxes to get signal for cable. This configuration gives me the capability of using the R7000 as my main router, while using the NVG only to give connection to the TV's. The problem with my current configuration is that it is a double NAT setup. In games, I only get a moderate NAT type and cannot achieve an open NAT. I have tried putting my console into a DMZ (setup from the R7000), but the NAT stayed at moderate (port forwarding did not work either). 

 

Now let me what my ultimate goal is. I would like the R7000 to be my 'main' router to give off the wireless signal, and be able to give a wired connection to the consoles and my PC. The AT&T NVG router I would like it to be able to give signal to all the wireless TV cable boxes, and connect the R7000 if needed. The main priority is to achieve an open NAT type while maintaining a good wireless connection for everything else and still able to use the wireless cable boxes. 

 

Here is a visual of the AT&T NVG router.     (Imgur direct link)

Here is a visual of the Netgear R7000 router.    (Imgur direct link)

 

Essentially, I'm looking for someone who can guide me through how to do this correctly and properly. I'll be living in my current location for a few years, so I would like this to be done right and have no major problems.

 

NOTE: Keep in mind that I do need my TV's to be able to receive signal and function as normal (for the rest of the family). I tried messing around in the NVG's settings before and I must have clicked the wrong option because it wouldn't allow the TV's to connect anymore. I had to factory reset the NVG to allow to TV's to get signal.

 

Thank you for any help!

[shmurple]

so if I'm understanding you correctly you want the R7000 to be your main router and you want the nvg to be a wireless access point and switch?

[ElectronicTechnology]

so if I'm understanding you correctly you want the R7000 to be your main router and you want the nvg to be a wireless access point and switch?

Pretty much, yes. I just need the NVG to be able to let the TV's get signal, and the R7000 be the router that devices run off of. Ultimately, getting rid of my double NAT.

[shmurple]

I'm assuming that the NVG is the actual modem that your getting internet from. With that said: enter the setup for the r7000 and set its wireless ssid and password to be the same as the NVG make sure they are operating on different channels preferably very different, then turn off DHCP on the r7000. This will make is so that the NVG is still issuing IP addresses and routing traffic but the r700 will be able to be used as both a wired and wireless access point. Just make sure you take 1 ethernet cable from the back of the NVG to one of the switch ports on the back of the r7000 (not the wan port) since the wireless ssid and password are the same any mobile device you move between the two should automatically connect to the strong access point.

 

in this explanation I made the modem to be the main device that routs everything because in my experience when dealing with a modem/router thats usually the better choice. For my setup I got rid of the modem/router and just went with modem and then added my own router to the network. I find that works much better.

[ElectronicTechnology]

I'm assuming that the NVG is the actual modem that your getting internet from. With that said: enter the setup for the r7000 and set its wireless ssid and password to be the same as the NVG make sure they are operating on different channels preferably very different, then turn off DHCP on the r7000. This will make is so that the NVG is still issuing IP addresses and routing traffic but the r700 will be able to be used as both a wired and wireless access point. Just make sure you take 1 ethernet cable from the back of the NVG to one of the switch ports on the back of the r7000 (not the wan port) since the wireless ssid and password are the same any mobile device you move between the two should automatically connect to the strong access point.

 

in this explanation I made the modem to be the main device that routs everything because in my experience when dealing with a modem/router thats usually the better choice. For my setup I got rid of the modem/router and just went with modem and then added my own router to the network. I find that works much better.

I really don't want to use the NVG as an internet source, honestly. My reason being is because the R7000 broadcasts an AC connection, dual band, and has much farther range. I only need it because it is required to give signal to the TV's. I can turn off the wireless and doing the process that you mention, except exclude anything with the NVG. With this said, is this method still going to work? 

[ElectronicTechnology]

in this explanation I made the modem to be the main device that routs everything because in my experience when dealing with a modem/router thats usually the better choice. For my setup I got rid of the modem/router and just went with modem and then added my own router to the network. I find that works much better.

Before I moved, I had a comcast router which enabled me to bridge the modem/router and use my own router like you are saying. I agree with you on that type of setup, it worked a lot better than this current configuration. Unfortunetly, AT&T doesn't allow you to bridge the modem/router (you can do a work around bridge mode, but it disables the TV service) which is why I am forced to this setup. It is also why I am here on the forums trying to find a better configuration to remove my double NAT. 

[ElectronicTechnology]

I'm assuming that the NVG is the actual modem that your getting internet from. With that said: enter the setup for the r7000 and set its wireless ssid and password to be the same as the NVG make sure they are operating on different channels preferably very different, then turn off DHCP on the r7000. This will make is so that the NVG is still issuing IP addresses and routing traffic but the r700 will be able to be used as both a wired and wireless access point. Just make sure you take 1 ethernet cable from the back of the NVG to one of the switch ports on the back of the r7000 (not the wan port) since the wireless ssid and password are the same any mobile device you move between the two should automatically connect to the strong access point.

I just tried this suggestion but with the wireless disabled on the NVG because of my reasons stated before and I couldn't get a connection at all.

[shmurple]

hmm well I guess you could try disabling the wireless and DHCP on the modem effectively attempting to turn into into just a modem and then use the r7000 as the only router.

[ElectronicTechnology]

hmm well I guess you could try disabling the wireless and DHCP on the modem effectively attempting to turn into into just a modem and then use the r7000 as the only router.

Sorry for the late reply, I finally got home and had some free time to respond and try your suggestion. Unfortunately, I cannot figure out how to disable DHCP on the AT&T NVG modem/router. I looked into it and found out that AT&T restricts the option to disable it on my router. I'm going to call AT&T this weekend to see if they can help me out disabling it. I think all I need is to disable DHCP, like you are mentioning, or put the NVG into bridge mode (Of course both of those options are restricted by AT&T). Unless you have any other suggestions, I'll call AT&T this weekend and see what they have to say. Either way, I'll post back here after finding out what they have to say.

[techguru]

Sorry for the late reply, I finally got home and had some free time to respond and try your suggestion. Unfortunately, I cannot figure out how to disable DHCP on the AT&T NVG modem/router. I looked into it and found out that AT&T restricts the option to disable it on my router. I'm going to call AT&T this weekend to see if they can help me out disabling it. I think all I need is to disable DHCP, like you are mentioning, or put the NVG into bridge mode (Of course both of those options are restricted by AT&T). Unless you have any other suggestions, I'll call AT&T this weekend and see what they have to say. Either way, I'll post back here after finding out what they have to say.

http://www.att.com/gen/general?pid=23697

 

https://forums.att.com/t5/Features-and-How-To/How-to-put-the-Motorola-NVG589-in-bridge-mode-or-as-close-as-you/td-p/3552057/page/2

[techguru]

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Solved lisfolks Oct 22, 2011 10:25:15 AM

Mentor

A long post, but hopefully worth the reading:

 

I had some weird things happening the weekend after I set up my NVG510 as described above in the post starting:

"Okay, so here's what I've done that seems to be working at the moment...

 

- In the NVG510's setup, under Home Network, then Subnets & DHCP, I set the following:"

 

The Issue:

When family members were trying to access the Internet with multiple devices, things kept locking up. Say for example, the kids were trying to watch videos, one on an iPad, the other on an iPod Touch. The videos were buffering really slowly and kept locking up. So... back to the drawing board. Now, I have some interesting findings and a new setup.

 

The Research:

I researched IP-DSL and IP Passthrough a bit. It seems that IP-DSL, which U-verse is using, is actually using IP like a typical ethernet network. (Their prior DSL used ATM, which is a bit more complex technology.) The U-verse Residential Gateway (RG) is getting an IP address and gateway just like anything else you set up with IP and DHCP. The "Broadband IPv4 Address" on the Broadband Status tab is the public IP handed out to the RG. The "Gateway IPv4 Address" is the AT&T router managing the RG (typically called the "Default Gateway").

 

IP Passthrough is supposed to allow another device to receive the IP address of the RG. When IP Passthrough is turned on, then, the NVG510 is supposed to give its own public IP address to a specified LAN device. The instructions on the right-hand side of the IP Passthrough tab confirm this.

 

The Theoretical Setup

To set up the NVG510 correctly, then, for use with a home router (assuming you don't want to simply let your home router be a bridge, of course) -

 

Starting with the NVG510's default settings:

 

- Under Home Network, then Subnets & DHCP, I set the following:

Device IPv4 Address: <the IP address I want to use for the RG (the default is 192.168.1.254, which is okay too)>

DHCPv4 Start Address: <some IP address within the RG's subnet (say 192.168.1.1)>

DHCPv4 End Address:  <the same IP address as the Start Address, above (since I'm not using the NVG510's DHCP)>

 

- Under Home Network, Wireless,

Wireless Operation: Off

 

- Under Firewall, IP Passthrough,

Allocation Mode: Passthrough

Passthrough Mode: DHCPS-fixed

Passthrough Fixed MAC Address: <MAC address of the home router>

 

On the AEBS, then:

 

- Under Internet, Internet Connection,

Connect Using: Ethernet

Connection Sharing: Share a Public IP Address

 

- Under Internet, TCP/IP,

Configure IPv4: DHCP

 

- Under Internet, DHCP, the DHCP values are set as normal, with an address range in a different subnet from the RG, though, in order to prevent double NAT messages. (For example, if the RG is 192.168.1.x, the AEBS is 192.168.2.x)

 

Restart the NVG510, then the AEBS.

 

Theoretically, the NVG510 should, using its own DHCP, give the AEBS its own public IP address (the "Broadband IPv4 Address"), a valid Subnet Mask, and the Default Gateway (Router) value equal to the "Gateway IPv4 Address".

 

In actuality, for some reason, the NVG510 only will give the AEBS its Gateway  and DNS values. The AEBS gets an internal IP address and a Subnet Mask of 255.255.255.255. I suspect a bug, er, "feature", in the NVG510's firmware...

 

The Actual Setup

The fix, then, is to set everything up as described above - except... in the AEBS, I changed the last step:

 

- Under Internet, TCP/IP,

Configure IPv4: Manually

IP Address: <the RG's "Broadband IPv4 Address">

Subnet Mask: 255.255.0.0 (Note that I'm not certain this is correct. The NVG510 doesn't show a subnet mask on its Broadband/Status tab, but the values I have showing would work with this mask.)

Router: <the RG's "Gateway IPv4 Address">

DNS: <the RG's "local" IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.254 by default)>

 

Yay, It Works

No more lockups; everything is running smoothly with multiple devices accessing the Internet at the same time.

 

I'm going to mark this post as the answer, though hopefully I won't later get my hand slapped and told how I terribly messed things up - i.e., anybody trying anything I suggest in any post anywhere does so at their own risk, of course. I don't claim to be an expert - just yet another experimenter in the 'net world. Anybody with more expertise and good explanations is welcome to jump in!

[ElectronicTechnology]

 

View profile

Solved lisfolks Oct 22, 2011 10:25:15 AM

Mentor

A long post, but hopefully worth the reading:

 

I had some weird things happening the weekend after I set up my NVG510 as described above in the post starting:

"Okay, so here's what I've done that seems to be working at the moment...

 

- In the NVG510's setup, under Home Network, then Subnets & DHCP, I set the following:"

 

The Issue:

When family members were trying to access the Internet with multiple devices, things kept locking up. Say for example, the kids were trying to watch videos, one on an iPad, the other on an iPod Touch. The videos were buffering really slowly and kept locking up. So... back to the drawing board. Now, I have some interesting findings and a new setup.

 

The Research:

I researched IP-DSL and IP Passthrough a bit. It seems that IP-DSL, which U-verse is using, is actually using IP like a typical ethernet network. (Their prior DSL used ATM, which is a bit more complex technology.) The U-verse Residential Gateway (RG) is getting an IP address and gateway just like anything else you set up with IP and DHCP. The "Broadband IPv4 Address" on the Broadband Status tab is the public IP handed out to the RG. The "Gateway IPv4 Address" is the AT&T router managing the RG (typically called the "Default Gateway").

 

IP Passthrough is supposed to allow another device to receive the IP address of the RG. When IP Passthrough is turned on, then, the NVG510 is supposed to give its own public IP address to a specified LAN device. The instructions on the right-hand side of the IP Passthrough tab confirm this.

 

The Theoretical Setup

To set up the NVG510 correctly, then, for use with a home router (assuming you don't want to simply let your home router be a bridge, of course) -

 

Starting with the NVG510's default settings:

 

- Under Home Network, then Subnets & DHCP, I set the following:

Device IPv4 Address: <the IP address I want to use for the RG (the default is 192.168.1.254, which is okay too)>

DHCPv4 Start Address: <some IP address within the RG's subnet (say 192.168.1.1)>

DHCPv4 End Address:  <the same IP address as the Start Address, above (since I'm not using the NVG510's DHCP)>

 

- Under Home Network, Wireless,

Wireless Operation: Off

 

- Under Firewall, IP Passthrough,

Allocation Mode: Passthrough

Passthrough Mode: DHCPS-fixed

Passthrough Fixed MAC Address: <MAC address of the home router>

 

On the AEBS, then:

 

- Under Internet, Internet Connection,

Connect Using: Ethernet

Connection Sharing: Share a Public IP Address

 

- Under Internet, TCP/IP,

Configure IPv4: DHCP

 

- Under Internet, DHCP, the DHCP values are set as normal, with an address range in a different subnet from the RG, though, in order to prevent double NAT messages. (For example, if the RG is 192.168.1.x, the AEBS is 192.168.2.x)

 

Restart the NVG510, then the AEBS.

 

Theoretically, the NVG510 should, using its own DHCP, give the AEBS its own public IP address (the "Broadband IPv4 Address"), a valid Subnet Mask, and the Default Gateway (Router) value equal to the "Gateway IPv4 Address".

 

In actuality, for some reason, the NVG510 only will give the AEBS its Gateway  and DNS values. The AEBS gets an internal IP address and a Subnet Mask of 255.255.255.255. I suspect a bug, er, "feature", in the NVG510's firmware...

 

The Actual Setup

The fix, then, is to set everything up as described above - except... in the AEBS, I changed the last step:

 

- Under Internet, TCP/IP,

Configure IPv4: Manually

IP Address: <the RG's "Broadband IPv4 Address">

Subnet Mask: 255.255.0.0 (Note that I'm not certain this is correct. The NVG510 doesn't show a subnet mask on its Broadband/Status tab, but the values I have showing would work with this mask.)

Router: <the RG's "Gateway IPv4 Address">

DNS: <the RG's "local" IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.254 by default)>

 

Yay, It Works

No more lockups; everything is running smoothly with multiple devices accessing the Internet at the same time.

 

I'm going to mark this post as the answer, though hopefully I won't later get my hand slapped and told how I terribly messed things up - i.e., anybody trying anything I suggest in any post anywhere does so at their own risk, of course. I don't claim to be an expert - just yet another experimenter in the 'net world. Anybody with more expertise and good explanations is welcome to jump in!

 

Thank you for this incredible guide!!! Everything worked perfectly just as you described it. I cannot thank you enough for helping with this because I've been trying to figure this out for a long time before posting on the forums.