Virtual DMZ the solution?

Larsson24 · March 13, 2016

Hello forum people!

Background:
I only have access to 4G Internet and therefore have a D-Link DWR-923 router. This is not a very new router and lacks some features I want, such as wireless ac and possibly even jumbo frames (I have a unraid server) and more features.
However, I have a new Asus rc ac68u which has many more features, including a better QoS and above mention features.

In the current situation DWR 923 tuned in as usual, ie as a modem with NAT. (Sorry if I use the words wrong). Asus rc ac68u is setup as an acces point. The problem is that all functions will disappear from the Asus router when enabling this option. All my devices are connected to the Asus router and all wireless devices also connect to the Asus router. There is only one cable in the dwr-923 and it is the one that goes to the Asus router.

Problem:
I would like my DWR-923 receive Internet through 4g but leave it untouched for my asus rc ac68u. I think i mean that I want to use the asus router as NAT/DHCP? I may be using those words (NAT/DHCP) wrong. But I do not want this to creates problems such as double firewalls or similar.

Possible Solution?:

Can you use the DMZ? I read this online; the DMZ (demilitarized zone) is a common feature of the router that allow to chose one client to which all traffic is plain forwarded.

Sounds like what I'm looking for but not sure? Dwr-923 only has something called "Virtual DMZ" and the explanation for this on the router page is; Virtual DMZ function lets you specify a DMZ Host IP to Redirect request to Virtual DMZ Host.

On the page I can fill in the "IP Address of DMZ Host".

Benergy · March 13, 2016

29 minutes ago, Larsson24 said:

Hello forum people!

Hi

Your DLink router should hopefully have a 'modem' mode, turning off all router features and just acting as a bridge between the internet and your Asus router.

You would then simply run an ethernet cable from the DLink router to the Asus router's blue WAN port (sometimes the modem router has a specific ethernet port you have to use, e.g. the Virgin Superhub 2 requires you to use only the topmost port - the DLink's manual should help you find out).

Then the Asus router should detect the connection as if it's an 'outside line'.

The AC68u has an autoconfiguration wizard for setting up your internet connection, so it'd probably be safest to let it just do that.

If this all works well, your DLink router should be just a modem, and your Asus router should act as a standard router connected directly to the internet.

Larsson24 · March 13, 2016

Hello and thanks for the reply.
Under the advanced setting there is a menu called NAT. Here I can choose either NAT- or Bridgemode. The default is NAT-mode and it is selected now. A submenu for this NAT menu is virtual DMZ. I can not find any setting that would change the DWR-923 to the modem.

Benergy · March 13, 2016

10 minutes ago, Larsson24 said:

Hello and thanks for the reply.
Under the advanced setting there is a menu called NAT. Here I can choose either NAT- or Bridgemode. The default is NAT-mode and it is selected now. A submenu for this NAT menu is virtual DMZ. I can not find any setting that would change the DWR-923 to the modem.

NAT Bridge mode miiiiight just be what we're looking for.

NAT is Network Address Translation, so when your PC (who's local IP address is 192.168.0.20 for example) and your phone (who's local address is 192.168.0.25 for example) connects to Google, to Google it looks like all the traffic is coming from your router (who's WAN ip address would be something different e.g. 8.8.8.8) rather than each individual device. So basically it's a bridge between your local network and the internet.

If you were to use bridge mode, the router wouldn't perform that function, instead allowing each device to connect directly to the internet with their own IP (this wouldn't work well in a home setup with a single WAN IP as only one device could connect).

However, if the only device connected to the DLink when it's in bridge mode is the Asus router, the Asus router would take on the WAN IP and provide the NAT for the network, with the DLink being a completely passive bridge. So basically switch to bridge mode, then connect an ethernet cable from the DLink router to the blue WAN port on the Asus router.

Larsson24 · March 13, 2016

Stupid name. I thought this was a bridge mode that made it linked together two routers wirelessly. But since its under the NAT menu your explanation seams better. I have been searching a little more and in other D-Link routers, for example dwr-921, there is a setting that I have not, Transparent bridge. But they may just have changed the name and place for it in my router? Can not find the Maunal on this router! It came with my broadband. Will test this tonight. .

Benergy · March 13, 2016

4 minutes ago, Larsson24 said:

Stupid name. I thought this was a bridge mode that made it linked together two routers wirelessly. But since its under the NAT menu your explanation seams better. I have been searching a little more and in other D-Link routers, for example dwr-921, there is a setting that I have not, Transparent bridge. But they may just have changed the name and place for it in my router? Can not find the Maunal on this router! It came with my broadband. Will test this tonight. .

Here have a present

http://setuprouter.com/router/dlink/dwr-923/manual-72.pdf

I believe the NAT bridge setting should work.