ADSL/Cable routers
 

Hi,

Is it possible to buy a wireless router that would work with both ADSL (as I understand = based on the phone line) broadband and the cable one. My friend has an ADSL broadband (TalkTalk) and needs a wireless router, however, in a few months he will be switching to a cable broadband internet (VirginMedia). So he doesn't want to buy 2 separate wireless routers. Is there a generic one, or any kind of switch?

thanks

Wireless routers simply have Ethernet WAN and LAN ports, you can connect them to anything you want. It doesn't matter what sort of Internet connection he has or will have later on.

The router will probably advertise itself as a Cable/DSL router. It will have support for dailing the DSL modem. Using Cable it simply uses a DHCP client on the WAN side to get an internet IP address. The wireless Linksys router is one example. I'm sure there are others.

To add some clarification... There are routers and modem/router devices. A plain router can be used with either cable or ADSL. A modem/router combination is usually ADSL or cable but not both (AFAIK).

thanks for the replies:

So I gather this one will work with both, won't it?

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/48546

thanks

That one should work fine. Make sure the first thing you do is disable uPNP. Set it up so that you can only configure the router from one of the switch ports.

Hello sycamorex

The WGR614 is a Router and a Switch, it will certainly work with cable in this country because I've seen them used, but as it stands it will not work with ADSL over a phone line.

To work with UK ADSL it needs a modem and you will either have to have one of those with an ethernet output to interface with the WGR614 or you will need something like the DG834/834G which includes a modem.

Up until recently, most of the UK broadband providers supplied a USB modem for connecting to the 'phone line and there is no way to interface that with the WGR614.

There is also no way to bypass the modem on the DG834 so that you can use it with cable.

I should say that I have a DG834 here controlling my broadband access and I'm pressing a WGR614 into service as a wireless access point so I have experience of both of the pieces of hardware.

I've never actually seen a device that contains a modem in front of the router/switch and yet gives you the opportunity to bypass it.

Good luck in your search though and please post back if you find one, it will be useful knowledge.

Thanks for your replies,

Sorry, I don't fully understand what you mean by that:(

I might have not been clear - the ADSL broadband connection that he uses now is equipped with a modem with an ethernet type of output, so I didn't mean to connect the WGR614 directly into the phone line socket in the wall. Hence, I don't need anything like DG834. Am I right?


So just to make sure, because I am not very experienced with routers/modems etc. Provided that I have a modem with an ethernet type of outpu on ADSL, the answer to my question is 'yes' :) - with WGR614 it can be done. right?

Anyway, this particular model was suggested to me, I am not going to insist on it, If there are any other ones that would better serve my purpose, I am happy to get them.

thanks for your help

Hello sycamorex

Yes, as you have an ethernet modem you can certainly use it in combination with the WGR614 to provide your service now and just the 614 when you do the move to cable.

How you set it up now will depend on just what capabilities the current modem provides.

If it does Network Address Translation (NAT) and provides an ip address to your friends machine it would be enough to just plug it into one of the four switch ports on the back of a WGR614 and temporarily disable it's onboard DHCP server. Otherwise you are just passing the signal through two routers.

If however it passes through the ip address allocated to you by your ISP then it will probably require you to use the facility of the router part of the WGR614 to control the modem.

I suppose what it comes down to is, are your friends logon details for the internet stored within the existing modem or on his machine.

I think what jschiwal meant was set up the WGR614 so that it can't be reconfigured from its wireless connection. It's a security risk. Though I confess I don't see such a facility on my 614. Still there are many versions of this particular piece of kit. At the least change the default configuration password to something more secure.

thanks for clearification

I recommend stay away from combo units that combine a router and a modem. Some routers may include USB to hook to modems, printers, or other USB devices.

Hook the modem to the Ethernet port that titles WAN or Internet. Depending on your xDSL, you need to set up PPPoE or other methods. If your xDSL provider uses proprietary software, you may have some problems.

If you are using two routers and they both have running DHCP serving services, you will need to disable one to reduce headaches. Disabling DHCP all together on your whole entire network, increases headaches. A DHCP server makes your life easier setting up network parameters and provide information to access the Internet.

Some routers does have a feature to limit changing settings and accessing file sharing from wireless. I suggest set this permission to stop these service for an increase security. Probably it is best to use openVPN to do such tasks because it provides tighter security protocols.