Accessing a router settings ?

Thread Starter

Externet

Joined Nov 29, 2005
2,201
Hi.
How to access a router 'behind' a modem, from the laptop ?

upload_2018-2-16_21-5-46.png

The router is supposed to allow access entering 192.168.2.1 on the laptop browser. Does it have to be via wireless ?
Can it be via the ethernet cable ?
The modem has another 192.168..... 'address' and is accessible via ethernet cable.
 

Thread Starter

Externet

Joined Nov 29, 2005
2,201
Thanks.
Does the router "internet" port connects to the laptop "ethernet" port only for entering the admin settings ???
and then; for normal use, what is the correct way to interconnect them ?
The modem has 4 ethernet ports.
One is connected to the laptop. Works great.
Another to the Wifi router "internet" port below.
Two unused.



The Dell 1184 Wifi router has no Lan ports used. Only Wifi for a surveillance camera.
 

LesJones

Joined Jan 8, 2017
4,174
I agree with weyneh that the laptop network port should be connected to the router. Are you sure that the "modem" is only a modem and does not also behave as a router ? If the laptop works connected directly to the modem (Without the router connected.) then the modem is probably behaving a DHCP server. (issuing local IP addresses.)

Les.
 

wayneh

Joined Sep 9, 2010
17,496
Does the router "internet" port connects to the laptop "ethernet" port only for entering the admin settings ???
In a typical cable-internet system, the coax cable goes into the modem and the ethernet output goes to your router. There may be some way to connect directly to the modem, bypassing the router, but that is not for typical routine usage. Most cable companies configure your modem remotely, so it would be very unusual for you to connect to it and modify the settings. Not impossible, just not normal.
Update - You can connect a computer to the modem using one of those ethernet ports and that should be OK although you lose any firewall features your router offers.
The Dell 1184 Wifi router has no Lan ports used. Only Wifi for a surveillance camera.
The "internet" port on the router is the one facing the cable modem. The others are all for the local LAN, as is the wireless LAN. If you want to administer that router, connect to it through wifi or one of those LAN ports. The LAN ports can be more effective if you're making changes to the wifi settings, since you'll have to re-establish a connection every time you change the wifi. It's faster over a hard connection. But you can do (almost?) everything over wireless.
 
Last edited:

#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
Does the router "internet" port connects to the laptop "ethernet" port only for entering the admin settings ???
The way I see it, the router is a distributor. It distributes internet service through the air if you use the pass word and it distributes internet service through its ethernet ports without a pass word.

The administrative page is inside the router, disguised as a website. You can, "go" to the admin page by typing in its address. It doesn't matter whether you go through the air with a pass word or plug into a cable port without a password. You can interact with the admin page and the admin page changes settings in the router.

My modem has ethernet holes. I could pretend it was a router if I just put my computer in the laundry room and plugged in with an ethernet cable. Your modem might not have ethernet holes.

and yes, wayneh said most of this 2 minutes ago.
 

Thread Starter

Externet

Joined Nov 29, 2005
2,201
Thanks. Confirming, the modem has no WiFi enabled. That is why the router is added, and works fine for Wifi cell smartphones at home, or when someone visits with a Wifi laptop to hook the internet. Connected as in post #1.

I only need to change router settings as an attempt to make a surveillance Wifi camera work.

Is the suggested connection then,

Internetprovider----------------cablein|modem|ethernet-----------------internetjack|router|LAN-----------------laptop

for administrating settings only, then return to connections as post n#1 ?


===============================================================================

And,
How is this possible? I did NOT post that last line in the insert below !

upload_2018-2-17_14-5-54.png
 

Thread Starter

Externet

Joined Nov 29, 2005
2,201
Thanks, #12.
The way I see it, the modem is also a distributor trough its ethernet ports.

The Wifi router is off (unpowered) until needed. The modem manual shows no instructions for using/connecting an external router.
 

wayneh

Joined Sep 9, 2010
17,496
The Wifi router is off (unpowered) until needed. The modem manual shows no instructions for using/connecting an external router.
It's quite possible your cable modem has a router built-in. In fact it appears that it must, just not a wireless one. That obviously works fine but I'd say your drawing in #8 is the more typical arrangement. My last two cable modems had only a single outlet port for ethernet, clearly meant for a router. But if you can hook directly into the modem, that's fine.

To administer the wireless router, you must be downstream on its LAN. I don't think you can reach through from the WAN side and alter it. That would be a security problem, although as I said, cable companies can do that with your cable modem.
 

Reloadron

Joined Jan 15, 2015
7,501
It's quite possible your cable modem has a router built-in. In fact it appears that it must, just not a wireless one. That obviously works fine but I'd say your drawing in #8 is the more typical arrangement. My last two cable modems had only a single outlet port for ethernet, clearly meant for a router. But if you can hook directly into the modem, that's fine.

To administer the wireless router, you must be downstream on its LAN. I don't think you can reach through from the WAN side and alter it. That would be a security problem, although as I said, cable companies can do that with your cable modem.
That is my case. Previously I had the usual cable modem (Motorola Surfboard) and now we have an Arris Cable Modem TG862 where the cable modem also serves as a gateway as well as a wireless and wired router and also the telephone. Sort of an all in one. So it really comes down to what you have. My Arris and the old Linksys are both available using a local IP address from any browser be it a wired or wireless system. The Linksys is in the loop for some accesible devices I have on there which are web accessible also for screwing around with devices like using an Arduino with the Ethernet shield.

Ron
 

shteii01

Joined Feb 19, 2010
4,644
The fact that modem has 4 ethernet ports tells me that the modem has router functionality built in.
So.
The next question is. Does the modem have an antenna?
(Because, if it does, then modem has wifi built in also...)
 

Thread Starter

Externet

Joined Nov 29, 2005
2,201
As in post #8, the modem/gateway/router/whatever is called has Wifi disabled, non-functional.
No external antenna. Only ethernet connectivity and works well.
 

shteii01

Joined Feb 19, 2010
4,644
As in post #8, the modem/gateway/router/whatever is called has Wifi disabled, non-functional.
No external antenna. Only ethernet connectivity and works well.
Ok.
The second problem you will have is that NORMALLY router provides DHCP service to the LAN. Right now you are looking at having two routers. For LAN, you MUST have ONLY one DHCP service. So. You need to decide which router will provide DHCP service.
 

Thread Starter

Externet

Joined Nov 29, 2005
2,201
Thank you. In reality, first problem I have is to understand the extensive vomitive letter soup. It drives me crazy forgetting what they meant and what they do two minutes later, finding multiple words for same meaning. :eek::rolleyes:o_O
DHCP 'server' is in this case, the modem ? But the router does it also ? And it does on LAN or on wireless, or any ?
 

GopherT

Joined Nov 23, 2012
8,009
Thank you. In reality, first problem I have is to understand the extensive vomitive letter soup. It drives me crazy forgetting what they meant and what they do two minutes later, finding multiple words for same meaning. :eek::rolleyes:o_O
DHCP 'server' is in this case, the modem ? But the router does it also ? And it does on LAN or on wireless, or any ?
DHCP is the method that each device gets an Internet Protocol (IP) address. Since you want your devices to find an available address from 0-255 in your sub domain by themselves without assigning one to each.

With your daisy chained routers, you may be creating two layers of sub domain and causing problems. You may want to set your router to ACCESS POINT mode and let your cable modem route traffic and your Router just serve as a WiFi access. That way, all internet traffic and IP addresses are assigned by one router.
 

bertus

Joined Apr 5, 2008
22,270
Hello,

When you have access to the router, there must be a page for the connected devices.
Here is a partial screenshot of my Netgear router:

Netgear_connected_devices.png

Bertus
 

AngryPlum

Joined Jul 24, 2013
1
@shteii01 is on the money.

both devices are routers. with the "modem" (1st device) already doing the required routing for internet access and hosting a DHCP server, all you really needed was a Wifi Access Point. Instead you have a WAN/cable Wifi Router.

This fix is simpler than port forwarding/virtual server setup (to port 80 of the 2nd router's local ip address)

first. write down your current ip address when connected to the 1st router. default gateway as well.

next plug your network cable into the 2nd router.

log into that router's settings. go to it's lan settings, assign an unused ip address to this router in the range of the first router's ip addresses (not the laptop or gateway ips) and disable the dhcp server. these settings are usually on the same page.

once this is completed save then restart the second router.

now plug the network cable on the 2nd router out of internet/WAN and into any of the 4 ethernet ports available.
also, you can plug your laptop back into the first router if you want to. makes no difference anymore.

you should have access to both routers' admin pages. the first one on the gateway ip and the second one on the ip that you set up on the second router.

lmk if you need a diagram, then i'll draw one quick
 
This has turned into "dense fog".

I have to access my modem directly. It has no wireless. To configure I have to set a fixed IP on my laptop and a fixed IP on the modem on the same subnet and connect. if it was 192.168.1.1 it would not be routeable. it's also configured in "bridge" mode and it only has one port. Since it's in "bridge" it's transparent to network traffic anyway. Since it's DSL, it needs no password or username (anything works).

Cable modems use the MAC address and a username/password to authenticate. Thus, replacing the router requires one to "clone" the new router with the MAC of the old router.

The router usually has a DHCP server built-in. This provides leaseable IP addresses for your local LAN. The pool range is defined in your router. Thus, it's very important that you have only one DHCP server. There are three private IP ranges. One s 192.168.x.y and the other is 10.x.y.z and one more. A home network shares a public IP address.

Thru NAT (Network address Translation) and Port Forwarding a request from 192.168.2.2 internally port 1000 becomes a request to say 1.1.1.1 port 80 (http), but say your IP has provided 2.2.2.2 as your "temporary" public address. the outgoing traffic gets modified so it appears it is coming from your router's IP address and router's MAC address. When the router sees it, it modifies the MAC address and the IP address.

When coming in from the outside. e.g. from www.whatismyip.com, you have to forward a stndard port like http (port 80) to any ONE and only one machine on your network.

Your ISP leases your public IP address. so it changes. This somewhat prevents you from running an http server at home and definately prevents you from running a mail server at home.

Dyndns.org can provide you a URL for your public IP address that won't change. I won;t get into the extra requirements for mail servers.

Some routers can be configured as repeaters and access points, but real "access points" have other options.

So, some routers can be configured as an access point with a fixed IP on your private LAN and it will have DHCP disabled, an get DHCP provided addresses from the "router",usually and be on the same LAN network.
e.g. router 192.168.1.1, computer 192.168.1.10 (acquired by DHCP), AP 192.168.1.150) fixed, 192.168.1.11 acquired via wireless and DHCP.

So, wired and wireless are on the same LAN. I can access the config page of the AP. Generally, you prevent public access to the config page of your internal devices.

So, strictly modems are harder. Modems in bridge mode is harder yet.

The functions of the devices blurr.
1. Router
2. Switch
3. Hub
4. Access point
5. Media Bridge/Modem
6. DHCP server
7. Wireless access Point
 
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