Using Cable Modem/Router as Modem Only

[parsley007]

Hi, I currently have a DSL modem connected in bridge mode to a Linksys E3000 running DD-WRT. Been running great for a while.

However, I am switching to Cable Internet. A friend gave me a Zoom 5350 http://www.zoomtel.com/techsupport/cable/5350.html to use. However, he said the wireless was flaky. Since I have a solid wireless router, I would like to use the Zoom 5350 as a modem only.

Looking in the config for the modem, I don't see any option for bridging except for Wireless bridging with other clients.

To make it work, I believe I need to do the following configuration (modified from http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/33700-42-ultimate-modem-router-setup-thread). I just didn't know if this would work, or if there is an easier better way:

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Modem Configuration

Step 1: Firstly connect an Ethernet cable directly from your Router's (E3000) WAN port to a LAN port on the Modem
Step 2: Connect an Ethernet cable from the Modem to your pc.
Step 3: Open up the configuration page of your Modem/Router (Zoom)
Step 4: Change the subnet to 192.168.0/24, you will then have to browse to 192.168.0.1 to load up the configuration page again, if you indeed had to actually change the subnet.
Step 5: Go to LAN IP setup or otherwise called Static DHCP, where you can assign a static IP to an attached device
Step 6: Next, because the Router(E3000) is connected to the modem, set a Static IP for the E3000's WAN port to something in the Modems DHCP address range e.g 192.168.0.2
Step 7: Next turn wireless off
Step 8: Setup DNS servers
Step 9: Turn your firewall and NAT off
Step 10: Turn DHCP off

Thats the steps complete for configuring your Modem, after this point, you cannot connect a device directly to the modem unless you force an IP to be assigned, as DHCP is off.

Disconnect all ethernet cables, and run one Ethernet cable from your PC straight to a LAN port of the Router(E3000)

Router Configuration (E3000)

The router is going to handle DHCP, Firewall and NAT and router functions, here are the steps:

Step 1: Open the E3000 configuration page
Step 2: Make sure DHCP is on
Step 3: Change the routers subnet to 192.168.1.1, then re-access the configuration page
Step 4: Set the DHCP range to 192.168.1.2 to 192.168.1.254
Step 5: Set the Primary and Secondary DNS to the IP of your Modem (In this case, 192.168.0.1)

Thats pretty much it for the configuration of the Router, so run an Ethernet cable from your Routers WAN port to a LAN port on your modem (Netgear)

Restart Router and Modem, and check to see if everything works
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Thanks for reading, and any input!

 

[VirtualLarry]

That's not quite a true bridge setup, as it does double-NAT (unless you put the second router in the DMZ of the first), but it should work for most things.

 

[s44]

Looks like adding the router to the "Rg PassThrough" list of the modem (user manual p.41) should let you turn off the double NAT.

 

[code65536]

That's not quite a true bridge setup, as it does double-NAT (unless you put the second router in the DMZ of the first), but it should work for most things.

Um, he turned off NAT and DHCP on the modem device. Effectively, it's a bridge.

 

[parsley007]

Thanks guys. I'll probably put the MAC of the E3000 in the "Rg PassThrough" table, and test my devices.

A few more questions:

1) For all of my static IP client devices (PC, Xbox One, etc) they would all be configured with 192.168.1.1 (The E3000 Router) as their gateway and 192.168.0.1 (The Modem/Router Combo) as their DNS Servers?

2) For my Xbox One, to remove the strict NAT I currently place it in the DMZ on my E3000. Would I need to add the MAC of it to the "Rg Passthrough" table on the Modem/Router Combo as well? Or would it continue to function fine since it's already in the DMZ for the passed through E3000?

3) They're activating the cable on Friday. To ensure it's working while the tech's here, I was just going to reset the Cable/Modem to default and hook my PC up wired to ensure I could get online. Then I was going to configure it into my setup. I figure once the MAC is registered with Comcast, even if I hard reset, I still should be connected with it.