[SOLVED] DSL Westell 6100 with Linksys Router Port Forward Problem

[Slipgrid]

Greetings,

I have a Westell 6100 DSL Modem from Cincinnati Bell. I have a Linksys Router. I have an XP box, and I have a Red Hat 4.0 ES box, both connected by cable to the Linksys Router. The WAN port on the Linksys router is connected to the Modem, which has DHCP disabled, and is in bridge mode.

Westell 6100 -> 192.168.200.1 DHCP disabled, in bridge mode
Linksys -> 192.168.1.1
XP -> 192.168.1.100 assigned by DHCP
Redhat -> 192.168.1.150 static

DHCP rage is 192.168.1.100 to 192.168.1.125

Can access the Internet from both XP and Redhat.

Linksys forwards ports 80 (HTTP) and 22 (SSH) to Redhat and 3389 (Terminal Service) and 21 (FTP) to XP.

From the XP box, I can nav to 192.168.1.150, and see my website. The problem is the rest of the world can't access my site. I can't SSH from outside. I can't FTP to my home network. I can't SSH to my home network.

I used to have the Westell in routed mode, and I would forward the ports to Linksys, and have Linksys forward the ports to XP and Redhat. The world could see my website, but I couldn't see it on the local network.

Question: with Westell in bridge mode, and Linksys forwarding the ports, and my computer being able to access the Internet, and me being able to SSH and HTTP from XP to Redhat, why can't I access these from outside my network? What's blocking the world from seeing my website? Do I need to setup port forwarding on the Westell before I put it into bridge mode? How come, after I put Westell into bridge mode, I can no longer access the admin screen using 192.168.200.1?

Note, when I configure Westell, that is when I put it into bridge mode, it's connected to XP, with no Linksys between it. Once it's in bridge mode, I put the Linksys between it, and then release and renew the DHCP on it.

Note, I don't think it has anything to do with mac address cloning. Cincinnati Bell seems to allow you to connect anything to their service.

Help me out; I know you can do it.

Cheers!

[afisticuffs]

I work at the ZoomTown helpdesk. We strongly advise NOT to put the Westell 6100 into bridge mode. It breaks the back-end of the (our) network. Instead, we provide our customers with a Westell 6110, which is already in bridge mode. We do not carry these in the local CBT stores and are usually shipped out to our customer's via UPS.

Hope this helps.

[kubaton]

Originally Posted by afisticuffs

I work at the ZoomTown helpdesk. We strongly advise NOT to put the Westell 6100 into bridge mode. It breaks the back-end of the (our) network. Instead, we provide our customers with a Westell 6110, which is already in bridge mode.

What about the Westell 427v? We recently upgraded from the Cisco 675 to the Westell 427v. We also use a Linksys WRT54G for our wireless. The wall jack goes into the DSL jack on the Westell and the E1 jack on the Westell goes to the Internet jack on the Linksys. After I setup the Westell I could no longer VNC into my home computer (from work). I normally run the DynDNS updater on my home computer and then use UltraVNC to access it.

So I found how to access the Westell and put it into bridge mode and now it works. TIA

[afisticuffs]

We also strongly advise not to put the Westell 427 into bridge mode as well. This is currently unsupported by the ZoomTown Helpdesk. Meaning, we have no documentation on how to fix it or work with it if you have set it up that way OR are trying to set it up that way (into bridge mode).

And since we did not supply you with the Linksys router; If all else fails, call Linksys.

[johnwill]

What does Zoom have to do with this issue? Why would we care if you don't want the router configured for bridge mode?

FWIW, it's very common to do that very thing when you have a real router.

[afisticuffs]

If you look at the very first post on this issue, it was clearly stated by 'Slipgrid' that he had or has a Westell 6100 modem from Cincinnati Bell. Meaning that Cincinnati Bell, a telephone company that also provides internet service (FUSE). 'ZoomTown' is the high speed connection TO 'Fuse'.

All I was doing was letting that customer know what we do and do not support, with the modems that we provide to our customers, in case he were to run into some issues with whatever he was trying to do with his networking configuration.

[johnwill]

Well, if I knew that ZoomTown had anything to do with that ISP, that would be different, right? Perhaps you could have clarified why you were jumping in there and the connection to his service.

[afisticuffs]

Perhaps. All I did was google, 'Westell 6100', "linksys", "Cincinnati Bell", and "ZoomTown", and wanted to see if I could clarify anything that maybe one of our customers did or did not know.

[johnwill]

Originally Posted by afisticuffs

Perhaps. All I did was google, 'Westell 6100', "linksys", "Cincinnati Bell", and "ZoomTown", and wanted to see if I could clarify anything that maybe one of our customers did or did not know.

Right, but how in the world would I know to search on ZoomTown?

[afisticuffs]

Do what? Like I said, I was only trying to help out the customers or anybody who DOES have ZoomTown. Why would you doing a search on ZoomTown have to do with anything?

[johnwill]

Originally Posted by afisticuffs

Do what? Like I said, I was only trying to help out the customers or anybody who DOES have ZoomTown. Why would you doing a search on ZoomTown have to do with anything?

Are you trying to be obtuse? My point is that I had no idea about what Zoomtown was, and you provided no information, just started your response like we should know who the hell Zoomtown was. I can only react to the information provided, I'm not clairvoyant.

[afisticuffs]

Why do you have to react to anything that I was responding to Slipgrid and kubaton about? My response was directed towards Slipgrid and kubaton, not you. I started my response like THEY should know who they hell ZoomTown is because they have the equipment that we provided them. You just jumped in out of nowhere barging in interrogating like you're the internet thread police. wtf?

[jaspersk]

Originally Posted by afisticuffs

I work at the ZoomTown helpdesk. We strongly advise NOT to put the Westell 6100 into bridge mode. It breaks the back-end of the (our) network. Instead, we provide our customers with a Westell 6110, which is already in bridge mode. We do not carry these in the local CBT stores and are usually shipped out to our customer's via UPS.

Hope this helps.

How are Cincinnati Bell customers resolving this problem today? I was told by Cincinnati Bell you can no longer get the 6110 unless you sign up for a static ip.

Zoomtown help originally told me to call customer service when I asked for 6110. After holding for a very long time, they told me to call zoomtown help which is where I started. I called zoomtown help back a second time and was told a note would be put in my file to switch out my 6100 with 6110 and all I had to do was bring the 6100 into the store. I showed up at the store and was told the 6110 was discontinued. They called zoomtown help and had me talk to them for the 4th time. Zoomtown help told me I should have never been told to go to the store. The only way they could give me a 6110 was if I signed up for a static IP. They told me I could put the 6100 in bridge mode but it doesn't work with Zoomtown. Great?! Any ideas? Is there another modem that would work with Cincinnati Bell (even if it is unsupported)?

[afisticuffs]

Originally Posted by jaspersk

How are Cincinnati Bell customers resolving this problem today? I was told by Cincinnati Bell you can no longer get the 6110 unless you sign up for a static ip.

Zoomtown help originally told me to call customer service when I asked for 6110. After holding for a very long time, they told me to call zoomtown help which is where I started. I called zoomtown help back a second time and was told a note would be put in my file to switch out my 6100 with 6110 and all I had to do was bring the 6100 into the store. I showed up at the store and was told the 6110 was discontinued. They called zoomtown help and had me talk to them for the 4th time. Zoomtown help told me I should have never been told to go to the store. The only way they could give me a 6110 was if I signed up for a static IP. They told me I could put the 6100 in bridge mode but it doesn't work with Zoomtown. Great?! Any ideas? Is there another modem that would work with Cincinnati Bell (even if it is unsupported)?

How long ago was this? I'm asking because we have recently updated our policy about giving out the Westell 6110's, as well as putting the Westell 6100 into bridge mode. Depending on what kind of connection you are on and coming out of in our network, you should be able to use the Westell 6100 into bridge mode, per say, by calling into the ZoomTown helpdesk. Depending on what you are trying to do that is. Are you a DDSL/Static IP customer? What were you trying to accomplish putting your Westell 6100 into bridge mode? We also provide wireless Westell's called the Westell Versalink and the Westell TriLink (which works with certain cell phones provided by Cincinnati Bell).

[jaspersk]

The discussion with the Zoomtown help desk has been over the last 2 months with the most recent call being yesterday. I was told yesterday that the 6100 could be put in bridge mode but it would not work with the Cincinnati Bell network.

The problem I have is that I need to access my computers remotely. I do not have a static IP address but use a dynamic dns service. At a minimum, my router needs to be able to report my DNS to my dynamic dns server which it can't do behind the 6100 as it is currently setup. But I also want to control port forwarding at my router/firewall, not at the modem. I believe bridge mode does all this for me but I am not a networking expert. I have attempted to put the 6100 in bridge mode but it looses the dsl connection when it reboots. It is certainly possible I just don't know how to set it up. I used the procedure that looks like what you see at the following link, except the Zoomtown setup is 'routed bridge' and I tried setting it to bridge (as well as turning off the private DHCP server).

http://www.lava.net/support/Westell_...allation_Guide

This has been a problem since I switched my service from Embarq (previously Sprint) to Cincinnati Bell. Sprint had a procedure that worked well to bridge their modem and that was their standard for anyone that had their own router. If I can't get this fixed, I'll probably have to switch back to Embarq which is a pain.

I am currently buying a used 6110 in hopes that the Zoomtown help desk still supports them for customers that don't have a static IP and will be able to help me put that in bridge mode since. It seems that the helpdesk can't help me with the 6100 or I just haven't talked with the right person yet.

Thank you so much for reply!! I know everyone praises the Zoomtown helpdesk but on this particular issue I get different answers each time I call and it has been frustrating. It is so helpful to get a reply from you since you seem to be able to provide a little bit more explanation then I was able to get on the phone. Maybe I need to call when you are working. :) If you can tell me how to put the 6100 in bridge mode and still make it work with the Zoomtown network, you would solve all my problems.

[johnwill]

With all the problems with Zoomtown and their reluctance to solve what is a simple issue, maybe it's time to change ISP providers.