| How do I turn my Verizon 9100EM Router into a "Bridge" ? I recently got FIOS internet installed (not TV, just internet). I want to keep my Linksys WRT350N router (with all the current network settings).
Is there a way to simply turn off all the features of the FIOS router/modem and just pass the internet connection over to my existing Linksys router?
There are instructions on how do this for the ACTIONTEC router. However, I have the newer "Verizon 9100EM Westell UltraLine Series3". As a result, the instructions don't match up exactly. The router admin screens on the Westell are different than the screens on the Actiontec.
Can someone post intructions and screenshots? I would be so appreciative - I will send you $10 via PayPal for your time (and expertese). Seriously.
Please assist and thank you.
Scott
scottpet at hotmail dot com |
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 birdfeedrPremium,MVM
join:2001-08-11
Warwick, RI
kudos:5
2 edits | Send me the Westell, and I'll send you an Actiontec. 
There's lots of people who'd like to get their hands on that puppy. "For testing purposes", of course.
There's not too many of them in circulation yet, and screen shots are hard to come by. Might be easier for you to post screen shots, especially where the Westell differs from the bridging instructions. |
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 More FiberPremium,MVM
join:2005-09-26
West Chester, PA
kudos:18 | reply to scottpet
If you're willing to try following the instructions and let us know where you run in to differences, we'll try to help.
This isn't the first request. The other poster that wanted to do this ended up switching to ethernet.
»Anyone using the new Westell Router, as a bridge w/ FiOS TV? |
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 sashwaPixie Cat Crunchin' n Foldin'Premium,Mod
join:2001-01-29
Alcatraz
kudos:14
 ·Comcast
Host:
DSL Extreme
Windstream
Westell
Belkin
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| reply to scottpet
Scott, welcome to the site and our Verizon Fiber Optics forum. All help in the forum and on the site is gladly given for free.
Other than me, there are some good people around here to help you.
--
TH ~ NE ~ EPN ~ NC ~ TD |
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birdfeedrPremium,MVM
join:2001-08-11
Warwick, RI
kudos:5 | said by sashwa:Scott, welcome to the site and our Verizon Fiber Optics forum. All help in the forum and on the site is gladly given for free. Other than me, there are some good people around here to help you. One or two, maybe ten, ya think? 
Scott, if you're thinking you want to bridge the Westell for a specific reason, what is it? I'm asking because it's fairly new in Verizon's inventory, and not enough of us have seen it long enough to know what its weaknesses are.
Which is sort of why my tongue-in-cheek response earlier.
If all you want to do is retain your Linksys settings, then you can consider placing it as secondary to the Westell by connecting the Linksys WAN to a Westell LAN. Most normal web applications can handle the double-NAT.
You will need to set the Westell to hand out different LAN IP addresses than the Linksys LAN. Say the Linksys is already using 192.168.1.1, then you can set the Westell to 192.168.0.1
Can't tell you how to get there, but if it is similar to the Actiontec, you'll look for Network Settings, or LAN Settings or something similar. You'll also be looking for Wireless settings to turn that off as well. |
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| reply to scottpet
I've tried to do remotely and only succeeded in disabling internet for the user. If I was local I would have tried.
1. Turn off WIFI
2. Turn off DHCP server
3. Under "My Network", "Network Connections", "Network (home/office), Bridging.
From here I would have like to tried unchecking the wifi and checking the broadband coax. But I am 1000 miles away from the router and any disconnect this would have caused would mean a hard RESET to factory defaults and walking a newbie through re-setup over the phone. Which is a risk I wasn't going to take. If anyone can try this on the 9100EM and let me know the results I'd love to know what the outcome was. |
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| reply to scottpet
I am going to do some screen captures and post them here so that folks can see what the Westell router settings look like. I've tried a few changes to settings but I haven't been success in turning it into a bridge.
I'll post the screens, settings and instructions of what I've done thus far in the day or two.
Hopefully someone reading my post will know what to do with a few of these router setting within the admin console.
Scott |
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| reply to scottpet
If you have access to the ONT, why not simply run some cat 5 to the Linksys router and post in the Verizon direct forum to have the internet switched from MOCA (Coax) to Cat 5, once they do the switch you should get an IP address and you can move your computers from the Westell to the Linksys. Since you do not have TV you do not need the Westell router hooked up at all. |
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More FiberPremium,MVM
join:2005-09-26
West Chester, PA
kudos:18 | reply to scottpet
Scott,
Try using the instructions for the bridging the Actiontec here with your Westell.
»Make your actiontec a bridge with VOD working with REV D
Let us know where you get stuck, or where the instructions don't match up. The two routers are very similar, but there are some differences. The names of the interfaces are slightly different, but you should be able to figure out which is which.
I have the Westell user manual, so I don;t need every screenshot. However, not all the screens (especially the advanced ones) are in the user manual.
flashcore  's suggestion to run cat5 is of course an option. I you're willing, I'd like to try and adapt the instructions for the Westell. |
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 aaronwtPremium
join:2004-11-07
Woodbridge, VA
 ·Verizon FiOS
3 edits | reply to birdfeedr
said by birdfeedr:said by sashwa:Scott, welcome to the site and our Verizon Fiber Optics forum. All help in the forum and on the site is gladly given for free. Other than me, there are some good people around here to help you. One or two, maybe ten, ya think? Scott, if you're thinking you want to bridge the Westell for a specific reason, what is it? I'm asking because it's fairly new in Verizon's inventory, and not enough of us have seen it long enough to know what its weaknesses are. Which is sort of why my tongue-in-cheek response earlier. If all you want to do is retain your Linksys settings, then you can consider placing it as secondary to the Westell by connecting the Linksys WAN to a Westell LAN. Most normal web applications can handle the double-NAT. You will need to set the Westell to hand out different LAN IP addresses than the Linksys LAN. Say the Linksys is already using 192.168.1.1, then you can set the Westell to 192.168.0.1 Can't tell you how to get there, but if it is similar to the Actiontec, you'll look for Network Settings, or LAN Settings or something similar. You'll also be looking for Wireless settings to turn that off as well. this is the easiest way and just set up a DMZ for the IP that the Westell gives your Lynksys.
I have my Actiontec and Dlink connected this way with zero problems. No NAT table issues, no reboot issues. it works perfectly and never needs to be rebooted. Even when uploading a Torrent at 20mbs for several days straight and running 3 VUDU boxes with P2P 24/7 and with 40 total devices on my network periodcially accessing the internet. |
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| reply to More Fiber
said by More Fiber:Scott, Try using the instructions for the bridging the Actiontec here with your Westell. » Make your actiontec a bridge with VOD working with REV DLet us know where you get stuck, or where the instructions don't match up. The two routers are very similar, but there are some differences. The names of the interfaces are slightly different, but you should be able to figure out which is which. I have the Westell user manual, so I don;t need every screenshot. However, not all the screens (especially the advanced ones) are in the user manual. flashcore 's suggestion to run cat5 is of course an option. I you're willing, I'd like to try and adapt the instructions for the Westell. I just got FIOS as well and was wanting to convert my 9100EM into a bridge too. My reasons are because I use a linksys VPN router and log into it using my Dynamic DNS name to find my IP address. The 9100EM doesn't appear to support DynDNS. I realize I could make my router the DMZ, but then I have to track my IP address and hope it doesn't change while I am gone from home. I would resort to the cat5 from the ONT option if MOCA for the STBs still works and I just can't find a way to get the 9100EM to bridge.
I tried the ActionTec instructions above and here are some of the initial differences I have seen. Also, while this may seem obvious to most of you, bridging, in practice, is new to me:
Step 5) "Then immediately after select No IP Address under Internet Protocol"
There was an option to release the IP Address, but no option for 'No IP Address' here. the only place I could find this was under the Network (Home/Office) connection where it assigned itself an IP address and the DCHP server.
Step 9) "Under Bridge Section, Check the Broadband Connection (Coax) box and Check the STP Box on the right as well"
Step 10) Uncheck the Coax and Wireless Connections and associated STP boxes
This part is unclear to me. Step 7 and 8 are intuitive. At the list of connections I can click 'Advanced' and see the existing bridge 'Network (Home/Office)' and the pieces it is bridging. The listing is Coax, Switched Ethernet, and Wireless. The only place I see STBs is when I click the details of 'Switched Ethernet' as an IP range is saved for them. I definitely need some help in this area. Seems like I should be able to completely delete this bridge and create a new one or reconfigure this bridge to do what I was looking for.
Step 15) Creating a new bridge and select Broadband Ethernet and Coax, Uncheck Wireless
When I create the new bridge, it tells me that one already exists and asks to either edit its properties or create a new one, but a bridge can't bridge to another bridge. So if I create a new one, there is only one checkbox option and that is 'Broadband Coax'. From there I can go to the properties of it.
So this is where my troubles lie. I think I am starting to understand more what needs to happen, but I am obviously not following the right sequence or set of steps. I will play with it some more and try posting my steps perhaps with some pictures. At least to give some context.
thanks for listening. |
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| said by blaylock:I just got FIOS as well and was wanting to convert my 9100EM into a bridge too. My reasons are because I use a linksys VPN router and log into it using my Dynamic DNS name to find my IP address. The 9100EM doesn't appear to support DynDNS. I found support in the 9100EM for DynDNS here:
>Advanced >Personal Domain Name (Dynamic DNS) >New Dynamic DNS Entry
There's support for DynDNS, No-IP, TZO, and EasyDNS. It's been working for my DynDNS account. |
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More FiberPremium,MVM
join:2005-09-26
West Chester, PA
kudos:18
3 edits | reply to blaylock
BaitFish posted the path to the Personal DNS Settings. You could of course run the DynDNS updater on a PC, but no need to do that when the router will do it for you.
Step 5) We're trying to prevent the Westell from acquiring a new WAN DHCP lease once we've released the current lease. The NETWORK (H/O) bridge is the LAN side and is not the correct place.
So lets try the following:
If you go to My Network->Network Connections->Broadband Connection (coax)->Configure Connection, you should see a QUICK SETUP button. Unfortunately, the manual only shows a screenshot of this for ethernet, not coax. However, they should be similar.
Quick setup (for ethernet):
Uncheck the continuous autoprotocol detection. In either the PROTOCOL MODE or BROADBAND DETECT pulldown, you should see an option to not pull an IP address.
Step 9,10)I think you're confusing STP and STB. STP refers to Spanning Tree Protocol.
We're trying to do two things here:
a) Remove the COAX LAN from the NETWORK (H/O) bridge. The COAX LAN will get added to the second bridge.
b) Add the BROADBAND CONNECTION (COAX) to the NETWORK (H/O) bridge.
If you go to MY NETWORK->NETWORK CONNECTIONS, then click on NETWORK (H/O), you should see NETWORK (H/O) PROPERTIES and BRIDGING should appear in the left menu. Click on BRIDGING. This is where the manual stops, but you should be able to figure out how to accomplish (a) and (b).
If there's an option to enable Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), you will want to enable that. You also may find it less confusing to rename this bridge to "Coax WAN to Ethernet Bridge" since this bridge has changed in purpose.
Step 15) If you didn't remove the COAX LAN from the first bridge in steps 9 and 10, it would be available here to add into the new bridge. It may help clairfy things to name this bridge "Ethernet LAN to Coax LAN Bridge". You want to end up with two interfaces in this new bridge.
a) The ethernet WAN port
b) The coax LAN port
c) If you want to use the wireless section of the Actiontec, you would move the wireless interface to this bridge also.
I hope this helps. Would appreciate your posting back with any clarifications so that a new acurate FAQ can be created for the Westell. |
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| Thanks for the information.
Last night after posting I logged into my friends ActionTec router and took a look at the screens and captured some of his settings to make sense of the steps from the linked ActionTec Bridge Rev D document. That and your post is making this clearer for me. I realized last night what the two bridges were for and tried to make two bridges, Broadband COAX and Ethernet Switch -- that does not get an IP address or run DHCP -- and the other bridge for local COAX and Broadband Ethernet -- to serve the STBs.
I did not know what STP was for and saw that in the bridge section of the Network (Home/Office) area.
The biggest problem for me appears that the UI will not let me split up the Broadband Ethernet and COAX. When I look at the Bridge section (where I would check 'Broadband Coax' and its STP button), the only line item for Broadband lists both 'Ethernet and MOCA' on one line and always gives me both in the bridge.
Perhaps your directions for the Quick Setup of the Broadband Coax will help to break these two and make them individually selectable.
On an side note, a nice feature of the Westell 9100em is its Operations Summary that shows all of the components and their current configuration. It shows the bridge, the switch, etc. and all of its details.
Also I have been reading the configuration data that you can use to backup or restore settings. If all else fails through the UI, I think it would be possible to hand modify the configuration file and reload it. As long as it honored the configuration (and it was correct), it seems like it should work.
For now I will try the steps that you suggested and see if I can make these two bridges function properly.
Last Questions:
1. While examining the config text I see that 'Network (Home/Office)' links to config entry 'locigal_network(2)' and WAN links to config entry 'logical_network(1)'. Do these have any meaning or are they a way to group components?
2. Does my router need to clone the MAC of the Westell? I thought it might if my service with Verizon was based on the modem's (broadband coax) MAC.
Thanks, |
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birdfeedrPremium,MVM
join:2001-08-11
Warwick, RI
kudos:5 | said by blaylock:Also I have been reading the configuration data that you can use to backup or restore settings. If all else fails through the UI, I think it would be possible to hand modify the configuration file and reload it. As long as it honored the configuration (and it was correct), it seems like it should work. Warning: an error in an edited config file may brick the router. If it fails to boot and initialize because of that error, there's no way to recover from it short of sending it back to be reprogrammed.
Someone a little while ago did just that by ignoring the limits on a IP address. That one was done in ignorance.
A typo will brick a router just as quickly. |
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More FiberPremium,MVM
join:2005-09-26
West Chester, PA
kudos:18
3 edits | reply to blaylock
said by blaylock:Also I have been reading the configuration data that you can use to backup or restore settings. If all else fails through the UI, I think it would be possible to hand modify the configuration file and reload it. As long as it honored the configuration (and it was correct), it seems like it should work. For now I will try the steps that you suggested and see if I can make these two bridges function properly. Last Questions: 1. While examining the config text I see that 'Network (Home/Office)' links to config entry 'locigal_network(2)' and WAN links to config entry 'logical_network(1)'. Do these have any meaning or are they a way to group components? 2. Does my router need to clone the MAC of the Westell? I thought it might if my service with Verizon was based on the modem's (broadband coax) MAC. Reading the configuration file can be helpful in understanding how the features in the router are organized. However, I would strongly discourage you from editing the config file. As birdfeedr pointed out, errors in the config file can brick your router. There is also a known problem with the Actiontec firmware and bridging configurations. The bridge information is not saved to the config file correctly, so it not restored after a power failure. I don't know if this has been corrected in the Westell. Both the Westell and Actiontec are based on Jungo Open-RG. i.e. If the firmware can't save the bridging configuration correctly, your chances of doing so correctly are pretty slim.
1) The locigal_network() entries in the config file correspond to the group level entities you see on the Network Connections screen, such as Network (Home/Office).
2) For the first (WAN) bridge to operate correctly in pass-through mode, it is imperative that the Westell release and not reacquire a WAN IP address. This is what we are trying to accomplish in step 5. If the Westell does not release (or immediately reacquires) the WAN IP address, your router will not be able to obtain a WAN DHCP address.
edit:
If you could post a screen shot of the bridging screen, I may be able to give you more specific instructions. |
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| I tried the Quick Setup and captured a bunch of screen shots. I have them in a word doc and wasn't sure if it was appropriate to post a lot of pictures. Is there another location I should or an email address that I could send the word document to?
Thanks, |
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More FiberPremium,MVM
join:2005-09-26
West Chester, PA
kudos:18 | email address sent via IM |
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| reply to scottpet
One of the guys listed a simple solution which worked for me. I'm using Netgear WNR3500 with a desktop, homeserver, PS3 and laptop connected to it. I placed the Netgear router in the DMZ by its IP (as given by 9100EM)(should be safe as the 9100EM handles traffic security) and voila - it worked. The only other step was to connect the LAN 1 to WAN on the netgear (beforehand of course). Everything works nicely, and speeds are exactly at advertised levels ~19.5 down and 5.5 up (20/5 package). VOD, widgets and even remote DVR all work. I did not have to change any single setting on my netgear, except that when I logged-in into it, it announced that it automatically changed its IP to 10.0.0.1 to avoid conflicts with other router - pretty cool in my opinion. The only other change on the 9100EM was to disable wireless.
Good luck,
Szymon |
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