Re: Convert old modem to ethernet switch

[Alan Smith]

Update and problem re-defined - - -

There are many web and YouTube references on how to re-purpose an old 
modem/router as an ethernet switch.  Works like a charm with an old Belkin adsl 
modem/router, a real 5 minute job.  I can also access the modem setup webpage 
at its new IP address.  So the process works with a basic modem.

However the desired outcome is to modify a Bob Lite modem to provide three 
extra ethernet ports and retain the in-built voip function which now uses the 
fourth port.

However I can not get the Bob Lite modem/router to work properly after 
modifications.  I can disable DHCP, wireless and firewall and even change the 
IP address to a spare number in the IP address pool of the new router.  The 
Netphone works in whatever mode I set up in Bob Lite.  But the ethernet ports 
will not support computers and I cannot access the modem setup webpage at 
either the old or new IP address after making the minimal changes of disabling 
DHCP, wireless and firewall.

I can find no references as to why a voip enabled modem can not be converted to 
an ethernet switch.  It would seem to be either an iiNet Labs design limitation 
or a voip conflict.

Any ideas?

Cheers
Alan


> On 25 May 2018, at 9:46 pm, Alan Smith  wrote:
> 
> Thanks Tim
> 
> I agree with your comments.  I initially looked for Bridge mode settings, but 
> this is not mentioned at all.  The instructions are to disable the DHCP in 
> the proposed switch (Bob Lite, the downstream router), so this should just 
> leave the Netgear (upstream router) to handle IP addresses. Same result?
> 
> The final step is to “change the downstream router’s LAN IP to an unused IP 
> in the same subnet as the upstream router.”  I tried to change the Bob IP 
> address to a number within the working range of the Netgear.  This range 
> seems to be 2-254.  On reflection it doesn’t seem to be right to use “99” as 
> the addresses are dynamic (if that is the term) and will change to say 
> 192.168.1.5 next week when some devices are inactive.  It’s the devices I 
> plug into the ethernet ports that will need dynamic addresses I think.  And I 
> don’t really know what a “subnet” is.
> 
> Another reading of one of the more lucid descriptions gives a different slant 
> - I’ll try it out tomorrow.  That is, to change the network IP address to one 
> OUTSIDE  the range used by the upstream router (but not numbers 0,1 and 255). 
>  But is “256” a valid number in this context?  Most examples I skimmed used 
> “2” as the address for the modified modem/router, but I have numbers 2-15 in 
> use at various times.  Looks like I need to spend some time reading the 
> Netgear support documents - not an easy task.  
> 
> BTW - looks like a typo - or a real mistake - in my original text.  I thought 
> I changed the Bob address to 192.168.1.99; not “169”.
> 
> Cheers
> Alan
> 
> 
> 
>> On 25 May 2018, at 7:39 pm, Tim Law  wrote:
>> 
>> Hi Alan,
>> 
>> I suspect there will be something to do with Bridge mode in the directions.  
>>  Only one device can distribute IP addresses. 
>> 
>> Tim
>> 
>>> On 25 May 2018, at 6:05 pm, Alan Smith  wrote:
>>> 
>>> I need help in converting an old modem/router into an ethernet switch.  
>>> There are a number of web articles that describe how to do this.  It seems 
>>> such a simple 5-minute task, but I got nowhere after 5 hours.
>>> 
>>> My main network router is a Netgear R6400v2 model with four ethernet ports 
>>> which are all in use.  I will be replacing the Netgear with an Apple 
>>> AirPort Extreme with three ports.  I will need another port.
>>> 
>>> My ethernet VOIP adapter is an old iiNet Bob Lite modem/router which has 
>>> four ethernet ports.  Netgear has no problems with this and allocates “Bob 
>>> phone” an IP address in its standard range.   How can I get the three 
>>> “spare” Bob Lite ports functional?
>>> 
>>> Just plugging an iMac into a spare ethernet port will sometimes just work, 
>>> but then fails if restarted.  The Bob IP Address is 10.1.1.1 while Netgear 
>>> IP address is 192.168.1.1.   I tried changing the Bob IP address to 
>>> 192.169.1.99, but could no longer access the modem set-up page.
>>> 
>>> Cheers
>>> Alan
>>> 
>>> 
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>>> 
>> 
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Re: Convert old modem to ethernet switch

[Alan Smith]

Thanks Tim

I agree with your comments.  I initially looked for Bridge mode settings, but 
this is not mentioned at all.  The instructions are to disable the DHCP in the 
proposed switch (Bob Lite, the downstream router), so this should just leave 
the Netgear (upstream router) to handle IP addresses. Same result?

The final step is to “change the downstream router’s LAN IP to an unused IP in 
the same subnet as the upstream router.”  I tried to change the Bob IP address 
to a number within the working range of the Netgear.  This range seems to be 
2-254.  On reflection it doesn’t seem to be right to use “99” as the addresses 
are dynamic (if that is the term) and will change to say 192.168.1.5 next week 
when some devices are inactive.  It’s the devices I plug into the ethernet 
ports that will need dynamic addresses I think.  And I don’t really know what a 
“subnet” is.

Another reading of one of the more lucid descriptions gives a different slant - 
I’ll try it out tomorrow.  That is, to change the network IP address to one 
OUTSIDE  the range used by the upstream router (but not numbers 0,1 and 255).  
But is “256” a valid number in this context?  Most examples I skimmed used “2” 
as the address for the modified modem/router, but I have numbers 2-15 in use at 
various times.  Looks like I need to spend some time reading the Netgear 
support documents - not an easy task.  

BTW - looks like a typo - or a real mistake - in my original text.  I thought I 
changed the Bob address to 192.168.1.99; not “169”.

Cheers
Alan



> On 25 May 2018, at 7:39 pm, Tim Law  wrote:
> 
> Hi Alan,
> 
> I suspect there will be something to do with Bridge mode in the directions.   
> Only one device can distribute IP addresses. 
> 
> Tim
> 
>> On 25 May 2018, at 6:05 pm, Alan Smith  wrote:
>> 
>> I need help in converting an old modem/router into an ethernet switch.  
>> There are a number of web articles that describe how to do this.  It seems 
>> such a simple 5-minute task, but I got nowhere after 5 hours.
>> 
>> My main network router is a Netgear R6400v2 model with four ethernet ports 
>> which are all in use.  I will be replacing the Netgear with an Apple AirPort 
>> Extreme with three ports.  I will need another port.
>> 
>> My ethernet VOIP adapter is an old iiNet Bob Lite modem/router which has 
>> four ethernet ports.  Netgear has no problems with this and allocates “Bob 
>> phone” an IP address in its standard range.   How can I get the three 
>> “spare” Bob Lite ports functional?
>> 
>> Just plugging an iMac into a spare ethernet port will sometimes just work, 
>> but then fails if restarted.  The Bob IP Address is 10.1.1.1 while Netgear 
>> IP address is 192.168.1.1.   I tried changing the Bob IP address to 
>> 192.169.1.99, but could no longer access the modem set-up page.
>> 
>> Cheers
>> Alan
>> 
>> 
>> -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List --
>> Archives - 
>> Guidelines - 
>> Settings & Unsubscribe - 
>> 
> 
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Re: Convert old modem to ethernet switch

[Tim Law]

Hi Alan,

I suspect there will be something to do with Bridge mode in the directions.   
Only one device can distribute IP addresses. 

Tim

> On 25 May 2018, at 6:05 pm, Alan Smith  wrote:
> 
> I need help in converting an old modem/router into an ethernet switch.  There 
> are a number of web articles that describe how to do this.  It seems such a 
> simple 5-minute task, but I got nowhere after 5 hours.
> 
> My main network router is a Netgear R6400v2 model with four ethernet ports 
> which are all in use.  I will be replacing the Netgear with an Apple AirPort 
> Extreme with three ports.  I will need another port.
> 
> My ethernet VOIP adapter is an old iiNet Bob Lite modem/router which has four 
> ethernet ports.  Netgear has no problems with this and allocates “Bob phone” 
> an IP address in its standard range.   How can I get the three “spare” Bob 
> Lite ports functional?
> 
> Just plugging an iMac into a spare ethernet port will sometimes just work, 
> but then fails if restarted.  The Bob IP Address is 10.1.1.1 while Netgear IP 
> address is 192.168.1.1.   I tried changing the Bob IP address to 
> 192.169.1.99, but could no longer access the modem set-up page.
> 
> Cheers
> Alan
> 
> 
> -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List --
> Archives - 
> Guidelines - 
> Settings & Unsubscribe - 
> 

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Convert old modem to ethernet switch

[Alan Smith]

I need help in converting an old modem/router into an ethernet switch.  There 
are a number of web articles that describe how to do this.  It seems such a 
simple 5-minute task, but I got nowhere after 5 hours.

My main network router is a Netgear R6400v2 model with four ethernet ports 
which are all in use.  I will be replacing the Netgear with an Apple AirPort 
Extreme with three ports.  I will need another port.

My ethernet VOIP adapter is an old iiNet Bob Lite modem/router which has four 
ethernet ports.  Netgear has no problems with this and allocates “Bob phone” an 
IP address in its standard range.   How can I get the three “spare” Bob Lite 
ports functional?

Just plugging an iMac into a spare ethernet port will sometimes just work, but 
then fails if restarted.  The Bob IP Address is 10.1.1.1 while Netgear IP 
address is 192.168.1.1.   I tried changing the Bob IP address to 192.169.1.99, 
but could no longer access the modem set-up page.

Cheers
Alan


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