Suitable ADSL modem for Netgear FVS318

[highlysceptical]

Can anyone tell me what ADSL modem I should get to connect a Netgear FVS318 to our broadband connection.

I have just bought a Netgear FVS318 router, naively thinking that this was a simple matter, but how wrong could I have been?

After about four hours on the phone to Netgear yesterday, they tell me that they do not actually make a modem that will both allow me to make the connection and also allow VPN tunnelling!

I then asked them what modem I should use, and they could not tell me. I have already tried a Zoom X4, but neither Netgear nor Zoom could get this setup working for me.

The basic problem seems to be that I need a modem WITHOUT an inbuilt router, and which also has a PPPoA client (which apparently the Netgear DM602 does not offer in "modem only" mode).

At the moment, I am using a Netgear DG814 as the modem, but according to Netgear, this will prevent me using the VPN tunnelling feature of the FVS318.

To give them their due, I have to say that Netgear technical support are very willing, but they do not seem to know what they are talking about half the time. I cannot believe the amount of contradictory "help" I was given yesterday. I also find it absolutely unbelievable that they neither make nor can even suggest a suitable modem!

 

[scquan]

A Dlink DSL-300 G+ will work with a FVS318 but beware it cannot be reconfigured from its IP address of 192.168.0.1. This means that you will have to reconfigure your FVS318 to another range like 192.168.1.1 before you can use it.

 

[highlysceptical]

Scquan

Thanks - I have started looking at this modem. And since I have already reconfigured the FVS318 to 192.168.1.1 to make it work with the DG814 (which is on 192.168.0.1), I should be OK.

 

[JuzzyD]

I have managed to get the FVS318 working with the DM602 to allow VPN traffic - all I did was setup the internal LAN to be 192.168.1.X and the WAN side of the FVS318 to 10.0.0.X to talk to the DM602. You then set the DMZ in the DM602 to be the WAN IP address of the FVS318.

This worked with SafeNet SoftRemote version 9.01.

I'm now trying to get an FVS318 to work with a Zoom X3 without success...:-(

 

[dellboy]

JuzzyD

How did you manage to set this up? The only way that we can get the DM602 to connect is through 'router' status. The modem status does not allow you to connect, then attach the firewall as you can do with the D-link DSL-300G! or even connect through the FVS318.
Do you have a machine that is literally used to connect the modem and then you have created a DMZ where you forward traffic to the FVS318 and inturn the internal network?

I would be interested to know your setup.

Cheers

 

[highlysceptical]

I don't know how JuzzyD did it. I tried and couldn't, and was told by Netgear that is was not possible.

In the end, I ditched the DM602 and got a D-Link 300G

 

[JuzzyD]

Sorry for the delayed reply.

I've done it twice now, both setups the same.

I used my laptop to connect directly to the DM602 to set it up (ie username, password, gave it a static LAN IP of 10.0.0.1 and setup the DMZ to be 10.0.0.2) and checked connectivity.

Then I plugged the laptop into the FVS318 and set that up (Static WAN side IP of 10.0.0.2, internal IP of 192.168.1.1 and disabled the DHCP as both LANS have static IP's) and connected it to the DM602 and the LAN.

Job done.

I did'nt change the mode of the DM602, just left it as NATP.

Hope this helps, if you need more info or help I may be able to do screenshots.

Interestingly I tried a D-Link 300G, managed to connect and browse from the LAN but could'nt get the VPN to work hence changing to the DM602.

J

 

[highlysceptical]

But doesn't setting the DMZ open up security risks?

 

[crabjoe]

Ok, so you have a ADSL modem that is doing NAT and you need to disable it. It sounds like you have a ADSL Router to be more precise doing NAT. What you might want to do is contact your ADSL modems manufacturer or whoever sold you your DSL modem and ask them how you can turn set it up as a bridge. If that isn't possible, ask them how you can set you DSL router up to act as a bridge. This should solve your problem.

 

[crabjoe]

I just checked out the Zoom website and looked up the X4 and indeed it can be run in bridge mode. This is what you need to use your FVS318. Security wise, it really shouldn't be an issue as the FVS318 should have the same features, possible more.

 

[Rachambe]

I have a WGT624 Wireless Router mated to a DM602 Modem and have had a major headache connecting to our corporate VPN (Cisco VPN 4.0.2). Contacted Netgear.....no help! However, my kit is now fully working and VPN is zooming.

Please try the following:

1) Set the MTU value in the WGT624 to the same value in your PC. Download the DR TCP to check your PCs MTU (Search Google for 'DRTCP021')
2) Clear the MTU value for the VPN adaptor, or leave blank.
3) Set the MTU for your wireless card (WG511T etc) to the same MTU value as your PC and Router.
4) Save and exit DR TCP.
5) Restart your PC/Laptop.

You may also wish to disable the 'SPI' in the WGT624 Router settings. This will considerably improve your internet performance.

There is no need to enable the DMZ or Port Forwarding/Triggering options in either the modem or Router to connect to your VPN. This again is incorrect advice from Netgear.

Good Luck.

 

[wmin]

Rachamble, how did you set up you DM602 in the end? was it left as a bridge or Modem mode?

I am currently experiencing problems of very bizarre nature. I am able to establish a tunnel every time, view present connection on a remote router, yet I am unable to ping any resources. The punch line is that it occasionally decides to work, in other words I can ping and launch remote desktop, then on next connection it is dead again.

It is worth mentioning that our VPN was actually working for a long time but we have recently changed ISP to take advantage of 8mb line we bought a new modem. What a pain!

We use FR318 firewall with NAT, stupid DM602 does not allow you to disable nat translation, however, Netgear advised me that this should not be an issue.

Has anybody else experienced such problem?

 

[highlysceptical]

It is a while ago since I wrestled with this problem, but although I was told different things by different people at Netgear (I think their technical support has gone completely down the pan!), I was eventually told categorically that the DM602 does not have a "modem only" mode, and that it was impossible to use it in conjuction with an FVS318 to create VPN tunnels.

Eventually, I gave up and bought a D-Link DSL-300G+ modem and it works a treat.

(I should add that, with Netgear, I found that if I rang at certain times of the day, I got through to Americans who made a lot more sense than the Indian? call centre. Trouble is, I cannot remember what time I had to phone).

 

[wmin]

I suspect you called when indians were asleep, although I think these guys work 24/7.

Thanks anyway.