Cisco 837 router does not connect to ADSL.

[marianodaniel]

Hello! Here again, being one of those annoying people coming with legacy devices that don’t work.

This time, I managed to access my Cisco 837 using a Windows 98 VM. Only problem is, when trying to enter my ADSL username and password (and VPI/VCI) but I get the following error:

Workarounds/Tests/Info:

• The DSL cable is connected and works ok with my other router.
• The only information I do not know for sure, is the VPI/VCI, I got it from a forum for my ISP.
• I have reset the router to factory defaults.

Is there a way to read more detailed logs? Might be the ADSL port broken? I’m at loss 🤷🏻‍

Any help or tips are much appreciated!

[Georg Pauwen]

Hello,

congratulations on being a dad ! That is of course a whole lot more important than configuring an old 837.

Either way, I don't know which configs you have tried already, but the most important thing is to to bind the ATM interface to the dialer. I have put together a very basic configuration (important parts marked in bold).

Who is the ISP again ?

cisco837#sh run
Building configuration...

Current configuration : 3486 bytes
!
version 12.4
no service pad
service timestamps debug uptime
service timestamps log uptime
service password-encryption
!
hostname cisco837
!
boot-start-marker
boot-end-marker
!
no logging buffered
enable secret 5 XXXXXXXXXX.
!
no aaa new-model
!
resource policy
!
no ip dhcp use vrf connected
ip dhcp excluded-address 10.10.10.1
!
ip dhcp pool CLIENT
import all
network 10.10.10.0 255.255.255.0
default-router 10.10.10.1
dns-server 8.8.8.8
lease 0 2
!
partition flash 2 11 1
!
username CRWS_Sangeetha privilege 15 password 7 XXXXXXX
username cisco837 password 7 XXXXXXX
username CRWS_Giri privilege 15 password 7 XXXXXXX
!
interface Ethernet0
ip address 10.10.10.1 255.255.255.0
ip nat inside
ip virtual-reassembly
ip tcp adjust-mss 1452
hold-queue 100 out
!
interface Ethernet2
no ip address
shutdown
hold-queue 100 out
!
interface ATM0
no ip address
atm vc-per-vp 64
no atm ilmi-keepalive
dsl operating-mode auto
pvc 8/35
--> encapsulation aal5mux ppp dialer
--> dialer pool-member 1
!
interface FastEthernet1
duplex auto
speed auto
!
interface FastEthernet2
duplex auto
speed auto
!
interface FastEthernet3
duplex auto
speed auto
!
interface FastEthernet4
duplex auto
speed auto
!
interface Dialer1
ip address negotiated
ip mtu 1492
ip nat outside
ip virtual-reassembly
encapsulation ppp
ip tcp adjust-mss 1452
dialer pool 1
dialer-group 1
ppp authentication pap chap callin
ppp chap hostname 9720461000
ppp chap password 7 xxxxxxxx
ppp pap sent-username 9720461000 password 7 xxxxxxx
!
ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 Dialer1
!
ip http server
no ip http secure-server
!
ip nat inside source list 102 interface Dialer1 overload
!
access-list 102 permit ip 10.10.10.0 0.0.0.255 any
!
dialer-list 1 protocol ip permit
!
control-plane
!
line con 0
exec-timeout 120 0
no modem enable
stopbits 1
line aux 0
line vty 0 4
exec-timeout 120 0
login local
length 0
!
scheduler max-task-time 5000
end

EDIT: you might need to add these lines to the dialer interface:

ppp ipcp mask request
ppp ipcp route default
ppp ipcp address accept

[marianodaniel]

@Georg Pauwen , I've been trying like crazy to enable SSH or FTP on the router so I can inject this config on a file, but it's impossible. I create all the keypairs and all, but SSH will not enable.

I've tried to push each command into the CLI, but I'm having trouble with some of them.

Is there a way to edit the file directly? I know 800 series routers are way too old for this.

After a few months attempting to get it to dial the ADSL, I'm thinking about giving up the task xD

[Georg Pauwen]

Hello,

how old is the router ? It might very well be that the DSLAM of your ISP does not support the specific modem (firmware) of your router.

Can you post the output of:

sh ver 

?