Install RVS4000 with DSL modem / router combo?

[Scott_Mason]

I'm trying to install a RVS4000 VPN router in our small office.  My problem is that AT&T has installed a Netopia 3347-02 DSL combination Modem / router.  So I can't connect the RVS4000 directly to a dsl modem, the only access I have is on the Lan side of the Netopia.  When I tried to set the WAN side of the RVS4000 to the same subnet as our Lan, it wouldn't let me do that.  I tried setting the Lan side of the Netopia and the Wan side of the RVS4000 to (the same) slightly different subnet, but that didn't work either.  The only way I can get internet access going through both devices is to connect the Lan side of the Netopia to the Lan side of the RVS4000, but that bypasses the VPN, correct?  The reason I bought the RVS4000 is for the VPN.  Is there a way to configure the RVS4000 in this situation, or do I need to get a plain old DSL modem without a built in router?

Thanks, Scott

[Darren DeCroock · Accepted solution]

Scott,

You should not need to get another device to use the VPN functions of the RVS4000.  To setup the equipment you have, you just need to place the Netopia DSL router into "bridge" mode.  This will then allow you to connect the DSL router to WAN (internet) port on your RVS4000.  Once in bridge mode, your WAN port on the RVS4000 will receive its IP address from AT&T, which will then take over all routing functions, and enable you to use the VPN feature of this router.

If your DSL provider is using PPPoE, you will need to select "PPPoE" on the WAN setup page of the RVS4000, then enter the username and password into the RVS4000 so that it can authenticate and get an IP address from AT&T.

To place the Netopia DSL router into "bridge" mode, I am including a link to one of their user guides.  The section for placing it in bridge mode starts on page 107.

http://www.netopia.com/support/hardware/SoftwareUserGuideV761-Clsc.pdf

Thank you,

Darren

[David Carr · Accepted solution]

Scott, I would contact your ISP and get them to put the modem in bridge mode, that way the modem is not acting as a firewall.  You will have a public wan ip address on your rvs4000.  This will allow you to do vpn.  With the dsl modem acting as a firewall you will not be able to do vpn, because it will be blocking the vpn connection.

[Scott_Mason]

That makes sense!  I'll do that tonight when everyone's gone.  Thanks for the quick replies!

Scott

[David Carr]

Your welcome, Let me know how it goes.

[Scott_Mason]

Well, I got the bridge setup working fairly easily, had to do a little IP switching around, and the RVS4000 is set up to connect with our ISP so we're on the internet.  But when I try to setup a VPN connection I keep getting the error message "The remote gateway is not responding.  Do you want to wait".

I see quite a few threads on that problem here on the board so I'll have to go through those and see if I can solve that issue.

Thanks again David & Darren for your help!

Scott

[David Carr]

Turn of block wan request and it should get to the router.

[Scott_Mason]

Success!

Turns out it was my Linksys WRT54G at home had the VPN passthrough settings disabled.  I enabled those and I'm now connected!  So everything's good in the world (or at least the little part of it between my house and the office).

Thanks again!

Scott

[rogerliuRVS4000]

Hello Scott,

I saw your post about how you install the RVS4000 for VPN.  I have the same issue that I have regarding the VPN access from home to your office network.

The office has the AT&T Motorola Netopia WiFi DSL modem, that is configured to have the router bridged to the Cisco RVS4000. The DSL modem has the DHCP disabled, and had the Exposed adddress peer to the RVS4000 VPN Router.

The AT&T tech support helped me configured both routers so the business can connect to the internet.  Also, from home, I am able to ping to the WAN IP address that I setup on the RVS4000 router.

The Cisco RVS4000 router and Linksys WRT54G router at home have the VPN passthrough settings disabled.

But when I try to connect to the office network, it is still not able to connect via VPN.

Any detail items that I must check?

Regards,

-Roger Liu

[Scott_Mason]

Hi Roger

I tracked the problem down to settings on my home Linksys WRT54G router.

On the Security tab, select VPN and then I set all three settings to Enabled (IPSEC, PPTP & L2TP Passthrough). (See screen capture below)

That worked for me, hope this helps!

Scott

[rogerliuRVS4000]

Hi Scott, thank  you for the reply.

I got the router to do VPN from home to office.  The configuration I had to do is to change my LAN IP address to 192.168. (2.x; 3.x; 4.x; etc) at home.

I also encounter another issue.  I did some test connection to the office: RDP to servers and desktop, mapping network file system.   All of the connection are working except for access to the Router Web Configuration Interface.  When I try to access the router web configuration, the router crashed.  I cannot ping to the router and had to manually reset the router.

Had you had that issue?

-Roger