Connecting 56k modem to router

[Miramonti]

Can I use my linksys router for connecting to a dialup account (to be used when cable modem account is down)? I know there are dialup prefs in the router config, but the router ports are for 6 wire rj11 jacks and not the regular 4 wire phone line jacks. Is there a trick to this?

 

[nick1985]

hahahahhahahha

 

[nick1985]

this is a joke right?

 

[MasterHoss]

Your Linksys router provides for RJ-45 connectivity... not RJ-11; moreover, there is simply no way to use a router to manage a dial-up account.

 

[Miramonti]

Originally posted by: MasterHoss
Your Linksys router provides for RJ-45 connectivity... not RJ-11; moreover, there is simply no way to use a router to manage a dial-up account.

thanks masterhoss, what do people use to connect two computers with a dialup, software or is it done with the OS. I haven't used a dialup in years, and never networked.

 

[thraxes]

Internet Connection Sharing from Win98SE on up

 

[MasterHoss]

I'm not too sure it can be done at all. If it is possible, I'm guessing that #1, your ISP would have to support it and #2, it'd be some sort of sotware implementation. Again, this is pure speculation.

 

[Lord Evermore]

Actually there are several routers available which have a serial port connection designed to allow a dialup backup connection, though Linksys doesn't have one. Since a serial modem is hardware based, specific brand drivers aren't needed, as all modems are designed to respond to the standard Hayes command set.

In order to use a dialup as a backup connection without a router with a serial port, you'd need to set up a computer running Internet Connection Sharing (or a non-Microsoft equivalent) with a dialup connection configured, connected to your network with a network card.

When your cable modem is down, the easiest thing to do would be to log into the router, change its IP address to something besides the default; then boot the ICS computer, and configure ICS to use that original IP address for the internal port. That way the other computers on your network can simply start sending their traffic through that computer instead of the router. You may also need to turn off the DHCP server in the router and turn it on in the ICS configuration, since you may need to reboot the other machines to make traffic pass properly.

Alternatively, if all your computers connect to a stand-alone hub or switch and then the router connects to that device (for example using a router with only one LAN port), you can simply turn off the router entirely when the cable modem goes down, since it won't be needed.

When the cable works again, you just shut down the ICS computer, and set the router back to the original settings.

Oh, and RJ45 is 8 pins, not 6.

 

[Miramonti]

Originally posted by: Lord Evermore
Actually there are several routers available which have a serial port connection designed to allow a dialup backup connection, though Linksys doesn't have one. Since a serial modem is hardware based, specific brand drivers aren't needed, as all modems are designed to respond to the standard Hayes command set.

Sorry, correction, I have an smc router that has a serial port. but this is good I think ...so I would setup the ICS computer to connect through the serial port, change the router from the cable modem dhcp settings to the appropriate dialup account settings and set the router lan settings to the ICS ip address, (and reboot the other computers so that they can start using the ICS computer)?

 

[Lord Evermore]

What model exactly do you have? Some routers have a serial port which is only used to allow you to connect directly to it from a computer for maintenance, while others have a serial port that is able to work with an external modem.

If your router's serial port is for a "backup" connection, you would simply connect the modem to it, and configure the settings for the dialup connection in the configuration of the router. No other settings would need to be changed.

If it's just a maintenance port, then you would simply connect an ICS computer to the network with an Ethernet card, and install a dialup modem in that computer (internal or external, either works). The dialup line becomes the "external" interface in ICS, and the network card is the "internal" interface. Once you disable the DHCP server in the router, and change its IP address, and set the proper IP address in the ICS computer, the ICS computer takes over the job the router was doing.

 

[ShowdOWN]

i dont think you want to share a dialup connection. the experience is not worth the trouble.

 

[lorlabnew]

jjsole,

if you would really want to run a dial-up, routable backup connection, you may wanna look at Netgear Model RM356 Remote Access 56K Modem Router. This is the most elegant solution I've seen so far, but it's not chaep at all. Still, I understand that you might have such a need - for instance if your business depends on internet connection...

To hook it up so your dial-up "on-demand" connection would kick-in only if default route is down could be a bit tricky, but not impossible of course.

dave

 

[Miramonti]

Originally posted by: Lord Evermore
What model exactly do you have? Some routers have a serial port which is only used to allow you to connect directly to it from a computer for maintenance, while others have a serial port that is able to work with an external modem. If your router's serial port is for a "backup" connection, you would simply connect the modem to it, and configure the settings for the dialup connection in the configuration of the router. No other settings would need to be changed.

Its an smc7004abr (I believe)...just looking at the config page, it has a checkbox if dialup is "your only online connection". You say "connect the modem to it"....so you're referring to connecting an external modem right and it can't be done the same way with a pci modem?

if you would really want to run a dial-up, routable backup connection, you may wanna look at <a class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.netgear.com/products/prod_details.asp?prodID=33&view= " target=new><FONT face=Tahoma color=#000080>Netgear Model RM356 Remote Access 56K Modem Router</FONT></A>. This is the most elegant solution I've seen so far, but it's not chaep at all.

I am tho. Its for business but need to avoid costs right now. Cool to know tho.

 

[DaveSimmons]

so you're referring to connecting an external modem right and it can't be done the same way with a pci modem?

that's right, you need an external modem, you plug it into the router. The PC has nothing to do with it.

If all you have is a PCI modem and you can't afford the external, you can use Internet Connection Sharaing (ICS) to make the PC with the modem act like a router by itself. Then you are really using the router box as just a hub.

www.practicallynetworked.com has some guides / how-tos that might help.