how to disable router in DI524?

[saimike]

hi there,

i just moved into an apartment which provides free internet via cat5e rather than cable/dsl. one cat5e comes into the apt via my closet and a cheap 5-port hub then connects it to 2 ethernet jacks in the apt. there is no wireless.

as you may know, the DI524 is a dlink wireless-g router (rev a1, fwiw). is it possible for me to replace the hub with my dlink DI524, and configure the DI524 as a switch? the dlink manual doesnt seem to talk about this.

looking at my ipconfig when i plug into the apt's network, i see:

ip address: 192.168.101.144
subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
default gateway: 192.168.101.1

this gives me the impression that its a simple NAT setup, rather than an ip on the isp's subnet. so i'd rather end up with a 2 layer NAT by using the DI524 as a router.

 

[Aarondeep]

Turn off the DHCP server on the router and don't plug anything in the WAN port. That should be enough.

 

[saimike]

just so i understand you correctly, you're saying that the incoming cat5 from the building's network should go into a regular slot on my DI524? and i need not change the network of the router? (building gives a 192.168.101.x /24, and my DI524 currently will dhcp out a 192.168.23.x /28)

 

[ktwebb]

The DLink IS a switch. The LAN side is the switch. Routed via NAT between the WAN side, the single port, and the LAN side, however many switched ports you use.

I for one however would continue to NAT the address given to you by the complex. Your on the same network as everyone else otherwise. assuming the other folks have not NAT'd their network.

 

[saimike]

Originally posted by: ktwebb
The DLink IS a switch. The LAN side is the switch. Routed via NAT between the WAN side, the single port, and the LAN side, however many switched ports you use.

I for one however would continue to NAT the address given to you by the complex. Your on the same network as everyone else otherwise. assuming the other folks have not NAT'd their network.

i think i'm beginning to understand this ... so the way to "disable" the router is not to use the WAN port. i was thinking more along a cisco config where there was a way to turn off the routing function much -- like not giving a vlan an ip for instance.

so you're saying you'd still use the dlink as a NAT router instead just so the network in my apt is hardware firewall'd? i presume your are worried about network security by your statement in the second paragraph ... i was worried that by double NAT-ing, it might be more difficult for me to do stuff like host a game on battle.net, etc.

 

[JackMDS]

Using a Wireless Cable/DSL Router as a Switch with an Access Point

:sun:

 

[saimike]

Originally posted by: JackMDS
Using a Wireless Cable/DSL Router as a Switch with an Access Point

:sun:

jackMDS,

if i understand your webpage correctly, the routing function isnt really "disabled" per se. although the routing function is running on the router, the packet isnt routed be (ie. it is only L2 switched) because its on the same subnet.

is that right?

 

[JackMDS]

Yap, the Router function is bypassed if you do not plug any thing into the WAN port.

:sun: