Problems with Multi-Tenant Etherpoint and router/switch.

[blsmit]

I want to start out by stating my goals for this project. I recently build two computers, one is running Vista Home Basic, and the other is running Ubuntu 9.04. My goal is to have both of these computers running off the same internet.

Problem: Penn Tele Data offer what is called multi-tenant etherpoint access. In a nut shell its supplying wired (and sometimes wireless) internet to one large building, based on rooms. So in my instance, my room has one phone jack and one internet jack. I am given a login username and a password to sign in each and every time I want to use the internet. I boot my machine, and open up Firefox and a webpage comes up where I sign in. They call this Captive Portal Authentication. Since there is only one jack, ptd supplies answers under their FAQ's, their answer is a switch. Thats fine but I had an older linksys wireless router, so I called them and asked. I was told that I should use the router as a router and not a switch. That didn't work. So I gave up for about 3 months, until recently and now I'm really sick of switching the cable back and forth between the two computers. I decided to give a switch a shot, but when I called D-link and asked they stated that it would only work if the IP address is 10.xx.xx.xx. Well mine is 204.xx.xx.xx, so I didn't even open it and am getting ready to RMA to newegg.com. Yesterday was my last shot at a router, I purchased a brand new Linksys BEFSR41 wired router, after setting everything up I realized that it didn't work.

Heres my process to fixing it:
I unplugged the cable and connected straight in. That worked after a reboot.
Back into the router (wall->router->computer) no connection. But I am able to login to 192.168.1.1.
Check for update.
Hard reset of the router.
Power cycle.
Clone the MAC address.
UnClone MAC address.
Chat with Linksys technician for 3 hours.
She had me do everything I had already done plus
Changing the IPv4 to a Static IP.
Attempt an Update (which failed).
Set the DHCP Server to Disable alter the IP Address to make it a switch which didn't work.
Lastly she blamed the ISP for the problem.
While I was chatting with Linksys, I called PTD who took my MAC address and then told me that they couldn't help me, they could only assist with setting up a gaming system, not a router.

Links:
Overview of Multi-tenant Etherpointhttp://www.penteledata.net/sup...-etherpoint-catsht.pdf
PTD MTE FAQ'shttp://www.penteledata.net/mte...t/etherpoint_faq.shtml
Wired Routerhttp://www.linksysbycisco.com/US/en/support/BEFSR41
Switch http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=494


Can anyone help me?

Ben

 

[Jeff7181]

Disabling the DHCP server doesn't make it a switch. You need to change the function of the device... on mine (a Linksys) I have an option for it to function as a gateway or router. Setting it to router gets it to function like a simple switch as long as you only use the switch ports on it, not the uplink port.

 

[blsmit]

Thanks for the fast reply. But a quick verification. By setting the router to normal and plugging the cable from wall to port 1 and port2 to pc and port 3 to ubuntu. I will be able to get a switch working, even if my ISP doesn't support it?

Thanks once again.

Ben

P.S. THe only reason I disabled the DHCP was under the linksys technicians advice (I requested instructions on setting the router as a switch, and thats what she told me).

 

[kevnich2]

OP - not sure where dlink came up with the switch only working with IP's of 10.x.x.x. A switch has nothing to do with an IP subnet. A switch should work just fine for you, it'll give you more ethernet jacks for multiple PC's. though if your ISP said a router should work, maybe the router could be programmed with PPPOE or something for authentication on it's WAN side so you don't need to login to that webpage everytime you want on internet? Not sure if that would work for you or not.

 

[blsmit]

kevinch2: I knew I forgot something. I attempted to set up PPPOE myself which proved to not work. And after explaining to the linksys chat that I use a username and password to login, she explained how to set that up which did not work. Yes I agree that dlink is crazy, Im going to attempt to setup the linksys as a switch, if that works then I'm going to return the linksys (walmart will take that back right?) and use the dlink (lower watts).

Thanks for the reply.
Ben

 

[Modelworks]

Once you login can you use other applications like games that have no connection to the browser ? Or does everything have to stay within the browser ?


I ask because captive portal is generally used by hot spots because it allows them to funnel all the traffic through a proxy server that can monitor what sites are allowed and who is accessing them.

 

[drebo]

The web login page is a simple network access control. It has nothing to do with whether or not you can get on the network (internet in your case). As such, you would not be using PPPoE on your router. Simple DHCP should be sufficient, and the company shouldn't care that you have a router, rather than a computer, directly connected to their network. A router is the way you would really want to do this...extra privacy and all that.

However, reading that PDF you linked to, they state that you can use up to two devices concurrently. So, a switch should work (you WILL have to login on each device separately).

 

[blsmit]

This has been solved. The solution was simple. By changing the IPv4 back to automatic and connecting the internet through port 1, port 2 went to the PC. it worked perfectly. So I cracked open the d-link switch and hooked that up, and it worked perfectly.

In conclusion, my ISP has no idea what they're talking about. Linksys couldn't help me. and D-link was jut plain wrong.

Thanks to all who helped.

Ben

 

[JackMDS]

Given every thing above the only solution can come from your ISP (cause your ISP is Not the conventional ISP as used by most of us).

Otherwise you need two NICs in the front computer and use ICS for the Linux.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/3042450/ICS-with-Linux