How to set up your ADSL
Router
This page gives you the settings that worked for me
to use my DABS Conexant AMX-CA61E (1 port) or
AMX-CA64E (4 port) ADSL router. These settings have also been reported
as useful for the Mentor and eTec ADSL routers, which have the same
firmware.
New! How to change the Timezone of your router.
My ISP is plus.net but these should work with most UK ADSL providers.
These settings do work for Pipex, BT Openworld, Nildram, Andrews &
Arnold, Freedom2Surf, Freeserve, and Demon I'm told. Please let me know if
they work with other ISPs, and I'll add them to the list.
Set up your PCs
The easiest way to set up a small network is to use DHCP to assign IP
numbers to each PC on your network on bootup. However, it may be easier
to use certain services like incoming connections if you use static IP
numbers.
Since the router is 10.0.0.2 straight from the box, I manually assigned each
PC an IP number starting with 10.0.0.3. Set up the PCs to use the DNS at
10.0.0.2.
Connect your router directly to a PC with ethernet cable, apparently crossover cable does not work, there are conflicting reports about this, and I use
straight-through cables. If sharing the connection then connect PCs to hub
and hub to router. If you are using USB connection to the router, you are on
your own but I'm told this works well if you upgrade your firmware.
Set up your router
Plug everything in as per the manual. To make life simple, unplug everything
else from the phone line while you are setting up. You should get a steady
'power' light, a flashing 'ready' light, a flashing 'showtime' light and a steady
'link' light.
On a PC try to ping 10.0.0.2. If this doen't work, read the setup info in the
manual and try again.
Now using a web browser on a PC on your LAN go to http://10.0.0.2 and log
in as admin. The following headings tell you what to click on in the left hand
frame.
Configuration - WAN
Field
Setting
Comments
Default
Gateway
0.0.0.0
Enabled?
Yes
VPI
0
VCI
38
Static IP
Address
xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
Your ISP will tell you this if
you have a static IP number.
For BT you have no static
address, leave this blank.
Subnet Mask
255.255.255.255
ISP will advise, may be
different
Mac Spoofing
Disable
This setting not available on
earlier Firmware versions
Mac Address
00:00:00:00:00:00 This setting not available on
earlier Firmware versions
Service
Category
UBR
Bandwidth
0
Encapsulation PPPoA VC-Mux
Bridge
Disabled
IGMP
Disabled
PPP Service
Name
Whatever you like
Username
you@plus.net
Your ISP will tell you this. To
test your connection use
bt_test@startup_domain,
with no password. You will
then be able to go to
www.bt.net/digitaldemo and
watch a little video
Password
******
Your ISP will tell you this
Disconnect
Timeout
0
Authentication Auto
Automatic
Yes
BT say no, apparently.
Reconnect
DHCP client
enable
Yes / No
Hostname
Only if you haven't been given
a static IP address. BT say No.
Only if you haven't been given
a static IP address. Also blank
for BT with dynamic IP
addressing.
Virtual Circuit 0
Press submit before you leave the page.
Configuration - LAN
IP address 10.0.0.2
Subnet
Mask
255.0.0.0
DHCP
Server
No
Ethernet
Mode
AutoSense
Assuming you are using the same
addressing scheme as me. This must be a
unique number on your LAN
Assuming you are using static IP within
your own LAN then you can ignore the
rest of the LAN page.
Submit page before leaving
Configuration - NAT
Network Address Translation. This allows all the computers on your LAN to
get out onto the internet, even though you only have one internet address.
The great unwashed Internet only sees your router, not your whole network.
This is not really a proper firewall but will keep out casual snoopers,
possibly.
First add a session name by following the link to 'Session Name
Configuration'. Call it what you like, I'll use 'foo'. Use virtual circuit 0. Go
back to NAT configuration.
Set the first menu to 'NAPT' if you ever intend to use more than one PC on
the LAN to access the internet. For 1 PC, NAT may work.
For each of the computers on your network, type 'foo' 'into 'session name'
and the computers IP address into 'Users IP', click add. Submit the page
before you leave.
Configuration - Virtual Server.
You don't need this for normal web browsing, real player etc.
Virtual server is how you allow the outside world to initiate connections into
your LAN. For example, if you want to run a web server on your PC
10.0.0.12, make public port 80 and private port 80 (or whatever your
server use) and the Host IP Address 10.0.0.12. Do this for each port you
want to allow hosts on the Internet to access.
Using the new firmware update, you can open a range of ports, without
having to specify each one. This may allow the router to work with more
applications that didn't work before, like NetMeeting etc. I use Linux, so
you're on your own there. Go to the Amigo site and look for the firmware file
labelled CA6XR-GN.0826.00T (add port range)
Configuration - Bridge Filtering
Disable this.
Configuration - DNS
Your router can act as the DNS server for your network. It just queries the
real DNS server and passes the results back to your network. If your ISP uses
DHCP, you may have to select Use Autodiscovered Servers instead.
DNS Proxy
Selection
Use 'User Configured DNS Servers Only'. BT
use 'Auto Discovered DNS Servers Only'
Preferred &
Alternate DNS
Your ISP will give you these numbers.
Submit the page before you leave.
Admin Privilege - ADSL Configuration
Trellis
Enabled
Handshake Protocol
Autosense G.dmt first
Wiring Selection
Tip/Ring
Bit Swapping
Disabled
Submit before you leave.
Admin Privilege - RIP Configuration
Just disable RIP
Admin Privilege - Password Configuration
Change your passwords! Make them something difficult to guess!
Admin Privilege - Misc Configuration
WAN side
HTTP server
Disabled You almost certainly don't want to be
able to admin the router from the
Internet
FTP Server
Disabled You only need the FTP server running
when you want to upload new firmare.
Possibly not even then.
TFTP server
Disable
HTTP Server
port
80
DMZ
Disabled
DHCP Relay
Disabled
IGMP Proxy
Disabled
PPP reconnect Enabled
on WAN
access
Submit before you leave.
This is what the router admin server
listens on. If the WAN side HTTP server
is switched on, it shouldn't be the same
port as any virtual server.
Does it work?
First click on 'Save Settings' in Configuration and then Submit to reboot the
router. Finally click on ADSL in theStatus section and wait for the magic
SHOWTIME to appear. This took about 60 seconds for me with the original
firmware, but now only takes about 20. (Version 2.28b).
If not, then Diagnostic Test is a good place to start!
Upgrade Firmware
You can get the latest firmware here. At the time of writing, the latest
firmware adds the ability to specify a range of incoming ports for the virtual
server. When you upgrade the firmware, your passwords will be reset to
'password'. They also have PDFs of the manual.
To upgrade the firmware using OS X on a Mac follow these instructions
[Courtesy of Adrian, thanks].
Forgotten Password
What to do if you forget your password
Further Info
I got the info for this page from various sources including
www.farina1.com/megaspeed
adslguide
PlusNet
Contact Details and FAQ
Please let me know of any mistakes / omissions. Cheers. Contact details and
FAQ
cazart main page