How to disable NAT on Buffalo WBMR-HP-GN?

[Kaotik]

Someone said some Buffalos have physical switch for it on the modem, this one doesn't.

Only thing the manual says about it is this:

Network Address Translation (NAT) lets you use ‘private’ (and cost-free) IP addresses on your LAN and a single ‘public’ IP address (which you must pay for) on the Internet. When a local computer accesses the Internet, your broadband modem router changes the source address from the computer’s to its own Internet IP address. When a response comes back, it changes the destination address from its Internet IP address to the requesting computer’s local IP address. NAT is enabled (turned on) by default. Disable it if you do not need it.

But no word on HOW to disable it

I've gone through the AirStation settings thousand times without luck, according to manual it's under Route (in Internet/LAN settings), but this is all there is:

So any ideas how to disable the bloody thing?

As far as I know, it's on as I haven't disabled it, my computer gets it IP from the modem (despite the fact that I've disabled the modems DHCP (and tried DHCP Relay using my ISPs DHCP server address)) even though it's in Bridged mode, not Routed

 

[Zaphod]

Without knowing anything about this particular unit, usually you'll have to set correction type to "bridge" to get rid of NAT on combined modem/routers. If it's supplied by your provider they might have disabled this option, though.

 

[Kaotik]

Without knowing anything about this particular unit, usually you'll have to set correction type to "bridge" to get rid of NAT on combined modem/routers. If it's supplied by your provider they might have disabled this option, though.

Nah it's not provider supplied, and it is in bridged mode, RFC 1483 Bridged to be exact (in fact, my ISP suggests that everyone keeps their modems in bridged mode)

 

[Zaphod]

Are you sure it's not just a quirk in the web interface that those routing settings are still shown, then? In bridged mode, the modem should really just get an IP-address from your provider and pass everything straight through.

What exactly is the problem? (If you're replacing ISP-supplied gear, many require you to change the MAC address to that of the original modem before they'll recognize your own unit.)

 

[Kaotik]

Are you sure it's not just a quirk in the web interface that those routing settings are still shown, then? In bridged mode, the modem should really just get an IP-address from your provider and pass everything straight through.

Yeah, I've reseted the modem and everything many, many times so it can't be that - and the modem has never been in routing mode anyway.
Even when in "bridged mode", if the modem has NAT enabled (like this one has), it supplies the IP instead of passing the ISP-provided one to PC.

What exactly is the problem? (If you're replacing ISP-supplied gear, many require you to change the MAC address to that of the original modem before they'll recognize your own unit.)

Nah, I've never had ISP supplied gear to begin with, I've used old modem but had to replace it when I upgraded to 24/1MB line, as the old one only supports ADSL 8/1 max.

The problem is that my connection disconnects me randomly, but the DC is so short that most programs don't recognize it - windows doesn't either, but WoW DC's from server, Ventrilo thinks it's still on server but data stops moving and CS:S shows connection problem for few secs before continuing normally, downloading file with IE when the short disconnect happens makes windows think it's still downloading, but the download speed doesn't change anymore, and the data isn't moving anymore either.
Of course first thought was that the lines just can't do as high speeds as the modem is handshaking (usually I was in 20-22Mbps range), but I've had the ISP to raise my connections signal-to-noise ratios to lower the speed. So I tested again with my old modem and no DC's, so I tried limiting the Buffalo to ADSL 8/1 too, but it still DC's so it has to be the modem.

 

[Zaphod]

Weird. Sound like a firmware bug/limitation then. DDWRT?

 

[Kaotik]

Weird. Sound like a firmware bug/limitation then. DDWRT?

According to http://www.dd-wrt.com/site/content/buffalo-highpower-routers-with-dd-wrt-factory-firmware this should be using DDWRT by default

 

[Silent_Buddha]

Wait is this a combined modem/router?

It's entirely possible to have it configured in bridged mode while it still uses DHCP and NAT for the network.

Are you basically trying to turn this into an expensive switch? If so will your ISP provide a unique IP address for each machine connected?

If your ISP will only provide one IP address, then you'll have to DHCP and NAT enabled on the router anyways, unless you have a home computer serving as a network gateway instead of the router? But if that's the case, why have a router?

I'm not sure I quite understand what it is you are trying to do.

Regards,
SB

 

[Kaotik]

My ISP will provide unique IPs at least for 2 machines (tested on old modem), I think the limits are around 5 IP's per line or something.

I've tried disabling DHCP with no luck, and there's no "switch" to disable NAT anywhere.

However, the modem seems to be borked anyway, earlier today or was it yesterday it just stopped giving IPs at all, I've tried reseting and all, but neither my computer via RJ45 nor my phone via WLAN can connect to it anymore. PC won't get IP, and thus can't connect to the modem, the address of it's config GUI doesn't work at all.
Phone finds the WLAN, but can't get IP from the modem.
According to the lights on the modem, everything should be ok, though.

 

[Silent_Buddha]

Well, without a lot of info, it's hard to tell if things are borked or not.

For example I'm not sure how your ISP works, is it DSL or Cable? If it's DSL then chances are it's using PPOE. I can't think of any DSL providers that don't use PPOE anymore (at least in the US and Japan). If that's the case, then your router is probably now configured correctly.

Normally with DSL connections, your modem or router will handle logging in via PPOE which will get an IP address from the provider. Then the router will provide IP addresses to connected computer through DHCP.

So, if everything is bridged (modem + router) then the computers themselves will have to log in via PPOE to establish a legitimate connection and receive an IP address. You will also now, not be able to access router settings (it's basically a switch at this point) except through serial port, USB port, or possibly telnet.

Usually to reset a router back to factor defaults there should be a pinhole somewhere with a button inside. You'll have to generally hold that button down for around 10 seconds or so for a factory reset.

[edit] Just looked up the router and you are using DSL. So your router is now properly set in bridged mode with DHCP and NAT disabled. What you need to do now is setup your computer to log in via PPOE. If you don't know your PPOE username and password, your provider should be able to give you that. It may take some time to get a tech on the phoneline that understands what you are saying and what you want to do however. It's also possible you have a paper that the provider sent you when you established the service that contains the PPOE credentials.

Regards,
SB

 

[Kaotik]

Well, without a lot of info, it's hard to tell if things are borked or not.

For example I'm not sure how your ISP works, is it DSL or Cable? If it's DSL then chances are it's using PPOE. I can't think of any DSL providers that don't use PPOE anymore (at least in the US and Japan). If that's the case, then your router is probably now configured correctly.

Normally with DSL connections, your modem or router will handle logging in via PPOE which will get an IP address from the provider. Then the router will provide IP addresses to connected computer through DHCP.

So, if everything is bridged (modem + router) then the computers themselves will have to log in via PPOE to establish a legitimate connection and receive an IP address. You will also now, not be able to access router settings (it's basically a switch at this point) except through serial port, USB port, or possibly telnet.

Usually to reset a router back to factor defaults there should be a pinhole somewhere with a button inside. You'll have to generally hold that button down for around 10 seconds or so for a factory reset.

[edit] Just looked up the router and you are using DSL. So your router is now properly set in bridged mode with DHCP and NAT disabled. What you need to do now is setup your computer to log in via PPOE. If you don't know your PPOE username and password, your provider should be able to give you that. It may take some time to get a tech on the phoneline that understands what you are saying and what you want to do however. It's also possible you have a paper that the provider sent you when you established the service that contains the PPOE credentials.

Regards,
SB

It's DSL and it's not using PPoE, in fact I don't think any ISP uses PPoE in Finland anymore, if they ever used to begin with, our lines are just "always on" with no login needed.

And even though my modem looks like it shouldn't be using NAT, and be just bridged, it was still using NAT regardless, otherwise I would have gotten public IP from my ISP on my computer, instead of one provided by the modem (which did get the ISP provided IP)

Anyway, this isn't really relevant anymore, RMA'd the thing earlier today, and asking to switch it to another brand, which is at least on the ISP tested list (they test just couple modems, pretty much "anything" supporting the necessary standards should work, though)

 

[Silent_Buddha]

Interesting, I'd like to know what system Finland uses.

PPOE is always on also. My connection for example hasn't been offline for well over 5 years now. All DSL in the US and Japan use PPOE.

Most people don't know however as their modem is usually preconfigured with that information. Or configured at installation time by the CD that some telco's send. And whenever your modem/router is on, it automatically connects via PPOE.

It's also the only way to get DSL from the telco and then choose your own ISP. Perhaps Finland has only one ISP that provides internet for everyone?

Regards,
SB

 

[Kaotik]

Interesting, I'd like to know what system Finland uses.

PPOE is always on also. My connection for example hasn't been offline for well over 5 years now. All DSL in the US and Japan use PPOE.

Most people don't know however as their modem is usually preconfigured with that information. Or configured at installation time by the CD that some telco's send. And whenever your modem/router is on, it automatically connects via PPOE.

It's also the only way to get DSL from the telco and then choose your own ISP. Perhaps Finland has only one ISP that provides internet for everyone?

Regards,
SB

Nah, we have 3 different network owners, and few more ISPs which "rent" the networks from those 3 (though I think nowadays most of them if not all are subsidiaries of the big 3)

After some reading there might be some using PPPoE or PPPoA, but pretty much all use bridged connections, which is why the modems need to be in bridged, or have NAT and it's own DHCP server to act as router with bridged connection

 

[Kaotik]

As small update, apparently it wasn't just me.
Another user over at MuroBBS had the exactly same problems - the modem kept disconnecting him, and NATcouldn't be disabled

 

[Silent_Buddha]

Well, keep us updated, I'm interested to see how this turns out.

Regards,
SB

 

[Davros]

are your vpi and vci setting correct

 

[Kaotik]

are your vpi and vci setting correct

yeah they were, but like already said, the modem died apparently and is in RMA process atm