# DHCP and Port Forwarding problem



## Waldo_NJ (Jun 17, 2007)

I connect to the internet with satellite. The satellite modem does DHCP but does not do Port Forwarding. I do NOT have a static IP address (expensive upgrade for a home user). I can hang a Linksys Router off the satellite modem, which allows port forwarding, but it won't work unless I turn off the DHCP at the satellite modem. DHCP cannot be turned off at the satellite modem without a static IP. Catch-22. If I turn off DHCP at the router, then its port forwarding doesn't work. I have a IP webcam on the local network that I want to expose to the internet. Can be done with static IP (too expensive), can be done with DDNS (which requires port forwarding) through router, but that requires DHCP turned off at modem (which requires static IP).

Is there a way to bridge (don't know if that is the correct terminology) the satellite modem's DHCP with the router's DHCP? Or am I hosed.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

If your modem is a modem (only) you don't need port forwarding 'cause there's no NAT layer to punch holes into. If it is a modem/router combo then there is no reason you can't disable its Dhcp server (except that it is not necessary); but it would be better in my opinion to just assign the webcam a static IP in the same subnet but outside the address range of the router's Dhcp server.

To allow people to access your dynamic public IP use something like http://www.dyndns.com/services/dns/dyndns/


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## Waldo_NJ (Jun 17, 2007)

According to HughesNet (satellite) tech support there is no way to disable the DHCP from its modem (which is a combo modem/router) without the expensive static IP address. I do not fully understand your suggestion (my ignorance) so could you break it down for me so I can try it. Since I don't have a static IP address, should I be hanging the router on the modem, or just use the switch I have attached at the moment? The IP Camera has a local IP at the moment so I can access it on the lan, 192.168.0.115, but it is easy enough to change it. It is a wireless IP Cam, but I have a wireless Access Point that I can hang off the switch, if the wireless router won't work in this setup. The satellite modem is 192.168.0.1. Since I cannot forward a port, how would I use a DDNS service? I don't mind addressing the the camera with the direct ip. Although I do not have a static IP, my external NAT IP address for the modem hasn't changed in months, so I would simply code the address in my web page, and when (and if) it ever changes, I will deal with it then. I am more interested in monitoring my home with the camera that putting on a show to the world, so if the address "breaks" down the road, it isn't a big deal.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

Why cannot you do port forwarding in the modem/router combo? Has your ISP assigned a login password that they will not share with their customers?

Whether you have a dynamic or static public IP address from HughesNet has nothing to do with how you set up your Local Area Network (LAN). Since you have the modem/router combo you can connect multiple devices by using a switch, adding a router in the conventional manner or by adding a wireless router configured as an ethernet switch and wireless access point. In my opinion, since you want wireless, the best option is the last one.

JohnWill's procedure for configuring a secondary router as a switch and, optionally, wireless access point follows.

*Connecting two SOHO broadband routers together.*

Configure the IP address of the secondary router to be in the same subnet as the primary router, but out of the range of the DHCP server in the primary router. For instance DHCP server addresses 192.168.0.2 through 192.168.0.100, I'd assign the secondary router 192.168.0.254 as it's IP address.

Disable the DHCP server in the secondary router.

Setup the wireless section just the way you would if it was the primary router.

Connect from the primary router's LAN port to one of the LAN ports on the secondary router. If there is no uplink port and neither of the routers have auto-sensing ports, use a cross-over cable. Leave the WAN port unconnected!


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## invalidusername (Apr 29, 2007)

Do the above, if it does not work, try this for test see what happens. Put things back the way they were in case of problems:

connect WAN or internet of the router to the modem

modem has DHCP enabled as you said. Let say its IP address is 192.168.0.1
The gateway for router will be 192.168.0.1

The router IP address will be 192.168.1.1, a different subnet from that of the DHCP of the modem.
DHCP of the router will be ENABLED

Enable the port forwarding in the router the way you wanted. You can also play with assigning static address to the camera out of the range of DHCP of the router, again for testing and trying.

Note that this is against what Johnwill recommends which is listed above by TerryNet

I am suggesting this as a test to see what happens. Of course, in case of problems, you put things back the way they were.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

That is one of the options I listed. The reason I advise against it in this case is because it necessitates two port forwards or putting the second router in the first router's DMZ. But it will work OK usually.


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## Waldo_NJ (Jun 17, 2007)

Reply to Terry:

What you describe is exactly what HughesNet KnowledgeBase says about hanging a router off of their modem. They say to disable DHCP Server on router and set IP to 192.168.0.254, and to connect Cat-5 from modem to lan port on router. Works just fine for surfing the internet through the router, which is wireless. And I can view the camera with their utility locally. The problem accessing the camera using the external IP remains. The external IP that I am at (and although not a static one, hasn't changed in ages) is 72.xx.xx.xx. When I go into their modem setup page, it shows an IP of 66.yy.yy.yy. 
Summarizing:
Hughes HN7000S (modem/router DHCP enabled)- externally can be pinged at 72.xx.xx.xx
(and yes they do not disclose password)
Hughes HN7000S internal web page status shows a 66.yy.yy.yy address
Hughes HN7000S on my lan appears as 192.168,0,1 as gateway
Linksys WRK56G wireless router set at IP 192.168.0.254 as per Hughes instructions
Cat-5 from HN7000S plugged into Linksys LAN (not WAN) port
Cat-5 from another Linksys LAN port plugged into Linksys 16-port switch where PCs and NAS and print server are also plugged.
IP CAM at 192.168.0.115 connects wirelessly
Internally all working fine.
Per Linksys instructions router port forwarding set for Port 1024 mapped to 192.168.0.115
IP-CAM set to Port 1024 also. (By the way Linksys tech support asked me to try it with Port 80, same results)
They say I should be able to type in a browser http://72.xx.xx.xx:1024 and see the camera.
I get "Web Page Not Found" or something similar.

Reply to invalid:

I will try your suggestion tomorrowe, as it is getting late here. Will post results tomorrow.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

You do not have the WAN port of the Linksys connected (which is the correct way) so port forwarding on the Linksys is not needed and doesn't do anything. Port forwarding is a way to get around the firewall protection that Network Address Translation (NAT) gives you. You are not using NAT on the Linksys; you are using the Linksys as a switch and wireless access point.

You need port forwarding on that satellite modem/router. If I understand you correctly you can access it at 192.168.0.1, but then you are stymied because you don't know the password.

If HughesNet will not share the password, and will not do the portforwarding for you, you are out of luck. You could try resetting the modem/router to factory default settings (if you have the manual and know the default login/password), but there may be configuration information that nobody but HughesNet knows.

As for invalidusername's suggestion, remember that your problem is getting access (port forwarding) through the modem/router combo. Until and if that gets solved it makes little difference what you do on the LAN side.

By the way I currently have the exact same setup that you now have with the exception that my modem/router are two separate devices and are under my control. On that router I have two ports forwarded to my wireless camera. My camera is connected to a secondary router via wireless, using a static IP. It works. Again, our only difference is the port forwarding to get through the first router.

I keep saying the same thing in slightly different ways because I want to stress that you have done everything you can do, and have done it correctly. The only problem now is getting through the NAT layer of the HughesNet modem/router.


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## Waldo_NJ (Jun 17, 2007)

Then I guess I am hosed. They sell static IP addresses in groups of 5 for $20 a month, which is fine for a business but prohibitive as an individual. Otherwise I have absolutely no control over their settings. Their included utility does not allow snapshots or ftp, so unless I can find other software that will work on this camera, I guess I will be selling it on eBay at a loss. Thanks for your help.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

Their static IP would do no good for you unless it also includes the ability to port forward on the router or includes a modem only instead of a modem/router combo. Please, please, please get the static IP out of your head. All that does is make it easier to know what your public IP is; as you have discovered it seldom changes anyhow.

What is the brand and model of that modem/router? (I just want to see if I can find a manual or some info on it.)


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

I read some stuff on HughesNet and the modem/router that you probably have. Now I understand your discouragement. The router function is apparently like no other I've heard of. As you have been saying either you get a static IP from them and then the router is bypassed; or else you get a dynamic IP and you have no control over the router part. Sorry that I kept talking so long about typical routers and modem/router combos.


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