# Will third-party DSl modem work w/frontiernet?



## Williampreza (Mar 17, 2006)

I've had frontiernet DSL for about a year now. My setup is a (ISP-provided) Speedstream 5200 DSL modem/router (it's a router, but it only has one port), connected to twisted-pair phone line (filters in place) on WAN side, then connected via ethernet cable to a Netgear wireless router/4-port switch. The problem I'm having is that I have two routers and the complex port-forwarding that requires. Sooo, I tried simplifying matters by purchasing a Netgear ADSL modem/4portswitch/wireless router/firewall/everything. I want to reduce my setup down to POPL-filter-Netgear-LAN, BUT just as I was about to hook everything up, I called Frontier to ask if I needed to update them on the new MAC address for the new modem. That's when the tech at Frontier told me it wouldn't work. According to him, they have Speedstream put some sort of proprietary programming put on their modems before they leave the factory, and modems without this programming won't work on their network. I'm ready to roll, but should I even try it? Is what he's saying a load of BS? Or am I out of luck?

Thanks,
Will


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## coulterp (Oct 20, 2003)

Frontiernet sounds States-side so obviously I couldn't answer with certainty, but it sure sounds like a load of bull.

But your tech support people may have been saying they use MAC address authenication and if so most Netgear routers (you don't mention the model) allow for MAC address cloning. So you could try cloning the MAC address of either the PC or the Speedstream 5200 modem/router into the Netgear and see if that gains you access.

I think you're going to have to suck-it -and-see if you want to find out!


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## Williampreza (Mar 17, 2006)

Yup, they're lying *******s. It works fine, even using netgear's "setup wizard" (which never worked before on my weird network). Thanks!


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## Williampreza (Mar 17, 2006)

Wow, sorry, I didn't think that was that bad of a word, but apparently it is.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

I'm guessing that coulterp is correct--all you have to do is configure properly and maybe clone the old modem's MAC to the new modem/router.

But, if it doesn't work, your current setup will work without the double port forwarding if you connect to the Netgear via LAN instead of WAN port--see JohnWill's famous "connecting two SOHO broadband routers."


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## coulterp (Oct 20, 2003)

Agree totally with TerryNet - if you want to continue using the Speedstream 5200 DSL then the JohnWill "connecting two SOHO broadband routers." adivce is the way to go.
It was just I thought you had already purchased the Netgear ADSL modem/4portswitch/wireless router/firewall and wanted to proceed on the basis of using that.
But it looks like you're up and running. Good luck!


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