# Configuring a DSL modem



## CellBlock303 (Aug 5, 2006)

I just got a DSL line hooked up to my pc, however the modem (a Zyxel Prestige 645M-USP ADSL modem) I have isn't "communicating with the pc". I was told by the guy who installed it that there was a way to "go into it and configure it (the modem)" so that it would work. I know a bit about computers, but I have no idea what the heck he was talking about. He said that he didn't know how to do it either, he just installs them.

Anyways, does anybody know how do to this? I can still go online through the dial up connection, but I'm dying to get this DSL thing working. Btw, I get my DSL/internet through Twin Lakes here in Livingston, TN.

Also I have asked this question here, and they have suggested some things that were to no avail.

PLEASE HELP!

Thanks!!


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

Couldn't find that modem. Maybe it's "UHP" instead of "USP"?

Don't pay for DSL until your ISP gets it working or tells you what you need to configure--static IP? PPPoE? MTU? etc.

Do you have a User Guide for that modem. Sometimes they are difficult to impossible to find for ISP supplied modems, so insist on that also.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Terry is right, this seems to be a clear case for letting them fix it before you start paying! Since they supplied the equipment, they should know how to get it working. Surely, they don't expect the customer to finish their installations.


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## CellBlock303 (Aug 5, 2006)

OOPS! Yeah It's UHP, not USP. Sorry, I can't type worth crud. 

Yeah, you would think that they would train their installers to be able to fix those problems. Anyways, I don't have a user manuel for it as I bought it from another party. Prior to purchasing it I did go the phone companies office to make sure what kind they had. The only thing that I didn't think to write down was which of the P-600 series it was. The one I have is P-645, and the guy had brought another one in, as he didn't know I had one, that was a P-660. However, I could have sworn that the one I looked at in thier offices was a P-645. Actually, I looked at two of them. They had one set up in the lobby for a demo, and I looked at another one at their service dept office,which is next door. While they were both Zyxel P-600 series (I don't remember if they were the same model) the lights and plugs were positioned differently.

I think that it is a TCP/IP, at least that's what it says in the LAN properties in Network Connections. I don't know if it will help but here are the DSL setup values:
IP Address: 207.144.66.178
Gateway: 207.144.66.1
Netmask: 255.255.255.0
Primary DNS: 206.74.254.2
Secondary DNS: 204.116.57.2

Thanks again for your help.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

NOT ISP supplied, eh. I doubt that you could have found a much harder modem or modem/router to deal with. 

If it's a member of the Prestige P-645-A1 Series here is some info. (corrected) http://www.zyxel.com/web/support_download_detail.php?sqno=1320

*EDIT*: OK, I messed up the above link. Just go to www.ZyXEL.com and find your way around.

If it is instead a member of the P-645 Series, there is a link to that from the above.

Are those setup values a Static IP configuration that you have been assigned?

If your unit is a member of that first series, it appears to be a modem/router combo. Let us know which it is.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

After some more reading, I'm pretty sure it's the Prestige P-645-A1 Series. If you agree, download the Quick Start Guide. If that's not enough to get you going, I guess you'll have to download the 2MB User Guide, not pleasant with dial-up.


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## wacor (Feb 22, 2005)

Just a suggestion but if this does not settle out pretty quick for you then think about getting the modem from the ISP. I know that buying one of your own saves in the long run but you have to weigh the aggravation when things dont work as you get no support from the ISP when you are not using their modem.

If you get frustrated easy then renting from the ISP is the way to go. if you are one to like challenges and are patient then having your own is another thing.

good luck


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## CellBlock303 (Aug 5, 2006)

*BTW, The only thing that it isn't doing is that there isn't any "Activity", that is the ACT light is coming on. All the other lights are doing what, I assume, they are supposed to.

Also, a friend of mine said that it wasn't getting, or didn't have, any PPPoE info. He sent me to some kind of Earthlink diagnostic page, but I can't get a picture of it to show up in the post. Somehow I was able to do it fine in an email, which is where I usually have trouble. Anyways, I don't know if it will help, or work, but Here is the link to where he sent me. And, Here is what came up after he told me to do this:*

_What you're going to do is disable your dialup, connect your computer 
to your DSL modem. Go to your LAN Connection properties. Click "Internet 
Protocol (TCP/IP)" and then click properties. Make sure both check 
boxes are set to obtain address automatically.

Now open a web browser and head to http://192.168.1.1 
user: admin
pass:1234

You should see a configuration interface for your DSL modem at this 
point.

And unfortunately at this point I'm not going to be much help. I've had 
several ZyXel's over the years but they were all configured via PPPoE. 
Your ISP has you configuring via TCP/IP so I don't know where those 
settings are going to go in terms of exactly which menus you need to go 
into. Furthermore, the menus have probably changed since the last time I 
logged into a ZyXel. I stopped by their website to see if they had a 
picture of what the menu looked like, but they didn't. You will need all 
5 of the numbers you gave me, though. They'll all 5 have to go in 
there. (Technically you don't need the secondary DNS, but they'll surely 
give you a spot for it) Basically what is happening in this case, and this 
is why your tech was confused, is that your DSL modem is going to act 
as if it is a computer and take on those numbers. It will then assign 
addresses to any devices in your house (like your computer) from a little 
server built into the modem. Their system is set up such that their 
modems are just a little pass-through device and really your computer is 
connected directly to their system. The way you're doing it is much more 
standard in the industry it's just that they're not used to it. _

*And this is the last thing he said after I emailed him the picture of the site so that he could see what came up and perhaps have more of an idea as to how to help:*

_I didn't see this email originally. What happens if you hit the "fix" 
next to PPPoE (I don't think it will work, personally, but I'm curious 
what errors it will report). It appears for whatever reason that this is 
an "Earthlink Specific" version of this modem, meaning it is designed 
with limited functionality only for Earthlink users. Primarily it seems 
that it will only connect if you give it PPPoE settings (which is the 
standard for DSL anyhow). Maybe your DSL provider can give you those 
settings and then somewhere under your settings tab you can input them and 
it will still work. Every DSL modem I've ever configured for any 
service provider has always been configured via PPPoE, and I find it odd that 
they didn't leave you any PPPoE info. _

*I couldn't find anyplace to enter any PPPoE info like he said I could, and all the tabs on that site just take you back to the enter user/pass page which then just takes you back to the diagnostic page.
I don't know if any of this will help, but I thought that I should include it anyway. Sorry it's so long.*


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## CellBlock303 (Aug 5, 2006)

In response to your series question, it says "Model Number: Prestige 645M-UHP, ADSL Modem", and this I assume is the serial number: S5B070444 . There is also the number 00134903A7BA .

As far as those IP numbers are concerned, I have no idea if they are static or not. I don't know the difference.

Also, they said at the phone company that the modems have to have a "Alcatel chip" in them to work on their systems. They also give you a partial list of modems that will work. I just assumed (yeah, I know, never assume) that since the one I bought was the same as the one they sell that it would work, or at least have that chip in it. I have no idea how to check if there is one.


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## CellBlock303 (Aug 5, 2006)

I downloaded the quickstart guide from that site, but it wasn't any help as I have already done all the things it said.


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## wacor (Feb 22, 2005)

Is it possible the modem is bad? 

I am guessing that it was used and not new??

If used then that is one of the issues with regard to getting frustrated as there is no way to verify it worked unless you hook it up to another computer


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

It's quite possible the modem is bad.


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## natcom (Sep 21, 2003)

did you call your ISP ?


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## wacor (Feb 22, 2005)

natcom said:


> did you call your ISP ?


ISP wont deal with private modems. They would not even set it up as I recall


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

Were you able to access the modem/router at the default 192.168.1.1? If not,since you bought it used, best to reset it to factory default settings so that you know with what you are dealing. Such reset is done by holding the reset button for 10 seconds or so.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

wacorsaut said:


> ISP wont deal with private modems. They would not even set it up as I recall


That depends. Comcast has no problem around here with customer owned modems. Mine went bad after several years, and they even loaned me one for a few weeks until mine came back.


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## wacor (Feb 22, 2005)

JohnWill said:


> That depends. Comcast has no problem around here with customer owned modems. Mine went bad after several years, and they even loaned me one for a few weeks until mine came back.


Thanks for the correction. Wonder why then they did not set it up at the time? Unless this ISP does not provide that courtesy. You would think they would want to make sure things are up and running before you leave.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Not all ISP's, and not even all locations or technicians are the same. Perhaps he was having a bad day.


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## CellBlock303 (Aug 5, 2006)

TerryNet said:


> Were you able to access the modem/router at the default 192.168.1.1? If not,since you bought it used, best to reset it to factory default settings so that you know with what you are dealing. Such reset is done by holding the reset button for 10 seconds or so.


I was able to do everything that my friend told me to do that I posted in post #8 in this particular paragraph:

_"What you're going to do is disable your dialup, connect your computer 
to your DSL modem. Go to your LAN Connection properties. Click "Internet 
Protocol (TCP/IP)" and then click properties. Make sure both check 
boxes are set to obtain address automatically._* (Btw, this was the only way that I could get the http://192.168.1.1 page to come up. It wouldn't to anything if I left it on the address that the installation guy entered.)*

_Now open a web browser and head to http://192.168.1.1 
user: admin
pass:1234

You should see a configuration interface for your DSL modem at this 
point."_

And as I said earlier, all the tabs on that site just take you back to the enter user/pass page which then just takes you back to the diagnostic page. I couldn't do anything else because it just kept going back to those pages.

As far as the newness of the modem, the guy who sold it said that "This modem was sent to me as part of an Earthlink DSL subscription. I have another DSL modem so I am not using this one....Brand new-never been opened.". So, as far as I know it is new.*shrugs* However, after just reading a email from my friend, we both agree that since the guy got it through a subscription to Earthlink that it was probably setup in a special fashion by Earthlink. He says that going through the http://192.168.1.1 link should take you to the Zyxel site not Earthlink as it has been doing.


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## wacor (Feb 22, 2005)

You may have hit on something about the Earthlink being an issue.

sometimes getting something for free carries a lot of baggage with it. if you like challenges then maybe you can get this resolved but if it were me i would just go buy one or lease one from the ISP. Just my opinion.


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## jimmat (Jul 31, 2006)

Does the modem connect to your PC through a network card or a USB connection? Sorry if you said but I didn't see it. Is it possible you aren't communicating with the modem? Do the settings you make to the modem stick? 

Jim


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## CellBlock303 (Aug 5, 2006)

jimmat, it goes through a card (Ethernet, I guess. At least it says on the paper that the ISP gave me that lists all the requirements,prices, etc. that the pc needs a Ethernet card in it. I'm ccertain that it does because he (the installer) got it working with the other modem he brought.) . 
As I said before, there doesn't seem to be any activity as the ACT light doesn't come on. However, it does blink a little for a second when you turn the power switch on. The only thing that it does when you try to open a browser is that it very lowly brings up a "Page cannot be found" page.
I think that Earthlink does have it all screwed up because I tried that reset button thing a couple of times and it still takes me to that Earthlink diagnostic page I mentioned earlier.


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## jimmat (Jul 31, 2006)

I just re-read something you wrote earlier - 
"And as I said earlier, all the tabs on that site just take you back to the enter user/pass page which then just takes you back to the diagnostic page. I couldn't do anything else because it just kept going back to those pages. "

Are you sure about the user name and password? Does it seem to accept them or can you tell? It sort of sounds like it isn't. 

Jim


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

I ditto jimmat that it sounds like the default user name/password is not working, or else there have been particular Earthlink changes made that none of us understand. You might check out the Earthlink site, and if you are really lucky maybe they talk about that modem/router and any specific changes they make to it. I have noticed, from other threads, that when ISPs (like Earthlink) send out a modem/router combo for DSL connection, that box is pre-configured for that customer to use for that ISP. Many of those customers don't even realize they have a router and don't know that particular settings are needed to communicate with their ISP. I don't know if that ever means special firmware, or just the normal configuration settings. If there is special firmware, you will probably need to find a "standard" firmware download from ZyXEL.

In your post #22 you talk about the installer "got it working with the other modem he brought" and in post #19 you talk about needing to set the ethernet to 'obtain IP auto.' This tells me that the installer set your PC to connect to your ISP (through a modem). To get the modem/router working, you will need to make those settings to the router section of it. That's what your friend is trying to lead you through, and it seems that now the main roadblock is actually getting logged into the router.


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## CellBlock303 (Aug 5, 2006)

TerryNet said:


> In your post #22 you talk about the installer "got it working with the other modem he brought" and in post #19 you talk about needing to set the ethernet to 'obtain IP auto.' This tells me that the installer set your PC to connect to your ISP (through a modem). To get the modem/router working, you will need to make those settings to the router section of it. That's what your friend is trying to lead you through, and it seems that now the main roadblock is actually getting logged into the router.


O.K., so how do I do that? I'm not sure how to find the router section.


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## CellBlock303 (Aug 5, 2006)

*"MOMMA I'M GOING FAST!!!!"*

Just wanted to say thank you for all your help! I was finally able to get this thing working with some help from the the phone company (i.e. my ISP). They actually GAVE me another modem! They said it belonged to some woman who moved to Montana and she actually mailed the modem back to them.
Anyways, Thanks again for all your help.


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## jimmat (Jul 31, 2006)

Its pretty amazing that your ISP just gave you a modem and not as an inducement to sign up. Anyway, I'm glad to hear you now have broadband..

Jim


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## wacor (Feb 22, 2005)

Ah People, you gotta love em

The tech guy who set up the install would not configure the owners modem and then somebody with else with he ISP decides to give a free modem.

Can't argue with success though!!


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