# [SOLVED] DUAL ISP CONFIGURATION



## danzman (Aug 6, 2012)

Current Network Setup:
ISP AT&T Uverse (Static IP) on 2wire 3600HGV Modem - used as DHCP Server;
Servers Running Windows Server 2008R2 and second data backup server running WHS 2011. We have 5 Stations, mixed XP and Win7 with a Credit Card equipment/Service connected to the network.

Our office is running a cloud based EMR (Electronic Medical Record) System. We have just installed an internet cable connection (Business Class XFinity) and would like to configure and use a dual Wan router CISCO RV042. This will be used to augment our system in case one fails.

My question is:
1. Do I leave the 2wire modem as the dhcp server and configure the RV042 to relay dhcp or,
2. Put the 2Wire modem(Uverse) in Bridge Mode (I am not sure if this can be done with the 2wire) and configure the RV042 as the dhcp server.
3.If #2 is possible, how do I put the 2wire in bridge mode? 

Please provide me the proper way to do this as I would like the changeover process as painless as possible. If anyone has experience on this your comment is welcome.
Thanks
---Victor


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## JimE (Apr 16, 2009)

*Re: DUAL ISP CONFIGURATION*

I've not used that gear. With that said, the router would typically be the DHCP server. Same applies to single service connections. The modems typically don't even have DHCP unless they are modem/router combo units...in which case, again, the router is the DHCP server.


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## Wand3r3r (Sep 17, 2010)

*Re: DUAL ISP CONFIGURATION*

set either the dual wan port router as the dhcp server or the 2008 server as the dhcp server.

Bridge mode for both would be the best but if you can't do that leave them the way they are.

Do consider that if you want the dual wan port router to be the dhcp server AND use the same subnet for the lan as now, you will need to change the ip subnet on the 2wire to something else.


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## danzman (Aug 6, 2012)

*Re: DUAL ISP CONFIGURATION*

Actually the 2wire is a modem/router. The cable modem is already in "bridge mode". I am not sure if the 2wire modem router can be placed in bridge mode. I forgot to mention that there is a database server in the win2008 which is port forwarded for web access. I may need a long weekend to experiment with the suggestions given here. Any word in putting the 2 wire in bridge mode?


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## danzman (Aug 6, 2012)

*Re: DUAL ISP CONFIGURATION*

To continue the discussion, here is what I intend to do. I will leave the 2wire 3600HGV modem-router as the dhcp server, have the dual wan router in dhcp relay mode and assign to it a static IP in the same subnet as the 2wire. I will then connect the cable modem into the second broadband port of the RV042, restart all equipments, cross my fingers and hope for the best.
I decided on this approach because I could not put the 2wire in bridge mode and the network IPs and firewall settings are configured already (just lazy to do all the reconfiguring). I could not open the 2wire in dmz as it would surely fail security metrics audit (credit card). All I need is a long weekend to do all these.
Any dissention on this and why?


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## Wand3r3r (Sep 17, 2010)

*Re: DUAL ISP CONFIGURATION*

That configuration defeats the purpose of the dual wan port router.
You will have no failover.

I already gave you the lazy way of fixing this. You change the subnet on the 2wire to something else and set the dual wan port router to that subnet. You then don't have to make any changes to the lan settings.

To continue forwarding to the sql server you will need to change the forwarding in the 2wire to go to the dual wan port router. then in the dual wan port router you will need to forward to the sql server.

This can all be done in less than two hours if not shorter time.


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## danzman (Aug 6, 2012)

*Re: DUAL ISP CONFIGURATION*

Ok, I hear you. Thanks. The 2wire modem/router is currently set, by default, to 192.168.1.254. It is also the dhcp server. I have port forwarded 7000 open port for the database server. In reading the Dual Wan router manual, The Lan IP is defaulted to 192.168.1.1. I have no equipment using that IP. Here are some questions:
1. Do I leave the 2wire m/r as the dhcp server?
2. Since the 2 wire and dual wan router is on the same subnet, do I leave it alone?
3. What setting do I select for the dual wan router, dhcp server or as dhcp relay ?

Any else I need to do?


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## Wand3r3r (Sep 17, 2010)

*Re: DUAL ISP CONFIGURATION*

1. no. you set the dual wan port router as the dhcp server

2. only if you don't want routing/nat taking place. leaving them the same will result in no internet thru that connection

3. dhcp server not relay.

This is simple. 
You change the 2wire subnet to 192.168.2.1. You disable its dhcp server.
You change the dual wan port router to 192.168.1.254 and enable its dhcp server.
You would assign 192.168.2.2 to the dual wan port router port connecting to the 2wire.
You port forward from the dual wan link router port 7000 to the sql server.

4 steps and that's all you need to do.


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## danzman (Aug 6, 2012)

*Re: DUAL ISP CONFIGURATION*

Ok, now I really hear you and understood your clear explanation. I will do as you suggested. I will try that this the weekend after next.
Thanks.


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## danzman (Aug 6, 2012)

*Re: DUAL ISP CONFIGURATION*

Oh, another question: What to do with 2wire wifi? Should I disable it and install an access point connected to the Dual Wan router?


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## danzman (Aug 6, 2012)

*Re: DUAL ISP CONFIGURATION*

Doing my homework... I have been experimenting with the Dual Wan Router (DWR) and did something like this. I have not touched the existing network yet so I just connected the cable modem to the DWR. I left the DWR IP to 192.168.1.1 (I know, I know you want it changed, that I will do when I connect the UVERSE 2Wire and the entire LAN system). By the way the DWR can only assign DHCP to 50 devices and defaulted to 192.168.1.100-149. So far so good. I connected a wifi access point to the DWR (which I will use eventually when I disable the 2wire wifi). Everything tested fine on this setup.Next chapter... by labor day weekend. Wish me luck.


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## Wand3r3r (Sep 17, 2010)

*Re: DUAL ISP CONFIGURATION*

You can always expand the dhcp scope. As long as the 2wire is at x.x.1.x you won't be able to use that route thru the DWR.
I am surprised the DWR wasn't also a wireless router so yes you will need to convert a router to be a AP or install a AP. Wifi routers are usually cheaper than APs which I why I mentioned using a wifi router instead.


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## danzman (Aug 6, 2012)

*Re: DUAL ISP CONFIGURATION*

I followed your suggested procedure. I found that the Uverse 2-wire Modem/Router DHCP server can not be disabled. I went ahead and changed the DHCP to 192.168.2.1. Googling the net, it was suggested to enable DMZPlus in lieu of disabling DHCP server. I configured the DWR as you suggested, all devices' IPs were renewed. I set the DWR on fail-over mode instead of load balancing. I tested the internet access and everything worked. I simulated failure by disconnecting the primary (Uverse) connection the fail-over worked.
I forwarded ports in DWR to the servers. The problem - I could not access the servers remotely. It took me all day playing around with firewall settings. I am running out of ideas. Any suggestions?


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## Wand3r3r (Sep 17, 2010)

*Re: DUAL ISP CONFIGURATION*

You have to port forward the 2wire to the DWR and the port forward the DWR to the static ip of the server.

You need to set a static ip on the DWR that the 2wire is connecting to.

Can you set the dhcp scope on the 2wire?
if so set it small like 10-20 and then use a ip like 192.168.2.254 for the DWR wan port the 2wire is connecting to so forwarding will continue to work after the configuration.


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## danzman (Aug 6, 2012)

*Re: DUAL ISP CONFIGURATION*

I followed your suggestions, but before I did that I configured the 2 wire as suggested by somejoe7777 (on this forum: U-verse for BUSINESS? : 2Wire 3600HGV bridge mode?... - AT&T Community Support). I noticed that after setting a static IP to DWR and rebooting all routers, that the DWR took the public IP of the 2wire. That is the expected behaviour of the 2wire setup as "bridge mode". All the internet connections worked. Initially I tried to access the WIN2008R2 server(WSR2) but no connection. However, I was able to access the Apache Server (running under WinXPPro) and that gave me the reason to look at the WSR2 settings. I disabled all the firewall settings in the WSR2 and everything worked. I think all the settings as you suggested worked. The remaining problem is outside the scope of this thread and that pertains to the firewall setup of the WSR2. I would like to reactivate the WSR2 firewall without blocking remote access, but at this point I am not sure how. I will search somewhere on this forum if someone had a similar problem with WSR2 firewall settings.
I will close this thread with a BIG thank you.


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## Wand3r3r (Sep 17, 2010)

*Re: DUAL ISP CONFIGURATION*

Glad to hear you got it all working. 

Enable the firewall and allow the remote desktop access in the firewall.

Thanks for the update.


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