?? How to set up actiontec MI242wr rev F router to accomodate Static IP addresses, port forwarding?

[three_jeeps]

I just got a new Verizon/Actiontec replacement router and I want to configure 4 or 5 static IP addresses beginning at 192.168.1.201  and above.

At this point, I have changed the DHCP range from 192.168.1.2 - 192.168.1.250, to  192.168.1.2 - 192.168.1.200, so that is now the DHCP pool.  That presumably leaves anything above 192.168.1.200 open for static IP assignments.

a) So now  how do I create a Static IP reservation for a device? (what router screens should I use? do the device(s) that I want a static IP have to be connected?, etc.)

b) Once I have the static IP address reserved/configured, how can I make the appropriate port forward rule(s) for the devices?  Specifically, I want to allow SSH connections to each of the static IP addresses/devices.

(I tried this once but the router complained after I made the first port forwarding rule saying that it was already in use!?!? and I want to avoid this problem again).
Thanks

-J

[tns]

If You change the range as you specified, you don't do reservations.  You just manually set each device to use one of the addresses outside the range.

[three_jeeps]

So you are saying that I should configure each device with a static IP address (for example, config a webcam for 192.168.1.220) and when it is connected to the router, the router will find out the device address and will configure it in the routers connection table?? 

[tns]

Yes.  When you do a manual config you give it an IP, a mask (255,255,255,0) a gateway ip (192.168.1.1) and a dns primary (192.168.1.1, or another dns server if that is what you want to use).

The other way to do this is to still use DHCP but set the router to reserve an IP address for each device.  Not sure how well this works for lots of devices on it.  And the MI424WR router  appears to only support this for those with true static addresses (purchased from Verizon).

[three_jeeps]

thanks for your suggestion.  I figured out what to do...I let each device receive an address by DHCP, and then in the router, I went to Advanced -> Connections, double clicked on the device to get more details and  set  the "Static Lease" check box.

What this does is a address reservation for the device, but still configures it via DHCP.

It would be nice if the router manual noted this small detail, that devices can be configured as having a static address 'reservation' that is administered by the DHCP service, OR, one can set a 'static IP address' by ensuring that the device address is outside of the DHCP pool.