How to use a Westell 7500 as a router-switch ?

[glnzglnz]

I have an extra Verizon Westell 7500 DSL modem router (A90-750015-07). How do I turn it into a router-switch that will take an ethernet (not DSL) network feed (with internet access) and distribute it among a few devices and put those devices into some kind of sub-network so they see each other? I'm not using technical terms here - please teach me.

My wife is going to rent a small temporary office that provides internet access via a socket in the wall. Let's assume it's a typical RJ-45 ethernet socket. The internet speed might actually be pretty good - maybe 30Mbs down and very fast up. The total internet capacity is shared with other temporary offices in the facility, but let's assume we'll have enough for our needs.

If the only thing I bring is a single computer, I could use a J-45 ethernet cable to plug its network card directly into this socket and be done. But I'll be bringing at least two computers and a small printer/scanner. Both computers will need to share the internet access, and both computers and the printer/scanner will need to "see" each other. (Just like at home.)

So, if I plug the extra Westell 7500 into the network wall socket and then my PCs and printer into the Westell, I should get what I need here, yes? How do I do this exactly, step-by-step?

I have experimented at home and have maybe 10% success. At home, I don't have an ethernet socket in the wall, but I do have my current (not Westell) modem-router, and it has an unused LAN socket, which I am pretending is the office's ethernet socket. I connected a test computer to the Westell 7500 and logged onto the Westell 7500's embedded server (192.168.1.1), changed its VersaPort from "LAN ethernet port" to "WAN uplink port", connected the newer modem-router's unused LAN socket to the Westell 7500's E1/Uplink socket with a J45 cable, went to the Westell 7500's "Advanced" page and ran "Detect WAN Configuration". That changed the Westell 7500's "WAN uplink port Settings Protocal" from PPPoE to Routed IP. The Westell 7500 now also says its "Broadband Connection Type" is "Routed Bridge".

The test computer connected to the Westell 7500 shows it is connected to the Westell 7500, but it cannot connect all the way through to the internet. At the start, the newer modem-router shows the Westell is connected to it, and the newer modem-router has given the Westell a DHCP address of 192.168.1.5. But after a few minutes, the newer modem-router doesn't show the Westell any more. If I re-run Detect WAN Configuration on the Westell 7500, it says "Automatic Protocol Detecion is in progress" but then "DHCP server was found ... PPPoE server not found", and then the newer modem-router shows the Westell 7500 again as 192.168.1.5. But the test computer does not have internet access.

What exactly should I do with the additional settings in the Westell 7500 to make this work?

If there's a great web site to explain this to me, please point me there.

Thanks.

[glnzglnz]

The answer is at

http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-1856344/convert-westell-7500-router-switch.html#11803251

and the links in that post.