How to get into a modem/router that is in bridge mode
dslr595148
Community Leader
Community Leader

Sorry for the long post.

Users who connect the RJ-45 WAN port of their own (separate) NAT router who put their modem into bridge mode (not configured to handle a WAN IP), typically can not by default get access anymore to their modem's UI.

One of the best reasons for DSL users for getting access to the modem so that they can get the dsl transceiver status (how strong the DSL signal is).

I know every single method to get into a device while it is in bridge mode.

** Option #1 **

#1 Your computer must have a wired NIC. and you must know how to setup a manual Static IP on your computer. To help you find that info out, you can use the guides at https://portforward.com/networking/staticip.htm

#2 The wired NIC gets disconnected from the Primary NAT router.

#3 Setup a Local Static IP.

#4 Based upon what you are trying to do, these settings will work.

IP Address: 192.168.1.2
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

That will do it.

#5 Do not set a Default Gateway or edit the DNS Settings on your computer.

#6 The Wired NIC that you disconnected gets connected to one of the other LAN ports of the device that is in bridge mode.

#7 You can now talk to 192.168.1.1

** Option #1b **

Q: But what if my router that is in bridge mode that I want to get access to has only one LAN Port?

Answer:

Step 1: Get a networking hub/switch if you do not have one already. If you do not have one already, I recommend a networking switch with Auto MDI-X so that you do not have to worry about the type of networking ethernet cable.

Step 2: Disconnect the device you want to get into is in bridge mode that has only one LAN port from your primary NAT router.

Step 3: Connect one wire to the device you want to get into is in bridge mode that has only one LAN port to the networking hub/switch.

Step 4: Connect one wire to your primary NAT router to the networking hub/switch.

Step 5: Power up the networking hub/switch that is between the the device you want to get into is in bridge mode that has only one LAN port from your primary NAT router.

Step 6: You are to connect your computer to the networking hub/switch that is connected between the device you want to get into is in bridge mode that has only one LAN port and your primary NAT router.

** Option #2 ***

#1 Your computer must have two NICs, one of the NICs must be a wired NIC., you must know how to setup a manual Static IP on your computer (see option one above, I have a link to a place that provides directions), and both routers can not be in the same subnet.

#2 Here is an example of what I mean by two subnets. You will need to adjust as need be.

a) the device that is in bridge mode LAN IP 192.168.1.1 with the subnet mask of 255.255.255.0

b) Primary NAT router's  LAN IP 192.168.2.1 with the subnet mask of 255.255.255.0

#3 A wired NIC gets disconnected from the Primary NAT router.

#4 Setup a Local Static IP for that NIC that is connected to one of the other LAN ports of the the device that is in bridge mode.

#5 Again, based upon what you are trying to do

IP Address: 192.168.1.2
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

#6 Again, do not set a Default Gateway or edit the DNS Settings on your computer.

#7 The Wired NIC that you disconnected gets connected to one of the other LAN ports of the device that is in bridge mode.

#8  Again, You can now talk to 192.168.1.1

#9 But this time since you have two NICs, it is possible to access both routers - access the Internet at the same time. 🙂

** Option #2b **

Q: But what if my router that is in bridge mode that I want to get access to has only one LAN Port?

Answer: I gave the answer to this info already as option 1b.

** Option #3 **

As long as you only need access to the routers without disconnecting your computer from the Primary NAT router.

#1 Both routers can not be in the same subnet (see option two, as I explained what that means.)

#2 Setup a Static WAN IP of the RJ-45 router so that is in the same subnet as the device that is in bridge mode.

#3 Based upon what you are trying to do, assuming the same subnets setting before you must use:

IP Address: 192.168.1.2
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: 192.168.1.1
DNS #1: 192.168.1.1

#4 Again, You can now talk to 192.168.1.1

#5 Be strongly advised as long as the RJ-45 router's WAN IP is set to Static and is in the same subnet as the the device that that in bridge mode and if the Primary NAT router is not a Dual WAN port router of any kind (RJ-45 WAN1 and RJ-45 WAN2, RJ-45 WAN and 4G/LTE, RJ-45 WAN and POTS dial-up, ETC..) you (and the computers that are behind this RJ-45 WAN port router) are not going to be able to access the Internet!

** Option #4 - Another Possible fix with access to both and online. **

#1 Both routers can not be in the same subnet.

#2 Using third party firmware (either with commands and then rebooting the router OR in the UI option of Route Modem IP field) on the router..

Note by commands and then rebooting the router, I mean - (Third party site) dd-wrt.com -> Community -> Wiki -> Tutorials (Basic and advanced configuration tasks for your router...

By UI option Route Modem IP, I mean with this..

image

While it is possible to do this with third party firmware, it is NOT limited/restricted to only third party firmware.

** Option #5 - Another Possible fix with access to both and online. **

#1 Both of the routers can not be in the same subnet and you must have a second RJ-45 WAN port NAT router.

#2 For that other router, you must:

a) Have it disconnected at this step.

b) Set it's LAN IP Address with the same Subnet as the primary but outside of the DHCP Range of the Primary router's DHCP Range.

For example with the primary IP Address 192.168.2.1 with the subnet mask of 255.255.255.0, the first DHCP Address that it handles out is 192.168.2.100 and the last DHCP Address that it handles out is 192.168.2.254 - then the other router's LAN IP Address could be 192.168.2.6

c) Disable the DHCP Server in the second RJ-45 WAN port NAT router.

#3 Once you make those changes, now you can connect both of those routers together but this time LAN to LAN.

#4 Now in the third router, setup it WAN IP to be Static in the same subnet as the  as the the device that is in bridge mode .

IP Address: 192.168.1.2
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: 192.168.1.1
DNS #1: 192.168.1.1

#5 Now you can connect the WAN port of the third router to the LAN port of the as the the device that is in bridge mode .

#6 Now in the second RJ-45 WAN port NAT router, you use a static route in this format..

Subnet IP: (the subnet of your modem)
Mask: (the Subnet Mask of the primary and secondary router on the LAN)
Gateway: (the IP address of the secondary router on the LAN)

Like so..

Subnet IP: 192.168.1.0
Mask: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 192.168.2.6

#7 Again, You can now talk to 192.168.1.1

All of the options/possible fixes above that I have tested and I know that work.

** Option #5b **

Q: But what if my router that is in bridge mode that I want to get access to has only one LAN Port?

Answer: I sort of gave this answer already. See options 1b and 2b and use common sense/logic.

** Option #6 (with access to both and online) **

You can use this method if you are using another provider's equipment and you want to access said equipment.


With my RJ-45 WAN port router connected with it's WAN port to the LAN port of the cable modem and both devices are different LAN subnets - while I have the Route Modem IP option I can access the cable modem as normal (That was not possible on my DSL connection).

By this I mean while I have that feature, I do not have to use it.

Now you have to understand that I am not a cable expert so I can not tell you if that is a cable thing or it is because of the brand (maybe also model) of the cable modem (ARRIS/SURFboard SB6141).

Re: How to get into a modem/router that is in bridge mode
dslr595148
Community Leader
Community Leader

The options below I am not sure of.

** Option #7 **

If I was on PPPoE, I have heard/read...

A thread at DSLR (dslreports.com)
[modem/router] How to access 6100G's interface while connected?

Note: How the OP started the thread.

Short summary since all of the info is not in only post..

RJ-45 WAN port router's LAN and the modem combo's LAN are not in the same subnet, RJ-45 WAN port router has WAN port connected to modem combo: as long as the PPPoE connection is down he/she is able to get into the modem combo.

** Option #8 (with access to both and online) **

The answer to the OP's question without adding more hardware (ex a hub/switch between modem combo and router. Note this is not required as long as the device that is in bridge mode has at least two LAN ports), without loading DD-WRT/Tomato, without changing to Static IP with-in the same subnet (PC OR Router Level) - the post by wayjac (user #544732)

Direct Link: Re: [modem/router] How to access 6100G's interface while connect

Short summary:

RJ-45 WAN port router's LAN IP with-in same subnet as the modem combo, RJ-45 WAN port of RJ-45 WAN port router connects to one of the free/not in use RJ-45 LAN ports of the RJ-45 WAN port router, and RJ-45 LAN port of modem combo connects to one of the free/not in use RJ-45 LAN ports of the RJ-45 WAN port router.

Note if that works: I would think it works for other connections that require a log-in.

Other examples of types of connections that require a log-in are: PPPoA, PPTP, L2TP, and Big Pond.

All of those examples, but not including PPPoA, are as shown at

http://support.dlink.com/emulators/ebr2310_revB/Basic_WAN.html

While I have no idea of why you would switch from a four LAN port router to a one port NAT router, if you were to do that and ran into that issue that the OP of that DSLR thread that I linked to had.

** Option #9 (with access to both and online) **

Also I heard/read (REF = Another thread at DSLR Re: Access to modem combo while in bridge mode ) that instead of two NAT routers, a Dual WAN port router will work.

Q: Is that true you ask what I was told?

A: Unless I convert a computer into acting as a a NAT router, I can not tell you because all of my RJ-45 WAN port NAT routers only have one WAN port.

** Option #9b **

Q: But what if my router that is in bridge mode that I want to get access to has only one LAN Port?

Answer: While I do not know have any dual WAN ports to work with, typically users who get those kinds of devices normally would have two Internet Connections.

Example(s)

a) DSL and Cable

b) Cable and FIOS.

c) Or maybe even two DSL connections.

So anyways...

The one that is connected to the router that is in bridge mode that you want to get access to has only one LAN Port, you would setup a Static WAN IP Address to be in the same subnet as the device that you want to gain access to. This requires that you have both routers (Dual WAN one and the one that you want to get access to) in different subnets and I believe that the other connection should also be in a different subnet from those two devices.

Like for example the cable modem LAN at 192.168.100.1, the device that you want to access with only LAN port at 192.168.1.1 and the DUAL WAN port router LAN at 192.168.2.1

** Option #9c **

Q: But what if my router that is in bridge mode that I want to get access to has only one LAN Port and I have more than public IP from Verizon with this DSL/Fiber Connection?

Answer: I sort of gave this answer already. See options 1b, 2b and 5b - and then use common sense/logic.

** Option #10 **

While I said

You can use this method if you are using another provider's equipment and you want to access said equipment.

With my RJ-45 WAN port router connected with it's WAN port to the LAN port of the cable modem and both devices are different LAN subnets - while I have the Route Modem IP option I can access the cable modem as normal (That was not possible on my DSL connection).

By this I mean while I have that feature, I do not have to use it.

Now you have to understand that I am not a cable expert so I can not tell you if that is a cable thing or it is because of the brand (maybe also model) of the cable modem (ARRIS/SURFboard SB6141).

Besides two different subnets: I heard/read that as need be, one may need to disable SPI depending on the firmware of the router.