Using a DSL router with a separate modem?

Soldato
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Hi guys,

I've been running my AM200 and WRT54GL for a while now and I'm very happy with them. Long story short I lent the WRT to my brother and kid sister. I've been using a BT Voyager 2091 until they get their own router purchased, and thus return my WRT.

The only problem is, the Voyager 2091 is cack at handling my 24 meg ADSL2+ connection (22.5Mbps sync). It syncs a fair bit lower than my AM200 (or any other router I've tried in the past) and throughput is a good 600KB/sec lower :(

I was wondering if, by leaving the AM200 in half-bridge on a separate subnet as usual, there was any way to use the 2091 just as a switch/wifi point? Obviously the AM200 has the modem abilities I want, but isn't a wifi device and we have five PCs in the house (three of which are wifi only laptops and netbooks).

With the WRT having an ethernet WAN port this wasn't a consideration, but the 2091 is a 'normal' ADSL modem/router combo with an RJ11 WAN port. Is there any way to set up the 2091 to accept the internetz from one of its ethernet ports, and basically act as a wifi point for the other PCs in the house, while still allowing my own desktop to connect via ethernet on another port?

Hopefully I've explained this sufficiently. All help gratefully received :)
 
Having not owned or used either the router or modem there, if it does NAT than you can use the linsys as the router, enabling DHCP. Turn DHCP off on the Voyager and use it as a switch?
 
Having not owned or used either the router or modem there, if it does NAT than you can use the linsys as the router, enabling DHCP. Turn DHCP off on the Voyager and use it as a switch?

Hm, you could be onto something there actually. Although I've only ever used the AM200 in half-bridge (so I can run the WRT), I'm pretty sure it can run NAT and act as a "mini router" depite technically being a modem.

It does however only have one ethernet port, but if I run the Voyager 2091 as a switch... I'll have a play when I get in. Thanks guys :D
 
Update, fwiw:

Leaving the AM200 set to normal mode (i.e. not half-bridge, and with DHCP enabled), I changed the 2091's IP to be outside the AM200's DHCP range. In this case the AM200 was 192.168.1.1 and the 2091 was set to 192.168.1.250, and DHCP was disabled on the 2091.

I put the RJ11 (telephone wire) into the AM200 and allowed it to SYNC, then connected a patch cable between the AM200 and the 2091. Success! Wifi worked perfectly by connecting via the 2091, but the AM200 was acting as the modem. My SYNC was a few megs higher than the 2091's in-built modem can manage, and throughput was great.

I went back to connect my PC via ethernet, and that's when I noticed the lame 2091 only has ONE ethernet port. The other connector on the back turned out to be a USB port (I didn't look that closely!). I can't hook up my own desktop, which has no wifi card (I prefer ethernet). Doh :o So all to no avail. Oh well, I learnt something. Thanks again for your reply :D

EDIT: Please don't suggest I connect via USB. 22Mbps via USB = fail.
 
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