I bridged my router and I can't reconfigure it!

[crdiscoverer]

I have a ZyXEL Prestige 944 cable modem/router/hub with a built in firewall working under WinXP SP2. I was trying to open some ports and accidentally set it to bridge only instead of router, it is just a hub now. Before messing around with it, I was accessing the router's configuration (SMT) using the factory default gateway address: 192.168.1.1 (typing "telnet 192.168.1.1" in the Windows run box), or via web page configuration. Now the default gateway address is different and I cannot reconfigure my router using it, or the old one. The browser refuses to connect to this new ip and telnet returns this error: "Could not open connection to the host, on port 23: Connect failed". Is there any way I can reconfigure my router using another port besides 23? or without typing the gateway address? Help please! Thanks!

 

[coulterp]

If you are really stuck and cannot recover it then use the hardware reset button. I am not familiar with this particular model but other ZyXEL Prestige models do have a reset button built into the rear panel.

 

[crdiscoverer]

Hi coulterp. Yes, this router has a reset button, I pressed it once (without holding it) and it just went through the "reboot" routine. I know some routers need that button to be held even 15 seconds to actually reset, but I'm a little afraid of loosing my internet connection. Is that going to happen? Thanks again!

 

[crdiscoverer]

I hold reset for about half a minute and nothing... the only way of accessing the menu is using a serial cable and hyperterminal, but my monitor is connected to the only serial port (integrated video), so either way I'm screwed! , guess I need to find another PC...

 

[bearone2]

is this a combo cable modem/router/hub with a built in firewall, working under WinXP SP2?

have you been following some of the problems folks are having with sp2?

192.168.1.1 is the address to the linksys router setup page and i'm not sure why your seeing it.

 

[crdiscoverer]

"is this a combo cable modem/router/hub with a built in firewall, working under WinXP SP2?"

Yes, it is. It could act as a cable modem, router and/or hub if configured right. Under SP2? Yeah, that's why I was trying to open some ports, I don't want two firewalls!

"have you been following some of the problems folks are having with sp2?"

I've heard of some... but I was messing with my router long before SP2 and some time after, with no problems, actually it was my stupidity that make this happen.

"192.168.1.1 is the address to the linksys router setup page and i'm not sure why your seeing it."

The web page I see (saw ) when I typed 192.168.1.1 is the configuration page of my router. Any router configured with that ip from factory will send you to their own settings page.

 

[bearone2]

i get kinda leary when too much is in the package.

my router functions as an incoming firewall and i don't use the one in xp.

i'm somewhat unclear how the modem can function as a router.
my cable goes in to the modem, out to the wan port on the router and the 4 ports on the router go to the various computers.

the isp only sees one computer yet in xp/cmd/ipconfig/all, the individual address of the other computers can be seen.

how is yours setup?

when i do grc/symantec intrusions tests on any of my computers, behind the router, all common ports including telnet port 23 are invisible/stealth, what's 23/telnet port do for you, why open it

 

[crdiscoverer]

I also think this device is a little bloated with features (and a very useless manual), but that's the one my ISP installed and there's nothing I can do about it (new suscribers are getting Motorola Surfboards). I didn't use the XP firewall before SP2 neither, but SP2 likes the one that came with Windows active, so I better leave it alone, even my antivirus has one (disabled, of course).
About the modem/router/hub thing... let's see if I can make it clearer: This router has the cable input, 4 lan ports, another port for connecting extra hubs and a serial port called "console", so as you can see I'm able to connect 4 PC's directly, or more provided I have an extra hub. If it's connected to the cable line it will act as a modem (and as a router managing ip's from all networked PC's if set to), but if it's disconnected from cable I could still use it as a router or as a simple hub (just transparently connecting the computers between them). I think it's more confusing now... but I'm not good explaining
And yes, my ISP only sees one computer connected, but internally all PC's have different ip's (well, now they could see all of them because it's bridged and every computer is sending their own ip, but I'm allowed to connect as many as I want)
I told you about port 23 (I don't know what it is or anything ) because when I try to connect to the new default gateway that's the port it tries to contact.
But I feel I'm getting a little off topic now... What I need to know is if I can connect a serial cable between that "console" port in my router and the PC and use hyperterminal to access the configuration again?

 

[bearone2]

thanks for the explanation. it's nice that your isp allows multiple computers.

 

[JohnWill]

I don't know of many ISP's that worry about what's behind their broadband modem, none around here worry about it.

 

[bearone2]

times are changing.

 

[5mi11er]

I thought you'd said that you could see the configuration via the 192.168.1.1 address using a browser. Why not reconfigure using that?