EVDOinfo.com has long been your source for tips, tricks, hacks and suggestions for getting the most out of your EVDO service, and each week we will be highlighting a particularly interesting or popular topic in the "Tip of the Week" feature. To suggest future Tips of the Week, contact us at suggestions@evdoinfo.com or post your suggestions in the EVDO Forums.

Use Your Cradlepoint Router for Cable/DSL/Satellite Internet

We've done quite a few Tips of the Week that focus on Cradlepoint routers, and there's a good reason for that: there is SO much you can do with a Cradlepoint router, and many Cradlepoint owners aren't even aware of some of the features they're not using! One such example is the fact that the WAN (ethernet) ports featured on the CTR350, CTR500, MBR1000, and MBR1200 aren't just for connecting non-WiFi computers/devices to the router - they can also be used to connect a cable, DSL, or satellite internet modem. Your Cradlepoint router is not just the best choice for use with mobile broadband, its also a top-notch router for use with common cable, DSL or satellite internet connections!

Your Cradlepoint router's ability to be used as a router for cable/DSL/satellite internet can come in very handy in a variety of situations. By taking advantage of this functionality, you could set your router up to use your cable/DSL/satellite connection primarily and "fail-over" to mobile broadband if your hard-wired service goes down, or simply eliminate the need for two set-ups (one for mobile broadband, one for your hard-wired connection). Even if you don't have cable/DSL/satellite right now, the fact that your Cradlepoint router CAN be used as a router for those types of internet connections makes your router that much more of a wise investment in case you ever do have access to those options!

Using your Cradlepoint CTR350, CTR500, MBR1000, or MBR1200 as a router for your cable/DSL/satelite internet connection is easy (remember, this won't work with the PHS300 because that router does not have a WAN port):

1. Connect your cable/DSL/satellite modem to your Cradlepoint router's WAN port with an ethernet cable.
   
2. Log into your router's admin page by navigating your browser to 192.168.0.1 and entering your admin password (by default this is usually the last 6 characters of your router's MAC address, which you can find on the bottom of your router).
3. Once logged in, select the "Basic" tab from the top.
   
4. From the "Basic" section, click on the link entitled "WAN" on the left.
   
5. If you're using the CTR350 or CTR500, you'll first need to set the ethernet port to WAN mode (the port on these routers is by default set to "LAN" mode). There will be a section called ethernet port mode where you can make this change (MBR1000 and MBR1200 users won't need to make this change, because those routers feature a dedicated WAN port):
   
6. Further down the page, you will see a section entitled "Wired WAN Connection Type". Select your ISP from the drop-down menu for "Internet Service Provider". If your provider is not listed, select "Not Listed" or "I Don't Know".
7. The next dropdown menu, "Internet Connection" will change depending on your choice of ISP in the first dropdown menu. If you were able to select your ISP in the previous step, leave the "Internet Connection" menu alone. If your ISP was not listed above, you will need to contact your provider and find out what type of connection they are providing you and select it here. http://www.evdoinfo.com/images/stories/cp_wwan.jpg
   
8. The next section will be determined by your selection in the "Internet Connection" dropdown, and the fields in this section will vary. At this point you will want to fill in the fields with the proper information from your ISP. In some cases your ISP may not know some of the things being referred to in a certain field such as MTU or MAC address; this is generally not an issue and defaults can be left in place.
   
   
9. Once you have everything filled in on this page, click on the "Save Settings" button at the top of the page and reboot the router if prompted to do so.
   
10. Once the router has rebooted you will want to log back in to the router's admin settings and click on the "Status" tab at the top of the page. On this page there will be a "WAN" section that will allow you to look at your Network Status. If the status is "established", the router is connected and ready to go!
    
    
11. If the status is listed as "establishing" for a long period of time or as "suspended", your WAN settings are either incorrect or incomplete and you will need to review them and update them as necessary. Be patient - this can sometimes take a few tries, depending on the service provider. A helpful hint: search through EVDOforums.com for your ISP may help, as others may have already posted the appropriate settings for your ISP!

Related links:

• Discuss this Tip on the EVDO Forums 
• Which Router is Best for Me? Router Selection Guide
• Router Compatibility Chart
  
• View previous Tips of the Week