Posts Tagged “actiontec”

I just opted to switch over from Cox Internet to Qwest after I got a call from the cable company advising me that my prices were going up to over $50 per month for what was sub-par service. The move from Cox to Qwest was fairly smooth however integration into my Linksys WRT54GL presented some challenges that I wasn’t prepared for and Qwest didn’t do a very good job of providing documentation for.

To make anyones life that is considering this switch a bit easier, here is an FAQ that will help setting up the Qwest M1000 DSL modem with your Linksys (or compatible) Router.

Step 1: You need to enable Transparent Bridging in your M1000 modem, this will allow you to pass the Username and Password from the next step to configure your Linksys Router for PPPoE.

This doc M1000 Transparent Bridge Mode will show you how to change the DSL modem to Transparent Bridge mode, for this step and the next step I recommend you plug your PC directly into your M1000 modem, connect to the host IP (192.168.0.1) and run the setup as per the PDF instructions.

Qwest Quick Connect Page Step 2: The Qwest box came with some paperwork that offered ZERO explanation and contained my QuickConnect information, a number and Code which translate into your PPPoE Username and Password, you cannot setup the modem without this since your Linksys will not be able to authenticate to the modem.

There is no place in any of the documentation that offers these 2 items and even a call to tech support yielded me with the incorrect information and more international call center frustration.

Enter https://kai03.qwest.com/QuickConnect/ManualInstall/ into your browser that will bring you to this page where you can enter the information from your New User Packet and get the vital PPPoE Username and Password information for your Linksys router.

Linksys WRT54GL WRT54GL PPPoE Configuration Step 3: I upgraded all my Linksys Routers to DD-WRT firmware, their build offers some expanded features such as power out control, better user GUI, WiFi Hotspot, and a host of other features that basically take a $69 Linksys and turn it into a $600 router capable of being much more than a simple home access point.

The DD-WRT build will load easily if you’re using a Linux based Linksys WRT54 router, the WRT54GL is about $20 more than the standard WRT54G however it’s so hard to find the right version of WRT54G that will work with DD-WRT that it’s just easier to get a new router.

The DD-WRT site does provide a great WIKI with what serial numbers translate to what firmware in the Linksys routers, but that’s not something that I will cover here.Once inside the router, you merely need to change the connection type to PPPoE, enter in a Username and Password and enjoy your new DSL modem with your old Linksys home network.

Additional Link: Qwest M1000 DSL Modem Support Page

Comments No Comments »