Need help - Linksys Etherfast Cable/DSL Router and a Linksys Broadband Router

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gecko

I found a like-new Linksys Etherfast Cable/DSL Router with 4-port
switch and a Linksys Broadband Router with 2 Phone Ports. Complete
with voltage adapters for each. They were wrapped together and appear
to be a matched set, but I don't understand this combination. Anyone
tell me how these would have worked together? Or maybe they weren't
meant to work together?

I also don't understand the distinction between a "Broadband Router"
and an "Ethernet Cable/DSL Router." Further, I don't understand
either why a router requires a telephone connection. My friend's DSL
modem has a telephone connection. I've never seen a router or a switch
with one.

Thanks

-GECKO
 
gecko said:
I found a like-new Linksys Etherfast Cable/DSL Router with 4-port
switch and a Linksys Broadband Router with 2 Phone Ports. Complete
with voltage adapters for each. They were wrapped together and appear
to be a matched set, but I don't understand this combination. Anyone
tell me how these would have worked together? Or maybe they weren't
meant to work together?

I also don't understand the distinction between a "Broadband Router"
and an "Ethernet Cable/DSL Router." Further, I don't understand
either why a router requires a telephone connection. My friend's DSL
modem has a telephone connection. I've never seen a router or a switch
with one.

Thanks

-GECKO
Click to expand...

You could get a very precise answer, if you provided model numbers
for the two boxes. :-)

If I was forced to guess, I'd say it was something like this.

WAN LAN
ADSL/Cable ---------- VOIP_Box ----------- Router/Switch ------- Computer
Modem | | +-------- Computer
| | +--------- Computer
RJ-11 RJ-11 +---------- Computer
Phone Phone
#1 #2

Some early VOIP boxes, liked to strip off the VOIP packets from the
Ethernet, before hitting the Router/Switch. The reason for this has something
to do with the port numbers used by VOIP. VOIP is a complicated
protocol, with separate port numbers for Call Control and for Data Transport.
If the VOIP box was put *after* a box with NAT (address translation),
then punching holes (port forwarding) for the necessary ports becomes
a painful thing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voip

Your "box with the phone jacks", might look like this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:VoIP_analog_telephone_adapter_diagram.png

Paul
 
I found a like-new Linksys Etherfast Cable/DSL Router with 4-port
switch and a Linksys Broadband Router with 2 Phone Ports. Complete
with voltage adapters for each. They were wrapped together and appear
to be a matched set, but I don't understand this combination. Anyone
tell me how these would have worked together?  Or maybe they weren't
meant to work together?

I also don't understand the distinction between a "Broadband Router"
and an "Ethernet Cable/DSL Router."  Further, I don't understand
either why a router requires a telephone connection. My friend's DSL
modem has a telephone connection. I've never seen a router or a switch
with one.

Thanks

-GECKO
Click to expand...

You have 2 types of product on the market

Plain Routers
and Router/Modems

Router/Modems have the RJ11 socket - which is for connecting the modem
part of it to the wall. (in the USA, i.e. where you probably are, the
telephones use RJ11 at the wall too.. The RJ11 socket you refer to is
probably a modem socket not a telephone socket)

DSL Router implies it is a router/modem, because DSL refers to the
modem. You have DSL modems not DSL Routers.

It is possible for a Router/Modem to have a telephone socket.. Just
like an answering machine might have a telephone socket on it.
Becuase the answering machine usees one socket. So it provides another
one. So if you don't have a Y adaptor, lucky you, the device has it.


Router/Modems can work alone and usually do.
But I guess you can connect a plain Router to them if you want.

Plain Routers tend to be more advanced in the Router aspect, than
Router/Modems.
They cannot work alone.. They have an RJ45 socket typically labelled
WAN. It is for the DSL Modem. So you connect the router and modem
together with an ethernet cable.

(I know.. technically a Router/Modem's RJ11 socket is connecting to a
WAN too.. But this is just how things are labelled.)

Now for some less clarity..

From what I have seen, and this may be UK only, since many people
disagree with me.. but then cannot find products to give examples to
counter..

In the UK, we tend to have
Routers, and Router/DSL Modems.

We do not have Router/Cable modems. i.e. our Router/Modems have an
RJ11/telephone/modem socket not a cable connector.

We have separate cable modems. (maybe only taking one computer, not
sure).. Or you can connect a Router to them and connect more.


There are also little very limited DSL Router/Modems, for one or two
computers to connect.. Generally the ones with many ports are called
Router/Modems. And the ones with one are called Modems. No good
reason really.. really though, the difference between one port and
many, is a Network Switch.

Plain Routers can be used for Cable or DSL. Once they have a DSL
modem in there i.e. they are a router/dsl modem, they are not really
for cable.. though perhaps you could just not use the DSL modem, and
use the router functionality.
 
The one with phone ports might be one of Linksys' old HPNA ones. Posting
the model and version numbers would help make an accurate reply.
Click to expand...


Okay - here it is:

Linksys Etherfast Cable/DSL Router with 4-Port Switch, Model BEFSR41
ver. 3
Linksys Broadband Router with 2 Phone Ports, Model RT31P2


Thanks

-Gecko
 
You have 2 types of product on the market

Plain Routers
and Router/Modems

Router/Modems have the RJ11 socket - which is for connecting the modem
part of it to the wall. (in the USA, i.e. where you probably are, the
telephones use RJ11 at the wall too.. The RJ11 socket you refer to is
probably a modem socket not a telephone socket)

DSL Router implies it is a router/modem, because DSL refers to the
modem. You have DSL modems not DSL Routers.

It is possible for a Router/Modem to have a telephone socket.. Just
like an answering machine might have a telephone socket on it.
Becuase the answering machine usees one socket. So it provides another
one. So if you don't have a Y adaptor, lucky you, the device has it.


Router/Modems can work alone and usually do.
But I guess you can connect a plain Router to them if you want.

Plain Routers tend to be more advanced in the Router aspect, than
Router/Modems.
They cannot work alone.. They have an RJ45 socket typically labelled
WAN. It is for the DSL Modem. So you connect the router and modem
together with an ethernet cable.

(I know.. technically a Router/Modem's RJ11 socket is connecting to a
WAN too.. But this is just how things are labelled.)

Now for some less clarity..

From what I have seen, and this may be UK only, since many people
disagree with me.. but then cannot find products to give examples to
counter..

In the UK, we tend to have
Routers, and Router/DSL Modems.

We do not have Router/Cable modems. i.e. our Router/Modems have an
RJ11/telephone/modem socket not a cable connector.

We have separate cable modems. (maybe only taking one computer, not
sure).. Or you can connect a Router to them and connect more.


There are also little very limited DSL Router/Modems, for one or two
computers to connect.. Generally the ones with many ports are called
Router/Modems. And the ones with one are called Modems. No good
reason really.. really though, the difference between one port and
many, is a Network Switch.

Plain Routers can be used for Cable or DSL. Once they have a DSL
modem in there i.e. they are a router/dsl modem, they are not really
for cable.. though perhaps you could just not use the DSL modem, and
use the router functionality.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the insight
 
gecko said:
Okay - here it is:

Linksys Etherfast Cable/DSL Router with 4-Port Switch, Model BEFSR41
ver. 3
Linksys Broadband Router with 2 Phone Ports, Model RT31P2


Thanks

-Gecko
Click to expand...

RT31P2 is one WAN port, two analog phone ports (complete with ringer voltage),
and three LAN ports. The datasheet (first doc) says the VOIP is SIP V2 compliant,
whatever that means.

ftp://ftp.linksys.com/datasheet/rt31p2_ds.pdf
ftp://ftp.linksys.com/pdf/rt31p2_ug.pdf

So it looks like the RT31P2 is enough to use some computers and have
two phones via VOIP, all by itself. The RT31P2 might be suited to a
small business, bringing VOIP analog phone connections, and some
data connections for three computers.

There were a number of versions of BEFSR41, some more successful than others.
Some were apparently crap. One WAN port and four LAN ports. I had an
early one, which required regular resetting by toggling the power.
The last firmware I installed in it, would eventually forget how to do
DNS after a while, which was the last straw. I replaced it, and the
replacement from another firm, never gives me trouble. The replacement
was on sale (clearout), and I got it for about 1/10th the price of the BEFSR41.

ftp://ftp.linksys.com/datasheet/befsr41v3_ds.pdf
ftp://ftp.linksys.com/pdf/befsr11_befsr41ug.pdf

You could hook them together, as shown in my original answer, but
I really wouldn't bother, remembering how well the BEFSR41
works. Here's hoping the RT31P2 is a better design.

Paul
 
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