Can the router act as a DHCP client?

Answer:

Yes, it can be configured to receive an IP Address from a DHCP server. The configuration is found under menu option # 4, Internet Access Setup. Simply move the cursor with the arrow keys down to IP ADDRESS ASSIGNMENT = and make sure it says Dynamic. If not, press the space bar key until it does. Press the enter key all the way through the menu, and it will save the configuration to ROM. The router will then be able to receive an IP address from the ISP.

RT311 visible

Question:

How do I make a web server (or ftp server) on my private LAN running behind the RT311/RT314 visible to the internet?

Answer:

Servers on the private LAN can be make visible to the internet by routing the appropriate traffic to the servers on the private LAN. The traffic type is determined by the port number in the tcp/ip packet. E.g. Some well known ones are port 80 traffic for web (http) and port 21 for ftp.

To configure this on the RT311/RT314 router. Follow the simple instruction below:

1. On a system connected to the router (on the LAN), click "Start" (The Windows Start Button)
2. Choose "Run"
3. Type "telnet 192.168.0.1" into the dialog box. (The address is the default. If the address has been changed, please use that instead)
4. Type in the user name and password to access the internal menu of the router.
5. Choose menu 15 by typing "15" and hit "Enter"
6. Configure the port number (E.g. for web server, 80 is the port number) and the proper IP address (the private address where you want you traffic routed.

How about some Internet safety?

The RT311/RT314 contains a default filter that prevents Web (HTTP), Telnet or FTP servers on the LAN side (your PC side) of the router from being accessed from the Internet (the wall side), even if you configure the proper port forwarding in the PORTS menu. In other words, you can not go to your neighbors and access your computer from his/her PC. But inside your house your wife and kids can access your PC with proper permissions.
    If you want to run a Web, Telnet or FTP server on your LAN and allow access from the Internet, you must change the appropriate filter rule for the service that you want to run. To change the filter rule, follow the steps below:

1. Use a Telnet client to access the internal configuration Manager at 192.168.0.1.
2. Login using your current router management password (default is 1234).
3. Select Menu 21 - Filter Set Configuration.
4. Enter 3 to select Filter Set Number 3 (TEL_FTP_WEB_WAN) for editing.
5. Press ENTER three times to reach Menu 21.3 - Filter Rules Summary. Three rules are shown:
         Rule 1 for Telnet (Port 23)
         Rule 2 for FTP (Port 21)
         Rule 3 for HTTP (Port 80)
6. Enter the number of the rule that you want to change and press ENTER.
7. In the Filter Rule menu, use Tab or Enter to reach the Action Matched parameter.
8. Press the Space Bar until Action Matched = Forward.
9. Press ENTER three more times to save the menu and exit to the previous menu.
10. Press ESC twice to return to the top menu, and type 99 to exit the Telnet session.

For more information on filters and using the router's Telnet interface, refer to the Reference Guide on the Resource CD.

Users from the internet should now be able to access the web server through the router. It should be noted that it is recommended to give the web server a static IP address to ensure routing is done correctly. If it is configured to obtain a IP address dynamically everytime it boots, it will likely get a different IP address each time and the router will be routing the traffic to the wrong system.