fulton.net.au
QT010 - Configuring the Netgear BigPond Cable client
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Fulton
Network ABN: 68 087 124 481 29
Westleigh Drive Ph: Fax:
+61 2 9481 8079 |
This Quick Tip describes how to configure the built-in BigPond Cable login client on your Netgear R-series router.
When will the new firmware become available?
What does the login client do?
Where was the new firmware developed?
Where can I download the new firmware from?
I'm on ADSL. Does this affect me?
I'm on Optus Cable. Does this affect me?
Will it work on both Telstra's DOCSIS and Motorola cable networks?
Will the login client reconnect automatically after a network problem?
Which is better, the built-in client or an external client?
What about Telstra's Help Desk?
How do I install the new firmware?
How do I configure the Netgear login client?
How do I configure the Netgear login client from the telnet menu?
Is any port mapping required for the built-in login client?
How can I restart the login client?
Unlike most other cable networks, Telstra's BigPond Cable uses a proprietary authentication scheme, along with regular "heartbeat" messages to detect if the user has disconnected.
While it has always been possible to use a Netgear router to share a BigPond Cable connection, the built-in login client means that configuration and setup will now be even easier.
When will the new firmware become available?
The built-in login client is included in firmware version 3.26 for Netgear's R-series routers (RT311, RT314, RP114, RO318, MR314).
The firmware is available now and can be downloaded from the Netgear Australia website using the following URL's:
At present, we have no information on availability of a built-in login client for Netgear's F-series routers (FR314, FR318, FV318).
What does the login client do?
The cable login client connects to the BigPond authentication server, sends the username/password, and if all is OK, the authentication server tells the cable router to enable traffic to/from the IP that was logged on from.
Before authentication, only a small amount of traffic within the BPA network itself is allowed, eg. DNS lookups, the authentication process itself, and ftp traffic to update-server (needed for installing the Telstra client).
The authentication server sends a heartbeat message every 5 minutes, and the login client is expected to respond to it. If the login client fails to respond to the heartbeat, the authentication server tells the cable router to disable traffic to/from the IP.
In the case of a NAT router like the RP114, there is only one public IP used, and a single instance of the login client is therefore able to authenticate all users behind the router.
Where was the new firmware developed?
The login client was developed by Netgear, based on technical information supplied by Telstra. Internally the login client is an extension to the roadrunner clients previously supported by the routers.
Where can I download the new firmware from?
The firmware is available now and can be downloaded from the Netgear Australia website using the following URL's:
At present, we have no information on availability of a built-in login client for Netgear's F-series routers (FR314, FR318, FV318).
I'm on ADSL. Does this affect me?
No. Telstra ADSL uses PPPoE authentication which has always been a feature of Netgear's routers.
I'm on Optus Cable. Does this affect me?
No. No login client is required for Optus cable. Optus@home uses a simple authentication scheme based on MAC address and account-name.
Will it work on both Telstra's DOCSIS and Motorola cable networks?
Yes. There are no firmware or configuration differences for either network.
Yes. There are no firmware or configuration changes required for different states. The router automatically learns the state-specific domain-name suffix and uses this for connection to the authentication server.
Will the login client reconnect automatically after a network problem?
Yes. Telstra's authentication servers normally send "heartbeat" messages to the login client every 5 minutes, and subsequently disable the connection if no reply is received.
The Netgear login client will automatically attempt to re-establish the connection if it doesn't receive a heartbeat message for 10 minutes.
Which is better, the built-in client or an external client?
Most users will find that the built-in login client provides all the functionality they need, and is easier to configure and maintain than one of the external login clients.
A small number of users who use some of the advanced functions of BPALOGIN or WINCABLE, eg the hooks to automatically run an external program on connection or disconnection may prefer to continue using the external login client.
Users of Telstra LaunchPad will most likely find that the Netgear client is more robust as well as more convenient to use.
What about Telstra's Help Desk?
Telstra's Help Desk does not provide support for customer networks and/or routers. In some situations, they may ask you to reproduce a problem you are encountering using the Telstra LaunchPad login client.
How do I install the new firmware?
Download the file to a convenient location, unzip it and you will have the following files (the example shows filenames and sizes for the RP114, they will be slightly different for other models of router):
|
Filename |
Size |
Function |
|
114v326.bin |
933 KB |
The firmware image. Install on the router as the file ras. |
|
romfile0.114 |
16 KB |
The default configuration file. Install on the router as the file rom-0 |
|
ReleaseNotes.PDF |
|
Release notes and installation instructions. |
Use ftp to connect to the router. Login using the username "admin" and the password you have set. Issue the commands:
ftp> bin
ftp> put 114v326.bin ras
ftp> quit
The router will then automatically reboot.
If you wish to reset the configuration (recommended if you are updating from version 3.24 or earlier), you will also need to install the default configuration file.
Use ftp to connect to the router. Login using the username "admin" and the password you have set. Issue the commands:
ftp> bin
ftp> put romfile0.114 rom-0
ftp> quit
The router will then automatically reboot.
Read the Release Notes and Resource Guide for further information. Click here for information on keeping a backup copy of your configuration file.
For users running version 3.24 firmware or later, future firmware upgrades can be done using the web console. Connect to the router, login, and select:
Maintenance -> Upgrade.
Enter the pathname to the firmware file and press UPLOAD.
How do I configure the Netgear login client?
The easiest way to configure the BigPond cable client is using the web-based Wizard Setup.
Set the Encapsulation to Ethernet, set the Service Type to BigPond/Telstra, and enter your BigPond username and password. Note that for BigPond Cable, the username does not include any suffix such as "@bigpond".
Set the login server IP to the appropriate value from the following table:
| State | Login Server IP |
| NSW | 61.9.192.13 |
| Queensland | 61.9.208.13 |
| South Australia | 61.9.224.13 |
| Victoria | 61.9.128.13 |
| Western Australia | 61.9.240.13 |
[Note that it is now necessary to specify the login server IP, following configuration changes made by Telstra in late May 2002, which exposed a bug in the built-in login client. A firmware update to remove this requirement is expected shortly. See Quick Tip 002 for more information]
Ensure that any external login clients such as Telstra LaunchPad, BPALOGIN or WINCABLE are disabled or removed.
How do I configure the Netgear login client from the telnet menu?
From menu 24.4 (Internet Access Setup):
Set the Encapsulation to Ethernet, set the Service Type to RR-Telstra and enter your BigPond username and password. Set the login server IP to the appropriate value from the table above. Note that for BigPond Cable, the username does not include any suffix such as "@bigpond".
[Note that it is now necessary to specify the login server IP, following configuration changes made by Telstra in late May 2002, which exposed a bug in the built-in login client. A firmware update to remove this requirement is expected shortly. See Quick Tip 002 for more information]
Is any port mapping required for the built-in login client?
No port mapping is required for the built-in login client.
Users who have previously used an external login client on their BigPond Cable connection will probably have a mapping for port 5050 to the PC that ran the login client. These mappings can now be removed.
How can I restart the login client?
The easiest way to force the login client to reconnect is to simply reboot the router. This can be done by:
-
Power-cycling the router. The RO318 has a power switch on the rear panel. For the other routers, simply disconnect and reconnect the plug-pack power supply. It is good practice to wait for 30 seconds after poweroff, before reconnecting the power.
-
From the command prompt (menu 24.8), issue the CI command sys reboot
-
Issue the reboot command from the diagnostic menu (menu 24.4.11).
(Note that the RO318 and MR314 don't support the telnet menu system. On these routers, telnet connects directly to the CI command interpreter.)
There is also a CI command to restart the client manually:
sys roadrunner restart enif1
How can I check the status of the login client?
There is a CI command to display the status of the login client. From the command prompt (menu 24.8), issue the CI command:
sys roadrunner display enif1
(Note that the RO318 and MR314 don't support the telnet menu system. On these routers, telnet connects directly to the CI command interpreter.)
RoadRunner Status
state = 4, substate = 0
ifp = 3850a0, flags = 0
pausetime = 300306, timerID = 285bc4
socketID = -1, statusSocketID = 0
type = 3, index = 0
startcnt = 11, stopcnt = 0
retrycnt = 0, eventqcnt = 0
versionId = 64, blinding = 1a62a
lastKeepAlive = 113954, keepAliveValue = 300307
listenPort = 1026, udp = 3a9ecc
osId = Win32 NT
osVer = 5.0
Session Server :
Port: 5050, IP = 61.9.192.16
Port: 5050, IP = 61.9.192.13*
Login Server :
Port: 5050, IP = 61.9.192.13*
Logout Server :
Port: 5050, IP = 61.9.192.13
Trust Server :
Port: 5050, IP = 61.9.192.13
If the login client has successfully authenticated, the client should be in state 4, and appropriate values should be displayed for the Session Server, Login Server, Logout Server and Trust Server IP addresses.
If you believe you are encountering a problem with the built-in login client, please check the following, before calling Netgear or the reseller who supplied your router:
-
Check that the setup is correct. Check that the encapsulation type is set to Ethernet. Check that the service type is set to BigPond/Telstra (web wizard) or RR-Telstra (telnet menu). Check that the username and password have been entered correctly. Make sure that the username does not include any suffix (e.g. "@bigpond")
-
Check that the router has correctly acquired an IP address on the WAN interface. If the WAN IP is 0.0.0.0, there is a problem with the connection or router setup, not the login client.
-
From an attached PC, try and ping a known host by name, for example:
ping www.telstra.com
-
If the ping succeeds, the login client has connected successfully. If the ping fails, but the name was successfully resolved to an IP address, this may indicate that the login client has failed to connect. Reboot the router (or manually restart the login client), and check whether the problem still persists.
-
If the both the ping and name lookup failed, try the ping from the router itself. Telnet to the router, and proceed to the CI command interpreter. Issue the command ip ping www.telstra.com. If the ping fails, but the name was successfully resolved to an IP address, this may indicate that the login client has failed to connect. If this ping succeeds, while the one from the attached PC failed, it indicates a problem with the attached PC setup, not the login client.
Did you find this Quick Tip useful? Do you have any suggestions for improvement or notice any errors? Are there any other topics you would like to see covered by a Quick Tip. Please take a moment to send us some feedback.
Quick Tip 010 - Configuring the Netgear BigPond Cable Login Client
Version 1.3 23-JUN-2001
Copyright © 2001 Fulton Network Technologies Pty Ltd. All rights reserved.
Not to be reproduced or distributed in any form without prior permission.
All information contain herein is provided to the reader on the understanding that the reader is responsible for ensuring the correctness and suitability of the information for his particular needs.
1.0 14-AUG-2001 Initial Release
1.1 30-AUG-2001 Link to 311/314 firmware
1.2 01-DEC-2001 Updated firmware links, status display
1.3 23-JUN-2002 Added table for login server IP's