Computer Networking Gurus - Help!

[sandbender]

I know that there are some bright folks out there who do this kind thing for a living, maybe one of them can help.


I need to configure an DSL Router/Modem (Draytek Vigor 2710N), easy enough, however...

The router is in another country.

It is however in an office filled with computers that I have VPN access to. That office has its own internal network that serves these computers.

I CANNOT simply have the Draytek router plugged into one the remote computers and access its admin page (even though the IP address for the Draytek Admin page is different from the office network Admin page, that doesn't work.

Some jiggery pokery should surely be able to let me access the Drayteks Admin page?

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

 

[dwardo]

You would need to get the router plugged into their network and access if from one of their machines. Best bet would be to get them to hook up a laptop to it, grab an IP from it, connect to router and give it an IP compatible with their network but not the same as their Gateway IP. Once the router is on the network you can vpn to a machine and configure it.
Once done you will probably have to get them to change the routers IP to the current Gateway IP you are replacing.

Clear as mud?

 

[Shewie]

Another option might be to get the Draytek fired up and see if someone in the office can connect to the WLAN with a laptop, if that laptop will work on both the wired and wireless NICs then you should be able to get through that way.

 

[g4ghb]

if you use something like logmein to connect to a pc in the office you can then work as though you are in the office

 

[sandbender]

You would need to get the router plugged into their network and access if from one of their machines. Best bet would be to get them to hook up a laptop to it, grab an IP from it, connect to router and give it an IP compatible with their network but not the same as their Gateway IP. Once the router is on the network you can vpn to a machine and configure it.
Once done you will probably have to get them to change the routers IP to the current Gateway IP you are replacing.

Clear as mud?

Yep, in fact it may just be easier to get them to swap in the Draytek in place of theirs, I can then set it up as I need and worry about the future location specific stuff later.

Another option might be to get the Draytek fired up and see if someone in the office can connect to the WLAN with a laptop, if that laptop will work on both the wired and wireless NICs then you should be able to get through that way.

Sounds about right, I am currently speaking to a laptop which picks up its internet (and my VNC) from the office WiFi and I can see the router attached to its ethernet port, if I could convince the laptops browser to only search via ethernet and ignore wifi I'd be sorted.

 

[lostplanet]

have you tried logmein? it's free and awesome, pretty straight forward to setup.

https://secure.logmein.com/UK/

 

[Shewie]

Sounds about right, I am currently speaking to a laptop which picks up its internet (and my VNC) from the office WiFi and I can see the router attached to its ethernet port, if I could convince the laptops browser to only search via ethernet and ignore wifi I'd be sorted.

Is there anyone on site who could reconfigure the Draytek IP to an unused address on the office subnet?

 

[sandbender]

Is there anyone on site who could reconfigure the Draytek IP to an unused address on the office subnet?

Not today however I can sort that through the week.

Thanks.

 

[dwardo]

I deal with Draytek kit all the time its good stuff.
I seem to remember a Draytek discovery tool that would find the router using snmp and give you the option to set its IP. All GUI based so would be much easier to talk someone through it.
Not sure its still about as I never needed it but might be worth checking out their site.

 

[Adze]

Which model of Draytek is it? There's been quite a few over the years... some of them have a USB management interface which would simplify your problem.

 

[Adze]

You mention you can 'see' the router hanging off the Ethernet port - how exactly are you 'seeing' this? Is the laptop multi-homed (i.e. has an address on more than one network - 1x wifi you're connected to and 1x wired connected to the Draytek)? If so it should sort the routing out for you, no need to force the browser to only use Ethernet, just put the right address in the browser for the Draytek.

 

[sandbender]

Thanks Dwardo I will have a look for the discovery tool.

Adze it is a Draytek Vigor 2710N, it has a USB port but I didn't know that it might have a USB management option, I will check.

Thanks everyone for their help so far.

 

[dwardo]

Well thats gonna make things more difficult. Maybe get a real computer hooked upto it and go from there?????

 

[sandbender]

Well thats gonna make things more difficult. Maybe get a real computer hooked upto it and go from there?????

 

[Adze]

Well thats gonna make things more difficult. Maybe get a real computer hooked upto it and go from there?????

Oh dear... can... open... worms everywhere!

 

[dwardo]

Oh dear... can... open... worms everywhere!

I did think that just after typing. oops..

Reminds me of the IT crowd when they say they are going down to the apple shop to take the mick out of the staff.

 

[sandbender]

Thanks for everyones help, in the end I had someone swap out the existing router for the one I wanted to modify. Simple solution I know.