In the “Gateway” tab, select “LAN” → “DHCP Server Config”. Set the following:

* IP Address: The static IP address the modem should use.
* Starting IP Address: The static IP address of a system permanently connected to the network.
* Number of DHCP Users: 1
* DHCP Server Lease Time: 0 (this actually sets it to 20 seconds, though.)
* Time To Live: 0 hops
* Maximum Transmission Unit: 0 bytes

Click “Apply”.

Additionally, disable NAT on the device. In the “Gateway” tab, select “LAN” → “NAT Config”. Untick “Enable NAT”. Click “Apply”.

This should break DHCP functionality enough that it won’t operate. Even if it does operate, only one computer will be effected. Make sure your real DHCP server is set as “authoritative”. You may occasionally have issues, however the renewal time is very low, so the damage should be limited and the DHCP clients should get an IP from the correct location instead.

All in all, turning this cable modem into a standalone AP is very dodgey. It is very limited in it’s configuration options, and it only has HTTP-based configuration (no Telnet or SNMP). It also doesn’t seem to bridge DHCP connections between wired and wireless. Time for a soldering iron to find me a serial console for this modem.

• Student’s computers are banned from the TAFE and
  the Student network now, due to some viruses going around the network. Of course if people don’t use virus-effected OSes…
• If we did connect it to the internet, there would be a lot of l33ching, which is bad for the honest people on the network who just want to surf the net, get their email, etc.

The network should be up by sometime on Tuesday officially. It’ll have a DHCP server and a IRC server, so people can chat and stuff on the wireless, without using PopMessenger, which is a bit dodgey IMO. There’s not going to be any game servers (it’s TAFE, you’re here to study, and there’s no 4CoD subject) and no public-use fileserver, because we don’t have the money to pay for this stuff. All the hardware we’re using is spare recycled stuff, if you want more and better equipment, give us money and/or hardware. However if you want to give us hardware, consult us first.

The main ideas behind it is to help promote wireless networking (and as I call it, the “internet on the toilet” philosophy), wireless security, and maybe even get a better, externally funded wireless network going that spans the campus.