How to setup a SB5101 Surfboard Modem to only use a majicjack plus

[zebra58]

I have a majicjack plus. I want to connect it to a Surfboard SB5101 Cable Modem. My PC is connected to the cable/router from my cable company. How do I connect the SB5101? Have a seperate cable line for the SB5101. Can I just connect it and plug in the majijack plus?

 

[eibgrad]

Are you saying you have two internet connections? One w/ a cable modem + router, and a second one w/ its own cable modem??

If so, I hope you didn't buy the second cable modem just for the magicjack since you merely have to plug it into the existing router. Or else you need to be more clear about your intentions.

 

[zebra58]

Are you saying you have two internet connections? One w/ a cable modem + router, and a second one w/ its own cable modem??

If so, I hope you didn't buy the second cable modem just for the magicjack since you merely have to plug it into the existing router. Or else you need to be more clear about your intentions.

Yes I did. My router from my cable company only has one ethernet
hook up. I need that for the pc. Also, I need the phone downstairs not hooked up to the pc up stairs. Anyway, the line from cable company (one internet connection) coming into the house has a three way splitter using one for cable tv, and one for pc, and would like to use the third line for the majic jack plus. Does this help you? Can I just plug in the majicjack plus to the cable then hook up the 5101 router. It came with a disc, but that is if I hook my pc to the router correct? Thanks

 

[eibgrad]

If the router from your cable company truly is a router (and not just a modem that appears to be a router), then you can simply plug a switch into it to add more ports and thus wired devices.

Yes, you can just plug the magicjack into the cable modem. I assume your ISP has allocated a second public IP for that connection. And if so, it will be assigned to the magic jack. Of course, the magicjack also has no protection. No firewalls, no nothing. So if the device has known vulnerabilities, it's just sitting out there on the Internet, fully accessible to others (aka, hackers). That's why it's usually a good idea to keep it behind a router, even if it's the only device.

Frankly, if the only problem you’re facing is having to keep the magicjack downstairs and not near the router, all you need is a wireless ethernet bridge (aka, client bridge, gaming adapter). No point in spending needless money on a second modem, second cable account and fees, etc. You just use the wireless ethernet bridge in place of wire. In fact, I’m doing that right now w/ my OOMA VOIP adapter.

[modem]<-- wire -->[router]<-- wireless -->[wireless ethernet bridge]<-- wire -->[magicjack plus]

Works great.

 

[zebra58]

If the router from your cable company truly is a router (and not just a modem that appears to be a router), then you can simply plug a switch into it to add more ports and thus wired devices.

Yes, you can just plug the magicjack into the cable modem. I assume your ISP has allocated a second public IP for that connection. And if so, it will be assigned to the magic jack. Of course, the magicjack also has no protection. No firewalls, no nothing. So if the device has known vulnerabilities, it's just sitting out there on the Internet, fully accessible to others (aka, hackers). That's why it's usually a good idea to keep it behind a router, even if it's the only device.

Frankly, if the only problem you’re facing is having to keep the magicjack downstairs and not near the router, all you need is a wireless ethernet bridge (aka, client bridge, gaming adapter). No point in spending needless money on a second modem, second cable account and fees, etc. You just use the wireless ethernet bridge in place of wire. In fact, I’m doing that right now w/ my OOMA VOIP adapter.

[modem]<-- wire -->[router]<-- wireless -->[wireless ethernet bridge]<-- wire -->[magicjack plus]

Works great.

The router from the cable company is a
Cisco
MTA
DPC2203
The company is calling it a router/modem since my pc does not have an internal modem. Do I understand this correctly?
The surfboard 5101 is a router correct? If the majicjack is hooked up to this router but the service is coming from my cable company would there be a firewall? Thanks

 

[eibgrad]

Yeah, this is why it's confusing. The cable company and everyone else throws terms around too casually and imprecisely, and then everyone's confused.

The Surboard 5101 is only a modem, not a router. It has no firewall or any other protection whatsoever. When you connect a device to it, it gets assigned a public IP. And that's exactly what happens when you connect a router to the cable modem. The router's WAN port gets assigned the public IP. The router then creates a *private* network (e.g., 192.168.1.x) behind the WAN so you can share the one public IP. The router also provides a firewall for all those devices on the private network.

Likewise, the DPC2203 is only a cable modem, not a router. And for all intents and purposes, works identically to the Surboard 5101.

So as far as I can tell, I see no routers at all in this configuration, which means you have no ability to share your internet connection. All you can do is connect a single device to each cable modem. Not necessarily a problem if you only have a single device (e.g., PC), and if that device has its own firewall, but it gets expensive adding cable modems each time you need to provide internet access to another device. And as I said, those devices must provide their own firewalls (unlike your PC, the magicjack probably doesn’t). That’s why we have routers! Routers let you share the public IP associated w/ each cable modem, whether wired or wireless, and provide protection via their firewalls.

 

[zebra58]

Yeah, this is why it's confusing. The cable company and everyone else throws terms around too casually and imprecisely, and then everyone's confused.

The Surboard 5101 is only a modem, not a router. It has no firewall or any other protection whatsoever. When you connect a device to it, it gets assigned a public IP. And that's exactly what happens when you connect a router to the cable modem. The router's WAN port gets assigned the public IP. The router then creates a *private* network (e.g., 192.168.1.x) behind the WAN so you can share the one public IP. The router also provides a firewall for all those devices on the private network.

Likewise, the DPC2203 is only a cable modem, not a router. And for all intents and purposes, works identically to the Surboard 5101.

So as far as I can tell, I see no routers at all in this configuration, which means you have no ability to share your internet connection. All you can do is connect a single device to each cable modem. Not necessarily a problem if you only have a single device (e.g., PC), and if that device has its own firewall, but it gets expensive adding cable modems each time you need to provide internet access to another device. And as I said, those devices must provide their own firewalls (unlike your PC, the magicjack probably doesn’t). That’s why we have routers! Routers let you share the public IP associated w/ each cable modem, whether wired or wireless, and provide protection via their firewalls.

ok I understand this Surfboard 5101 is a modem not a router as the box says. And it will not share the internet connect to use the majicjack plus phone.

 

[edwardmaya]

Are you saying you have two on the internet connections? One w/ a cable hub + hub, and a second one w/ its own cable modem??
If so, I wish you didn't buy the second cable hub just for the magicjack since you merely have to hook up it into the current hub. Or else you need to be more apparent about your goals.

surfboard rental Gold Coast