Bridged Modem's

This is a general real world explination of a bridged modem. I am not going to bore anyone with the specifics of data transfer and bit rates on a bridged modem compared to a routed modem.

When you run into a modem that the ISP has stated is in bridged mode you have two options.

The first option is to reset it to DHCP or routing mode. Usually the modem is in bridged mode for a reason so resetting it to route mode is not an option.

The second option is to get all of the information for the modem that you can.

A bridged modem is a modem that will connect two separate parts of your network together. More times than not it is a link between the outside and your router. The modem has a static IP address and this address is set up in your router configuration creating a bridge between the public and private address on the network.

The information you needed from your ISP will be the IP Address, Subnet, Gateway, and sometimes the DNS server. DNS will depend on your network set up, but it is usefull to have the ISP DNS information just in case.

A username and password for the modem is also helpful just in case you need to modem configurations. Some companies will give you this information freely. Other companies though will not give you the user name and password to the modem unless you purchase the modem and line directly from them.

Every company is different, but it does not hurt to ask...

If you connect your laptop directly to the modem and try to surf the internet you will see very quickly that you cannot get out. That is because you will have to set a static IP on the network connection. This is the information that you requested from the ISP earlier.

Once you set the IP, Subnet and Gateway you should then be able to surf the net.

Use the gateway address as your entry into the modem by entering it into your web browser and you will be prompted for the modems user name and password.

Some Verizon and Embarq ISP modems (Westell 6100 series) will use the admin, 1234 user name and password scheme, but it is rare. Usually they are set to a company specific user name and password scheme like youcompany@att.dsl.net. They all are different.