Configuring Apple Time Capsule with Netgera DG834N modem

Question

I'm configuring a wirless system with:
a 3 year old Netgear DG834N modem / router set to modem only mode
a 6 month old Apple Time Capsule
a new Netgear WNDR4500 router
Previously I'd linked the ATC in bridged mode to the DG834N with the latter in modem + router mode and all was fine with no conflicts between the ATC and DG834N.
Questions:
what is the best mode for the ATC now that it links to the modem only mode DG834N?
do I need to run each on separate non-conflicting channels for both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz bands?

Answer 1

OK.. sorry I should have twigged with the TNZ.. pppoa is a b pain in the nether regions.. that should get through all the apple filters for language.. but privately I would fill it out with the aussie slang version. In Australia all our ISP use pppoe and some allow pppoa as well. You cannot bridge to pppoa.. the nature of the beast is that it has to happen on the modem.. ie the ATM interface.
There are tricks to get around it.
1. Obviously just use the modem router as your main router.. that solves the problem but as a router,, it is lousy. Netgear build all their modems with minimal interface. And it is slow.
2. Since you cannot do full bridge you can use half bridge.. this used to be common but not so much now. It has some issues with dynamic IP and lots of linux based routers spit the dummy. (almost everything is now linux due to free source). Look up the 834N if it is possible to do half bridge and give it a try .. Maybe with DGTeam firmware.. there are alternative firmware to some netgear models since the netgear one is so devoid of functionality. Other modems do support it.. it is not gone but well down the list now. (FYI: the problems with half bridge is the IP rotates but the client doesn't have the IP updated until the local lease time expires... so lease is set to ridiculously short times to compensate. )
3. DMZ.. this is double NAT but without a lot of the bad effects.. A router in dmz of another router simply passes all packets both ways as if it is a bridge. The problem is speed.. packets only go as fast as the router can handle them.. Adsl aint that fast so it isn't an issue that way.
More importantly, you are still filling the NAT table of the modem's router, so it can fall over with too many connections.
4. There are two tricks but Netgear would have to be replaced. Also the router has to support pptp to pppoa relay. Not sure if the WNDR4500 will but it is used by dd-wrt if that is possible. Pain to setup but very solid.. Thomson speedtouch and later models all support this. You make the connection to the modem via a pptp tunnel..which is able to pass the authentication.
The Draytek also support a trick using pppoe to pppoa relay.. look at models like 120.. This is different to the above but using a similar trick. (There are a few other brands to offer it but you can see draytek have specialised in it.. it is common issue in uk which is a big market for them.)
http://www.draytek.co.uk/products/vigor120.html
Note specific reference to apple routers.
5. One to One NAT.. this is true NAT.. what is normally referred to as NAT is NAPT. One public address to many private addresses. True NAT is like DMZ.. it does pass through the router.. but all packets are simply passed from one public to one private IP.
This mode is available on speedstream models like 4200.. 6520... bit ancient now.. but they worked really well. Most people looked at the interface and had no idea what NAPT and NAT stood for. And Siemens wasn't bright enough to explain it.
Thomson has it.. but hard to setup. Draytek have most modes although not tried in their modems.
That probably covers the field.
Most people resign themselves to 1.
I wouldn't bother with netgear forum.. but look at forums for your Telecom NZ and look at solutions people are using to run a router behind the pppoa authentication problem.