Does TDM-C500 ADSL2 Modem Router connect to wireless router or access point?

Some people make mistakes when buying wireless access point (AP) to create a wireless home network and share broadband ADSL Internet connection with many client computers within the home. They don’t realize that what they currently have at home is a modem (without the routing/NAT function). When the wireless AP connects to this modem, it creates a wireless LAN, but only one client computer can access the Internet at the same time. Because? The modem does not include the NAT function.

NAT (Network Address Translation) is a fundamental feature of routers that consists of translating and mapping one or more IP addresses to one or more IP addresses on different networks. Typically, on the home router, the NAT feature is used to map a single public IP address provided by your ISP to one or more private IP addresses behind the router (which is your internal network). In case you have already purchased a wireless access point and your client computers cannot share the Internet, your modem does not include the NAT function. What you need is a modem with router function like the TDM-C500 ADSL2 Modem Router.

TDM-C500 is an ADSL2 modem with router function. The modem includes dual firewall capabilities: NAT and SPI (Stateful Packet Inspection). The NAT feature helps you hide your internal network from the wild Internet and share your ADSL broadband Internet connection with many computers on the network.

The TDM-C500 ADSL2 Modem Router includes a 10/100 Mbps Auto-MDIX RJ-45 port that you can use to connect your wireless access point, such as the TEW-690AP N450 Wireless Access Point, in case you need to expand the network wirelessly. Since this TDM-C500 modem includes router function, you don’t need a wireless router to create a wireless network, just connect a wireless access point to share the broadband Internet connection.

There are some wireless routers that can be switched to access point mode, such as the WZR-HP-G300NH Buffalo Nfiniti Wireless-N Router & Access Point. Includes external switch to switch between router and access point mode. Some router manufacturers provide guidelines for connecting your router to another router (including this ADSL2 modem router), such as disabling the DHCP server, disabling UPnP, and modifying the IP address that is on the same subnet with your current network.

Or you can connect the modem directly to the Switch if you need to expand your wired Internet connections. The good thing about this TDM-C500 ADSL2 modem router is that it includes the DHCP server. With the DHCP server, you don’t need to manually provide the static IP address to all client computers on the network. This will reduce the complexity of IP address management.

Alternative solution

The TDM-C500 ADSL2 Modem Router gives you the flexibility to choose the wireless access point to create a wireless network at home or in the office. You can connect the outdoor wireless access point (such as TL-WA5210G High Power Outdoor Wireless CPE) to provide wireless Internet access for client computers in harsh outdoor environments. This is usually suitable for site projects with many computing clients separated hundreds of meters from the main site.

For home environments where Internet access and other wireless networking tasks are required, instead of purchasing a separate TDM-C500 ADSL2 modem router plus wireless access point device, you may consider purchasing the all-in-one device that includes all the requirements for building a wireless LAN. For example, TEW-635BRM TRENDnet 300Mbps Wireless N ADSL2/2+ Modem Router. TEW-635BRM includes a built-in ADSL modem plus wireless router in one device. Or you can consider the DGND3300 V2 N300 RangeMax Wireless Dual Band ADSL Modem. Both ADSL modem wireless routers are designed with 802.11n technology, but DGND3300 supports simultaneous dual-band technology to work on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands at the same time.

TRENDnet TDM-C500 is an ADSL2 Modem Router – a modem with built-in high-speed router function for sharing ADSL broadband Internet connection with many computers in homes or offices. You must connect a wireless access point device to create a wireless network.

By Ki Grinsing