How To Upgrade Your SpeedTouch Home to a Pro Version
Related documents: Example CRC Generator.
This note was written with the current KPN MXstream offering in mind. I'm using XS4ALL at home, but this modification works with all MXstream resellers.
This document descibes how you can enable the 'Pro' software features on an Alcatel Speed Touch Home ADSL modem. The most interesting feature that will be enabled is PPP. This means that you will not have to use PPTP anymore. This is great because PPTP really is sub-optimal and causes problems on platforms that do not come from Redmond.
The modem will also act as a router with NAT/PAT which means that you can connect it to a hub/switch with as many computers as you want instead of just one. My homne setup includes several PCs, a Macintosh and an Airport base station. All works great.
All modifications are done in software. No hardware changes are needed.
For more information about the configuration, see the manual! You also probably got the manual with your modem. All the 'Pro' features are described in the manual.
Disclaimer & Warning
You have the risk of changing your modem settings and not getting them back in the correct original state. The Alcatel Speed Touch Pro is a wonderfull piece of engineering, but has many problems. For example, I just thought I had lost my modem because it did not respond to a ping. Turned out that the modem had a f*cked up ARP table and simply couldn't find the attached machine. Weird stuff, it needs some expirimenting.
Do not ask me for help! It's your modem!
You are warned! Have fun :-)
Step One - Get the EXPERT password
You need to make a change to a setting that is only available in the modem's EXPERT mode. This mode is protected by a password that you can retrieve using this script.
The script takes a challenge string which can be found by telnetting
to your modem. Log in as any user and the modem will show a string like
'SpeedTouch (00-00-00-00-00-00)' before asking the password.
Write this down! (I wrote it on the modem just to be sure), because there is no easy way to get this code back without that web script.
Step Two - Enable the Pro features
Login to the modem using telnet. You can login as any user with any password (if you haven't changed it of course). Now do the following
=>EXPERT 'SpeedTouch (00-00-00-00-00-00)' Password :Switch to expert mode. Return to Normal mode by typing
You are now in Expert mode. There are some other interesting commands available here. Ok, next step is to upgrade the modem:
> rip rip> drv_read 2 1 b the data in hex is : 8604
Now change the last digit to 6 and write it back. It's possible that you get another number back, but changing the last digit to 6 always seems to do the trick. (I'm not sure why my modem gave back 8604, others have reported to get 8600 for PSTN or 9600 for ISDN)
rip> drv_write 2 1 b 8606
And then reboot the box.
rip>exit >system system> reboot
That's it! Your modem now has the Pro features!
Step Three - Configure your PC
use the following settings on your PC/Mac/UNIX boxes:
| IP Address | 10.0.0.x where x not equal to 138, 0 or 255 |
| Netmask | 255.255.255.0 |
| Default Gateway | 10.0.0.138 |
| Primary DNS | Use your provider's DNS |
You can also connect a router, Airport Base Station or Wavelan access point. PPTP is gone so you can connect any IP device.
Step Four - Configure your modem for PPP
Connect to the modem via the web interface on http://10.0.0.138. Then go to the PPTP menu and remove all entries. Apply and Save the changes. Go to the Phone Book and remove all entries. Again, Apply and Save changes.
Now go to the Phone Book screen and add a new entry with name 'MXS' on 8/48 with type PPP. Save the changes.
Go to the PPP screen and add a new entry for the 'MXS' with type 'vc-mux'. Then configure the 'MXS' entry with the following settings
| Authentication | |
| User | Your ADSL Username |
| Password | Your ADSL Password |
| Routing | |
| Connection Sharing | Everybody |
| Destination networks | All networks |
| Specific network | Leave empty |
| NAT-PAT | Enabled |
| Primary DNS | Primary DNS of your provider |
| Secondary DNS | Secondary DNS of your provider |
| Options | |
| Local IP | none |
| Remote IP | none |
| Mode | Always-on |
| Idle time limit | leave empty |
| LCP Echo | Enabled |
| PAP | Disabled |
| ACCOMP | Enabled |
Apply and save these changes. On the PPP screen you can now turn the Status to On and Save the changes. it can take a while before the modem connects and changes to the 'on' status. If it does not change, check the settings :-)
Tada! ADSL Connection without PPTP!
Sateh - Many thanks to Bert for the hack :)
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