Fibre installed but no modem sent :-(

[#1]

Had fibre installed this afternoon. BT Openreach engineer asked where new router was?
Rang Plusnet - "Lots of problem with dispatch of new routers" - Don't worry you can connect your fibre modem (Echolife HG612) to your PC directly."
Did this eventually after finding that I needed to create a new network connection from XP which reminded me of going back to dialup.
Rang Plusnet  to ask if i could use my old Thomson router as a hub until proper router arrives - "Yes you can but disable DHCP" Did just that
However after connecting Echolife to a port of the Thompson it diesn't work.
Can anyone help  - what is the step by step procedure to connect a Echolife modem to a Thompson 575 so that the latter acts as a wireless hub?

[#2]

I've now managed to connect the Thomson and Echolite working together
IP address when connected to Echolite was 169.254.158.222
When connected to Thomson was 192.168.0.1
Got conenctivity to Thomson by setting static IP address as above but of course other devices such a wireless don't work as the Thomson is not giving IP addresses out.
Any ideas how I do this -  I cannot see a way to change IP address on Echolite as there is not user interface.

[#3]

If it's possible, you could set static IP addresses in all your devices, normally a router connected to the HG612 would have DHCP enabled, I'm not sure why you were told to disable it unless it causes a problem on the port that connects to the HG612.  The HG612 is actually a router but is configured as a 'bridge device' so it does not give out IP addresses (other than the external IP address from the ISP).
It is possible to unlock the HG612 and gain access to the user interface but this involves loading modified firmware, informative (but rather long) discussion here: http://forums.thinkbroadband.com/fibre/f/4040711-more-fttc-line-stats.html?page=1

[#4]

Quote from: walker23

If it's possible, you could set static IP addresses in all your devices, normally a router connected to the HG612 would have DHCP enabled, I'm not sure why you were told to disable it unless it causes a problem on the port that connects to the HG612.  The HG612 is actually a router but is configured as a 'bridge device' so it does not give out IP addresses (other than the external IP address from the ISP). It is possible to unlock the HG612 and gain access to the user interface but this involves loading modified firmware, informative (but rather long) discussion here: http://forums.thinkbroadband.com/fibre/f/4040711-more-fttc-line-stats.html?page=1

I was told to disble DHCP on the second router (the Thomson) because it is effectively acting as a hub/switch. No change has been made to the HG612 because there is no admin panel.
I am a little confused by your comments about the HG612 as they appear to be saying two different things - 1) it has DHCP enabled (ie gives out IP addresses) 2) it is configured as a bridge so doesn't give out IP addresses.
Do you know if I can disconnect the HG612 and replace it with the Thomson and set that to PPPOE and then I wouldn't have two comflicting IP addresses and more importantly I wouldn't have to use a dialup type connection on my PC?

[#5]

Hi spile,
I've just replied to your question here.
Jojo

[#6]

You need a fibre (VDSL) modem with fibre. The HG612 does that bit, and the Thomson cannot. So you can't replace the HG612 with the Thomson (or any other ADSL router). You have to use the HG612.

walker23 is saying that the HG612 actually has the capability to be a router and do DHCP built in to it, but that as supplied by BT this functionality is switched off. And you can't switch it on again without reflashing the HG612. (Which actually belongs to/is the responsibility of BT Openreach; you'll not get much sympathy from them if you stuff up their modem).
The Thomson (or any other router) will only work properly with an unmodified HG612 if it can deal with a WAN connection instead of its own built-in ADSL modem. The Thomson, I think, cannot do that.
If you reflash the HG612 and enable it as a router, and you can configure the Thomson to act, effectively, as a wired switch/wireless access point (if this is possible) you might have success. But this is a world of pain and you'd be better off waiting and hassling PN to get you the router you have paid for. IMHO.

[#7]

Agreen that reflashing HG612 is not worth it.
This is what I have set up...
HG612 connects to fibre
Thompson  (DHCP is turned off) connects to one of the ports on the HG612
Other three ports on Thomson are used for devices with a static IP address.
Internet access is provided by desktop PC connecting by this method:
http://community.plus.net/library/broadband/fibre-help-setting-up-a-pppoe-dialler-for-windows-xp/
So given that HG612 doesn't provide DCHP, can I not renable it on Thomson so that my other devices and wifi will work again?

[#8]

Without something to do NAT for you, I can't see how you can connect more than one device at a time.
I reckon that the problem with the Thompson and DHCP is that it will try and advertise it's WAN port (ADSL) as the default gateway which is incorrect as it's not actually connected.

Pretty sure that Plusnet have some firmware for the Thompson that changes one of the LAN ports to be a WAN i.e. it can act like a Ethernet to Ethernet router.
But, as already said much easier to get the correct router from Plusnet, even though the wait is very boring 

[#9]

Thanks
I wonder why the helpdesk told me that by turning off DHCP on the Thomson I could share my internet...

[#10]

Some progress...
(Still waiting for the Router from Plusnet)
Have re-enabled DHCP on Thomson
Internet to house >>>>>>> HG612 >>>>>>>>>>Thomson (Port 1)
                                                                                                        (Port 2) ------ PC (uses direction connect to log into Plusnet) 
                                                                                                        (Port 3) ------ IP Printer
                                                                                                        (Port4) ------- Windows Home Server
                                                                                                          (Wifi) -------- Android mobile device + Logitech squeezebox
Network is now working but of course Internet access is only available through one device ie the PC in port 2
I did try to turn on internet sharing via PC but this didn't work as it wanted to use the same IP address as the Thomson gatway 192.168.0.1
Perhaps I could change gateway address on Thomson to something like 192.168.0.2?