Alcatel SpeedTouch Home to Pro Upgrade

Article Written by Oren Chapo, 5-June-2002

In this article:

1. How to upgrade Alcatel SpeedTouch Home to SpeedTouch Pro?
2. How to configure static NAT entries?
3. Some Notes by Oren

1. How to upgrade Alcatel SpeedTouch Home to SpeedTouch Pro?

(Taken from: http://www.sateh.com/hacks/alcatel.php)

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 the following script: http://security.sdsc.edu/self-help/alcatel/challenge.cgi

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 : <TYPE the Password here>
Switch to expert mode.
Return to Normal mode by typing <NORMAL>
            

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:

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

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 :-)

2. How to configure static NAT entries?

You will have to use the CLI (Command Line Interface).

telnet your adsl router and login. write the command (capital letters):

=> EXPERT
              

and enter your EXPERT password. Then enter the following commands:

> nat
nat> create protocol=tcp inside_addr=192.168.0.1:80 outside_addr=0.0.0.0:80
nat> create protocol=tcp inside_addr=192.168.0.1:20 outside_addr=0.0.0.0:20
nat> create protocol=tcp inside_addr=192.168.0.1:21 outside_addr=0.0.0.0:21
nat> save
              

The address 192.168.0.1 is the internal address of my Server. Port 80 is for HTTP, ports 20+21 are for FTP. You can add some other (SMTP, POP3, etc.) using the same format.

That's all !

3. Some Notes by Oren

• Some newer firmware version have different syntax. Instead of typing the expert command, you will have to use the td prompt command.
• Although in every single Alcatel-related guide I've seen you're ordered to create an entry named "MXS", the name does not matter!!! You can write anything that makes sense. In my configuration, it is called "ISP".