Problems setting up Anywhere Access 2012 Server Essentials R2

I am getting ready to implement a server client network at my vet hospital using Server 2012 Essential R2.  I set up a small network at home to play with the trial version of Essentials 2012  and am running into errors when I try to get Anywhere Access installed.  I get error message back that tell me UPnP is not enabled on the router (it is) or that their is a hardware conflict between the modem and the router.

I have a Comtrend AR 5381u modem/router from Fairpoint set in bridge mode with a TP Link AC 1750 router on this home trial set up, and I have read on other posts that bridge mode may not work for this sort of set up. Perhaps you need a modem only from the ISP that connects to a router with UPnP and it is some other setting(s) in the modem/router that creates the conflict and stops the configuration of Anywhere Access with VPN etc.

For what it's worth in terms of this problem, I left the DHCP server on the router and have read some posts about switching that over to the Server with a static IP address.  I have no idea if that will affect this failure to install but it sounds like a good idea regardless as a way of using a static IP for this setup.

Thanks for any help.