Bridge Mode - Using Your Own Router

[ET]

What Is Bridge Mode?

When you sign up for TELUS internet you will receive a device called a gateway - a two-in-one modem & router combo. Bridge mode is a feature that allows a user to shut off the router side of the gateway (i.e. Wi-Fi), and use a 3rd party router in its place.

TELUS currently only offers bridge mode on 3 gateway models - the T1200H,  T2200H and T3200M. The main difference between these two models is that the T1200H is a single line gateway while the T2200H is a copper bonded gateway, used for higher speed plans where two lines are required.

Setup

1. In the address bar of your browser type 'http://192.168.1.254' and then press Enter
2. The Gateway’s Home screen will appear. Enter your user name and password and then click the Wireless Setup icon located in the top row of icons (see below).

   3. Click on Advanced Setup on the right side.

   4. Click on Port Bridging.

   5. The Port1 Bridge screen will appear (see below) - click Enable and then click Apply

 

[CoachRuss]

Just a follow up question: When bridging, do I need to use lan port 1 on telus modem/router to connect to my router (ie. since it says port1 bridge)?

[ScottyJ]

@CoachRuss Yes, that's correct - port 1 is the only port that bridges.

Cheers,

ScottyJ

[FredTTech]

Very informative.. 

[ergig]

Hi, I just set up my R7000 and did the bridging on the T2200H myself. After bridging, Is it a correct setup that I can still see and connect to the T2200H wi-fi connection? Or should I turn the wifi off in the T2200H

Thanks.

[WestCoasterBC]

If using your own router disable the Wifi Radio on the T2200H.

*Keep in mind anything that was connected wirelessly to the T2200H will lose it's connection. You will have to enter the new WiFi network settings to connect to the R1700.

*If you ever need to connect to the Actiontec you will require a hard wired connection to configure settings (since the wifi radio is turned off).

[ergig]

Is that by Disabling the Wireless in the routers admin interface? For some reason I can't connect to 192.168.1.254 anymore?

[WestCoasterBC]

Yes disable the wireless in the admin interface. You will have to connect to the WIFI SSID of the Telus router to disable it or be plugged into the modem with a cat5.

[ergig]

Got it. Thanks.

[Blucid]

Hello, 
I received the T1200H Modem last night, and first thing that I tried to do is bridge the Modem. I am not sure if these instructions are out of date, or maybe the menu settings have changed after firmware updates. There is NO Port Bridging option within Wireless Settings. Instead you have to go to Advanced Settings in the top right and then under WAN Options, there is Port Bridging.

Once I did the Port Bridging the router restarted and then brought me to this odd login screen.

Could not login, everything I tried did not work. Also when this happens the computer does not get internet connection at all (WIRED). So after several restarts, and resets. I noticed the WIFI Radio was on, connected to the SSID and boom was back at the Telus Login Screen. Logged in fine, went to wireless settings and disabled the Radio. WIFI Turned off, it rebooted it self and now its in FULL Bridge mode and that login screen is gone.

Just in case people needed extra help. Thank you.

[Charrion]

Can we still use bridge mode if we're using Optik TV? Or will the third party router interfere with the Optik TV box(es)?

[NFtoBC]

@Charrion

   As far as I know, you can leave your Optik on the Actiontec and bridge port 1 to your second router.

[WestCoasterBC]

I let the actiontec handle the optiktv. The bridged router handles everything else. Even though my router (tp-link) is capable of handling the IPTV.

[patapon]

Anyone having issues bridging on the T3200M? I enabled it, but I can't get an IP for any device connected to LAN1 after enabling port1 bridge. 😞

Edit: It works now! Just had to factory reset the gateway for some reason 🙂

[Nlarson]

I have bridged my Actiontec h1000 modem and everything seems to be working fine except I cannot watch the same channel on multiple TVs anymore. I can still watch TV on multiple TVs but not the same channel. Anybody know what to do?

[NFtoBC]

From the original post:

"TELUS currently only offers bridge mode on 3 gateway models - the T1200H,  T2200H and T3200M."

That you are trying to bridge an earlier modem may be why you see the errors you are experiencing.

[camshaft]

Had my older equipment updated the other day, now running the T1200H. 

And YES!! bridge mode is now showing in the advanced setup. 

I see above you recommend turning off the Wifi on the t1200H. 

When entering the bridge mode, does it just disable all security measures going to Port 1? But the rest of the T1200H ports/wifi are still behind its firewall ?

Why I'm asking is if I wanted to add a secondary router to Port 1, but still use the other T1200H Ports and the T1200H wireless network?

Thank you 

[NFtoBC]

Usually folks want to keep one network in their house, so connected devices can interact. If you leave the Wi-Fi turned on, or connect devices by Ethernet to the Actiontec, anything connecting to it will not see devices on the other router. This may prevent use of wireless printing, connectivity of smart home devices, etc. Some folks have connected their entire network except the Optik TV devices to the Actiontec, and their entire computing device network to the other router to ensure appropriate connectivity.

[MacDaddy]

I've configure my T2200H for Bridge Mode with an Apple Airport connected to ethernet port 1.  However, if I try to access Optik TV ("On The Go" website or iPad app), it won't allow me to see live channels with that have the "Home" icon. An error message states, "The channel is available for viewing in your home over TELUS internet only. Look for the home icon next to the channel number".

I can get it to work if I... a) disable Bridge Mode: b) hardwire the computer directly to an ethernet port on the T2200H; or c) enable the Telus WiFi as a second wireless network.

Bridge Mode allows me to use the DHCP and NAT from the Apple Airport, otherwise there is a potential double-NAT situation... why does it not see my systems as a part of the TELUS internet? After all, everything still routes through the T200H.

[NFtoBC]

Your Airport is assigned a different IP address than the T2200. Thus it is not recognized as being at the same 'address' as your Optik service, as it is not routed through the same IP. 

Your solutions include putting up with double NAT, or one of the ones you have discovered. 

What at is the reason for using the Airport as your router, that can't be solved in another manner?

[Mat0633]

Hi, I need to connect the OpticTV 4K to my Telus modem in Bridge mode. Since the Bridge Mode uses port 1.

WestCoasterBC mentioned the OpticTV connects to ActionTec, does the OptictV connects to port 2? I was told by the tech that port 2 cannot be used in Bridge Mode, is it the case?

Thanks.

[NFtoBC]

The rest of the ports on the Telus gateway, and the Wi-Fi, are available for your use for Optik TV.

[Pteronarcys]

If my optik tv boxes are wireless (have 3 pvr/tv wireless boxes) and I want to set the actiontec to bridge mode for attaching a second router, will this affect tv function? I know i want telus tv to communicate throughbthe actiontec and all other internet through my 3rd party router.  My concern is having the 3 wireless tv boxes.

I understand once the actiontec t2200h is in bridge mode, I hook up my router in port 1.  The actiontec currently has 2 telus devices attached, one is an extender I believe and the other I think is for the wireless tv's.  If this is the case, do I leave these hooked up to the actiontec in ports other than 1 and hook my router to port 1 once bridge setting is enabled?  Does bridging automatically turn off the actiontec wireless or is there an additional setting to turn this off? Do I want wireless turned off on actiontec or would this lose signal to my tv boxes?  Lastly, if wireless is turned off but the extender and tv signal box is hooked up, does this mean the router base is not giving off a wireless signal but the extender and tv signal box will give off wireless to communicate with the tv boxes?

[NFtoBC]

Simply bridge port 1 and leave the rest as is.

[Pteronarcys]

Thanks

[Peter72]

I'm not super tech savvy so here is my question. 

T3200m:

WAN is connected to a white Nokia box. 

Lan1 is connected to a box in the wall. 

Lan2 is connected to the wifi extender. 

I have internet 250 and have optic tv. Want to use a different router for improved wifi for gaming. If I install a new router to bridge, I connect to Port 1 on the white Nokia box correct?

in doing this, how will it affect the wifi extender for the people upstairs?

[Peter72]

@NFtoBC meant to attach my question to you on my previous post

[NFtoBC]

Port 1 on the Actiontec gateway if  you have Optik TV. You don't have Optik TV then you can connect your own router to the Nokia device, which has only 1port active. 

[Fishbulb579]

I have an actiontec T3200M. I have a TP-Link Archer C9 1900AC wireless router. I currently have 5 optic boxes:

- 1x 4k PVR hooked up via ethernet

- 1x 4K wireless

- 2x HD wireless

- 1x HD wired box connected via coax and a coax to ethernet converter 

I am having all sorts of issues with my TV (stuttering, audio drop out, etc) and my wifi also seems to drop out occasionally when watching netflix. A Telus tech recently installed the T3200M and the 4K boxes and seemed to have an issue getting all the boxes to talk to one another. I get the feeling he did not actually resolve the issue before leaving.

I have adjusted the channels for 2.4 and 5.0 on both the T3200M and the C9.

My C9 is connected to one of the LAN ports on the T3200M.

Please advise on how to optimize my setup.

Should I check for a double-NAT issue? If the issue exists should I bridge the T3200M, connect via LAN1 to the C9 WAN port? If I change nothing else will this resolve that issue while still letting the T3200M connect to my Optik boxes?

Thanks

[NFtoBC]

All your TV stuff should be connected to your T3200M either wired or wirelessly. I'd connect the unit currently on coax last, or even wirelessly. Bridge port 1 if you wish; many of us haven't, and connect the rest of your network to your C9 router.  

Let us know your findings.

[Fishbulb579]

I've been told to try two things first:

- Try connecting the T3200M LAN to the C9 WAN and see if them acting separately works 

or

- Convert the C9 to an access point and route everything through the T3200M.

I'll report back.

[Fishbulb579]

Turns out I was already connected T3200m LAN to C9 WAN and was having the double NAT issue.

I have bridged the T3200m and received some warning on the TVs about DHCP but so far everything works. I will do a power cycle on everything and see if it's all working well after that.

[AgilityNut]

I've read through this thread and believe this is the area that I'm interested in. I have the T3200M with an internet hookup to my desktop PC running Win 10 by ethernet. The tested speeds seem very good through the tests I've done. On the other hand, the speeds I'm dealing with on my ipad, phone and casting are poor. When I look at the Telus gear present I notice there is an Alcatel-Lucent Model I-240G-B box that appears to function as the router for the wi-fi (I'm not very wi-fi tech savy so not sure about that). I presume this is at least part of my issue (especially since there is a flashing light that shows amber to red on the LAN1 port). Is it feasible, advisable, possible to insert a more robust router into the system to improve the types of issues I'm having? I did the bridge part already in anticipation of doing something! Anybody follow my ramblings?

[NFtoBC]

The Alcatel-Lucent device is the Optical Network Terminal or ONT, and converts the fibre optic signal to Ethernet, which then goes to your gateway / router. The issues you see are between the gateway and the device, so mucking with the ONT won't fix anything; it does not have a Wi-Fi radio.

What speeds do you see on the wireless devices?

[AgilityNut]

From PC through Telus speed test ping 18, download 176, upload 51

From ipad SpeedSmart 25 latency, 11.44 Mbps, upload 26.44

Taken one after the other.

VPN off in both cases.

[NFtoBC]

Try downloading the SpeedTest App on your iPad, so we can see the numbers using a comparative tool. You need to test while the device is adjacent to the Telus gateway, not distant.

You also might want to try turning off Smart Steering on your Telus gateway (router) to see if that makes a difference.

How many different Wi-Fi signals do you see when you try to connect?  If a large number, you may have clashes with neighbouring Wi-Fi signals.

[AgilityNut]

Thanks for your help. I'll try some stuff now that I know what the ONT is and get back with more questions, I'm sure. I have several speedtest apps on my ipad. I noticed when I tried again last night the upload speed was in the 70's.  Looking at my history I see that is closer to the average reading but inconsistency is certainly there and readings are way lower than PC. Thanks again for your help.

[brantoneb]

What would be benefit of setting it to bridge, as opposed to just putting a switch between the ONT and Gateway, then put 3rd party Router off the switch?

[NFtoBC]

@brantoneb

  The advantage is to those on copper, who don’t have the option you describe.

[brantoneb]

So, assuming Fibre 150/150, of the following options:

A.)

ONT -> Switch -> T3200M

                        `-> 3rd Party Router

vs.

B.)

ONT -> T3200M -(bridge)-> 3rd Party Router

Which is optimal?

[NFtoBC]

@brantoneb

Six of one, half a dozen of the other. No real advantage to either, except you save on the cost of the switch in the latter instance.

[brantoneb]

@NFtoBC : Intriguing, somehow I woulda figured the extra hop through T3200M might pose either security vector, or potential performance bottleneck (regardless of how negligible it might be). hmmm.

Thanks for the advice 

[JTL]

> The advantage is to those on copper, who don’t have the option you describe.

You could if you found a standard VDSL modem. In practice I see little advantage, unless you were having problems with the Port1 bridge.

[brantoneb]

Well this is infuriating ... T3200M set "Port1 Bridge" enabled, have my R7800 plugged in to port 1 ... and yet it's not getting an IP at all.
@patapon : Was that full-on factory reset to your T3200M? Like, to the point of losing all previous settings and everything? I suppose nearly at point of doing that, just bunch of settings that were headache to setup initially 

Edit: Factory reset did nothing. Power cycle everything: nothing. Even got on Chat with Telus just to inquire of something bit flipping needed to happen on their side, they remarked how they can't even see the T3200M ... which was odd, so gave up on Bridge and zeroed in on trying to get that fixed something obviously not right. Few hours later, after a few more factory resets, and Telus still not being able to see the T3200M, they suggested waiting 3-5 days for an update to go through ... wuuuut?!? ugh.

[jakehawkes42]

@brantoneb I had a similar problem with my T3200M. I am trying to get port forwarding to work, and have all but given up on Telus being able to solve the problem. They've had a tech out to replace the unit with a new unit, and even tried downgrading to an older model. All the while Tier1 support said they couldn't see the modem from their side.

So far, there is no solution in sight. I was thinking to try an use port bridging to solve the problem, by then supplying a decent router that doesn't seem to fail as often, but the issues people are describing here seem to indicate that port bridging is just as unreliable... Or perhaps the only people commenting here are those that are having issues....

[brantoneb]

Mine just started working last night.

I wish I could tell you how or why, but still trying to figure out what "changed" to get it to work. After trying numerous cables, ports, etc,, it was not working, so I left it for a few weeks.

Last night I decided to give 'er a go again... still nothing. So decided to call up Telus. After getting bounced around a few departments, I finally was able to chat with someone who gave some confidence that they themselves knew networking (shout out to Scott!!!) ... at the time, we still couldn't figure out why (against swapping ports, etc.), and I left it as "just wouldn't work with my R7800, the way it goes".

After getting off the phone and grabbing dinner, I tried one last attempt with a cable I hadn't tried before (which would be cable #8) ... and boom, it worked. I thought, surely the previous 7 cables couldn't all be broken, so I went back and re-tried a cable to appease my insanity, and it now worked. I'm still thoroughly baffled what changed as this is now in a setup I had attempted at least half-dozen times. part of me wonders if Telus toggled something so waiting to hear back from Scott.

But alas, now it works. I'm watching it closely as things that magically work can also magically stop working.

@jakehawkes42Up until the magic started, I was considering putting a switch in between the ONT and the routers. I can confirm that, although Telus recommends against this, it does indeed work.

My current setup is ONT -> (WAN) T3200M (LAN1)  -> Nighthawk X4S (WAN).

I've seen some forums mention fiddling with your 3rd part router's MAC address, to get it to mirror the T3200M; however, this carries with it some caveats.

[jakehawkes42]

Same here @brantoneb i set up a DD-WRT router on port 1 of the T3200, and configured port bridging, and after some false attempts, i got it working, and it was FAST! So I thought I’d just check one more time with the Telus router, and try to change as little as possible in order to rule out all the cables, additional devices etc. It worked, also very fast. Wut.

The speed is perhaps important. To recap, i am port forwarding WAN port 8080 to an internal LAN device). If I attempted to connect to the incorrect LAN port, it would fail pretty instantly. Use the correct LAN port, and it would fail after 20-30 seconds.

Putting everything back to how I had it when I first started trying to get this to work, and everything continues to function. I am convinced Telus changed something in their network, or perhaps tweaked something in the router. 

[brantoneb]

I would agree with the assertion that Telus did the old "change something but fake saying they did" switcharoo. Nothing just "magically starts working" 😕

That being said, after a couple weeks of decent setup with port bridging, for the last week I've had so many drop-outs it's quite awful. Got a technician out to the house to swap out the modem and it worked fine for 36 hours before it went janky again.

I've disabled port bridging to run an experiment .. I have a sneaking suspicion Telus is doing something, either through means to discover bridging, or their firmware update policy is just horrible.

[mauricio5000]

hello there!! to make the changes on my modem they ask for a username and password !  

i tried to put the telus one but doesn't work anyone can help please?

---

@ETwrote:

What Is Bridge Mode?

When you sign up for TELUS internet you will receive a device called a gateway - a two-in-one modem & router combo. Bridge mode is a feature that allows a user to shut off the router side of the gateway (i.e. WiFi), and use a 3rd party router in its place.

TELUS currently only offers bridge mode on 3 gateway models - the T1200H,  T2200H and T3200M. The main difference between these two models is that the T1200H is a single line gateway while the T2200H is a copper bonded gateway, used for higher speed plans where two lines are required.

Setup

1. In the address bar of your browser type 'http://192.168.1.254'  and then press Enter
2. The Gateway’s Home screen will appear. Enter your user name and password and then click the Wireless Setup icon located in the top row of icons (see below).

1. Click on Advance Setup on the right side
2. Click on Port Bridging
3. The Port1 Bridge screen will appear (see below) - click Enable and then click Apply

---

[NFtoBC]

Use ‘admin’ and the associated password on the side of the box. If you have changed the admin password, you will need to use it instead, or reset the gateway with a pin, and start fresh.

[dfrerichs]

We have a T2200M at work recently installed  and have been having some issues as we need to use our own router for our business internet and phone system.

I was told by customer support that the T2200M has auto bridge mode. Is this true and is there a way to default it to bridge mode? I discovered that rebooting the T2200M last out of all our devices the problem solved. But the reason that the issues started is because the power in the building failed overnight and ran the UPS out. So when everything came back online there were two devices delivering IP's and caused a day at work with non functioning internet and phones.

[jakehawkes42]

Not sure about “auto bridge mode” at all. Never heard that before.

The way I’ve always configured it was in the advanced setup area, under port bridging. My understanding is that this should survive a power cycle, so it is surprising to hear that didn’t work for you.

There doesn’t seem to be a way to disable the DHCP server either...

[dfrerichs]

Can't log into it using that IP or the IP that it's programmed to. The manufacturers website says that the GUI can only be accessed by the ISP. The Telus tech on the phone after 45mins trying to see if DHCP could be shut off had to call somebody else that told him that this unit has auto sensing bridge mode. 

[Camilla]

I have pure fibre with telus and an 3300 modem/router - I have a qsee dvr/camera system that is connected to my telus router and I can see my cameras on my computer and phone when in my home but when I go outside my home network I cannot access my dvr because ports 85 and 37777 are not open and port forwarding is not possible on residential account - telus suggested adding an external router to run the dvr system but I am not sure how to do this - do I plug the new router into port 1 and do the bridging?

[jakehawkes42]

Did someone from Telus actually tell you that port forwarding is not possible on a residential account? If so, they should make that more well known. I fought with them for weeks trying to get it working, including them attempting to get me to pay for Support+, who can only help you configure your gadgets, and not the actual router itself.

Whether it is officially supported or not, it wasn't anywhere near reliable for me, so I did the bridge mode solution in the end. 

So, you add an external router to your setup, and connect it to port 1 which you configure to be in bridge mode. Be aware though that this means you are on your own for the configuration of that new router, and your Telus device will turn into a glorified modem. This means your wifi will now need to be served by the 3rd party router too. This is better in my opinion, but you do need to be fairly technical to get it to all work nicely.

[Tommytongue]

I have just bought a VPN. However I have been told that the t3200m does not support this......

Is anybody using a VPN with this gateway if so what is the setup????

If not if I enable bridging and use a second router in Lan 1 will the VPN wowrk though this 3rd party router. I only need to connect my ps and media box to this router via cat 5. Will it work?

Can I still use the 5g on the gateway if I do this?

[iwongstein]

hi team, i have added a new wifi router, a NightHawk AC2300.... the WIFI is manages more devices than the Actiontec T3200M. I am running bridge mode and using port 1. I can't seem to get my NAS to work on the new router via hard wire. Any suggestions what I'm doing wrong? Everything else works fine from a hardwire from the Nighthawk AC2300 or the WIFI from the AC2300.

Best regards,

Glad

[Nighthawk]

I take it the T3200M is what is in bridge mode and your personal router is connected to port 1 on the T3200M? From there it goes to the WAN port on the AC2300, and your NAS is connected to one of the 4 LAN ports on the AC2300? 

If you are having problems configuring the AC2300 you will need to go to: https://www.netgear.com/support/product/R7000P.aspx . You may also need to check on the configuration of your NAS as well.

[NFtoBC]

@Chriss1

  What happens if you disable bridge mode?

Your 3rd party modem should see the internet bridged or unbridged.

[Chriss1]

@NFtoBC I turned bridge mode off and it had no effect. I'm still not able to communicate with my dlink router. 

I thought I had it working . I plugged from access point into dlink router and from there the telus box and had several other wifi devices successfully connected t it but when we went to access our streaming (amazon) it wouldn't work so I changed it back.

Originally I was trying to connect a canon pixma printer to the telus box. The printer connected to the box (and worked fine on my office router) but the install software wouldn't detect it on the telus box so I went and got a router figuring it would be a simple setup. Wouldnt work at all the first way (access point/telus/router) When I reversed the order access point/ dlink/telus the printer worked fine.

[NFtoBC]

I’m not understanding where the access point suddenly came into things.

If you can’t get your network working with just the T1200H, then that’s where i’d be starting my troubleshooting.

[Chriss1]

@NFtoBC 

The telus gateway seems to be functioning as it should, it is the vdsl modem/router that although my printer finds it, the printer software does not find it from either of my 2 PC's. And when I connect a dlink router to port 1 (in bridged or unbridged mode) I cant find it when going to the router IP address.

I have previously configured an hp printer on the telus router so I'm not sure why something seems to be blocking both devices even though I can see them when I login into the telus router. I did reset the telus router just in case something was messed up in the config. When I contacted telus of course they said they didn't support this and couldn't help me but when I was using shaw none of this was ever an issue. 

[Chriss1]

@NFtoBC@Sorry I meant to say also that the telus router functions with everything else fine as it should and has been for 3 years I just wanted to add additional wifi. I figured I would swap around the telus and dlink connections to the gateway to make sure my dlink router was actually working as it should (troubleshooting 101) and it did 

[NFtoBC]

Truly, the easiest way to add additional Wi-Fi is with the Telus Boost devices.

I take it by ‘gateway’ you mean the Fibre ONT.

I would not expect to see your secondary router through 192.168.1.254 when in Bridge mode. You should be able to see it through it’s own subnet IP address. Of course when not bridged, it should appear at the DHCP assigned IP address if the Actiontec.

[Chriss1]

@NFtoBC oh sorry I figured when I said I had a t1200h that it is NOT fiber so I don't have a telus boost.  Maybe I should just wait until we get fibre to try this because I've been messing with it for over a week.

It's not appearing like it should so I cant even configure it, it's a pita.

We are waiting on telus to get fibre 

Thanks

[Nighthawk]

Boost doesn't need fibre to work. Telus Boost is a wireless extender which should make things work more cohesively. 

@Chriss1 I still can't get a clear picture of how you have your network set up. Maybe draw up a diagram? To respond to a few of your points: 

• If the T1200 is bridged you will NOT be able to access any router/device on port 1, ever, from any device on the T1200. Devices on the Dlink won't see the T1200 or any device connected to it either.
• If bridged (or not) you will want to have all your devices on one router, Dlink in this case.
• Any device on the T1200, even if it's not bridged, will NOT be able to communicate with any device on the Dlink network since they are two physically separate devices and networks. 

A lot of this is basic networking 101.

And some questions:

• Which port on the T1200 is your Dlink being plugged into? WAN? 1-4?
• What IP range is your Dlink set to use? (192.168.?.?)
• Are you trying to remotely access the settings on the Dlink, or a device connected to it, from something connected to the T1200?
• Are you trying to access a device on the T1200 from something connected to the Dlink?

I never bridged my Telus gateway when using it with my Dlink router, and I didn't change any settings or disable wifi on the Telus modem. Just plugged my router straight into port 1 after changing the default IP range on the Dlink to something that would not conflict with the 192.168.1.x range the T1200 used. 

What many of us have done is use the Telus gateway only for Optik TV, and the third party router has everything else connected to it.

[Chriss1]

• Which port on the T1200 is your Dlink being plugged into? WAN? 1-4? Port 1
• What IP range is your Dlink set to use? (192.168.?.?) 192.168.1.100
• Are you trying to remotely access the settings on the Dlink, or a device connected to it, from something connected to the T1200? I have accessed the Dlink both remotely and hard wired, it is not connecting the T1200, that's the part that doesn't seem to be working.
• Are you trying to access a device on the T1200 from something connected to the Dlink? No

It may be "networking 101" but I have been networking since the 90's when we didn't have wifi and had to set our own protocols in Linux and windows. I apologize that perhaps  I'm making something simple overcomplicated? I got confused about port bridging because the D-link setup said to enable it on "router number 1" (I have now disabled it) and I couldn't seem to find of info on the Telus router. This is what I currently have setup and am able to access both routers but the D-Link will not connect to the internet. I can access it wirelessly and change settings.  (there are also other wireless devices I connected to the T1200H that I would like to switch to the D-Link as you mentioned that you had done) which is what my goal was in getting a seperate router.

[Chriss1]

@Nighthawk

• If the T1200 is bridged you will NOT be able to access any router/device on port 1, ever, from any device on the T1200. Devices on the Dlink won't see the T1200 or any device connected to it either.
• If bridged (or not) you will want to have all your devices on one router, Dlink in this case.
• Any device on the T1200, even if it's not bridged, will NOT be able to communicate with any device on the Dlink network since they are two physically separate devices and networks.

Yes this is common sense

[Nighthawk]

The WAP may need to be on one of the numbered ports. If it's in WAN the T1200 may not like that. The WAN port on the T1200 is mainly used when the T1200 is to act as a router only. That is common in fibre installs.

After looking at your diagram, I would recommend taking the ethernet line from the T1200 port 1, and put it into WAN on the Dlink, not 1. If it's in port one on both you'll likely end up with a DHCP conflict. That may be exactly what's happening there unless you disabled DHCP on the Dlink and somehow configured it as a simple AP which usually isn't possible on most consumer models. (Not sure which model of Dlink you have.) Try that without either device being bridged as that was the physical configuration I was using.

[Chriss1]

@Nighthawk

Ok I will try that, I have disabled DHCP on the Dlink but it is a consumer model so perhaps that's another reason I'm having issues with it

[Chriss1]

@Nighthawk Ok the WAP definitely does not like being in a numbered port and the DLink router doesn't like the cable being in the WAN port. I had to switch them all back for me to be able to reconnect.  I have a 

Dlink DIR-822. Would you suggest that I need to get a higher rated consumer model or ? I am scratching my head.  As I said before I don't have a WiFi extender and am currently just waiting for telus to connect our fibre service into our suite. It is available other people in our building have it and my parents have it and I didn't have these issues. Maybe I should just wait?

[Nighthawk]

If the Dlink won't work with the ethernet connection to it's WAN, which is how it's designed to work, there is a problem with the Dlink or its configuration. You may want to completely factory reset the Dlink and try again. Mine is a smaller, simpler, older model and I just connected it straight out of the box to my Telus gateway (Dlink WAN to Telus Port 1) The only change I did to my Dlink was change the IP range from 192.168.1.x, to 192.168.10.x, in order to avoid any IP conflicts and it's worked fine since. You'd need to hardwire to your Dlink and change settings in it specifically.

The WAP not working on another port besides WAN is also unusual as well. You don't have a WIFI extender? What's the WAP being used for then?

Getting fibre won't fix the configuration issues on the local equipment. The one difference is that the WAN port on the Telus gateway will be used by the fibre terminal so that WAP is going to have to move.

[Chriss1]

Haha, Interesting. Ok, I am not sure since this equipment is about 3 years old and I moved in with someone and that is how it is configured. The WAP(Cisco Ven 501)  which I guess is the T1200 H is connected to the Actiontech VDSL modem/router?  When I look at the datasheet this is what I see : http://www.actiontec.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/t1200h_datasheet.pdf?_ga=2.218311196.402198785.1...

As I understand it we are not even on copper. In my DLink manual it said not to hook an additional router to the WAN port but to hook it to one of the other ports. I have tried it anyways

From what I was told they will switch out all of our equipment but perhaps I should take this Dlink back because it's not functioning as it should. I'm starting to wonder because I've tried every configuration I can think of.

I have reset the DLink to factory multiple times but I will try again.

Thanks

[Nighthawk]

On the Dlink docs where it says not to connect an additional router to the WAN port (which is correct), that would mainly be in the instance you add yet another router to the mix. The connections should always be a numbered port on the first device, connected to the WAN port of the next router. 

Example:

If you don't have fibre, you are most definitely on copper. There's no other way you'd get internet.

Odds are if you get fibre they'll swap out the T1200 for the T3200 and the VEN501 will go away since the T3200 has better wifi on board that replaces the VEN501.

[NFtoBC]

The VEN501 was included with the T1200H to provide connectivity for the wireless TV boxes, as the T1200H did not have the necessary radios. It should be connected to a LAN port on the T1200H.

Im also wondering if the D-Link should have an IP address other than 192.168.1.xxx if it is to be a separate subnet.

[Chriss1]

@NFtoBC I have the Ven501 connected LAN port to LAN port on the T1200H. it was suggested I should have it connected to one of the numbered  ports which I did try but lost all network connectivity . The D-Link came factory as 192.168.0.1, I changed it to 192.168.0.2 as suggested by D-Link but couldn't see it until I changed it to a 192.168.1.x IP address. The way it is now it is partly connected and "works" to a point but is still not fully functional. I am thinking I will call my friend who is a network security analyst.

[Nighthawk]

The reason you couldn't see the Dlink until you chose a conflicting IP address on it was because you had the ethernet cable plugged into one of the LAN ports on the Dlink instead of the WAN port. Again, networking basics. Having the cable into the LAN port on the Dlink is causing a DHCP conflict. If the Dlink won't work with the ethernet cable in its WAN port, and factory resets don't help, that's not normal. You need to test with a different router.

[victor_vvv23]

Well, got Telus 150 with Optik TV yesterday. Trying to use my own Linksys router without T3200M, but couldn't get TV to work properly without cutouts even with multicasting filter turned on. Bridging didn't help because I still had to hook my main Optik TV line to T3200 (hardwired through condo over single Cat7). Most people are using this bridging setup to solve Optik TV problems, but my issue is that this one and only CAT7 line from the T3200 (storage room) to my living room TV is also being split through a switch in the living room to provide ethernet network access to TV, receiver, Chromecast, Roku, Google Home. So now my living room ends up being on a seperate network from my other rooms (computers, and wifi devices through Linksys router). This does not work so well if you need to use programs like PLEX to stream stuff from say computer in den to living room. Among other reasons why I may need to just have one network for whole home.

[victor_vvv23]

So after 6 hours of tinkering I found another solution albiet not perfect. Still running T3200 to living room on one CAT7 line which is then split using D-Link 5 port switch. All devices in living room is being partitioned/assigned DHCP address by T3200. Turned wifi on T3200 off. Turn bridging off.

New Option:

On second Linksys router, make sure to assign IP address to 192.168.1.1 (vs T3200 is at 192.168.1.254). This ensures they are on the same network. Turn DHCP to OFF. If need to, also set gateway for this router to 192.168.1.254 so it knows that internet is coming from T3200. I didn't need to do this as my router figured it out automatically. Critical: connect any port 1-4 from T3200 to port 1-X on secondary router. Do not connect to WAN or internet port on secondary router.

So basically what I have done is turned my second router into a glorified switch with better wifi abilities than T3200.  Everything is on the same network now. The T3200 doing all the router work by assigning DHCP addresses to all devices.

It works. But I wish I could find a way to run my entire setup without the T3200. Or be able to isolate the T3200 to just providing service for Optik TV which I don't care what network it is on, and have everything else run off my Linksys router. I tried moving the T3200 to after the switch in my living room, right before TV but no luck. I have heard the new TP Link and Netgear routers with multicasting IPTV can achieve this. I could also setup a MOCA to push T3200 internet signal thriuth prewired coaxial into living room to isolate the Optik TV channel. But MOCA bandwidth is often challenged/slow.

[Chriss1]

@victor_vvv23Yes I also did a similar setup on my router to what you did. I did not connect to the WAN port as some had suggested but to the numbered LAN ports. Also turned of DHCP. Sounds like your router software is a bit more intelligent than mine. I should have bought a linksys, I always liked them better. The Dlink is just being stupid and the auto config wizard doesn't work but I have it configured properly. I can not use casting from my router so I have to do it from my Telus T1200H but pretty much everything else works and is on the same network since I assigned a 192.168.1.x to my router. At this moment i only have a Cat 4 connection coming into my Access point am waiting for fibre. 

[Chriss1]

who here knows the 7 layers of the OSI model? have been doing this for 25 years. I worked with DEC net, token ring and BNC. all this preaching about "networking 101" grumble

[Chriss1]

@Nighthawk In your diagram of the router linked to the router , it is not TWO routers, you are showing  A WAN, WIDE AREA NETWORK , so a router linking to an outside network, this is not correct for two routers linking together

[Nighthawk]

@Chriss1 - You're not the only person that has been working in networking and IT for a long time. The OSI model is easy too. If you've been doing this for so long, being able to accurately describe your configuration and intent up front should have been easy but you kept adding a couple more details each post you made instead of just laying out everything in the first post. A few of the details were even contradictory to others.

At no point prior to your recent post did you mention you disabled DCHP on the Dlink. The description you gave made it sound like you were trying to use it as a straight router, in which plugging into any LAN port on the Dlink would be wrong. If you're just using it as a glorified access point, there are far better solutions out there to use including hardware designed to be just an AP. On the same note, to use it as an access point, first you'll need to ensure the firmware supports it (DIR-822 does not show as officially supported), and you need to make sure it's configured properly. Manually for best results. Using an IP address in the range that the T1200 will hand out (.1.64 - .1.253) is not the recommended configuration for the Dlink. What @victor_vvv23 mentioned above is along the right lines of how to jury rig it. May not work for all routers. The other thing to note is that getting fibre won't change the need to have a proper access point if your network configuration remains the same.

Just to save on a wall of text here, read these:

• http://forums.dlink.com/index.php?topic=40856.0 <- instructions on how to set it up as an AP
• http://forums.dlink.com/index.php?topic=50738.0 <- bridge vs AP vs relay

--------------

@victor_vvv23 Linksys doesn't like Optik much. Some Linksys routers can handle multi-cast traffic (needed for Optik to run for more than the first few seconds) but they don't handle it well or for long. I burned out an expensive $200+ Linksys router that supported multi-cast previously. Only took about 6 months as the continuous load was too high for the Linksys. Since then I've only used the Actiontec to run the TV and had my own router, with all my personal devices connected to it, operating on it's own network separate from the Actiontec. Has worked very well.

MoCA actually shouldn't be a bottleneck at all. If it's MoCA 2.0 or 2.5, it'll potentially support speeds in excess of gigabit. Real world performance may be as low as 500mbps for 2.0 but that'll still offer plenty of speed.

[Kysato]

I am using a T3200M and had just been using my ubiquiti ERLITE-3 on the LAN4 port of the modem with no issues. I have my optic TV connected to LAN3. currently my ubiquiti WAN port is getting an IP via DHCP from the telus modem; so a 192.168.1.x address which is a different network than I am using internally, which is likely why it just works fine.

I want to switch this to use bridge mode, which I have enabled and moved the ubiquiti router WAN to LAN1(not 100% sure this is "port1"). I expected a new IP on the WAN port of the ubiquiti, but it still gets the same IP from the telus modem.

Should I be getting a Telus IP for my router? or is this working as expected? I was expecting to get a different external IP for that device so I can connect to it directly from the internet and basically bypass the telus modem. Do I need to request an additional IP address?

[dixpix]

Since moving to Telus, T3200m, last fall, I've been unable to screen share on my Mac, remotely.  (works fine, within my home). I have OPTIK TV, phone, and internet service.  I am thinking of buying an Orbi AC300 (RBK50) and using bridge mode, for my wireless.  If I do this, will I now be able to get remote access, to my home machines (iMac, etc)? 

[yyc2]

Is there a way to enable transparent bridging on the T3200M? Or a way to replicate it using the settings Telus has allowed us to change?

If not, is the only way to enable transparent bridging is to have a technician come in, log in with their technician account and enable it?

[Damir]

Hi Everyone, 

Need help here...

I have just moved to Telus from Shaw. They installed the Telus WiFI Hub and I already asked to replace it with the T3200W as the WifiHub does not support bridge mode. 

I have 3 Optik TV boxes each in different rooms - currently 2 are connected wirelessly and 1 is wired. I can hardwire all of them if needed. 

My ideal set-up is T3200W (Bridge LAN 1) goes to my Unifi Security Gateway Router, then Packedge (dumb) Switch and then to 2 Unifi AP-Pro access points. As far as I understand, I would need to wire the Optik TV boxes straight to the T3200W (ports 2,3,4), right? Or could it wire them to my switch instead? I have heard that people are having issues if they are wired to the switch...

Is there a better way of doing it?

[NFtoBC]

Bridge mode on the Wi-Fi hub can be found by choosing the arrow / triangle on the upper right of the admin screen. It is the fifth tab, if I recall, and ‘off the screen’.

[valiaig]

@NFtoBC  Does  the new WIFIHub supports modem-only mode? 

[NFtoBC]

No, closest is bridge mode.

[valiaig]

Okay then I am planning to install eero pro mesh system it tells me to turn off wifi and T3200 doesn’t let me saying Optic TV service enabled 😞 why Telus can’t make modem only 👀

[NFtoBC]

If Telus offered you a modem only, you likely could not have Optik TV, as it requires multicast IP packets, which most third party routers do not manage well.

[theblobinc]

soooo is it at all possible to cut out using the telus Actiontec t3200m modem and router combo in its entirety... and just directly connect the fiber optic cable and sfp fiber module directly to the sfp+ port of a managed switch or pci-e card?

I require basically zero features of their supplied modem, infact in my use case their modem probably bottlenecks my bandwidth.
since I already connect to a managed switch via the bridge 1 port and a cat-6 cable... it would be nice to eliminate the use of that lengthy cat 6 cable and just connect their fiber cable directly into my server equipment.

[WLam]

Hi, I planning to improve my WiFi as the signal is weak and many interference at the house.

Telus Plan: Internet 150

Modem/WiFi: T3200M

Services: DHCP, Blocking/Filtering, and LAN IP setting.

The T3200M is located on main level in living room.  My room is located in basement adjacent to it (about 1 meter away through a wall).  Tried all selectable channels but signal strength is between -60db to -55db (mostly near -60db).  Getting good speed by signal drops regularly.

Planning to switch WiFi, DHCP, Blocking/Filtering, and LAN IP settings to a WiFi router D-Link AX1800 (DIR-X1870).  According to this post, I believed it is possible doing the following steps.

1. Do a factory hard reset on T3200M.
2. Enable the Port1 Bridge on T3200M.
3. Disable the DHCP and WiFi on T3200M.
4. Connect Port 1 on T3200M to WAN port on D-Link.
5. Power up D-Link and setup DHCP, WiFi, Block/Filtering, and LAN IP settings.
6. Connect Telus Optik / DVR unit to Port 1 on D-Link.
7. Power up the Telus unit and check for TV signals and DVR recordings / playbacks.
8. Connect my son's laptop to Port 2 on D-Link to check on Internet connection.
9. Connect the printer to WiFi and check on connection and printing.
10. Connect my iPad to WiFi and check on Internet connection.
11. Connect my son's iPad to WiFi and check on Blocking/Filtering.

Am I doing this correctly or missing anything here?  Any advice is appreciated.  Thanks in advance.

Whitney

[Nighthawk]

I would recommend connecting the Optik TV box(es) to the T3200. Many third party routers don't handle multicast data properly. You could try it connected to the Dlink but if you run into problems you'll want to reconnect the PVR to the T3200.

You won't be able to disable DHCP on the T3200. Last time I was using a router connected to the T3200 I didn't even bother bridging port 1 and never had any issues. I just made sure the router had a different IP address range than the T3200 uses. It had separate DHCP and worked without issue. I didn't even disable wifi on the T3200.

I've also never had to factory reset my modem when connecting a third party router.

[WLam]

Thank you @Nighthawk .

Resetting was to clear my settings on T3200M; much easier than deleting them one by one.

Sorry, I didn't realized I cannot turn off the DHCP on T3200M.  Based on your information, I guess I cannot turn T3200M into a "basic Internet modem".  If this is the case, I see myself wasting money on WiFi router to try to achieve my current needs.

Can you explain how the Telus Boost works to me?  I know it is an additional unit / device that helps with WiFi signal and range (correct me if I am wrong).

My current objective is to increase signal strength to my room in the basement where it can receive stable connection.  The download / upload speed is good, but it fluctuate often from time to time.  I believed it might be due to signals (-60db) and nearby interferences.  We have less than 10 devices connecting to the WiFi, therefore, I don't think T3200M is over worked.  I work in the basement; Internet phone (Grasshopper) often detect bad Internet connection or produce "choppy" connection to my clients.

Any help is appreciated.  Thanks in advance.

[WLam]

@Nighthawk 

Just did some searching and reading, Telus Boost is a repeater right?

Googling, it seems router vs repeater cost relatively the same pending on WiFi signal strength and protocol (and yeah brand too).

If I am to use D-Link AX1800 (DIR-X1870) as an WiFi Access Point, do I need to setup it as the following?

1. Enable the Port1 Bridge on T3200M.
2. Connect Port 1 on T3200M to WAN port on D-Link.
3. Disable everything except WiFi on D-Link.
4. Disable WiFi on T3200M.
5. Setup and enable WiFi on D-Link.
6. Connect all LAN / Cable (CAT) to T3200M from Port 2 to Port 4.

Please kindly advise.  Thanks in advance.

[Nighthawk]

Telus Boost is a mesh access point. It connects to the T3200M and creates it's own wireless network. The additional units act like wireless repeaters. https://www.telus.com/en/internet/boostwifi

Using the D-Link AX1800 as an access point may not be the best. Most routers can't function as a plain access point so it would likely function as a full router. Again bridging Port 1 isn't entirely necessary.

One thing to look into is what is in the wall between the T3200 and the room with your computer. At that range wifi shouldn't be that unstable unless there is something interfering with the signal.

A powerline networking kit may also be a consideration if you can't run a cable to your PC. I've found for Zoom or VoIP calls that using a physical connection tends to be the best solution over wireless.

[WLam]

@Nighthawk 

Just completed quick testing on the wall issue as you suggested.

Correction to some info

• My house is a bi-level: living room is up stair, a small stairs in between where it leads to basement with short distances, and my room is at the end of the stairs.
• May be my room is more like 1.5 to 2 meters away from the T3200M.

I have tested moving the T3200M on to and off the living room floor (2 different positions), closer to the front door and stairs, and scan signal strength from bottom of the stair all the way up to front door (less than 1 meter).  It seems the signals fall below -50bd when it is further than 1 meter.  Again, whether the signals is at -60db or -50db, the speed is relatively good but it is the fluctuation that is my problem.  The result are the same if I am in the living room 2 meters away.  So I believed the wall is not an issue.

I don't see antenna(s) sticking out from T3200M, so I am assuming they are internal.  I am not sure it is MIMO or not.  I understand (I think) the basic fundamentals of Wireless Network where they are like walkie-talkie, the amount (and quality) of antennas can play a role in the continuous flow of (2-ways) communication.

According to the user manual, the D-Link AX1800 (DIR-X1870) has an operation mode and can operate at Extender Mode.  Based on the diagram they provided, it seems it can act as an AP without any issue.  According to specs, its range and capability is far more advanced than T3200M's older technology (WiFi 6 vs 5 for instance).

Now it comes down to my final 2 questions, please kindly help me out as they more in depth / than I understand.

1. Port 1 Bridging: It use an internal "copper" bridge to provide better connection from T3200M to external (3rd party) device such as a router?  (I think that's what this post is suggesting.)
2. To maintain a single network (192.168.1.xxx - since T3200M default), I can accomplish this by making sure the DHCP on the D-Link is disabled and all network control / protocol is obtained from T3200M right?

Thank you very much for your time and your efforts to help me out on this matter.

[Lotusland]

@Nighthawk or anyone else who can assist with this setup:

Hi, I have a  Linksys EA9500 Max-Stream™ AC5400 MU-MIMO Gigabit WiFi Router which I would like to use instead of the Telus Actiontec T3200M Gateway in my home.  All my Telus Optik boxes are connected via moca ethernet over coax adapters.

Would the following setup work:

Nokia ONT -> T3200M (Bridge Mode) -> Port 1 -> ethernet cable > to the WAN Port of the > Linksys Router -> then LAN port 1 or any LAN port out of my router to > ethernet cable > moca adapter that feeds the signal to the other moca adapters in the home via coax.  

I believe my Linksys router has the multicast filtering option/support.

Would my Telus Optik boxes work correctly in this setup?

Would this setup make my Linksys router fail at some point?

I like using the moca ethernet over coax adapters, so I want to continue using them.

Please advise.

Thank you!

[WLam]

This is to share my experiences based on this post.  I am not an expert, but I hope the information helps.

The Port 1 Bridging seems to allow a second router to be added which is directly attached / linked to the WAN.  The T3200M maintain its own LAN while the second router maintain its own as well.  If you are running the second router as a wireless Access Point, you will need to turn off / disable the Port 1 Bridging in order to work.

The D-Link (mention in previous post) was either weaker or DOA (defective on arrival).  Its signal was even weaker than the 3 years old T3200M.  The WiFi speed was faster than T3200M, but signal is almost 5 to 10 db in differences (less).  So I returned it.

Got myself the Netgear Nighthawk AX5 WiFi 6 router.  It is up and running for nearly a month now.  The signals are much stronger than T3200M; I am getting around -50db in my room where I was having trouble.  The speed is excellent even compared to the D-Link that I returned.  The downside is that it has no Parents Control features and its Access Control feature is limited while the Service Blocking features are buggy!  Oh and yes, don't use their QoS features as well.  It does not work and slow down the network instead!  I am little disappointed with Netgear; the hardware is functioning flawlessly, but their software are NOT!  I just pray they will improve and update the firmware soon.

My current setup is as the following.  Hope this help.

T3200M with Port 1 Bridging enabled.

• Netgear AX5 is attached from its WAN port to T3200M port 1.
• Telus DVR unit is attached to T3200M port 4.
• T3200M has 2 empty ports remaining.

Netgear AX5 running as a second router with its own LAN.

• All devices are connected to it through either wireless (separated 5G and 2.4G) or LAN port.
• I noticed it can obtain and manage IPv6 on its own as well.

If Netgear cannot resolve the Access Control and Service Blocking issues, I might have to consider disabling the T3200M Port 1 Bridging and use the Netgear AX5 with its wireless AP enabled.  Hope I can avoid it as I believed the routing being done by the Netgear would be lot faster.  I noticed the T3200M would be slower if you have Parents Control, Network Filtering, and Access Control enabled.