Bridging customer owned routers to Telus router/equipment

[kamak]

With reference to this old thread from the Telus com forum: 

https://forum.telus.com/t5/Home/Bridge-Mode-Using-Your-Own-Router/ta-p/52181#:~:text=What%20Is%20Bri....

When turning on bridge mode on the T3200M, do you really have to turn off Wi-Fi and NOT use the LAN ports 2,3,4 on the T3200M? Why can't the Wi-Fi and the remaining LAN ports from the T3200M be shared with the Wi-Fi and LAN ports from the customer supplied router, all on one local network? Is that not possible or not how bridging works? Would there be IP conflicts and/or non communitive LAN IP addressing between the two routers? Are they not sharing the same gateway address and WAN? Can't the two routers use the same LAN gateway address (ie 192.168.1.254), same subnet mask and LAN IP pool? Can not we use two LAN I/O from the Nokia G-G240-A ONT, one to the T3200M and one to another router, both bridged together, distributing the Wi-Fi and LAN ports throughout the home? Can not two routers be connected to the ONT, share the same gateway address, LAN IP pool and have the same cloned MAC address?

[Nighthawk]

What is your ultimate end goal with all of this? Better wifi reception? Trying to run a server of some kind? It would help to know so that a more applicable answer could be provided.

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The only way for the existing T3200 WLAN and LAN ports to be shared with a customer device, "all on one network" as you mentioned, is if that device is simply a wireless access point and NOT a router. The recently released Telus Wifi6 boost unit does just that. You'll still end up with a second SSID but it will directly let your devices (PC, phone, tablet, etc) to connect to the T3200 LAN and DHCP. No IP conflicts as the Boost will just grab an IP from the T3200 automatically, as will any device connected to it.

I've honestly never bridged my T3200M when I had my own router connected previously. I didn't disable the wifi on the T3200 either. All I had to do was make sure my router's IP range/subnet was different than the 192.168.1.x range the T3200 defaults to. If they share the same IP pool there will be endless conflicts. They were completely separate networks but since the T3200M wasn't bridged I could still access devices on that network by directly using the IP of the device.  EDIT: If you clones the MAC address of the T3200, that would also just cause you more headaches. The two devices can NOT share the same gateway address, IP address, MAC address, or anything else.

When bridged the T3200 and the customer device are supposed to have different a gateway address. I've never bridged mine so I can't say for certain what the result will be.

The Nokia ONT only has a SINGLE WAN port that is active. As a result, If you really want two completely separate networks, install a gigabit switch between the ONT and the T3200. Then connect your own router to another port on that gigabit switch and it should pull a completely separate WAN IP address than the T3200. Depending on how your house is wired and where the devices are that you want to connect to each network, this may not be a feasible option.

Also if the two devices are on separate networks, there is no such thing as bridging them together. You may be misunderstanding what bridging port 1 does on the T3200. Most third party routers aren't even capable of "bridging" or even acting merely as a wireless access point.

[kamak]

Thanks for the in-depth reply. But there are no WLAN "labeled" ports on the Nokia ONT, there are only "DATA1/2/3/4" I/O ports (I guess those are WLAN?), one of which feeds the T3200M's WLAN port. Can't we use more than one of these I/O from the ONT?

As for what I'm trying to ultimately do:

New Option #2: Two separate home LAN/Wi-Fi networks sharing the same WAN. Two Completely separated LANs

I'm trying to feed my TP-Link Archer AX11000 router a 2.5Gps ethernet connection straight from the G-240G-A ONT. then get a second TP-Link Archer AX11000 router on the opposite end of my property and feed it a 2.5Gps ethernet connection from the ONT. . The AX11000's only have one 2.5Gps WLAN, and 8x 1Gps LAN ports. I was told the Nokia G 240G A is capable of 2.5Gps or greater per port. from Telus tech support. So two MAC cloned AX11000 with two separated LAN/WiFi, with the same gateway address, sharing the same ISP WAN.

  

[Nighthawk]

WAN is the connection from the T3200 out to the ONT. WLAN is Wireless Local Area Network, a.k.a. Wi-Fi. That comes from the T3200M. All the ONT does is convert fiber to copper and it only has gigabit ethernet ports on it so running anything faster to it (2.5G, 10G) would be a waste. Only ONE connection on the ONT is active. There is no way to get others active. You would need a switch. (Nokia G-240G-A spec sheet) The Nokia ONT is capable of a line rate of 2.5gbps coming into it, but the ethernet ports on it are only gigabit. Anyone with a fibre connection faster than 1Gbps would usually have a different ONT. 

Keep in mind any device connected to the ONT directly through a switch, is a separate physical network. Home connections only allow for 2 WAN IP addresses so choose which two devices you want to work on that switch. 

Again, do NOT clone any MAC addresses. It will cause endless problems for you. No matter what you do they cannot share the same network, gateway or WAN if you try connect them to the ONT through a switch. If you are set on using the pair of AX11000s, only ONE should be connected to the ONT. The second should be connected to the first. While the AX11000 doesn't have the specific ability to act as a wireless access point or extender, it may be possible to connect the two and share the same network and possibly the same wireless SSIDs. You would have to consult with TP Link on how to do that.

[kamak]

"WAN is the connection from the T3200 out to the ONT. WLAN is Wireless Local Area Network, a.k.a. Wi-Fi." Understood.

"All the ONT does is convert fiber to copper and it only has gigabit ethernet ports on it so running anything faster to it (2.5G, 10G) would be a waste. Only ONE connection on the ONT is active."

So that's for sure, only one 1G eth port is active? And they are all 1G. Forget what the Telus Tech said. Got it.

So what I really need is, to be future proofed for 2.5G service, is a fiber connection straight to an ONT that has a 10G eth I/O, connect that to a 10G multi port switch, it could be as small as a 5 port I/O 10G switch. Then have two separate routed networks with WLAN Wi-Fi 6 and 2.5G LAN connections.

"Home connections only allow for 2 WAN IP addresses"

So you're saying Telus gives each customer "TWO" WAN IPs? for a single domestic service account? OR do you have to pay extra for this double WAN IP config?

[NFtoBC]

“So you're saying Telus gives each customer "TWO" WAN IPs? for a single domestic service account?”

Yes.

[kamak]

Your idea of using a Ethernet switch between the two routers seems the only correct way. Get a 10Gps eth multi port switch

https://www.netgear.com/ca-en/business/wired/switches/unmanaged/xs505m/

[kamak]

OR, Back to Option #1 of sorts:

One complete LAN/Wi-Fi network sharing the same ISP WAN on 1.5G service and future proofed for 2.5G service. Using two 2.5Gps WLAN fed routers. Now that I presently own one AX11000 router, which only has one 2.5Gps WLAN port and 8x 1Gps LAN ports and is Wi-Fi 6. Get the new Telus Arcadyan NH20A hub. Are any of the I/O on the NH20A 2.5G?

[Nighthawk]

Last I heard Telus doesn't use the NH20A on connections of 1Gbps or less. If by some miracle they allowed you to have it, that device would have everything connectd to the NH20A sharing a physical network. Some posts indicate that device currently can't bridge a port. Anything connected to your router would still be a separate network unless it has the ability to act as a wifi access point or an extender. I didn't see anything in the settings for the AX11000 that specifically spelled out that ability. You're over-complicating your network setup.

[kamak]

"I didn't see anything in the settings for the AX11000 that specifically spelled out that ability."

Yeah it does, I have the AX11000 in AP mode right now.

But yes I would be getting the 1.5G service along with the NH20A to start out. then down the road go to 2.5G service if need be. I am just looking for a cheap streamline way to get two devices, one router/LAN/Wi-Fi and an AP-LAN/Wi-Fi on the other end all connected via 2.5G, or if need be, two separate routers with unique WAN gateway address. But doesn't the latter require two paid sperate accounts/service?

Seems like the only real way is the expensive 10G multi port switch method? That creates a single public WAN gateway address with two separate LANs behind it, with 2.5G up to 10G connections each?

[kamak · Accepted solution]

But does the NH20A have 2.5G LAN I/O? I don't think it does. In a modem AP config you connect the modem LAN to the AP's WAN? But I was always under the impression that you connected a gateway device to a AP via LAN to LAN. due to the fact that a gateway like the T3200M is a modem and a router, so router to router via LAN-LAN. That's the way I have my AX11000 connected to the T3200 at this moment, in AP mode and all seems well. I always had my WRT32X connected in AP mode to the T3200M, that way also.

[kamak]

Yes it does have a 10Gbe WAN I/O.

And you can connect a router to router via LAN-to-LAN or LAN-to-WAN. Your choice.

[kamak]

"EDIT: If you clones the MAC address of the T3200, that would also just cause you more headaches. The two devices can NOT share the same gateway address, IP address, MAC address, or anything else."

My initial thought was that if the two routers shared the same EDIT:LAN IP address, had the same MAC address, and all the LAN IPs from the two MAC identical routers, behind the gateway, were unique, then THEY would be seen as one device, fetch a single WAN IP address, as just one device with a single public address. Like the way a switch would be seen, with two routers behind it, attached.

[kamak]

This seems to be the lightest 2.5Gbe ethernet switch I've found thus far.

https://store.ui.com/collections/unifi-network-switching/products/switch-enterprise-8-poe