NH20T Network Access Hub - Bridge Mode

[inAjet]

I'm running an eero mesh network connected directly to the NH20T network access hub. Spent some time today with a Telus tech discussing bridge mode. My understanding has always been that if you're running a router on your network, the modem should be bridged. This tech was telling me the NAH should not be bridged, as it will cause multiple IP addresses "on their end" and will cause issues.

Honestly, I have no idea what that really means as far as its implications. Is anyone else running the NH20T with their own router? Have you bridged it or are you running it in router mode with no issues? I find this device to be a bit strange: it's a modem but it's not a modem, and it's a router but it's not a router - it's a network access hub... whatever that means. 

Would appreciate any advice...

[Pattydee3]

You’ll definitely want to be bridged if you’re using an Eero system, otherwise you run into an issue called double NAT. Basically what that means is that your IP in translated twice: once from your device to the Eero WAN interface, and again from there to the NAH WAN interface which is your public IP. By bridging your NAH you’re essentially moving your public IP from the NAH to the Eero. 

Always bridge when using a 3rd party router. Otherwise, I think Eero has an “access point” mode that works with non bridged modems, you just lose some of the features or the Eero. 

[inAjet]

Thanks very much for the informative response! This is more or less what I thought - although far more eloquently explained than my meagre comprehension of networking.

Any thoughts on the Telus tech's assertion that the NAH should not be bridged? Could it be that the multiple IPs they were seeing on their end was because the NAH was in fact not bridged in the first place, and not because I did have it bridged?

[Pattydee3]

Custom setups like bridging a modem and adding a 3rd party router can make troubleshooting for techs much more difficult. This is my guess anyways, as I can't think of any reason why bridging a modem would cause an issue on their end.

At first I thought the multiple IP's was incorrect, but after thinking on it that actually makes sense. If you bridge only LAN 1 and your Eero picks up the first public IP, the other ports (IE LAN 2) would grab a second public IP if you plugged something into it. Years ago TELUS would give up to two public IP's per account, not sure if that's changed. 

[xray]

Double NAT is only an issue if you are a gamer as it creates a delay. I've been running my own router inside the TELUS router unbridged for over a decade without any problem. I work from home so I'm on it all day connected to the office.

[inAjet]

Thanks very much for all the info! I went ahead and bridged the NAH. I think what may have been causing the extra IP on Telus’ end was an extra device I had plugged directly into the NAH, as @Pattydee3 suggested. I’ve now connected it wirelessly to the eero, which should hopefully prevent this issue.

This brings up another issue. Any time I enable bridge mode, once the NAH restarts, the status LED is gone. Under system settings, the slider is off and greyed out, and attempting to change it gives me an “invalid instance” error message. I’ve gone through a few factory resets, which re-enables the LED - but as soon as I bridge the NAH the light goes out again. Is this possibly intentional to draw a tech’s attention to the fact the NAH settings have been messed with? Anyone else notice this? This might be worth it’s own topic…