Using PPPoE and DMZ / Advanced DMZ for 'Bridge Mode' use of 3rd Party router on the HH4000 & Giga Hub

[navderek]

It would be great if Bell could confirm if they are going to update the FW on the HH4000 to enable a true bridge mode setup...also to stop the Wifi from automatically re-enabling itself anytime the HH4000 reboots itself. These are two MAJOR issues right now with the HH4000 and posted about on many forums (not just here).

It would be great if someone from Bell could chime in and let the community know if it is actually going to address these issues or not? If not, please explain why and please do not point to advanced DMZ as a solution because that doesn't actually work very well and severely impacts the performance on the Google Mesh (or any other pre-existing mesh setup). This is also discussed on many forums both on this one and externally by your customers.

We do realize the HH4000 is relatively new so there can be some improvements. We, as a community, just want to know if Bell plans to make those improvements or not.

Thanks,

-Derek

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❗AI Summary: 

When attempting to use a third-party router, customers frequently encounter networking challenges due to the absence of a true 'bridge mode'. This limitation has led to a variety of solutions involving PPPoE and the Advanced DMZ feature to avoid issues like double NAT; where two devices on the network are performing Network Address Translation (NAT). Double NAT can lead to problems with online gaming, port forwarding, and other applications that require a direct connection to the internet.

Some complications you may experience:

• Wi-Fi auto re-enabling: Even when disabled, the Bell Home Hub's Wi-Fi can turn back on after a reboot.
• Advanced DMZ limitations: Advanced DMZ can be unreliable, especially with third party mesh systems. PPPoE is preferred by users in this scenario.
• IP lease and connectivity drops: Devices lose connection when the public IP changes, requiring manual reconfiguration.
• Performance degradation: Speeds, especially download speeds can drop over time. A reboot or modem reset will be needed to restore.
• No static IPs: IP changes cause disruptions. Using DDNS can be considered.

In response, Bell Community users have detailed two primary methods to approximate a bridge mode: PPPoE passthrough and the use of the Advanced DMZ feature.

User-Shared Solutions:

PPPoE Passthrough: Often described as more stable and straightforward; it involves configuring the third-party router to establish the PPPoE connection directly with Bell. This effectively bypasses the Bell Home Hub 4000, Giga Hub and Giga Hub 2.0's routing functions, providing the third-party router with its own public IP address. To do this, users typically need to obtain their "b1" username and password from Bell. While stable, a significant drawback of this method is a potential reduction in internet speeds, particularly on plans faster than 500 Mbps, as many consumer routers struggle with the overhead of PPPoE.

Advanced DMZ: This method involves placing the third-party router in the modem's "Advanced Demilitarized Zone." This exposes the third-party router directly to the internet, which can result in higher performance. However, this solution is often reported to be less stable. For instance, rebooting your router might necessitate a subsequent reboot of your Giga Hub/Giga Hub 2.0 to restore the internet connection. Some have also reported experiencing lag spikes with this configuration. When using Advanced DMZ, it is advised to leave the login information on the third-party router blank, as entering PPPoE credentials can cause the connection to fail.

Configuration Tips from the Bell Community:

• When setting up either method, it's recommended to disable the Wi-Fi on the Bell Giga Hub/Giga Hub 2.0 to prevent interference.
• For PPPoE passthrough, connecting the WAN port of the third-party router to any LAN port on the Bell hub and configuring the router with your b1 credentials is the general procedure.
• For Advanced DMZ, users need to enable the feature in the Giga Hub/Giga Hub 2.0's settings and assign their third-party router to it. It's also highly recommended to not plug other devices directly into the Bell hub for security reasons when using Advanced DMZ.

Ultimately, the choice between PPPoE passthrough and Advanced DMZ depends on the user's priorities. If stability and ease of setup are paramount, PPPoE passthrough is often the recommended choice. For those who prioritize performance and are willing to troubleshoot potential instabilities, Advanced DMZ may be the preferred option.

[Vanadiel]

I have used both PPPOE and Double NAT. I see no issue with latency either way and there's no change in buffer bloat either.

Only issue with Ubiquiti the SFP+ link can only link at 1 or 10 Gbps, so pending your options you might not receive the full link as for example the 1.5/1 plan requires a sync at 2.5/2.5 to provide the 1.5/1 speeds.

[Technut]

I'm using a Gigahub with firmware 2.13.  I have an ASUS router connected to one Gigahub ethernet port, our Fibe TV box connected to another port, and a VOIP ATA connected to the 3rd Gigahub port. Behind the ASUS router is an internal LAN with a lot of devices.

I had been using an OpenVPN server on the ASUS router for almost a year by simply forwarding the UDP port 1194 through the Gigahub to the ASUS router.  This allowed me access to my internal LAN when travelling so I could view cameras, check status of IOT devices, etc. Recently this just stopped working; I have no idea why.  I've re-installed the VPN client software, generated new certificates, etc etc, but still cannot connect. Now I'm looking at the Gigahub. I don't believe that Bell is doing anything to block UDP 1194, but thought maybe I could try the Advanced DMZ setting to the ASUS.. My concern is that by doing this, I will lose the TV and VOIP phone connected to the other Gigahub ports. 

So, before I start to "monkey" with the Gigahub settings, I would ask if anyone has any knowledge of this feature, and if using it will cause trouble with devices on the other Gigahub ports.

Thanks.

[RedGreenTape]

I’m using pppoe on home hub 4000 to connect my tp link er605 router to manage my network. It works perfectly anywhere from 1-4 days until it just disconnects and I check the tp link logs and I see a “pppoe failed to connect to the server becuase sending PADI times out. I believe this is a bell error because the only way to fix it is to reboot the bell modem. 

Some errors I’ve seen in the bell modem logs are, Optical state is IN T_01 and TR-069 connectivity to remote server has been closed. The timestamps on these errors are exactly when it went out, the errors before that date back to 2012 which I’m assuming is from when the modem is in a state where it doesn’t know the time. Those 2 error codes are from 2 different times it went out both being the first error. There are more errors after but they are more common ones like phone is now offline which you’d expect after it went out. Thanks in advance.

[Vanadiel]

Don't know how you have it set up, this might be of help to you.

[DoubleP]

Hello folks,

I have seen a few posts about this, but I cannot find a recent update on this type of configuration.  I have a few services at home (phone, IP TV and Internet) provided via my home hub 4000, preventing me from seting it up as a bridge. I have a Unifi Mesh network, managed by a Unifi Dream Router 7.  

I have tried to setup the Advanced DMZ on my Bell Modem, selecting my Unifi Dream router's from the list of available devices, but it does not seem to be doing anything different, I am still double-NAT'ed...  when I look at the WAN IP of my unifi router, its a local address provided by the HH 4000 DHCP service, not the modem's WAN IP.

Any advices ?

[Vanadiel]

I think there are some issues with ADMZ, going by some other user reports.

If the Dream Router supports PPPOE, try using that to get an external IP. People have reported lag spikes when using PPPOE, but it's worth a try to see for yourself.

[DoubleP]

it does work, with PPPoE, but like I said, I also have other services, like IPTV and Phone, I cannot leave my modem in bridge mode (modem goes in bridge mode when you use your PPPoE credential on your router)

[Vanadiel]

There is no true bridge mode on any of the home hubs. When you use PPPOE on your Dream router, you can connect your phone and IPTV to the home hub and they will work as normal.

They will keep working outside of ADMZ, while your Dream router will work within ADMZ.

If you use PPPOE on your dream router, you will simply be initiating a second PPPOE connection just for your Dream router, while the home hub will use it's existing PPPOE connection for it's own devices and WiFi channel(s).

But as I mentioned, some users have reported issues with using a second PPPOE connection.

[DoubleP]

interesting... I was under the impression it disabled the other services... Do I need to clone the modem's MAC address for this second PPPoE connecition to work?

[Vanadiel]

No, just need your B1 username and password, and a router than is able to perform PPPOE at the speeds required for the connection. 3/3 will be hard to do for most consumer devices.

[DoubleP]

Ok, so... just to confirm:

1-I set the ADMZ on my Bell router, exposing my Unifi Router to the Internet

2-I configure my router to use PPPoE, using my B1 username & pwd

sounds about right?

[Vanadiel]

Exactly like that.

[DoubleP]

hmmm... for some reason, I cannot connect PPPoE... I had writen down the password the tech gave me when I first setup the modem, but I wonder if this is a one-time setup password that needs to be reset? 

If I do reset it via the bell web site, so I could use the PPPoE credentials on the Unifi router, do I need to also update the credentials into the Bell modem as well? 

[jselo__]

Is there any plans in the future for the Bell Gigahub to be allow a true bridge mode? I just switched from Rogers and it would be an extremely helpful feature to have. 

[Retiredandbored]

Yes. The b1 and password on your poor connection on your router and the gigahub are the same, so you set the same on both. 

Bruce