topic Re: Bridge Mode in My Router

Bridge Mode

N7ck — Tue, 28 Mar 2023 20:47:28 GMT

"Bridge mode is a networking feature that enables two routers to coexist without any issues. Once bridge mode is enabled on the router, the extended router essentially creates a mesh network."

"When should I use bridge mode? It is most effective when you're moving farther away from your router and need extended WiFi coverage. Also, it helps devices connected to the private network communicate with each other without any performance issues."

I tried your "Bridge Mode" today, expecting to do what "Bridging" is supposed to do, but it just turned it into a modem, which is utterly pointless. This should be called "Modem Mode" because bridging is supposed to be used to extend a network, but with your "Bridge Mode" it disables the wireless!

I've seen several posts of people trying to use this setting expecting it to do what it's supposed to do, only to discover that they, like me if they wish to use the router again are being forced to reset it!

Please give your router engineers a slap and either give us an actual "Bridge Mode" or rename this utterly misleading feature on your router.

Also, why is there no "Access Point" option on this router? I've always hated your routers and after today's experience, this is going in the bin... unless you would like it back?

Re: Bridge Mode

jab1 — Tue, 28 Mar 2023 21:03:06 GMT

@N7ck I'm no expert with modems/routers, but 'bridge mode' merely turns the Hub2 into a modem, allowing you to use your own - presumably higher spec'd router. Where did you find this 'information'?

AIUI, because I don't use PN equipment (no longer being a PN customer), there is no need to reset the Hub2 if you wish to switch 'bridge mode' on/off - the function is an electronic switch.

If you want an all-singing/all dancing piece of kit, you are going to have to spend some quite serious money.

Re: Bridge Mode

N7ck — Tue, 28 Mar 2023 21:16:17 GMT

Yeah, I'm wrong aren't I 🙄
I just read an article and it dawned on me why it didn't work. There should be a warning on this setting for people with FTTP, because the ONT is the modem!

I had play with my network today and was rather gutted to discover you put a switch in between the ONT and the router which I am using, which is the TP AX5400.
But then I thought, I could use the plusnet router kind of like a switch... and enabled bridging mode and... Nope!
Thing is, fttp goes to my computer room, but I was the AX5800 in the lounge fire VR, but I don't trust plusnet routers 🙄

May as well delete this thread... or keep it up to show how much of a bellend I can be 😉

But seriously, there needs to be some sort of warning not to use this option if your intention is to use it with fttp! Coz it ain't gonna work!

Re: Bridge Mode

jab1 — Tue, 28 Mar 2023 21:23:54 GMT

Who is 'you'? And what 'switch' have PN put between the ONT and the router you are using? You only need the one ROUTER, anything else after that is merely an access point/booster, which the Hub2 is not designed as.

Re: Bridge Mode

Dan_the_Van — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 07:23:09 GMT

This is how you connect a Hub two to the ONT.

You can replace the Hub Two with your choice of router, in your case you mentioned TP-Link devices.

There is no need for a switch between the ONT, your router as connected directly to the ONT using the WAN port.

Any wired mesh system is connected to the router making the PPPoE connection using one of it's LAN ports.

HTH

Re: Bridge Mode

N7ck — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 11:14:14 GMT

It's called a typo mate!
You "can't", it won't let me edit my message!

And yes, thanks for the super helpful guide, I've only had fttp for over a month, for which I have not been using this crappy plusnet router!

Re: Bridge Mode

dvorak — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 11:18:44 GMT

Moderators Note

This topic has been moved from Full Fibre to My Router

Re: Bridge Mode

N7ck — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 11:23:43 GMT

Why move it when I asked you to delete it, what's the point?

Re: Bridge Mode

Dan_the_Van — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 11:30:23 GMT

Why are you so grumpy ?

We're trying to be helpful

Re: Bridge Mode

N7ck — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 11:38:17 GMT

I'm old, it's old person thing... we're generally grumpy 🙄

Plus people using your router for fttp, NEED to know NOT to use Bridge Mode!

How much hassle would you save yourselves and especially your customers time if you did something about this?

Re: Bridge Mode

jab1 — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 11:40:49 GMT

None of those replying to this topic are PN staff - only customers.

Re: Bridge Mode

Dan_the_Van — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 12:00:15 GMT

Not that I'm trying to be argumentative, where does it say in the Hub Two helpful guide to put the Hub into bridge mode?.

If you are the slightest bit technical connecting the ONT to a WAN port of a router would to me suggest the ONT is a modem, connecting a router to a router would introduce double-NAT and why would any ISP want that?

If you don't won't any further comments on this thread mark it as fixed.

It is not compulsory to be grumpy just because you are old, being old myself I am generally not until I come across grumpy people.

Re: Bridge Mode

bobpullen — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 14:09:35 GMT

Probably also worth highlighting the warning you have to accept when enabling the Hub Two's bridge mode: -

Re: Bridge Mode

RRM — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 07:59:43 GMT

Hi,

Anyone know how you get to the router once you enable bridge mode?

I enabled it to put it in to my TP-Link ER605 and create a load balanced connection with my 4G router. It works, but now I can't get back to PN router.

Any help appreciated.

Re: Bridge Mode

James30 — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 08:08:42 GMT

@RRM - I'm not too savvy with a specific "Bridge Mode" option however I've have issues many times with changing the subnet to match Netgears (192.168.1.254/192.168.0.1) , also DHCP assigning conflicting default gateways/Ip's out so I suspect you have an issue with that. I'd remove the 2nd router and try to access the Plusnet router on 192.168.1.254 making sure the device is set to use DHCP not manually assigned IP addresses. Hope that helps you in anyway.

Re: Bridge Mode

Dan_the_Van — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 08:14:30 GMT

@RRM

What is the current IP address range of your local network?

I can advise the steps required based on the above

Dan.

Re: Bridge Mode

RRM — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 08:25:02 GMT

Hi James & Dan.

thanks for the response.

DHCP, DNS etc are all turned off on the PN router. Everything is on the TP-Link ER605.

So basically, I have PN router in Bridge mode (no services), 4G / 5G router both connected to WAN ports on the ER-605. The ER605 does the authentication for the PN connection (PPoE) and establishes the connection, obtains IP address etc. The 4G router, is connected via NAT (192.168.2.1/24). The TP-Link ER-605 then connects to my network switch, all wired and wireless devices via numerous access points around the house.

So all devices are on the internal 192.168.1.1/24 subnet.

All works well, but I just cannot get back to the PN router interface. - tried the external IP address the TP-Link ER-605 shows that it gets from PN, but that just takes me to the TP-Link ER-605 logon page.

Re: Bridge Mode

MisterW — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 08:27:07 GMT

@RRM

Anyone know how you get to the router once you enable bridge mode?

It will still respond on its ip address ( default 192.168.1.254 ) to a connection on one of its LAN ports. However its DHCP server is disabled, so any connection must have a static IP in the same subnet ( 192.168.1.x ). In effect this normally means you have to connect a device physically to a LAN port and set it with a static IP and you will not normally be able to access it from your local network connected to the router.

Some routers have the ability to add a secondary address ( WAN IP alias ) to their WAN configuration which MAY make it possible to access the modem from the network. I have an ER605 used on my FTTP connection and it does seem to have a 'secondary connection' option on its WAN configuration page but I cant find any details of its purpose.

If you want to experiment, you must first ensure that the LAN subnet of the ER605 is different to the Hub2's default of 192.168.1.x , either by changing the ER605 or the Hub 2. Then try configuring a secondary connection on the ER605 primary WAN, with a static IP in the Hub 2 subnet and mask of 255.255.255.0. Then try accessing the HUb 2, using its IP address, from the local ER605 LAN network.

Re: Bridge Mode

pjmarsh — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 08:29:48 GMT

Your Hub2 will still be accessible on 192.168.1.254 (unless you've changed it on the Hub2), though your ER605 might not allow you to get to that address on the WAN port. I had something like this on a set up a number of years ago (though not a Hub2 in bridge). I think I had 2 ways around it. First was to plug a device into one of the LAN ports on the bridged device and manually assign it an IP address in the same subnet. The second was to change the IP address of the bridged device to one that the router would route to on the WAN.

Edit: @MisterW types faster than me, and looks to have explained the same much better! 😀

Re: Bridge Mode

RRM — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 08:32:31 GMT

Thanks everyone,

When I remove the 4G connection and go back to the PN router only, I will try the suggestions mentioned. I didn't want to reset the hub and lose all my previous settings (mainly DHCP reservations) which I did not back up!