Router in bridge mode with Plusnet?

[#1]

Hi all, recommendations for a router to act just in modem/bridge mode for Google wifi (which the hub one won't do or course)? I've had issues with double nat in the past so I don't want to use the hub one with the WiFi turned off.

Modems I've seen recommended in the past (dm200 for example) have slow transfer speeds don't they so surely can't be a great option?

Any thoughts?

[#2]

Why not turn off the Plusnet Hub WiFi and use the Google unit in Access Point mode. That way there is no double NAT problem.

[#3]

@Baldrick1  According to this page, it seems google wifi only works in access point mode (Google call it bridge mode) if there is just one unit being used.  Access point mode is not available when using mesh wifi.

https://support.google.com/wifi/answer/6240987?hl=en-GB

@nhlchenr1  List of VDSL modems perhaps worth considering:

Netgear DM200 (lantiq) - £35

TPlink TD-W9970 (broadcom) offers bridge mode (£30)

Used Openreach modem such as HG612 type 3B (broadcom), or ECI (lantiq) but these will be many years old/end of life.

BT Business Hub 5 (lantiq) and I think the BT Business Smart Hub (broadcom) FTTC model offer 'bridge' mode - £15 off ebay for a new one?

[#4]

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@bill888 wrote:

@Baldrick1  According to this page, it seems google wifi only works in access point mode (Google call it bridge mode) if there is just one unit being used.  Access point mode is not available when using mesh wifi.

https://support.google.com/wifi/answer/6240987?hl=en-GB

@nhlchenr1  List of VDSL modems perhaps worth considering:

Netgear DM200 (lantiq) - £35

TPlink TD-W9970 (broadcom) offers bridge mode (£30)

Used Openreach modem such as HG612 type 3B (broadcom), or ECI (lantiq) but these will be many years old/end of life.

BT Business Hub 5 (lantiq) and I think the BT Business Smart Hub (broadcom) FTTC model offer 'bridge' mode - £15 off ebay for a new one?

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Thanks. Tplink w9970 doesn't work as tried that today. All plusnet settings entered correctly and confirmed by plusnet tech support but wan settings don't work and no Internet possible. They can't help any further and tplink tech support also can't help.

Time to try the dm200 next. 

[#5]

fwiw, referring to the emulator for TD-W9970 for bridge setup.

https://www.tp-link.com/uk/support/emulator/

Once in bridge mode, configure your Google wifi to use PPPoE.  (Remember to enter full plusnet username. eg. username@plusdsl.net)

Have you also  tried configuring the TD-W9970 as a regular router to see what happens? 

Does it pick up line sync?

[#6]

Tried W9970 in full router mode to just see what it was like and it doesn't work so never actually got round to then trying it in bridge mode. I suppose I should as it's not like I need the W9970 to actually do anything apart from deal with the dsl connection which it is doing in fairness. That's right isn't it? It's the Google wifi that actually needs to deal with the wan etc... Or am I getting networking all wrong?!

[#7]

@nhlchenr1  that's right, in bridge mode the 9970 needs no configuration. I can assure you the 9970 does work in bridge mode, with Plusnet, I've been using one for a year. It bridges to .draytek 2830 which is configured for pppoe wiith my Plusnet username/password. As to the 9970 not working in full router mode, AFAICS it should but I've never tried it, I only got it to use as a modem and it does that extremely well

[#8]

Brilliant thanks.  Will try that later. 

Moderators Note: Full quote of preceding post removed as per Forum rules

[#9]

Still no luck. Bridge is set up (I think... But how I know its actually working properly as a bridge exactly?).

But let's assume the bridge is working.  I then plug Google wifi into the wan socket, go through setup, try to connect, Google asks for pppoe login details, which I am 100% correctly entering and I just a repeated message on the Google wifi app saying the credentials are invalid. Recycled router off at the wall and replugged in etc and still no connection. 

So w9970 I can't set up functioning wan and Internet in full router mode. And also can't set up Google wifi in bridge mode. Seriously [-Censored-]? 

[#10]

Moderators Note

This topic has been moved from Fibre to My Router

[#11]

Well jeez that was annoying. After abandoning the 9970 in router mode and then abandoning the Google wifi with the 9970 in bridge mode... I resigned myself to plugging the plusnet one back in. And it didn't work. Amber light. Went into the plusnet hub settings and it had some weird username in there. No idea how that got in there. So entered MY plusnet username and password. Didn't work. Eh?

So one angry and frustrated call to plusnet yet again. Guy answered and said "oh that's odd, your account has your broadband as being disconnected". He couldn't explain how I was able to access Internet using the hub right up until 10 minutes previously. But whatever. He's reconnected me. The plusnet hub username and password now worked. Then I tried the 9970 in full router mode with pppoe settings. It worked. Then I put it in bridge mode and setup the Google wifi with pppoe settings. It worked. I now have Google wifi beautifully streaming through my house.

All in all, a week of hours of frustration, plusnet live chats (one tech 'expert' even told me my pppoe username ended in .com... Seriously?), tolink live chats and all it took was for plusnet to look at my account and realised my broadband was turned off and they had to turn it on?

How many others might have this issue and not realise it because it being turned off doesn't actually stop you connecting from the Internet unless you completely unplug your hub one and then try to reconnect!

[#12]

Very strange that your account got disabled! 

Glad to hear that you've got everything working now though