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Exige46

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#274609 31-Aug-2020 14:46
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Hi, moved into a new house, looking to extend wifi signal using Google Wifi, but hitting problems.  Apologies for terminology, I have no idea what I am talking about!

 

We have vodafone cable internet, with the standard modem they provide for this currently and the ultra hub.  The wifi signal with this set up doesn't cover the whole house, so purchase google wifi with 3 wifi points.  Followed the instructions (I think!) and disconnected the ultra hub, replacing it with first of the google wifi points.  The google wifi point for some reason would not connect to the internet.  After looking for advice, it was suggested I reconnect the ultra hub to the modem, and then connect the first of the google wifi points to the ultrahub using the ethernet cable.  This time it did connect to the internet, and I quite happily connected the other two wifi points which each were able to connect to the internet.

 

So far, so good.  Except not.  When trying to connect other devices to the internet through the new wireless network, they just refused.  Amazon Echo would not connect, and a Samsung TV would not connect to the internet through the new wireless network.

 

I've tried to read around - looks like I may have double NAT issues.

 

I guess the real problem is that the google wifi doesn't find the internet when connected directly to the modem.  I am not sure if there is some kind of setting on the modem that I need to change, and I am not sure how I can access the modem settings.  Or I am just wondering if there is some kind of incompatibility between cable broadband modems and google wifi.  It seems the ultra hub does not have a bridging mode, although I can't find much in the way of recent information on the ultra hub on the vodafone website at least.

 

 

 

Any help appreciated!

 

 

 

 


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michaeln
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  #2554166 31-Aug-2020 15:04
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You need a router that supports VLAN 10. Which Google WiFI doesn't.

 

From https://support.google.com/wifi/answer/9798157?hl=en

 

Set up a network that uses VLAN tagging

 

 

 

 

Some internet services providers (ISPs) require VLAN tagging in order for their modems to communicate with wireless routers. VLAN tagging is not supported by Google Nest Wifi or Google Wifi and can cause your set up to fail. 

 

 

 




Exige46

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  #2554187 31-Aug-2020 15:36
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Thanks, so looking at that link, there are two options: 1) connect google wifi to smart switch to vodafone supplied modem or 2) connect google wifi to router supporting VLAN tagging to vodafone supplied modem - is that right?

 

Would you be able to recommend specific products, as google searching brings up a bunch of gadgets and I can't figure out whether they will actually do the job, or whether they just appear due to the way google ads work!


michaeln
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  #2554218 31-Aug-2020 16:27
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UFB was set up to support tagged (VLAN) Ethernet. Tagged Ethernet (802.1Q) supports a 12 bit VLAN ID and a 3 bit priority field (and a 1 bit 'canonical' field that isn't relevant here, or mostly at all). That is, in order to support prioritisation you MUST have VLANs. Prioritisation is used to mix CIR (committed information rate) and EIR (excess information rate), so you can support guaranteed bandwidth for Voice, video etc..

 

HFC is set up to look like UFB, so the plan you are on connects using VLAN 10. If you connect an untagged device (like the Google WiFi) it doesn't see any traffic. And when it speaks, the WAN doesn't hear any of its traffic.

 

When you connect to the UltraHub, you are connecting to a router. So, for IPv4, it does NAT (it also does IPv6, which doesn't use NAT). If you connect the Google WiFI to it, it picks up a NAT address, and then NATs it again (double NAT). Which breaks some things.

 

You asked if the UltraHub could be set to bridge mode. It can't.

 

Alternatively, you could set the Google WiFi to bridge mode https://support.google.com/wifi/answer/6240987?hl=en&ref_topic=9832042 unfortunately...

 

"Bridge mode will only work if you’re using a single Wifi device. If you want to create a mesh network with multiple devices, your router or primary Wifi point cannot be in Bridge mode." which is what you are trying to do.

 

So, since you want to use your Google WiFi, you don't want bridge mode, which means a 'smart switch' is the only option. And here I'm going to bow to the superior knowledge of other Geekzoners, because I don't know which cheap switches are available that might suit your needs. Something like https://www.draytek.com/products/vigorswitch-g1080/#specs this might do (about NZ$105) but I can't tell for sure if it will translate between tagged and untagged---which is what you need. If it only supports VLANs, then it's of no use to you.

 

 

 

 

 

 




nztim
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  #2554241 31-Aug-2020 17:04
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I thought HFC was no tagged VLAN

 

Things might have changed, its been 5+ years since I left HFC network





Any views expressed on these forums are my own and don't necessarily reflect those of my employer. 


michaeln
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  #2554248 31-Aug-2020 17:17
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The legacy plans didn't/don't use VLANs. The new ones (the DOCSIS 3.1 plans) do.

 

 

 

(And OP has one of the current plans, evidently).


cyril7
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  #2554302 31-Aug-2020 17:54
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Hi just use a small manged switch for approx $46 to strip the vlan tag, currently sorting exact solution for a client who purchased Google WiFi on UFB.

PM me if you want details on how to fix it.

Cyril

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