Spark Smart Modem 2 and uPNP

Forums › LAN (ethernet/Wifi/routers/Bluetooth) › Spark Smart Modem 2 and uPNP

Beavis

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#323106 26-Oct-2025 21:12

Hi. I just got a Spark Smart Modem 2 as a spare. I am with Quic (fibre), but it was a breeze to setup and seems to work better than my existing one.

However, there is just one problem I have discovered. My Nas bittorrent client is complaining that the network port is not open. If I go to one of those internet "check my port is open" web sites, it says it is, but the bittorent still complains. Closing bittorrent closes the port according to the Internet. So it appears the port is opening, but to where is anyones guess.

I have manually opened a port to the Nas, but it still complains.

Anyone had any experience with Smart modem 2? Firmware is 2.11.28 20240612.

Beware of FUD...

freitasm

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#3428103 26-Oct-2025 22:22

Some modems need to have both port forward and firewall rule allowing it.

The NAS likely need a firewall rule too.

In this case UPnP wouldn't work. Perhaps using a random static port number would be better.

Two things:

1. You don't need port forward and open ports for torrent

2. UPnP is a risk. How do you know a malware wouldn't configure a port without you knowing?

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Beavis

171 posts

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+1 received by user: 37

#3428106 26-Oct-2025 22:53

True. You don’t need ports open to download stuff, but it sure helps. Up until recently I was stuck on Starlink with CGNAT…
Agree UPnP is a bit of a thing to avoid. I have been lazy and should be using manual port forwarding, but it’s not working either on this router. Pity because this ISP router otherwise except for being dumbed down works really good, especially the wifi.

Beware of FUD...

bfginger

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#3428560 28-Oct-2025 19:54

Despite compatibility with fibre Spark tried to only provision and sell those to people with 4G connections. As few people use those on fibre, and 4G is behind CGNAT, it is possible port forwarding or UPNP broke at some point without anyone upstream noticing.

Firmware will only update when connected to the Spark network. If you know someone with Spark you could leave it plugged into their ONT overnight and see if it updates. I presume that'd work on Skinny, BigPipe or Mercury 4G too but I wouldn't count on it.

Someone earlier had a similar problem:

https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?topicid=304416

You could try other port forwarding or UPNP activations and see if they work. Maybe there is a blacklist/whitelist in the firmware.

Beavis

171 posts

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+1 received by user: 37

#3429061 29-Oct-2025 22:32

I have a friend who bought the same modem from a charity shop for $10 and has done nothing with it yet. I will see what firmware is in it and try it at my place to see if the problem resolves. If it fixes the problem and the firmware is a later version than mine, I have another friend who is on Spark who will let me connect it up overnight to see if it updates.

Will report back if anything interesting happens! 😎

Beware of FUD...

Beavis

171 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 37

#3429361 30-Oct-2025 17:36

Confused... I changed the Wan settings to DHCP. Rebooted and amazed but UPnP now working. Checked the firmware and it had upgraded to 2.11.33 20250528. This was on my Quic connection, not a Spark one. Have now found that IPV6 is now broken...

I really wonder why I bother... !

Beware of FUD...

bfginger

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#3433360 11-Nov-2025 14:30

Sorry, Spark's policy may have changed.

Try disabling IPV6 in router settings then re-enabling it - sometimes in software it's not the feature that breaks but the linkage to the preferences database. If not that, see if changing back to PPPoE does anything.