Set new vodafone router VOX 3 \ THG3000G in modem mode?!?

[Bototski]

New customer here and just waiting for activation day... anyone tried using the new router in modem mode? I got all my network setup on different router so thinking of using the VF router it at some point... if not possible then off to get a modem (possibly draytek vigor 130).

[vodamidi]

Hi,

Did you manage to get your new router running in Modem Mode?

I have just received mine and I can't see the option to do it in there and I would like to use my Asus Router.

I was able to do this when I was with Virgin.

[Bototski]

Nope... I think it requires a custom firmware which allow you to switch to modem mode like the VM hub. I still got the old openreach modem so I'm using that instead until we get this switching to modem mode feature in the vox3.

[chazzo]

@Botowski Being able to set bridge mode easily on an ISP-supplied router is unlikely, I think. Virgin Media do this, presumably because it's harder to find a third-party modem for cable than for xDSL. I have also done it via a custom settings file on a Sagemcom router supplied by Plusnet. Mind you,  the THG3000g seems to have SSH enabled so perhaps we can find a way in due course.

In the meantime, can you give me any advice on setting up a third-party modem and router? I have a DrayTek Vigor 130 (which you mentioned) and an Asus RT-AC87U. This combination worked fine with ADSL from my previous supplier, but I am having no luck with Vodafone fibre. It may be to do with the VLAN setup, which I don't really understand.

The modem syncs just fine. It has VLAN tagging set to 101 on what it calls the "service" side (there's a VLAN option for "customer" side that I don't understand). The VLAN settings on the router (with asuswrt-merlin firmware) seem to be oddly placed under LAN > IPTV, but setting this to 101 didn't help. I have rebooted everything but no luck.

I must check my PPP credentials again with Vodafone, but they look believable (user "dsl" + 9 digits and password with 8 characters). If you have any other suggestions I'd be grateful.

[chazzo]

Sorry, I meant @Bototski.

[Anonymous]

Using the standard firmwear your settings should be similar to:

The one thing to note is that on my setup I have the Vigor Lan settings set up on 192.168.5.X rather than the more common 192.168.2.X

*As I use the mesh facility on the router the merlin option is not available to me.

**The VLAN settings only need to be set on the modem, not on the router!

[chazzo]

@KeithAlger Many thanks for such a helpful reply. I'll try it properly in the morning, but I can see straight away that your PPP username has a "@broadband.vodafone.co.uk" at the end, which the rather reluctant person I spoke to did not tell me. Blindingly obvious when you know, and I bet that's the problem.

"The VLAN settings only need to be set on the modem, not on the router!" – I had just about worked that out, but it's great to know for sure. I guess the fact that this is already set confirms DrayTek's claim that the Vigor 130 with the UK firmware is a plug-and-play device. 

Your settings look pretty much like mine used to be when it was all working with Post Office ADSL. I assume you can reach the modem GUI on 192.168.5.1? That worked well for me (with the more common 192.168.2.X ) and I never worked out why it was such a big issue for many people who know a lot more about networking than me. DrayTek's method seems to involve setting a VLAN tag of 0 on the "customer" side. Perhaps their routers somehow make the job harder, but at all events I'll be happy not to go there.

[Anonymous]

Yup I can access the Vigor 130 using 192.168.5.1 due to the way I've set it up!

It's common on "Unlimited use" ISP that you don't need to set the VLAN between the modem and router.  If you are more curious there are plenty of site out there that look at the use of VLANs to provide unlimited IPTV streams over the same connection as limited broadband. *Just having the VLAN set on the internet side of modem is the common method used by *most* ISPs.  Once you get your head around it, then it kinda makes sense and is probably the easier method in the long run.  **How you set up the Vigor 130 with a Draytek router is different (and more powerful) than it is with a third party router, and if you need support for a UK spec Vigor 130 then http://www.draytek.co.uk works better than the international site.

[chazzo]

Thanks for all that. The Vigor 130 is now synced at 75050000 bps (rate cap?), with 5 dB SNRM and fast path, which is a first for me. So I'm well pleased.

After a few heart-in-mouth moments I discovered that the default settings really do work. I reset the Vigor 130 and left it on PPoE/PPoA rather than MPoA, as you have it. Resetting the RT-AC87U and using the wizard to enter my PPP credentials left "Get the WAN IP automatically" set to "yes", and I was pleased to find that 192.168.2.1 still gets me to the modem's GUI (with DHCP turned on by default). So this is the simplest possible setting and it's working for me.

Do you happen to know whether the  Vigor 130 records how long the PPP connection has been up, as opposed to time since the last reboot? I've looked all through the console stuff but can't see it anywhere.

[Anonymous]

You can do a lot with the Draytek console, but as far as I'm aware you can only tell how long it's been since the last rest and not the last a connection was established.

Regards PPPoE vs Bridge mode, there's not much in it on the Vigor 130, but there can be times when bridge mode can be faster, handle IPTV better, and *can sometimes* reduce the need for port forwarding.