UPC Cisco EPC3925: Enabling True Bridge Mode - A Simple How-to Guide

alastair

ED E wrote: »

Cant do that. They're uniquely provisioned and remain the property UPC.

Call UPC, they'll probably upgrade you.

Cheers - they did.

thatfellow

As a router the EPC is a router and a modem in one box. Bridging disables the routing functions and turns it into just a modem. This means the EPC doesnt have to do any calculations/management, it just allows the new router to open a connection and lease an IP from your ISP.

The reasons you might do this are:

Double routing = more latency. I've noticed a good 10ms chopped off in tests and similar in gaming
Remove load from the EPC(Its junk and gets overloaded easy enough)
Have a proper firewall
Prevent your ISP from accessing your subnet
Better control, a good router, especially flashed DDRWT or PFSENSE


There are probably more, but tldr its to mitigate the sh1ttyness of the EPC.

All I can Say is WoW, great work... & fair play to DECEiFER...

A couple of questions before I take the plunge...

My setup now is Cisco EPC3925 with wireless disabled & Asus N16 running DD-WRT connected as Repeater..

I have 2 servers connected to the EPC3925
&
TV, SatBox & All wireless devices connected to the Asus N16..

The problem is that I have very complicated port forwarding Table & I'm not sure what way it will work when I put Cisco into Bridge only mode...
Will I have to connect my 2 Servers to the ASUS & Setup port forwarding etc on that? Or could I keep them connected to the Cisco where they could have their own external IP Address's? Please forgive my ignorance but I only stumbled on this thread googling why my EPC3925 keeps rebooting..

Also, I am on the 150MB package but I am only getting about 105 at best (And I was nearly getting that on the 100Meg Package) Would Bridging make any difference to that?

Another question, If UPC Update the router firmware, Will all these settings be lost?


I have so many more questions but I will hopefully get these answered first...

thatfellow

OK, Since I could easily switch back to router mode, I decides to go ahead with it and try it out...

I dont know if it is a coinsidence or if these improvements are related to bridge mode but here are the results when connected my PC directly to Cisco..



OK well anyway, thats the good news.. Now for the "Im clueless" part.. I connected my Asus N16 running DD-WRT to the Cisco and started setting that up with Wi-Fi etc.. When I connected My PC to the Asus, my speed has been slashed even though they are connected with cat6 Cable & both routers have gigabit ports.. Here is the speedtest results now..



I'm sure I have some settings wrong but I am a bit of a noob to routing..
I have the Asus setup as follows:


Basic Setup




Security




And here is the Cisco Setup...

Administration



Status-Wireless


Status-Voice


Status-DOCSIS WAN





I just read somewhere that UPC allows routers onto its network based on MAC address's Should I change my Asus MAC Address to the MAC Address of the Cisco?

Thanks in advanced guys..

Frankly3D

Will the phone service work or not after bridging, !!IMPORTANT!! says it will continue to work, one or two replies, say it will be disabled. Confused. I have two phones running off it.

thatfellow

I can confirm that my phone is working 100% m8.. To be honest, This is far from a Hack, Its more like a Tweak... So dont worry about problems arising..

Can anybody advise me on Post 274 above
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=82958239&postcount=274

where my Speedtest results are slashed using the Asus N16 as DHCP Server...

I also noticed that I left IGMP Proxy enabled before switching to Bridged only, does this matter seen as I have wireless disabled?

frash

thatfellow wrote: »

I can confirm that my phone is working 100% m8.. To be honest, This is far from a Hack, Its more like a Tweak... So dont worry about problems arising..

Can anybody advise me on Post 274 above
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=82958239&postcount=274

where my Speedtest results are slashed using the Asus N16 as DHCP Server...

I also noticed that I left IGMP Proxy enabled before switching to Bridged only, does this matter seen as I have wireless disabled?

+1 on phone working.
Sorry can't help with your issue other than to say I'm not seeing it

DECEiFER

thatfellow wrote: »

I can confirm that my phone is working 100% m8.. To be honest, This is far from a Hack, Its more like a Tweak... So dont worry about problems arising..

Can anybody advise me on Post 274 above
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=82958239&postcount=274

where my Speedtest results are slashed using the Asus N16 as DHCP Server...

I also noticed that I left IGMP Proxy enabled before switching to Bridged only, does this matter seen as I have wireless disabled?

Hi thatfellow,

I cannot be 100% exactly why your speed took such a shocking dive in Bridged mode with an N16. For me it's been perfectly the same, I get my full 100Mb/s.

Your stats are great, all power and SNR levels are actually a tad better than mine. I assume you used the same Cat6 cable for hooking your computer to the EPC as the N16? How are your ping times to the N16 (192.168.2.1)? Try also pinging the public gateway (possibly only available from the Status menu of the N16 while in Bridge mode).

Everything else, by the numbers, seems to check out. So try what I've suggested and paste/screen shot the results for us to see.

thatfellow

Thanks m8

I assume you used the same Cat6 cable for hooking your computer to the EPC as the N16?

Yep, Cat6 everywhere m8

How are your ping times to the N16 (192.168.2.1)?

I can ping the N16 <1ms

Try also pinging the public gateway (possibly only available from the Status menu of the N16 while in Bridge mode).

Here in could lie the problem m8, when I go to the Status/LAN menu of the N16 Gateway I get this:

Gateway 0.0.0.0
Local DNS 0.0.0.0

Did I read that right or should I put the N16 into Bridge mode for that test?

DECEiFER

Does it show your public IP on the Status page? You don't put the N16 into Bridge mode, because it's your router and that's how you want it to behave.

Also, on the Setup page, where 0.0.0.0 is entered for the gateway and DNS, what happens (if it allows it) if you leave them blank without the zeros (though you'd think the zeros would be okay and a way of telling the router to get them dynamically)?

EDIT: One more thing. I take it the Ethernet cable is going into the WAN (blue) socket on the N16? From the EPC I use LAN port 1 but it shouldn't make a difference.

thatfellow

Yes, It shows my WAN IP (External IP Address or my Asus) at the top of my DD-WRT access page

Firmware: DD-WRT v24-sp2 (06/08/12) mega
Time: 19:18:44 up 14:11, load average: 0.09, 0.03, 0.00
WAN IP: ??.???.??.???

Also, on the Setup page, where 0.0.0.0 is entered for the gateway and DNS, what happens (if it allows it) if you leave them blank without the zeros

I cant edit them there, but on the Setup/Basic Pic posted above, I can edit them there but they keep defaulting to 0,0,0,0 when I save them blank... Should I have Gateway & Local DNS filled in or is it ok for the Asus to get them dynamically

One more thing. I take it the Ethernet cable is going into the WAN (blue) socket on the N16? From the EPC I use LAN port 1 but it shouldn't make a difference.

Yep m8, they are wired 100%... The only thing I can think of.. is checking with a spare network Cable.. I dont have any more gigabit cables but a normal cable should be PLenty for 150Mb Download test..

DECEiFER

thatfellow wrote: »

Yes, It shows my WAN IP (External IP Address or my Asus) at the top of my DD-WRT access page




I cant edit them there, but on the Setup/Basic Pic posted above, I can edit them there but they keep defaulting to 0,0,0,0 when I save them blank... Should I have Gateway & Local DNS filled in or is it ok for the Asus to get them dynamically



Yep m8, they are wired 100%... The only thing I can think of.. is checking with a spare network Cable.. I dont have any more gigabit cables but a normal cable should be PLenty for 150Mb Download test..

Cat5e is perfect for the job, it's what I'm using. Give it a go for sure.

The N16 should get the values dynamically. The fact that you're able to use the Internet at all suggests it's doing that, I was just checking with you that it was doing it 100% correctly.

thatfellow

Yep, thanks again DECEiFER.. I have tried loads of cables and they all seem the same.. 80Mb is as high as my download will go... I have tested with Wireless completely off and all logging etc switched off to leave all the resources for LAN but still no real improvement.. I have read somewhere about getting a higher amp lead (5A) for the Asus N16, I might try that... Very happy with the Bridge only setup on my Cisco, just a bit disappointed with the router performance... I might flash a more stable DD-WRT and see if that makes a difference or even flash back the Stock firmware which is reported to have better performance but obviously far less features... If you have any other suggestions I would love to give them a try. Thanks again m8 & great little tut...

DECEiFER

Going back to stock would have been my next suggestion, at least temporarily to check how it performs speed-wise. I don't often follow the not-too-old adage, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." But in the case of my WNDR3700v1, I'm running stock because I wasn't completely happy with the feature set of Gargoyle or DD-WRT for it and installing those two custom firmwares was only for sh1ts n' giggles because the stock firmware was always good on it. So if the N16's stock firmware doesn't limit it in any way that matters to you, you should stick with it, in my opinion.

alastair

Okay - I've set the cisco up for bridged mode, but what settings should I have for my Airport Extreme handling DHCP and NAT? It had been working with a Thomson in DMZ mode, but I can't figure out what my Internet settings should be now in bridged mode - Static/DHCP?, subnet (shifts from 255.255.255.0 to 255.255.254.0 if I leave it as DHCP)?, need to modify DNS server addresses etc? I've no internet connectivity through the airport at the moment - despite the LAN connections working okay, and the modem working through direct ethernet connection.

DECEiFER

alastair wrote: »

Okay - I've set the cisco up for bridged mode, but what settings should I have for my Airport Extreme handling DHCP and NAT? It had been working with a Thomson in DMZ mode, but I can't figure out what my Internet settings should be now in bridged mode - Static/DHCP?, subnet (shifts from 255.255.255.0 to 255.255.254.0 if I leave it as DHCP)?, need to modify DNS server addresses etc? I've no internet connectivity through the airport at the moment - despite the LAN connections working okay, and the modem working through direct ethernet connection.

255.255.254.0 is UPC's subnet mask and it's just what you want. I'm not familiar with Apple's Airport Extreme personally, but in general, you should let any router automatically get the IP and DNS servers from the modem, which is what your Thompson is now that it's in Bridge mode (unless you want to use custom DNS servers like OpenDNS or Google, etc.).

alastair

DECEiFER wrote: »

255.255.254.0 is UPC's subnet mask and it's just what you want. I'm not familiar with Apple's Airport Extreme personally, but in general, you should let any router automatically get the IP and DNS servers from the modem, which is what your Thompson is now that it's in Bridge mode (unless you want to use custom DNS servers like OpenDNS or Google, etc.).

leaving the default 'Connect using DHCP' settings on the Airport gives me the expected UPC DNS server addresses, a Public IP that's different to the one I'm getting on a direct ethernet connection to the modem, and the 255.255.254.0 subnet - I'm just not getting any internet connectivity.

IP's for what they're worth:
Airport public IP 176.XX.XX.138
Airport router IP 176.XX.XX.1

Separate laptop direct ethernet connection to modem: 176.XX.XY.44 (works with internet connectivity).

The LAN uses DHCP range 10.0.X.X, with the Airport in DHCP and NAT router mode.

DECEiFER

alastair wrote: »

leaving the default 'Connect using DHCP' settings on the Airport gives me the expected UPC DNS server addresses, a Public IP that's different to the one I'm getting on a direct ethernet connection to the modem, and the 255.255.254.0 subnet - I'm just not getting any internet connectivity.

IP's for what they're worth:
Airport public IP xxx.xx.xx.xxx
Airport router IP xxx.xx.xx.x

Separate laptop direct ethernet connection to modem: xxx.xx.xx.xx (works with internet connectivity).

Be careful about posting your public IP for the world to see.

That's normal, because the DHCP server will assign your IP based on the MAC address of the router. Your Thompson's router has a different MAC to your Airport Extreme, so it's natural for a different IP assignment.

Why you're unable to get on the Internet is weird considering everything appears to be fine. Can you ping IP addresses? Try pinging 74.125.24.94, which is Google.ie. If you can ping the IP but not the address itself, it's a DNS server issue.

alastair

DECEiFER wrote: »

Be careful about posting your public IP for the world to see.

That's normal, because the DHCP server will assign your IP based on the MAC address of the router. Your Thompson's router has a different MAC to your Airport Extreme, so it's natural for a different IP assignment.

Why you're unable to get on the Internet is weird considering everything appears to be fine. Can you ping IP addresses? Try pinging 74.125.24.94, which is Google.ie. If you can ping the IP but not the address itself, it's a DNS server issue.

I'll edit my addresses. No joy on ping - with numeric address.

DECEiFER

Can you ping the Thompson (assuming it's 192.168.1.100 while in Bridge mode)?

Also, my WNDR3700v1 is in the 10.0.0.x range. That's okay.

alastair

DECEiFER wrote: »

Can you ping the Thompson (assuming it's 192.168.1.100 while in Bridge mode)?

Also, my WNDR3700v1 is in the 10.0.0.x range. That's okay.

The Thompson is gone - just have the Cisco now. I can't ping it's management IP (192.168.100.1 - switched from an initial 192.168.1.1 following the bridged mode change) from the Airport LAN. Pings fine from direct ethernet connection.

DECEiFER

alastair wrote: »

The Thompson is gone - just have the Cisco now. I can't ping it's management IP (192.168.100.1 - switched from an initial 192.168.1.1 following the bridged mode change) from the Airport LAN. Pings fine from direct ethernet connection.

Sorry, I thought you'd bridged the Thompson, my bad.

You should be able to ping 192.168.100.1. Again, I don't know anything about Apple's networking products so I'm not the best one to give you specific advice on what settings to change. You seem to have things set correctly, though, but I couldn't say what you might be missing.

EDIT:
Have you had a read through this:
http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/airportextreme_802.11n_userguide.pdf

alastair

Okay my own stupid fault - it was working fine across the LAN - except for the one machine I was testing on - which had a different static IP allocated. Everything else was working just fine and dandy.


Typical.

DECEiFER

alastair wrote: »

Okay my own stupid fault - it was working fine across the LAN - except for the one machine I was testing on - which had a different static IP allocated. Everything else was working just fine and dandy.


Typical.

Ah, haha. Good one. That has happened to me in the past and you're sitting there scratching your head wondering what the hell is going on.

Gotta remember it for next time someone else has this problem, I bet it happens to a lot of folks every now and again.

Waesfjord

Hey guys,

I've just upgarded from 20Meg to 50Meg package and now have the Cisco EPC3925 modem/router installed, replacing my NTL250 blue modem and my Belkin F5D7230 (802.11g) router. I will have the phone service installed also, once phone received.

From a wireless perspective, there is a laptop (802.11g compatible network card) and Ipad3 (802.11n), from either of which I can achieve no more that 20MB download speed, however can get 50MB from LAN conenction to my laptop from the Cisco device.

I'm no network expert, so hoping some could provide some guidance/options that may expand/improve my network, having read and only half understood through many of the pages on this thread. The signal upstairs is fair (i.e. 'good' rather than 'excellent' strength)

With the now spare Belkin (802.11g) router, and having a 2nd Cisco EPC3925 device as spare also, can you advise what network configuration may offer improvements.

For example, I read that it may be better to incorporate the Belkin router functionality to improve network security - is this correct and if I do so, will I notice a drop in WIFI performanace (even though lap.

For upstairs, could I use the spare Cisco router (or Belkin) to expand network coverage, and would this also allow the phone to be be based on the upstairs Cisco router or only on the downstairs one.

Thanks for reading this far :cool:, any guidance appreciated.

digitaldr

As soon as I saw that UPC had finally unblocked bridge mode  I got rid of my wired modem and venerable linksys WRT 54GL running Tomato and got a Cisco EPC3925 and a TP-Link TL-WR1043ND instead. I tried dd-wrt on the TP-link but found that it dropped connection every 10-15 minutes (needed to restart my wireless adapter to reconnect) and the range was pretty poor.  I reverted to the stock firmware - you need to flash a specially  version first (available from www.dd-wrt.com) - and it's worked flawlessly since. My main reason for wanting to use dd-wrt in the first place was the ability to WOL over the internet so I can access my media server without having to keep it on 24/7. Luckily the TP-link stock firmware allows you to this via MAC binding. 

So if you're looking for a good value router I'd recommend the TP-Link TL-WR1043ND. 

poisonborz

I just switched my EPC3925 to Bridge mode. When I connect a PC to its lan port 1, the PC properly receives the external IP, and has internet.

However when I connect a router (a TPL WR941ND with DD-WRT) to the same port, it seemingly gets the external IP and has connection (local UPC's domain shows up as WAN domain) but no connected devices have internet. The WAN connection type is set to auto/DHCP. What could be the problem? DECEiFER's OP mentions "Set your own cable router to bridge with the EPC3925" as the last step - what type of router setting is referred to here?
Thanks..

fendervg

Worked like an absolute treat for me yesterday on the Cisco - many thanks for such a helpful thread. I used the Firefox developer web console.

poisonborz

I just wanted to note that I solved the problem in the meantime - all it took was a router factory reset, some rouge setting probably caused the problem.

gasman77

This post is amazing. Informative, accurate and very detailed (I realise that you worry about overdoing the detail but as an engineer I applaud it).

Anyway, there I was about to take my first steps into Html when I realised that my modem already had the relevant menu...hoorah! guess either upc re-enabled it or I somehow got one that slipped by the lobotomy.
I now have a fully working system without the limitations of the internal router

Many Many thanks for the hard work and dedication you put into this tutorial.

I only have one little niggle, although everything is working 100% the No1 ethernet led on the modem (only one in use) is blinking orange instead of the expected green. have I missed something in the setup? not quite sure what you mean when you say "set your router to bridge with the moden.

Windows xp mc edition
cisco epc3924 modem
netgear wgr14 router

Regards

Ian

Deanicus

gasman77 wrote: »

This post is amazing. Informative, accurate and very detailed (I realise that you worry about overdoing the detail but as an engineer I applaud it).

Anyway, there I was about to take my first steps into Html when I realised that my modem already had the relevant menu...hoorah! guess either upc re-enabled it or I somehow got one that slipped by the lobotomy.
I now have a fully working system without the limitations of the internal router

Many Many thanks for the hard work and dedication you put into this tutorial.

I only have one little niggle, although everything is working 100% the No1 ethernet led on the modem (only one in use) is blinking orange instead of the expected green. have I missed something in the setup? not quite sure what you mean when you say "set your router to bridge with the moden.

Windows xp mc edition
cisco epc3924 modem
netgear wgr14 router

Regards

Ian

Make sure the netgear is set so that internet does not require a login and your Internet IP address should be set to "Get dynamically from ISP".

This way the Netgear assumes the responsibility of routing the internet connection. Also, just double check that your connected device does not have a static IP. If it does, make sure the Netgear is setup to assign addresses in the same range (I had 2 different ones before bridge mode was available)