Possible to "Client Mode" DD-WRT to ISP Modem set up as "Bridge" over Wi-Fi?

[Dan_Aykroyd]

Hi everybody, I hope you are doing very well!

I'm searching around for this information without luck. I've successfully bridged (Client Mode on one of the 5.0 GHz bands of the Netgear R8000 running latest Kong build) with my ISP mode, while the modem is running as a router; will all its settings and such. Everything works OK and I have internet access from devices connected to the R8000.

Now, what I'm trying to achieve is setting my ISP modem in Bridge Mode and maintain the current setup. Of course, when I enable the "Bridge Mode" in the ISP modem, it restarts with pretty much every functionality/tab disabled, since it's not running the DHCP, NAT, etc.; it doesn't provide an IP to any of the devices connected and doesn't route traffic to the internet.

My question then is (and I've searched for similar cases in Google but found anything), is it possible to keep the current "Client Mode" bridge set-up in the DD-WRT R8000 router, while specifying some extra parameters (static IP for itself, DNS servers and whatever else is needed) in order for it to continue routing traffic through the ISP modem and all the devices behind it keep internet access? If so, would you please point me on how to achieve that?

This is my use case by the way. The ISP left the modem outside my main house; very far out of reach. That modem doesn't have any clients attached to it besides the R8000 DD-WRT 5.0 GHz band set as a "Client Mode" connection to it. The idea is to make it the "only router of the house" (so all the devices are connected to the R8000) and I want to set the ISP modem in Bridge Mode becase A) it reduces complexity, I want to have a "dumb" box there with no further functionality B) would help me out later to manage port forwarding and such.

One thing that leads me to believe that this might be possible is that, when enabling "Bridge Mode" in the ISP modem, the only tab available left is the Wireless tab. It's wireless networks continue to be up, I can connect to it but I still don't get access to internet because I'm probably missing something to configure. If it isn't the case, then why the ISP router leaves the Wireless tab enabled, functioning and transmitting? What would be the point of connecting via Wireless to a Bridged Router if there wasn't a way to get to the internet by configuring something in the client connecting to it?

What I've tried to see what else I'm missing to configure is to connect a Windows computer to one of its LAN ports (through cable, obviously). In the Windows Network Settings I've configured the static IP, subnet, DNS. I can then access the router web GUI (because I gave myself a static IP; if not it wouldn't work), but I still don't get access to the internet from that computer. What else am I missing to configure?

Perhaps this can't be done at all; I'm no expert at networking. If so, please let me know too

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide and have a wonderful weekend!

EDIT: I feel a little closer of achieving this! After changing the setting in the main tab to "Static IP" and defining one in the same subnet as the modem, rebooting, I'm able to access the bridged modem Web GUI through the DD-WRT wl0 "Client Mode" wireless connection to it, from computers connected to the DD-WRT router! Still, Internet doesn't work from those computers. What service/setting am I still missing in the DDWRT Router that will allow the clients connected to it to route internet traffic through the bridged ISP modem?

 

[ACwifiguy]

Seems like the you can’t connect the routers via a wired connection, that would be the preferred setup (fastest speeds and easiest setup).

If you can’t connect with a wire -
Preferred- Bridged doesn’t seem like an important feature since you intend on connecting everything to the r8000 anyways- I’d use an unbridged client mode on your first r8000 5ghz radio (unbridged is more stable with dd-wrt) and use your second r8000 5ghz as the access point for your devices. For your first r8000 5ghz radio use these settings: https://wiki.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Client_Mode

Less preferred: if you want it to be bridged - https://wiki.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Client_Bridged

 

[Dan_Aykroyd]

Thanks ACwifiguy for your reply!

Exactly; I can't connect the devices with cables because they are too far away and I wouldn't be able to do that set-up in my home. The link you posted (for the Client Mode) is the very same procedure I have configured and working. What I'm trying to achieve now is to be able to set-up the ISP modem/router in "Bridged Mode", so it deactivates all its functionalities, and continue having a working internet connection behind my R8000 router. I don't even know if that's something that it's possible, so perhaps someone with deep network knowledge would know.

By the way, the ISP modem is not doing anything like PPPoE or similar; there's no user/password to set up; I can actually hard reset the ISP modem (everything gets restored to factory defaults) and it connects right away to the internet. It's a Sagemcom Fast 3866 modem, with a coaxial cable input as source, so no dialing like (A)DSL and such.

Thanks!

 

[ACwifiguy]

Client mode doesn’t allow a bridge. You will forever bang your head against a wall. You don’t need a bridge for internet access - you only need a bridge to share files and other local network perks. As long as there is not a lonely network attached storage connected to your ISP router - is much better to keep to client mode and stay unbridged.

For the ISP modem / router:
1) set it to be 192.168.1.1
2) use an 80Mhz wide 5 ghz channel
3) use whatever SSID you want “SSID 1”

For the r8000
1) set the router to be a static IP 192.168.2.1 (different subnet)
2) turn on DHCP - set it to run the 192.168.2.1- 254 (what ever you want range), set DNS to 192.168.1.1
3) use your second radio as an AP “SSID 2”, pick a different 80Mhz band from your ISP router (36 channel UU)
4) all your devices are bridged on this new r8000 run 192.168.2.1 subnet
5) you can choose to set devices to run static 192.168.2.x ips - your preference

Take some screenshots of your dd-wrt WiFi and setup pages if the above doesn’t work for you so that we can tweak specifics.

 

[Dan_Aykroyd]

Thanks again AC!

I think some terms are being confused; mainly because "bridge" is used a lot in networking, I think. Let me explain again:

1) I have the set-up you mention working perfectly, with the connection between the ISP router and personal router established
2) For some networking devices, like the ISP provided routers, there is an option called "Bridge Mode" that dumbs them down to being only a modem; basically all they do is convert coaxial to Ethernet.

Bridge mode lets you connect two routers without the risk of performance issues. Bridge mode is the configuration that disables the NAT feature on the modem and allows a router to function as a DHCP server without an IP Address conflict. Connecting multiple routers can extend the Wi-Fi coverage in your office/home.

The idea with this is to simplify networking by avoiding double NAT, double firewall, extra unneeded features, etc. and use your own personal router, instead of the ISP provided one. That's what I want to do and "consume" the (now dumbed down) ISP modem via wireless from my own, personal DD-WRT router. Again, the connection, as you described, is established perfectly between the wireless networks of the modem and router, but still the router doesn't get internet access because, either:

- It's impossible, since the modem can't do that over wireless when configured as Bridge Mode (even though it leaves the wireless functionality enabled). Perhaps the ISP modem only allows this through its WAN port when configured as "Bridge Mode" (then again, why is Wireless the only available tab? Why wifi on it keep working while in bridge mode?)
- I'm missing some services/settings that aren't running in the ISP modem anymore (because having set it up as Bridge Mode) and that should be running on the DD-WRT router

I'd like to achieve this because it's the cleanest set up possible. I can already use the connection as you described, with the ISP router not configured as "Bridge Mode", but then I have double NAT, firewalls, extra services running on the extra gateway I don't need, etc.

Hope I made myself a little bit clearer with this

 

[ACwifiguy]

That makes sense. ISP modem/routers are finicky and usually have limited options. If bridged mode still has WiFi - can you connect a phone or computer to it and pull an IP address from the ISP?

If you can pull an ip from the isp - your unbridged client mode operates as the WAN side of your dd-wrt router - it can do the same thing a phone or computer can. Sometimes you have to do a soft restart of the router and have it pick up the isp.

If you can’t pull an ip from the ISP you are down to three options:
1) double Router, client mode (if it works - the enemy of good is better, it isn’t that much of a drag to have two firewalls)
- if you have the option you could drop your dd-wrt router in to the DMZ of your isp router if you want to trim the isp router firewall
2) find a way to hard wire it
3) buy a second router that can take dd-wrt or buy a purpose built mesh system (orbi or similar) - plug that in to the ISP modem

 

[Dan_Aykroyd]

Great suggestions AC! I think I'll go for option 1 for the moment, trying to see if I can make it work with the ISP modem as Bridge in parallel and, in the near future, maybe go with a Google WiFi Mesh (it's rumored for the new version to be launching later this year!). That will allow me to directly plug the cord from the ISP modem to one of the pods and resdistribute the rest of them all over the house.