# Does Airtel's fiber modem-router work in bridge mode?



## Extreme Gamer (Oct 22, 2020)

I would prefer to use my own router to manage the connection, while also avoiding double NAT which arises when you connect your own router via DHCP to your ISP's supplied router.

Hathway and Alliance supply ONUs here so you have to roll your own router, and Jio's router is a catastrophe (plus CG-NAT aka NAT666) which cannot be salvaged, so that goes out of the question.

I am already on hathway and the service in Kolkata sucks, so I want to change.


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## chetansha (Oct 22, 2020)

They would initially refuse . But i can confirm the nokia modem works in bridged mode. It has to be enabled by the bakk end team of airtel.

Sent from my SM-M315F using Tapatalk


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## Extreme Gamer (Oct 23, 2020)

chetansha said:


> They would initially refuse . But i can confirm the nokia modem works in bridged mode. It has to be enabled by the bakk end team of airtel.
> 
> Sent from my SM-M315F using Tapatalk


Is that a fiber modem?


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## chetansha (Oct 24, 2020)

Extreme Gamer said:


> Is that a fiber modem?


Yes the nokia one.

Sent from my SM-M315F using Tapatalk


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## LordAragorn (Jan 26, 2022)

chetansha said:


> Yes the nokia one.
> 
> Sent from my SM-M315F using Tapatalk


@chetansha Just today, I've been fighting with Airtel tech support to get them to understand that I want them to enable bridge mode on one of the LAN ports of the Nokia ONT.   Setting LAN port to bridge mode via the ONT web interface does nothing.

Once you put the ONT in bridge mode, did you have to do any additional config on your other router? Did you for example have to set up PPPoE and, if so, how did you get the credentials? Thanks in advance for your help


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## RumbaMon19 (Jan 26, 2022)

LordAragorn said:


> that I want them to enable bridge mode on one of the LAN ports of the Nokia ONT.  Setting LAN port to bridge mode via the ONT web interface does nothing.



there’s actually a very risky way to fix this, But that has a very high chance to brick the router.


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## patkim (Jan 28, 2022)

LordAragorn said:


> @chetansha Just today, I've been fighting with Airtel tech support to get them to understand that I want them to enable bridge mode on one of the LAN ports of the Nokia ONT.   Setting LAN port to bridge mode via the ONT web interface does nothing.
> 
> Once you put the ONT in bridge mode, did you have to do any additional config on your other router? Did you for example have to set up PPPoE and, if so, how did you get the credentials? Thanks in advance for your help



I am on Airtel in Pune but still on Ethernet, so I have no knowledge of your specific Nokia ONTRouter model. Please share the exact model name of your Nokia ONTRouter for ref.

However just FYR, I have enabled Bridge Mode and set up our own router full-fledged on BSNL FTTH at my relative’s place. Generally, first, you enable Bridge Mode and then do port binding in ONTRouter. This is just a sample screenshot from BSNL’s ONTRouter, your settings/naming/screens, etc may be different.

After that, you need to set up your own router full-fledged (LAN Cable from Bound LAN Port on ONTRouter to WAN port of your own router) including Internet (PPPoE), DHCP, WiFi and everything. If PPPoE credentials are not known, Airtel should provide you the same for your account.

BSNL does not incorporate MAC ID auth nor do they have any dependency on them for Bridge mode. So it was a very simple setup. While Airtel to my knowledge (At least not at my end) does not deploy MAC ID auth, there might be some setting to be enabled from backend (Just a guess). So do check with them if Bridge Mode + Port Binding together does not work.

Generally, when you tell ISP that you want to use your own router, they, on face of it suggest you inferior Access Point Mode. The immediate Airtel Technician who will contact you may not have enough knowledge of Bridge Mode. Generally, when I have any kind of Advanced query beyond ‘No Internet’, I take a funnel approach to eventually cause the technician to admit that they do not know the solution and this is where I then ask them to conference me with their senior back-end technician. This is the way I actually interact detailed tech matters with their technicians (not field engineers). So try this approach and see if you can get to interact with the person who has some knowledge. Also escalate to net at the rate airtel dot com email id if no progress.


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