No Bridge Mode in ZTE F670LV9.0

[barryhues]

Hello,
I recently got a new Airtel Xstream Broadband connection and was provided with ZTE F670LV9.0 router. I tried to configure Bridge mode but couldn't find any option for it in WAN profile settings. Previously I had BSNL FTTH and Bridge mode was easily configured without any hassle. Please help me how can I enable bridge mode on my router. I live in UP West

 

[aryak]

@MrGordon This was the same issue i faced
PS: How do you reply in the forum?

 

[MrGordon]

@aryak Looks like bridge mode doesn't get properly enabled with these steps.

I have another Huawei HG8125C ONT on which I was able to clone the Airtel ONT serial and was able to get bridge mode working without any issues, so my router config is good. I just hoped I could get it working with the Airtel ONT. Another issue is that my Huawei HG8125C uses the blue SC/UPC connector whereas the patch cord supplied by Airtel and the ONT is with a SC/APC green connector. Due to this, the RX power drops from -25 dBm or so to -28 to -29 dBm, things still work, but better to have it in the optimum range.

One thing I haven't tried is deleting the automatic WAN profile, I wonder if that messes up with something. Will give that a try as well.

 

[MrGordon]

This is what is seen from my router

When it works (ie using my other ONT with serial cloned), we can see the PPPoE discovery initiation (PADI) messages and immediately an offer (PADO) is received and the remaining auth and other things happen.

When it does not work, we can see that the router keeps sending PADI messages, but receives no offer ie a PADO. This basically implies that the bridging is not done. If the connection was failing due to the other active session or some other reason, we'd have seen something else.

 

[wheatbread]

Are you tagging VLAN ID again?

This ZTE thing doesn't do full bridge. Dial PPPoE over untagged VLAN connected to LAN 3 in your case.

 

[MrGordon]

@wheatbread No I’m not using the VLAN ID on the main router. It’s the untagged WAN interface itself.

I’m able to connect when using the Huawei ONT setup the same way ie a bridge profile with the VLAN tagging done on the ONT side and no VLAN stuff done on the router side.

 

[SpeedxThunder]

i am not sure since my ont is not updated, but my friend said that recently airtel updated their zte firmware which locked some settings maybe thats what causing the issue (but i am not sure)

@Lolita_Magnum did your ont get updated?

old: V9.0.10P1N12A

new: V9.0.10P1N16A

 

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[Lolita_Magnum]

No; I am 12A. I have TR069 disabled.
When I first got the router, it was 19A, it got downgraded to 12A by an Airtel Engineer ('citing firmware issues').

 

[MrGordon]

Okay, so I had emailed net@airtel.com yesterday and got a positive ish response today. Will have to wait and see if they do enable it from their end, as clearly the inspect element hack method is not working in my case.

As per our telephonic discussion on xxxx with the undersigned dated 30th January 2023, this is to inform you that we have forwarded your concern to the relevant team. So, I request you to provide us some time in order to get back to you shortly with a resolution.

 

[aryak]

@wheatbread I have V9.0.10P1N13B and tried with vlan 100. Still did not connect. I guess they patched it in newer release?

 

[wheatbread]

I guess. There was thread here sometime ago with firmware update URL, maybe it's possible to downgrade.

 

[MrGordon]

Got a call from the local Airtel service person just now regarding bridge mode, he said he will enable it from the backend and let me know. 🤞

cc @aryak

 

[rohitks]

Don't know if this is relevant but when I insisted for Bridge in my ZTE f670l, Airtel NOC downgraded the ZTE firmware to 12A hoping that Bridge option would be there but it was not even in 12A. They enabled bridge from backend on LAN4

 

[aryak]

What does LOC and NOC mean?

 

[nishantt6969]

lco - localncable operator
noc - network operational centre,

 

[aryak]

So I got a static IP, and the technician asked if i wanted bridge mode or routing (he recommended routing though). I persisted on bridge mode, and set it up with my OpenWRT archer C6. Speeds were terrible, so i thought it might be due to the use of athk10 community firmware and migrated to the nonfree fw as mentioned in the OpenWRT wiki. That did not help either. So I tried my old Act Fibernet router (Archer C5 v4) and had the same terrible speeds and distance (even the next bedroom got frequent disconnections). So I have no choice but to go back to routing mode 🙁 Have any of you had issues with speed on bridge mode? or is it an issue with the routers I have.