How to exit or disable bridge mode (Business Smart Hub)

[kelper]

How to disable bridge mode

After experimenting with bridge mode I wanted to enable the router again.

But there is no obvious way to do this unless you have a router connected to the hub.

The hub’s DHCP server is disabled, so when you connect a laptop by ethernet to one of the hub’s LAN ports, it does not pick up an IP. So you can’t access 192.168.1.254 in the usual way.

The way round is to go into the ethernet adapter settings and allocate a static IP of 192.168.1.1.

Then connect to one of the hub’s LAN ports. Now you can access the hub’s web page and revert the bridge setting.

In Windows you go to the ethernet adapter properties and select ‘Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)’ then properties and then under ‘use the following IP address’ - enter 192.168.1.1 and then enter 255.255.255.0 in the ‘subnet mask’.  Click OK.

If you find you can’t connect over wifi, just turn the hub off for ten seconds and restart it (don’t reset it!).

[kelper]

I wasn't asking!  I was explaining how to do it for the benefit of others.  😉

The Business Smart Hub does not have 'Admin Tool' or 'Gateway' in the menu; are you referring to a different hub?

I've edited my post to include Smart Hub in the title.

[Timothy11]

Yes  licquorice, absolutely definitely a home hub. The option to enable bridge mode is not there in the menu unless I change the address

[kelper]

Which equipment are you using since none of these menu items are familiar?  I have asked you this once already.

[GlynH]

I have the opposite question; I would like to put my Business SmartHub2 into Bridge Mode so I can use my existing network infrastructure.

I would also like to know whether it would disable the BT DNS Servers because I use Pi-hole as a DNS Server on my network and all of my devices point towards that to resolve DNS.

Ideally if it is a 'proper' Bridge Mode then all I should need to do after it is set is plug the Cat5e from my routers WAN port into a port on the back of the SmartHub2 and use my existing router for DHCP, DNS etc. without bothering with a Username/Password right?

That would save an awful lot of reconfiguring if it were possible.

Any hints, tips etc. would be appreciated.

Thanks & kind regards,

-=Glyn=-

[kelper]

My understanding is that the BT Smart Hub, in bridge mode, will pass all DHCP, DNS and routing over to your hub own router.  The BT Hub will log in for you (with the default user name) and your router will just pick up an IP automatically.

Try it and tell us how it went.  It's a Bank holiday on Monday so you may not hear from a Forum Mod until Tuesday, but I've seen them respond on holidays.

[GlynH]

Thanks for the reply kelper even if it was not what I wanted to hear!

I was under the impression that the Business SH2 had a proper 'grown-up' Bridge mode where it just acted as a dumb modem but maybe not then.

Another alternative would be to plug in the routers WAN port directly into the ONT where the SH2 is already plugged in but that would mean I would have to put in a Username/Password so the built-in VDSL modem in the router would connect and of course disconnecting the SH2 would lose my CVE service altogether.

Took me a long time to get here but it seems I'm thwarted at every turn...<sigh>

Ah well we shall see how it goes. At long last I finally have 918Mbps down and 111Mbps up to play with so I'm in no mad rush until such times as BT cut my copper service and my existing network will have no Internet connection.

Then it will be a mad rush! 🙂

Thanks & kind regards,

-=Glyn=-

[kelper]

Why was it NOT what you wanted to hear?  I have a BTB SH 1 and it has a proper bridge mode.  But I am on ADSL and not familiar with FTTP or an ONT.  I suspect the BTB SH 2 is very similar.

I can connect a Draytek directly to the wall socket but I did need my unique *****@hg7.btclick.com username and password.

[GlynH]

Quite simply I would have preferred to hear that it doesn't pass DHCP, DNS, Routing etc. but if it does then so be it...I'll just have to come up with a Plan B.

As I said I was hoping I could turn it into a dumb modem so I could just plug in my DrayTek router and let that take care of everything which is how I have had it working for years now with the WAN2 port connected via Cat5e to my existing OpenReach FTTC modem. It would have been so easy to substitute the old FTTC modem for the new FTTP ONT terminal but in doing so I lose CVE so would like to keep the SH2 if at all possible. I already had the ADSL/VDSL side of the DrayTek connected into the BT Master NT5 socket using PlusNet as failover and to provide a static IP but wanted to consolidate and save money so I went for BT Business Full Fibre 900 for the static IP and dropped PlusNet and my second line altogether.

I was paying £66 per month for BT Infinity 80/20MB or whatever they call it now (should have been £27.99 as I have been out of contract for years) and was originally paying PlusNet £24.99 per month but when I came out of that contract it shot up to £47.99 per month so nearly £113 per month!

Now paying under half that (£51.95) for a 10x speed increase to 900/100Mbps and static IP so very happy about that.

After some digging I have found the setting to switch the Business SH2 into Bridge Mode by logging into its IP address, clicking Advanced Settings/Broadband/Routing and can see the option to enable Bridging but need to do a deeper dive to see exactly what this will and won't do.

If it disables everything and turns it into a dumb modem then happy days. If not then I will need to investigate what effect it will have on the rest of my network and if it ends up double natting or hard coding BT's DNS Servers then I will have to remove it and hopefully connect the DrayTek directly into the ONT and utilise the WAN2 side of the DrayTek using PPoE and Username/Password to authenticate.

Downside to that is I will lose my CVE but I might be able to use a 3rd party VoIP provider and VoIP function of the router to at least give me a landline but as I said we shall see.

I'll report back here when I have figured something out.

Enjoy the long weekend!

Kind regards,

-=Glyn=-

[GlynH]

Looks like I might have answered my own question;

Using Smart Hub 2 as a modem only | BT Business

Direct from the horses mouth it states;

Using Smart Hub 2 as a modem only

You’ll need to enable the Bridging feature.

From the Hub Manager home page, go to -

• Advanced Settings
• Broadband
• Routing
• Enable Bridging

When you enable Bridge mode, your hub light will turn orange, your Hub will act as a modem only. This will disable any router features, such as NAT, DHCP, DNS and LTE mobile connections.

Looks like I could be in business!

-=Glyn=-