In this article, we will guide you through the process of configuring your router to operate in bridge mode or IP passthrough mode.
What is Bridge Mode (IP Passthrough Mode)?
Bridge mode, also known as IP passthrough mode, allows your router to pass the public IP address assigned by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to another device, typically your primary router. This configuration is particularly useful if your network setup involves a VDSL connection, but your primary router does not support VDSL. In such cases, you can use an additional router in front of your primary router, configured in bridge mode, to manage the VDSL connection.
Bridge Mode vs. IP Passthrough Mode: What's the Difference?
While bridge mode and IP passthrough mode are often used interchangeably, they have distinct differences.
- Bridge Mode: This mode disables all routing functionalities on the secondary router, effectively turning it into a simple bridge that forwards all network traffic to the next device in the chain. Despite the routing functions being disabled, DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) can still be utilized for IP address assignment within your local network.
- IP Passthrough Mode: In this mode, all incoming and outgoing network traffic is processed at the "bridged router" but is not terminated. The traffic is then passed to the next router in the network chain. Unlike bridge mode, IP passthrough allows the secondary router to maintain some level of control over the traffic, such as filtering or monitoring, before passing it along.
How to configure IP-passthrough mode
- Navigate to settings and make sure it's enabled.
Network setting -> Broadband Cellular IP Passthrough
- You can choose between Fixed and Dynamic Mode
Fixed mode means that the router will send traffic to a specific MAC address of your choosing.
Dynamic mode means that it will send the traffic (and public IP) to the first device connected in your network.
Disable the firewall
- Secondly, disable the firewall to prevent any unwanted blocks in your traffic flowing out from your NAT router.
- Navigate to settings and disable both the IPv4 firewall and IPv6 Firewall:
Security -> Firewall -> General
Connect router and internet connection
Make sure that your NAT router is connected to your bridged router on LAN1 and that the internet connection is connected to WAN or "DSL", depending on what connection you have
Reboot your bridged router
Make a reboot and afterward, the bridge mode / IP passthrough mode should work.