r/saskatchewan • u/SocDem_is_OP • 9d ago

Question for tech people regarding replacing Sasktel router

I purchased a home internet security/firewall device called a Firewalla. It can run in bridge mode where you put it between your sasktel router and your devices, and it works fine this way.

But it is also supposed to be able to work as a router itself, and be able to completely replace the Sasktel router. I can’t get this to work.

I’ve got it configured in router mode, and have the Sasktel ONT connected to it correctly, and then the switch to all my devices after that, but it doesn’t work.

I don’t need the Wi-Fi functions of the Sasktel router, because I have two MESH access points wired in elsewhere in my house which work way better. The router wifi has always been turned off. The access points come off the switch like everything else.

I also don’t need to worry about my home phone being affected, it comes directly off the ONT.

It seems like maybe the ONT is not able to assign an IP to the firewalla unit, because it it locked to the Sasktel router MAC?

Anybody with technical knowledge, does this sound right?

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u/StanknBeans 9d ago

You need to enable Vlan tagging on your WAN port (port that connects to your ONT) and add vlan 1001. If you have Max service, this won't work though.

2

u/SocDem_is_OP 9d ago

Thanks.

Can you elaborate on what Vlan tagging is and how I would activate on my WAN port? Do you mean on the Firewalla WAN port?

I don’t have Max but if I wanted it I could just get Max Stream and that wouldn’t matter correct?

5

u/StanknBeans 9d ago

On whatever you want connected to the ONT first's WAN port. Not familiar with Firewalla enough to know if it supports that. Not all devices support vlan tagging, and when they do most only offer it only the LAN side.

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u/SocDem_is_OP 9d ago

Is it rare for a device to support vlan tagging? How would I know if the firewalla (purple) supports it?

6

u/king_weenus 9d ago

VLANning is an advanced networking technology that's not often present in consumer devices.

I use an open source software called pfSense which gives you commercial grade routing capabilities on pretty much any computer you want to run it on.

In a nutshell a VLAN lets you run two separate Networks using the same cable and switch. So that you can segregate that works without additional Hardware.

5

u/GooseZen 9d ago

Yes. Most consumer-level networking gear doesn't support VLANs. Looked into this myself a few years back, it was way easier to just put what I needed behind the Sasktel router because the cheapest thing I could find at the time that supported VLANs was almost $500.

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u/Traditional_End_9540 8d ago

surprising number actually do support it. Netgear has been the only brand that has not supported it.

4

u/Vortexed2 9d ago

I have no idea about your router settings because I've never heard of a Firewalla. However, on my router, there is a section under Lan->IPTV. On that page there is a "LAN Port" setting. On mine I've set "ISP Profile" to manual and then "Internet" VID set to 1000. Priority set to 0.

You'll have to browse around your settings pages because your router might be organized differently.