topic Setting up Google Nest Wifi router via Huawei-DG8041W in Broadband

Setting up Google Nest Wifi router via Huawei-DG8041W

toomek — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 20:29:16 GMT

Hello

My Talktalk router is the Huawei-DG8041W. I have a Google Nest Wifi router which I would like to use as a fully functioning router device in my home network. To do this I have been trying to find a way to do it, but it seems impossible/very complicated for someone that is not an IT specialist!

Is there a way to connect a Google Nest Wifi router directly to the BT Openreach socket? I have an RJ11 2-pin cable that plugs into a 'broadband' port in Huawei-DG8041W. I tried to connect it directly to the Google Nest Wifi router but it does not recognise connection - is there a modem-like adaptor or RJ11 2-pin to a 6-pin adaptor that would let me connect to the internet? Or maybe I have to use Huawei-DG8041W as a modem?

I saw that some people recommend bypassing the existing TalkTalk router functions - effectively turning it into a modem only. I've understood that one way to do this is to put the TalkTalk device in 'bridge mode'. I have discovered that by going into advanced settings, then 'WAN configuration', then clicking on the connection name (I have only VDSL connection available to me to click on), under 'WAN Mode' there is an option to 'Bridge WAN'. However, when I try this saving this option I get the message "The current service type is not supported in bridge WAN mode".

I saw that a Sagemcom WIFI hub has been offered to some customers free of charge - does it allow 'bridge WAN'?

What are my other options? Any solutions to this?

I would greatly appreciate your help!!!

Cheers,

Tom

@Debbie-TalkTalk @Karl-TalkTalk @Chris-TalkTalk @KeithFrench @speedygonzalez

Re: Setting up Google Nest Wifi router via Huawei-DG8041W

nophead — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 00:21:49 GMT

All I did was disable all the wireless functions and connect my Google Nest router to one of the ethernet ports on my DG8041W. The Nest router acts as the bridge and creates a wireless and a new wired network with a different IP address. Because of this I changed the DG8041W base address to 192.168.2.1 so that I could keep the rest of my home network on 192.168.1.n.

The only other complication was to port forward for my VPN I had to forward on the DG8041W to the address of the Nest router and then forward it on the Nest router to my Raspberry PI that runs wireguard. To facilitate this I told the DG8041W to fix the address it assigns to the Nest router.

So my DG8041W has an easy life just acting as a VDSL modem with one ethernet port.

Re: Setting up Google Nest Wifi router via Huawei-DG8041W

Chris-TalkTalk — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 08:53:01 GMT

Hi toomek,

How are you getting on, has nophead's advice helped?

Chris

Re: Setting up Google Nest Wifi router via Huawei-DG8041W

toomek — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 09:06:58 GMT

@nophead Thank you so much!💛 I'll check it tonight as now I work from home so cannot play with the wifi.

@Chris-TalkTalk I'll let you know if it works, however, is there a way to avoid using TalkTalk DG8041W at all? It takes too much space, is there a smaller solution to this?

Re: Setting up Google Nest Wifi router via Huawei-DG8041W

Karl-TalkTalk — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 09:11:49 GMT

Hi,

there are no other solutions, the Huawei router is the same size as our other routers.

Karl

Re: Setting up Google Nest Wifi router via Huawei-DG8041W

toomek — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 09:19:58 GMT

@Karl-TalkTalk thank you for explaining,

how about using the RJ11 2-pin to RJ11 6-pin cable adapter?

Or must the broadband go through the TalkTalk device (modem) before connecting to the third-party router?

I'm not super tech-savvy so I struggle to understand the reason for TalkTalk DG8041W use in my case, I would appreciate your help!

Re: Setting up Google Nest Wifi router via Huawei-DG8041W

nophead — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 09:34:34 GMT

The Google Nest router is just a router without a modem, so it has an ethernet input. You can't connect that to a phone line you need a modem in between to convert from VDSL to ethernet not just a simple adapter.

Re: Setting up Google Nest Wifi router via Huawei-DG8041W

toomek — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 09:39:55 GMT

@nophead perfect, I understand now, do you think I could buy a smaller-sized modem to convert from VDSL to ethernet? To avoid using TalkTalk DG8041W. Have you considered a such option in your case?

Re: Setting up Google Nest Wifi router via Huawei-DG8041W

nophead — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 09:48:46 GMT

My routers are in the garage, so I don't have a shortage of space. Significant space in a router is taken up by the modem because phone lines are high voltage and need isolation, that is why the Google nest can be so small. You might get one a bit smaller but not significantly smaller.

I don't like the form factor of the DG8041W. I had to make a tiny shelf to mount it on the wall. My previous router had screw slots for mounting flat to the wall.

Re: Setting up Google Nest Wifi router via Huawei-DG8041W

KeithFrench — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 09:59:41 GMT

Hi @toomek

If you could put the Huawei into bridge mode, you will have no internet access whatsoever. You need it to act as a router because otherwise, it will not be able to route any private IP networks out to the public IP network of the internet. What you would need is to put it into modem mode, so that it will interface with the broadband & provide your Google Nest router with the public IP address.

However, no TalkTalk router supports either mode.

What you can do though is to use the Huawei in its default configuration, and change its IP address to put it on another IP network, such as 192.168.2.1. Disable its WiFi & then connect one of its Ethernet ports to the Nest, assuming that is using 192.168.1.1. If however, it uses a different address, you would have to change the Huawei to keep it on a different IP network.

The downside of this is that you will have created a double NAT scenario, but that is only relevant if you are using any port forwarding. Even then it is easy enough to get around that.

Re: Setting up Google Nest Wifi router via Huawei-DG8041W

toomek — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 10:06:39 GMT

@nophead thank you! 😉

Hi, @KeithFrench

Thank you for your answer! I will only use the Nest as the only wifi (so no mesh) as my flat is tiny! Does it mean that I do not use port forwarding? My flatmate and I use google chromecasts and we have 3 google smart speakers - do you think a double NAT scenario will impact those?

Re: Setting up Google Nest Wifi router via Huawei-DG8041W

KeithFrench — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 10:41:58 GMT

Hi @toomek

You will know if you are using port forwarding currently, as this is something, whatever router you use, needs to be configured manually. OK, UPnP does similar, but is incredibly insecure & should never be used.

Port forwarding is only used when some legitimate service needs to connect from the internet to a specific device in your flat. This would typically be any game that you might be hosting, remote access to security cameras etc. Any connection that you make from a device to the internet does not use port forwarding at all.

If you do need to set this up, it is not difficult & I regularly use another router in the fashion that I described in my other post, when I need to check a particular port forwarding scenario. That always requires it to be configured for use in the double NAT environment.

Re: Setting up Google Nest Wifi router via Huawei-DG8041W

toomek — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 20:26:46 GMT

@KeithFrench @nophead

It think worked! Thank you so much!

I went to advanced settings LAN Host Configuration to change it to 192.168.2.1 the not sure if I can allow for a 'secondary address' (?) however, the Google nest wifi router shows

WAN IP 192.168.2.1

LAN IP 192.168.86.1

is that correct?

then I switched off the wifi from the main screen.

My devices can still see TalkTalk somehow but a device that was never connected to it cannot see it, is that an issue?

Re: Setting up Google Nest Wifi router via Huawei-DG8041W

nophead — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 21:21:57 GMT

Not sure what you mean By "not sure if I can allow for a 'secondary address'"?

The LAN address will work fine. Mine is a more common 192.168.1.1. I can't remember if I manually changed it with the Google Home app. I didn't want all the dozens of devices in my home to notice any change. I used the same SSID and password on the Google Nest as I had on the previous router from a different ISP.

If you have turned off both Wifi channels (5GHz and 2.4 GHz) and you haven't got any wired devices other than the Google Nest connected to the DG8041W then nothing else should see the other network on 192.168.2.1.If you do connect anything wired to the DG8041W then it will see the internet and devices on the Nest will see it but it won't see any devices on the Nest network.

Re: Setting up Google Nest Wifi router via Huawei-DG8041W

toomek — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 21:59:03 GMT

@nophead thanks!

There was an option to allow for a 'secondary address' in advanced settings LAN Host Configuration.

I can confirm that the TalkTalk wifi is visible althout I have disabled both 5GHz and 2.4 GHz. I am now connected to Google Nest router but can still see old TalkTalk on my laptop and telephone/tv/ipad. Any idea how to change it? or if I make sure all devices use Google that can be left as it is?

Re: Setting up Google Nest Wifi router via Huawei-DG8041W

nophead — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 22:23:04 GMT

I don't know what the secondary address is for. A normal home network doesn't need more than one as you can have 254 devices on one class C network. Even I haven't got that many devices and I have about 45 Ethernet ports on the various switches around my mouse and dozens of Wifi devices.

Devices will remember all the networks you have attached to so that if they see them again they can connect. For example my phone will connect in various bars in Tenerife but at the moment it can only see my Nest router and about 5 neighbours routers, so that is all it displays. It doesn't show old networks until it sees them again.

Re: Setting up Google Nest Wifi router via Huawei-DG8041W

nophead — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 22:24:52 GMT

I supposed if you had two networks you could arrange devices into two groups that could see each other and the internet but none of the other group. Perhaps that is useful in shared accommodation.

Re: Setting up Google Nest Wifi router via Huawei-DG8041W

toomek — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 22:26:04 GMT

@nophead thanks for explaining, no need for the second address then!

I have 'forgotten' the TalkTalk wifi on all the devices, but they can still see it.

Re: Setting up Google Nest Wifi router via Huawei-DG8041W

nophead — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 22:29:16 GMT

Is that definitely your router and not a neighbours? If it is then it seems to be ignoring the fact you have switched off Wifi. Mine doesn't do that but it is one revision behind the latest firmware I think.

Re: Setting up Google Nest Wifi router via Huawei-DG8041W

toomek — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 00:04:00 GMT

@nophead

definitely mine! If I switch off the power supply to both TalkTalk and Google - could that reset help? Just don’t want to mess it up as it works ok now 😅