Setting up Google Nest Wifi router via Huawei-DG8041W

[toomek]

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 

[KeithFrench]

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.

[nophead]

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.  

[toomek]

@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? 

[nophead]

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.

[toomek]

@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! 

[Karl-TalkTalk]

Hi,

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

Karl

[toomek]

@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?

[Chris-TalkTalk]

Hi toomek,

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

Chris

[nophead]

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.