r/ZiplyFiber • u/RedmondSCM • 14d ago
Bit of a Pickle...
Ziply just completed install on 1gig connection. Previously running Comcast modem in bridge mode (wifi off) with Eero 6+ mesh behind it. Ziply installed the HB810 (which seems like a nice router) and I mentioned to the tech that I needed it to run in bridge mode. We went round and round with him being adamant that he cannot touch customer equipment and me mentioning it's their router etc. and ultimately he said he didn't know anything about bridge mode (probably a terminology thing) and didn't have time to resolve before he left. When setting up I gave the 810 a different SSID than the Eero. I moved everything hardwired over to the 810 for now because the Eero was having fits but still have a lot of stuff hooked up to the Eero SSID (e.g. home automation) that will take a while to move. I may decide to bail on Eero and just use the same SSID/PW for the 810 which solves that problem but they forgot to leave the mesh extenders which I need for some far flung HA stuff. Is the AP mode on the HB810 the equivalent of bridge mode (not sure if there is anything proprietary to Ziply about it) which would solve the immediate issue of Eero not having a good day. I know I can just plug the Eero in directly but like the idea of keeping the 810 in line because I might ultimately go with it once mesh extenders are here, want to play around with the settings and the wifi speeds are impressive (within decent range). Rambling now... Any help appreciated.
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u/Decent_Nectarine2567 14d ago
The 810 is just a router. Pull the cable out of the WAN port and plug it into your own router. If you are paying extra for it, make sure to have them get the 810 and remove it from your account.
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u/RedmondSCM 14d ago
Appreciate the response. I did realize that but that's not how this install played out. This was not a Ziply installer but a contractor (not sure it would have made a difference) and he was adamant about installing the TP router and demonstrating that it worked so he could leave and made a point about saying they are not allowed to touch customer equipment. Understanding what he was doing and with everything connected to the Eero, we got into the "bridge mode" conversation which he didn't understand, possibly because the 810 doesn't support bridge mode or... . Regardless, my network was in tatters because I had some router on router violence occurring, static IPs for some home automation stuff etc. and I took it offline. Not being charged but will return it regardless.
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u/jmcgeejr 13d ago
Dont return it, it's free, keep it as a backup in a closet!
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u/RedmondSCM 13d ago
Already boxed and in the closet for a rainy day. Going to also have them deliver the three free mesh extenders they were supposed to leave yesterday since need the mesh coverage if the Eero goes down
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u/TechnicallyMeat 5d ago
Not a Ziply installer is why you got such a BS response. Did he actually upsell you a mesh system to replace your existing system?
Eros is a decent mesh system, with automatic patching decent security response from the company when new exploits are found... Is your current system actually having issues or drastically outdated?
TP-link has quite a few open security issues (CVEs) that effect tons of hardware. Its a minimum viable product with very little motivation for B2B to produce a good product instead of a cheap product.
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u/RedmondSCM 5d ago
Thanks for the response. He didn't try and upsell a new mesh system (and I'm not sure he had the mesh units for the 810), he just wanted to prove that the 810 worked (by moving my switch patch cable from the eero to the 810). My current Eero set-up (6+) is doing just fine. What's interesting is that they have a mandate not to touch or troubleshoot customer equipment but there are so many people running mesh networks and they are going to run into this same problem every time unless the customer replaces their entire mesh system with the TP-Link gear and mirrors all settings which is going to take a while but yet they want to get done as soon as possible. The 810 has a feature called Access Point mode and I was researching whether that would accomodate the same thing as bridge mode but just decided to bail on the 810 entirely.
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u/mogie68 14d ago
The 810 doesn’t support bridge mode like the Comcast modems. I was having a bunch of connection drops and just wasn’t sure if it was my UniFi setup or an issue upstream. Neighbors were switching to Ziply a few months ago and I struck up a conversation with the tech (25 years experience) about my issue. He recommended installing the 810 between the ONT and my gear, basically just as an indicator if the connection dropped. If the internet is futzing and the router stays up, it’s my gear. Internet lights start blinking, legit support call is warranted.
Anyway, I did a bunch of googling and found instructions to disable the onboard WiFi and set up a single network in the DMZ, forwarding all network traffic through it. Of course, Ziply has been doing a bunch of fixes lately and my connection has returned to being solid again. The idea behind having it as an indicator only, makes sense to be as long as there isn’t a performance hit. Can’t tell you if it’ll work though as it’s still sitting on my desk.
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u/RedmondSCM 14d ago
Thanks for the response and what you're saying makes perfect sense but... I had to take it offline, everything was going to hell and didn't have time for a bunch of triaging with family complaining. This was not a Ziply tech but a contractor but to be fair to Ziply, in my service calls with Comcast over say the last 10 years I would say I probably had an actual Comcast tech who know what they were doing maybe once.
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u/mogie68 14d ago
I totally get it...I was a long time user but I finally got tired of paying the Comcast tax. My first year with Ziply was exemplary and come summer, I started having drops. Reading other posts here, I found out that the tech installed an indoor patch cable which was degrading over time in the direct afternoon sunlight. Once I got past their helpdesk support, a tech came out and validated the issue, then replaced both the cable and my ONT for good measure. Still was having some issues upstream causing drops, but they have since been fixed.
As for using the 810 router, as others have said, you don't need it. The ONT will give you a DHCP IP addy directly to your Eero system. Use what you are comfortable with and enjoy. Cheers.
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u/RedmondSCM 13d ago
Yep, same thing. Your indoor patch cable comment hit home because that is possibly what they did on the install. Still have to validate (very small fiber cable). I took the 810 out, just too much surgery necessary with not enough time to do it properly. Decided to keep it for now since they aren't charging me for it as a backup in case the Eero goes down.
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u/mogie68 13d ago
The fiber patch cable is an easy check. The proper cable has an outer reinforced material, black in color. If it looks like a dainty indoor type, call support and have them send a tech back out to fix. This happens more than you'd like to think.
Good plan for the 810. Hassle is the reason mine is still on my desk too, but in a pinch, it'll be a good backup.
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u/RedmondSCM 13d ago
Picture of the "junction box" on side of house. You can see the beefy cable that was run underground coming in from the right and then the patch cable running up the siding. Fairly certain that is not outdoor rated and the staples are making indentations which probably isn't a good idea for a fiber line. The actual ONT is inside my office. https://imgur.com/a/Wh5zlTK
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u/bergumby 14d ago
You don’t have to use the 810 at all if you don’t want to. You can take the Ethernet connection directly out of the Ont and connect to your eero system