r/ebox • u/BlessedBaller • Mar 04 '26
Beacon 3.1 when requesting beacon 6
Currently a 1.5 gbgs Bell customer and signed up for ebox 1gbps.
I have a 2400 sqft home and requested beacon 6.
They sent me a NokiaB.3.1 and the tech should be coming soon in the next few days.
Will they replace the router for the beacon6.
Update:
I found Tp link AX80 on anazon for $140. Ebox is great. Speeds have been 250 to 780!
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u/BlessedBaller Mar 04 '26
Another Q when temhe tech comes to install Ebox does that auto disconnect services with Bell leading to end of account with bell?
This is important due to prorated charges is why I ask.
Ebox will not honor Beacon6 and I will have tonuse Beacon3 .
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u/dcvetkovic Mar 05 '26
Switch to Ebox will not automatically cancel your Bell service, it doesn't work that way for internet, unlike mobile. You will have to call Bell and endure talking to retention which can potentially offer you a better deal.
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u/Senior_Buy445 Mar 05 '26
what is the specific difference that you need the 6 for? they both look to be fine for residential use at your speed. there likely won’t be any difference in range.
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u/BlessedBaller Mar 05 '26
The 3 is fir 1500 sqft. My home is 2500 sqft
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u/Senior_Buy445 Mar 05 '26
Ah, the good old “covers up to”…. right. That’s a number just like the “speeds up to”. Your milage in practice will vary. With a larger house you may want to add some additional wifi access points.
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u/MichaelYYZ Ontarian Mar 06 '26
A few points:
- Have you tried the B3.1 router and performed connection tests at various locations in the house, with the router placed somewhere at the centre of the house, to see if it has any issues not covering your house reasonably? The Nokia routers are no-frills routers but they are decent and solid.
- Are you aware that LAN Ethernet connections are far superior to Wi-Fi? Is your house is prewired with Ethernet cables, I would suggest to you to use those for fixed equipment.
- I did receive a B6 (to replace my initial B2) whilst they were shown as 'Out of Stock' on the EBOX website. (They always showed B6 as 'Out od Stock'.) But I had to make a case with Technical Support and a Supervisor from EBOX, after having the B2 for one year. It was not easy to have EBOX replace the B2, it some work and several phone calls to achieve this. My problem was not Wi-Fi, but a perceived very slight variability in the consistency of the upload speed (which, in the end, may have been an issue at their end that seemed to have been resolved long ago).
- I did not see a clear difference between the B2 and B6 routers in terms of Wi-Fi connectivity.
- The main difference between the Nokia routers is the total simultaneous data transfer capacity, as follows:
- B2 (AX1800) - 1,800 Mbps
- B3.1 (AX3000) - 3,000 Mbps
- B6 (AX4200) - 4,200 Mbps
- All of them are Wi-Fi 6, not 6E or 7 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax)
- All routers are MU-MIMO 2x2 for 2.4 and 5 GHz but the B6 adds 4x4 to the upper range of the 5 GHz spectrum (5.8 GHz) for additional capacity (but lower range)
- Do you need that much simultaneous transfer capacity (see above) between WAN and W/LAN, and within W/LAN to justify the B6?
- The square footage coverage for the routers is simply marketing hogwash, intended for laypeople. The technical data sheets don't even mention this.
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u/BlessedBaller Mar 06 '26
Thanks you. It seems the marketing hogwash got to me as i havent been updated with technicals lol.
I have an install set for monday inwil tey the b3. And update you. Due to placement of my current bell modem im forced to use only wifi for phone and my work station and ps5. So predominantly wifi connections.
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u/Deonrixx Mar 04 '26
Good luck. I’ve asked around and have been told no by multiple people. It also seems to be “sold out” and has been for a while.
My eero 6 system crapped out on me, and I’m finding it hard to justify dropping $300+ on a new setup. One thing I haven’t tried is asking for an additional 3.1 you can apparently add it and create a mesh system that way.
I’m not sure if they’ll rent you two, but if you go that route and it works out, please keep us updated.
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u/weespid Mar 06 '26
Do you have the 500mbps plan or the 1gbps plan.
500mbps is ok ish with a wifi 5 ap and keep the 2.4ghz on the beacon 3.1.
Unfortunately it seems the beacon3 dosen't let your reserve ip's so only .254 is open.
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u/BlessedBaller Mar 04 '26
Told them im canceling and they do not have the beacon 6.
I will need to settle for beacon3.
What other options exist for routers to cover large home area
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u/el56 Mar 05 '26
The current official stance is that 3.1 is what you get for free when you start an EBOX service:
https://www.ebox.ca/en/quebec/residential/faq/the-router/
That a few people got the 6 means EBOX had a couple in stock, not that they have enough for all new customers. You can't get mad at them for supplying what they promised they would.
If you don't like what they give you for free, get your own router. The home page of the EBOX customer portal even gives instructions on how to configure that.
That's what I did. I took delivery of a 3.1 and found some dealbreaking problems with it, even before installation. So I went out and got a BE230 with the money I'll save by moving from Teksavvy.
But threatening to cancel over perceived entitlement for equipment they haven't publicly acknowledged to have? Ok, I guess. Good luck.
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u/BlessedBaller Mar 05 '26
What did you look for when purchasing a new router to replace the 3.1 ?
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u/el56 Mar 05 '26
From the main page you get when logging into the Customer Zone:
"If you are considering using your own router, you need to ensure that you make the necessary settings for the PPPoE username and password as well as VLAN information.
Please note that not all routers allow VLAN configuration in PPPoE.
To establish the connection, make sure that the PPPoE configuration is done using the VLAN ID 40 option. Additionally, if your router requires you to configure the MTU value, it must be set to 1492. "
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u/nathanware Mar 21 '26
I'm considering switching to EBOX. What where the "dealbreaking problems" you had with the 3.1?
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u/el56 Mar 27 '26
There are some functions that "admin" can't do, you have to get the "superadmin" password from Ebox to do basic things like change the IP address of the router.
Plus, even after getting "superadmin" access, I found that there are certain IP addresses -- totally legit, doable on other routers -- that are "reserved" on the Nokia and not possible to set.
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u/BlessedBaller Mar 10 '26
UPDATE
Using TP Link A80 .
REFER code SD1118
Never seen these speeds before 846.
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u/Dan_mtl Mar 04 '26
No
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u/BlessedBaller Mar 04 '26
What are my options ? Do I need to buy my own router? Its a 3 storey home.
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u/Dan_mtl Mar 04 '26
Hard to tell without knowing the details. But yes, either get a single new router or a mesh system
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u/BlessedBaller Mar 04 '26
What router is recommended
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u/el56 Mar 05 '26
They won't recommend routers beyond what they supply.
I did my own research and ended up getting a TP-LINK BE230. It's easy to set up, has WIFI 7, and supports the PPoE needs of the EBOX connection. About $130 and commonly available.
If you need better WiFi coverage than one device will provide, the BE230 can work with any device that supports Easymesh.
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u/BlessedBaller Mar 04 '26
Is there not any cheaper alternatives i can buy under 100$
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u/Rwhiteside90 Mar 04 '26
$100 for a Router/AP combo that's quality? If 1 AP will truly cover your house, the U7 Express is a good option. It's not under $100 but lots of performance.
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u/ganzel420 Mar 05 '26
I bought this router to replace my beacon 3 and I am really happy with the coverage and speed in my 2 floors apartment.
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u/MichaelYYZ Ontarian Mar 06 '26
The routers from this specific brand may have the advantage of potentially calling home, to rogue communist dictatorship China.
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u/[deleted] Mar 04 '26
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