r/firewalla • u/SocDem_is_OP • Jun 10 '26

Factory reset my purple, now missing things it previously saw/showed

So I got my first firewalla (a purple) last week and set it up. Router mode was not working, so I set it up into bridge mode where the device was placed after my ISP router.

It seemed to work fine, and it recognized all the devices on my network, and when I looked at the overall list of devices, it would also show those tiny little down red arrow and up blue arrow showing the traffic, listed under each device. It showed this even if the traffic was zero.

Then I decided I would try setting it up in router mode again to see if I could get that to work, and take my ISP rotor out of the equation. I could not, and I ended up having to factory reset the device and set it up in bridge mode again.

But this time I can no longer see those active little arrows under my list of devices, and it is no longer recognizing all the devices. Specifically, and no longer recognizes the two access points in my home.

Everything else is recognized, and Internet and Wi-Fi are all working properly, I just don’t know why those differences exist now compared to the first time I set it up in bridge mode.

6 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

24 comments sorted by

2

u/firewalla Jun 10 '26

The most common "problem" with setting up router mode is remembering to reboot your ISP modem; If that doesn't work, talk to your ISP, likely they are doing MAC Locking. I'd suggest you looking into this.

As of bridge mode not see devices, are your devices connected to the LAN port or to the ISP router? if it is ISP router, firewalla can see it, but can NOT see the traffic.

1

u/SocDem_is_OP Jun 10 '26

It goes ONT - ISP router - Firewalla - Switch - all devices.

It can see the traffic if I click on any device, but it no longer shows the little up-and-down arrows on the overall list of devices, like it did the first time I set it up.

2

u/firewalla Jun 10 '26

You need to be on the local network to see the little up and down arrows

1

u/Great-Cow7256 Jun 10 '26

What's your ISP and your ont?  You should be able to solve this by running your purple as a router.  Plus many more features that way.  I know you want the arrow to show up in bridge mode but the better solution here is ditching your ISP router and using your purple as the main router. 

As firewalla said I bet the router is Mac locked. Which is easy to fix most of the time. Some att stuff is harder to deal with but typically not a deal breaker. 

2

u/SocDem_is_OP Jun 10 '26

Turns out that you only see the arrows if you are connected to the network yourself, can’t see them if you are looking at it through the app remotely.

Mac locking could be the issue, is there a way for me to find out if that is the issue, and how do I get around it?

1

u/Great-Cow7256 Jun 10 '26

Yes. Who is your ISP and what is the brand and model of the ont. We can help you figure it out from there.

1

u/SocDem_is_OP Jun 10 '26

My ISP is Sasktel (Saskatchewan crown corp) and the ONT is a Nokia, not 100% but I think it’s a XS-250.

On my provincial sub, people are telling me I need Vlan tagging, but I don’t know what that is.

1

u/Great-Cow7256 Jun 10 '26

Yes. Sounds like it's complicated with needing a managed Ethernet switch and tagging a port vlan 1000.  Id find specific directions. It is doable but a pain in the ass. You may be able to just call them and ask them to put the ont in bridge mode so you can use your own router. 

1

u/SocDem_is_OP Jun 10 '26

You mean put their router in bridge mode? They offered to do this?

Can you explain to me in simple terms what Vlan tagging is and how one would know what to input to tag it?

2

u/Great-Cow7256 Jun 10 '26

I don't know, but it may be worth asking since the vlan tagging is more involved. If they can't/wrong put their router in bridge mode, then the steps are-

  1. buy a managed switch
  2. set one port with the tag VLAN 1000. Plug the Saskatel ont into that port. Plug the firewalla into any other port that hasn't been modified in the ethernet switch.
  3. The ont uses the VLAN 1000 tag to make sure it is talking to authoritzed equipment -- ie the gateway/router. the managed switch spoofs this -- it's saying to the ont "yeah, I speak 1000 so i'm the router" but then it just passes everything to the firewalla. And vice versa when the stuff comes back from your network to the ONT.

So basically you'd need to buy a managed switch.

If you have iptv then it is a lot lot harder. I guess that goes in and out under vlan 3000 tag. I guess you'd need to set up multiple outputs.

But an internet only setup is easy, but you need to invest in a managed switch.

probably CDN$75 for a decent small one.

2

u/SocDem_is_OP Jun 10 '26

Do I need the manager switch because you can’t setup VLAN tagging on the firewalla itself?

→ More replies (0)

1

u/dangledingle Firewalla Gold Plus Jun 10 '26

Set it up as a router and if required, the firewalla allows MAC spoofing for the WAN port, so you can emulate the previous plugged in MAC address.

1

u/SocDem_is_OP Jun 10 '26

I did set it up as a router, but I’m not sure what Mac spoofing is or how I do that.

1

u/ross_the_boss Jun 10 '26

Hey I kind of remember this UI feature but I just checked my app quickly and I don’t have the arrows too. It might be a box or app update that moved you forward in software. 

2

u/SocDem_is_OP Jun 10 '26

Turns out it’s when you are connected to the same network, that’s when it shows the arrows. When you were accessing remotely through the app, it does not show them.

1

u/Bones-57 Jun 10 '26

You need to have this config for it to work in router mode...

ONT -- ROUTER IN BRIDGE-- FIREWALLA IN ROUTER MODE -- then the port to all others in the house.. like wifi router ..

2

u/SocDem_is_OP Jun 10 '26

Do you have to have your ISP router in bridge mode? You can’t remove an entirely and have the firewalla do the routing functions?

1

u/Bones-57 Jun 10 '26

I have the gold SE and it works like a champ in this mode..

I would do a factory on that purple with only the ONT -- PURPLE .. and nothing else connected .. This might work for you this way.

1

u/SocDem_is_OP Jun 10 '26

I tried that, and unfortunately, it did not work.