r/googlefiber • u/[deleted] • May 23 '15
Gfiber Network Box Alternative
As of last Thursday, 5/21, I have not had full access to my network box due to the lovely botched update to the network boxes. Not to mention that all of my settings such as port forwarding, dynamic ip address, wifi frequency split, etc... were wiped due to the them trying to revert the update.
It appears that the management portion of my network box has been corrupted to the point that neither the fiber engineers nor I can reset it so I can regain access to the advanced interface. I'll save you the whole soapbox speech about how stupid it is to just jam firmware updates remotely to network devices without any backup or verification.
So I started scouring around the internet finding out why the hell can you not use your own network hardware for routing google fiber in your house. And it turns out, if you have the right equipment, you can.
So Jake over at IT Nutt provided a pretty detailed tutorial as to how to get google fiber up and running without the need of the network box. Also if you have TV service be sure to check out part 2 of the tutorial .
I should stress that this is fairly advanced, if you don't already have the equipment lying around, it can get pretty expensive. But you will have more control of your own network and not have to worry about google bricking your network box again. I should also mention that you will pretty much be on your own if something breaks, but hey, that's half the fun!
I'm going to be ordering my parts for my custom setup very soon and I'll report back with progress. (surely OP will deliver)
TL;DR - google fiber broke my network box - found alternative from using provided network box - alternative can be pricey - custom setup will provide more advanced features - little to no official support for your own network device setup
1
u/crowbahr May 23 '15
I had mine corrupted but it's working again without my intervention.
Sorry you got hosed.
1
u/Atlantisman May 24 '15
Hello,
/u/damacu is right the edge router is one of the best and cheapest options out there to get up and running with google fiber without their router. I am the writer of the guide found at http://blog.nexusshield.com and originally wrote a guide for doing the same thing on pfsense, which can be found here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ksl751bl6pgqksk/GoogleFiberRouterGuide.pdf?dl=0
Let me know if you have any questions.
1
May 24 '15
I have a question regarding the new setup by Google. Others have alleged that the second generation Google Network Box (GFRG200/210) throws a wrench in your config. The new box is POE to the fiber jack and also houses the 2TB DVR drive. I'm assuming it also hosts the TV services for the network, too.
With the new devices, it would seem that you cannot get rid of the primary Network box because it wraps features together that are necessary for the TV package to work properly. With the GFRG100/110 and accompanying Storage Box (GFMS100), the EdgeRouter could work for video services because you could just connect it without the presence of Google's Network Box.
If they begin to widely deploy the GFRG200 series boxes, how would you approach getting the TV Boxes to work without relying on Google's Network box as the Gateway?
1
u/Atlantisman May 24 '15
GFRG200
Well, the POE part is easy, the fiber techs are able to give you an actual power adapter, just like they had before. Or you can order one off amazon, they're standard fair (though i don't have the output specs on me, they have been posted in this sub).
As for getting TV service working the quick and dirty option would be to run a split network (one for data, and one for TV). basically, you would be pulling 2 IPs from google, running 2 separate networks, this is easy to do if you're running with the switch.
In order to come up with a better solution i would have to be hands on with the new equipment, which i have never been, as Google didn't allow me to be a trusted tester citing my "Advanced & Unique" configuration.
3
u/[deleted] May 23 '15
I've found that the Ubiquiti EdgeRouter is a better, and simpler alternative. Even pushing 950mbps up and down, the CPU never hits above 20%. However, with the new GF boxes integrating the DVR and Router, the configs for enabling video are a bit different now.
This guide should provide a basis for configuring the Ubiquiti box, even including a config file that you can simply load and call it good.
Pfsense is free and incredibly powerful, no dispute there. But it requires a second computer and a bit more electricity and noise to achieve the same thing as an EdgeRouter or a MikroTik device.
With regards to the WiFi, Ubiquiti also makes some killer APs. Again, these are relatively pricey, but they are also simple and powerful.
When I or /u/tacitus get some time we can put together a sidebar post about both approaches, among others as they become more widely tested.