Does anybody use Bell/FibeTV (in Canada) with pfSense
-
Does anybody use Bell/FibeTV (in Canada-GTA Area) with pfSense?
Do the bell modems operate in bridge mode?
I am assuming that the FibeTV requires IPv6-anything special required to get it to operate?
Can all WiFi be turned off?
(I am currently on Rogers and am getting pushed to their Ignite service which as 2 hidden WiFi SSIDs which run 24/7 and can not be turned off, so I am considering other options including Bell). -
@guardian said in Does anybody use Bell/FibeTV (in Canada) with pfSense:
I am assuming that the FibeTV requires IPv6-anything special required to get it to operate?
Does Bell even provide IPv6? Last I heard they didn't and even on their cell network, where it's mandatory with 4G & 5G, they do a lousy job.
-
@JKnott said in Does anybody use Bell/FibeTV (in Canada) with pfSense:
even provide IPv6? Last I heard they didn't and even on the
Good question.... I know almost nothing about it which is why I am reaching out here.
If I can use the FibeTV with IPv4 that's fine too--I am still not sure how I am going to eventually deal with IPv6... If I don't have to worry about it for awhile, that's OK too.
We have a Bell home phone, and they offer a very attractive pricing on phone/TV/Internet. I can get all three and not even use the internet and save money.
-
@guardian said in Does anybody use Bell/FibeTV (in Canada) with pfSense:
We have a Bell home phone, and they offer a very attractive pricing on phone/TV/Internet. I can get all three and not even use the internet and save money.
If you have a "Home Hub", you have a piece of garbage that's difficult to do anything with. I've set up a few for business customers and they're a real pain to work with and I'm not sure they have a bridge mode. I'm on Rogers and putting the modem into bridge mode is extremely easy. As soon as you login, you see a button to do it.
-
@JKnott said in Does anybody use Bell/FibeTV (in Canada) with pfSense:
@guardian said in Does anybody use Bell/FibeTV (in Canada) with pfSense:
We have a Bell home phone, and they offer a very attractive pricing on phone/TV/Internet. I can get all three and not even use the internet and save money.
If you have a "Home Hub", you have a piece of garbage that's difficult to do anything with. I've set up a few for business customers and they're a real pain to work with and I'm not sure they have a bridge mode. I'm on Rogers and putting the modem into bridge mode is extremely easy. As soon as you login, you see a button to do it.
From what I understand they have a DMZ, and you have to put pfSense in the DMZ and do something with PPoE.
I'm not sure about the newer HH4000, but from what I can see with the HH3000, you can take the SFP module out, stick it into a cheap TP-Link MC220L media converter, configure pfSense for PPoE, and you are good to go. Bell romper room router can be kept in the box until you need to return it.
EDIT: I've these YouTube links that explains the process - hope it helps someone else who is looking.
PfSense FTTH Bell - Bypass HH3000
How to remove/bypass Bell Hub 3000 and use your own routerThe thing that is currently bothering me about Rogers is that I have to tolerate 2 hidden WiFi radios (which emit quite high power levels) which I can't turn off. With mounting evidence that long term exposure to WiFi represents a serious risk to health, I'm not prepared to tolerate that in my home office where I spend many hours.
I took a cursory look at Faraday cages, but I couldn't find anything practical/affordable/suitable to stick the Rogers box in. I'd want to knock the signal down a minimum of 40dB which would likely mean I'd still be next to -50dbm. Not easy when you need to allow ventilation and you need to filter 5-6GHz which is a pretty small wavelength.
The other option that I am looking at is Teksavvy who use the Rogers RF system. They have a 1GB tier (Rogers now has 1.5GB/500MB), and since my managed switch is only GB, no sense in anything more than 1GB anyway.
-
@guardian said in Does anybody use Bell/FibeTV (in Canada) with pfSense:
The thing that is currently bothering me about Rogers is that I have to tolerate 2 hidden WiFi radios (which emit quite high power levels) which I can't turn off. With mounting evidence that long term exposure to WiFi represents a serious risk to health, I'm not prepared to tolerate that in my home office where I spend many hours.
I took a cursory look at Faraday cages, but I couldn't find anything practical/affordable/suitable to stick the Rogers box in. I'd want to knock the signal down a minimum of 40dB which would likely mean I'd still be next to -50dbm. Not easy when you need to allow ventilation and you need to filter 5-6GHz which is a pretty small wavelength.
You can always wear a tinfoil hat.
What radios are you talking about. You turn off WiFi before putting the modem into bridge mode, in case it doesn't happen automagically.
I've had a cable modem since the late 90s. Works fine. Rogers has other advantages, such as the provide a host name based on the modem and router MAC addresses. This means the name does not change unless you change hardware. My IPv4 address changes so seldom it's virtually static. I also get 2 of 'em. On IPv6, I've had the same /56 prefix for a few years and I get 256 /64 prefixes.
-
@guardian said in Does anybody use Bell/FibeTV (in Canada) with pfSense:
rom what I understand they have a DMZ
Is that DMZ behind NAT? If so, you're not connected directly to Bell's network, which means DHCPv6-PD won't work to provide a prefix for your LAN.
-
@JKnott said in Does anybody use Bell/FibeTV (in Canada) with pfSense:
@guardian said in Does anybody use Bell/FibeTV (in Canada) with pfSense:
The thing that is currently bothering me about Rogers is that I have to tolerate 2 hidden WiFi radios (which emit quite high power levels) which I can't turn off. With mounting evidence that long term exposure to WiFi represents a serious risk to health, I'm not prepared to tolerate that in my home office where I spend many hours.
I took a cursory look at Faraday cages, but I couldn't find anything practical/affordable/suitable to stick the Rogers box in. I'd want to knock the signal down a minimum of 40dB which would likely mean I'd still be next to -50dbm. Not easy when you need to allow ventilation and you need to filter 5-6GHz which is a pretty small wavelength.
You can always wear a tinfoil hat.
What radios are you talking about. You turn off WiFi before putting the modem into bridge mode, in case it doesn't happen automagically.
Check the Rogers forum, and Reddit (can't remember if it was r/Rogers or some home lab sub-reddit and they talk about it. I found this by searching something like 'rogers hidden wifi'. I stumbled over a post where someone was complaining about these hidden SSIDs screwing up their IoT device connectivity.
I know based on a couple of hours talking with tech support and even to the level of the Office of the President that these radios exist to support other services (that I don't subscribe to) , and it appears that they have no mechanism to turn them off.
I've had a cable modem since the late 90s. Works fine. Rogers has other advantages, such as the provide a host name based on the modem and router MAC addresses. This means the name does not change unless you change hardware. My IPv4 address changes so seldom it's virtually static. I also get 2 of 'em. On IPv6, I've had the same /56 prefix for a few years and I get 256 /64 prefixes.
Yes, my experience has been the same, and I wouldn't even be looking at this if Rogers wasn't pushing so hard to force me on to their ignite service.
When we get Fiber on the street, it will mean we have symmetrical service which will make remote backup more practical.
-
@guardian said in Does anybody use Bell/FibeTV (in Canada) with pfSense:
When we get Fiber on the street, it will mean we have symmetrical service which will make remote backup more practical.
Rogers also has fibre, up to 8 Gb.
-
@JKnott said in Does anybody use Bell/FibeTV (in Canada) with pfSense:
@guardian said in Does anybody use Bell/FibeTV (in Canada) with pfSense:
rom what I understand they have a DMZ
Is that DMZ behind NAT? If so, you're not connected directly to Bell's network, which means DHCPv6-PD won't work to provide a prefix for your LAN.
My understanding (but am not 100% sure), is that you are not behind NAT.
-
@guardian said in Does anybody use Bell/FibeTV (in Canada) with pfSense:
I stumbled over a post where someone was complaining about these hidden SSIDs screwing up their IoT device connectivity
I saw some comments about that, including they're turned off in bridge mode. My modem has 2 WiFi MAC addresses, one each for 2.4 & 5 GHz. They differ only in the last character. I have a WiFi scanning app on my phone and looked at all the hidden SSIDs I could find. There were some that were similar to mine, indicating neighbours on Rogers, but not either of my MAC addresses were hidden. I know the IPTV boxes can use WiFi, but mine are connected with Ethernet. Are you referring to the TV service? I can't think of anything else they'd use WiFi for, other than perhaps security systems.
-
@guardian said in Does anybody use Bell/FibeTV (in Canada) with pfSense:
My understanding (but am not 100% sure), is that you are not behind NAT
Then they will have to provide multiple IPv4 addresses and I doubt they do.