You can also do it cheaper: just buy a normal Wireless Router without any *DSL features, hook up the Swisscom thingy to the WAN port, disable everything on the Swisscom modem and enable bridged operation. If you do that, the normal router will do all the routing and wireless stuff and the modem will just be that: a modem. It can be a bit trickier than I just wrote without IT knowledge, but there should be tutorials on the web...


The interesting part on symlink is the first comment:
Translated and improved with details:
Connect to the router with telnet and execute "config dslf-cpewan set off", "save", "quit", then reboot your router to turn of remote access. After that, you'll have to flash the last power user friendly firmware, which can be downloaded here: http://www.netopia.com/support/hardw...s/nap774r7.bin

You should have at least some expierience with this stuff if you want to try it, as I seriously doubt that Swisscom will be helping you if you brick anything...

Glad I changed to the competition, and use my own 3rd-party WLAN router.

Thanks Mensi, this sounds like the perfect solution. Just clarify for me how I bridge the two routers together. Also which two sockets on the back do I connect together? Is it the telephone socket on the new router to the Computer socket on the Netopia, or is New router's computer socket to the Netopia's computer socket?

I guess the Netopia remains plugged in the wall (VDSL telephone cable), and I should just disable the Netopia wireless, - or were you thinking of disabling something else as well?

Sorry one more question: If my Netopia gateway is 192.168.1.1 should I set up the second new router with a different address. I guess the default will be 192.168.1.1 as well. I could change it to say 192.168.1.3

Well I have two Netopia Routers. Swisscom sent me two in error. I could risk destroying one. The Swisscom told me first that there was no downgrade possible and then he said that if I try it nothing will work. Hell, I like to live dangerously. Certainly you are right. Swisscom won't help if I screw this up.

True, but that still leaves Swisscom with remote access I believe...which would allow them to switch off bridging would it not?

Would rather risk blowing the router retro-grading the firmware than leave Swisscom with any access...worst it is going to cost is 300chf for a new Zyxel (which apparently is better featured).

I can sort of see why Swisscom did it...not for security but probably to make troubleshooting on help lines easier, especially with WLAN problems (ie people who can't configure their WLAN devices).

I can buy a new Zyxel router. But are you sure it is going to wrok with high speed VDSL connection? Somewhere I read, or at least got the impression that only the special Swisscom modem Netopia 3397G can connect to the internet if you are a bluewin VDSL customer.

If you can read german, it appears yes according to this site.

yep, but you can always combine it with disabling the TR-069 stuff...


@trickyt:

The bridge setup works like this:
- Turn on bridging (I don't know where exactly that option is, I don't own a Netopia but did that kind of setup for somebody else... I should be somewhere in the advanced settings for PPPoE etc...)
- Connect a third party router's WAN port with a LAN port of the Netopia (standard RJ45 network cable)
- Setup WLAN and stuff on the third party router... this depends a bit on the model you have, I usually use Linksys WRT54Gs but I guess they're a bit outdated now...

Thanks Mensi, I have managed to lay my hands on a non-upgraded Netopia Router and have gone back to WEP. Several of the Dell computers in my house would not work, or would not work properly with the WPA. Now I am back on WEP everything is working fine again.

I had another conversation with Swisscom. They say the change to WPA happens automatically the first time you get a new router, or if you have the older router, it happens the first time you press the re-set button. That's what I did.

It seems like I am the only person whoever complained about this. I guess other people don't go around prssing their re-set button....

As per my other thread, I managed to downgrade the Firmware to 7.7.4R7 quite easily.

The upgrade was done manually and not forced remotely by Swisscom, or if it was, maybe it was waiting for me to restart the router to enable this.

Loosing control of my Wireless configuration is NOT an option I want to consider. I do need WEP due to my Philips Pronto ONLY supporting WEP (for the moment anyhow). With the multiple SSID's, apparently only one of these can support WEP.

I did try just using the device as a bridge, but had all sorts of problems firstly getting this working, then was unstable. I therefore got rid of my nice new Linksys WRT350N-EU Wireless-N Gigabit Router with Storage Link . The new owner is very happy with this and not only got a great deal, but had it configured for him (I'm a mug I know).

Guess we will see how this pans out. As long as everything works and remains working with the current firmware I have installed then I hopefully can avoid this ridiculas situation. I'd rather not have to spend ca. 300 chuffs on another device.

Will take a look at disabling the TR-069 stuff but this could cause some other issues maybe?

Now that I have a copy of the Firmware I can always re-install this as and when necessary. Must however use a different new password on this to avoid issues and other places I used this .

Yes I'm very happy with it and the set up was way to complicated for a mere mortal.

There's a huge difference between a helpful guy and a mug....you can get more than 1 beer in a helpful guy

I also was not happy about Swisscom forcing the firmwareupgrade on my router without asking my permission/consent I was also not happy that I had to connect via Swisscoms website to turn my wireless on/off . However after some prodding, I relaized I could enable/disable the wifi locally via telnet

Open CMD (Start -> Run -> (type: CMD) then type:

telnet 192.168.1.1
(user) admin
(password) *your password*
configure
wireless
set
on/off
quit
(save config when prompted)
restart

Once the router restarts your wifi should be on/off. Type "help" at anytime while in telnet for a list of available options.

...but anyway, I went and bought a new wifi AP anyway, just because I didn't like the Netopia options

OK, this wasn't an issue before but is now, as they have upgraded my system without my knowledge. I have downgraded the software again and not turned the TR-069 stuff off.

What about the TR-064 ?? (dslf-lanmgmt)

I can see myself buying a thrid party router sooner rather than later.

Well looks like disabling the TR-069 stuff has done the trick. It's nearly 2 weeks and they have not been able to force an upgrade to my router.

As I don't use Bluewin TV etc.. I hope that I can stay a long time with this older firmware.

For Wireless I will probably add my own 'Wireless Access' point and keep the wireless on the VDSL device disabled. I can then add 802.11N hanging off my Giga-Switch ready for the future.

If anything changes I'll update the info here.

Hmm they did it again !!! Anyone else have this happen ??

Haven't had this problem but the POS router/modem from Swisscom died recently so I bought myself a Linksys WAG160NB router/modem. Great piece of kit, nice and compact, much faster than the Netopia and much easier to configure by addressing it over a browser. So far after 4 weeks of usage I'm delighted, no interference from Swisscom either.

Hi Louis,

Tried to find that router on the Linksys site and via google but can't get info. Do you have a link?

Basically thinking I have no option other than ditch the Swisscom one. This is for ADSL Max though i.e. VDSL. For standard ADSL I have a couple of routers kicking around.