Connecting TP Link VR1600v Router to Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 R7000 via FTTC

[Beju]

I just connected to the NBN via FTTC and everything with the supplied equipment is working great.

However, I have an existing router that I would like to connect to the TP Link VR1600v supplied modem/router. My existing router is a Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 R7000 that I have flashed with DD WRT. By using DD WRT, it has allowed me to configure the router to use a VPN service (NordVPN). NordVPN does not support the TP Link modem/routers so I cannot configure it to connect.

I have also installed my Netgear router in my study whereas my TP Link is in a different room. There is an ethernet cable that connects the two routers so the connection between the two should not be an issue.

From what I have read, I should be able to bridge the TP Link modem/router to the Netgear, but everything I have tried so far has failed. I enabled the TP Link to go into bridge mode with a VLAN setting set to 2, and went into the Netgear DD WRT VLAN menu and ensured that on the column labelled 'Port', the box was checked to enable tagging on port 'w', and rebooted both devices.

When I do the above, I cannot use the internet at all, and I need to turn off my Netgear router before I can use the internet again.

Any help and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[BasilDV]

Hi @Beju

Bridging the TP-Link modem/router will not work on the NBN FTTC technology.

You may use your Netgear router as an access point instead.

NOTE:

The VoIP phone feature will not work on a third party device.

BasilDV

[Beju · Accepted solution]

Thanks. That did the trick.

[BasilDV]

Great! Thanks for the update @Beju

Cheers!

BasilDV

[lukeh182]

Hi @BasilDV,

Im trying to use my Netgear XR500 as my primary router. As I can see, I cannot bridge the VR1600v with a FTTC connection. I did manage to bridge it, however, I ran into some conflicting IP issues while gaming, which evidently was not a true bridged connection.

Is there any alternative to using the XR500 in AP mode as this disables its operating system?

I'm struggling to accept that I wont be able to use this router the way it's supposed to be used now that im paying alot more for my internet.

Please let me know if there is something I can do.

[aaronbuckanen]

Hi mate. When I setup my bridge, I had to delete the other connections & DMZ my router. Once done, it connected & the router was the primary DHCP server. Try that & see how you go.