Question

Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System

  • 14 April 2021
  • 59 replies
  • 33726 views
D
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On the new grey 5G home internet box, when you connect to its web page (typically http://192.168.12.1/), on the Overview screen, under the Devices panel, one of the items listed is “Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System”, just above “Wireless” and “Ethenet”. This implies a third way of networking devices (it currently says 0 connected). I have a Deco Wi-Fi 6 mesh router and was wondering if they could be interconnected by something other than an ethnet cable. Is this something that is currently implemented or is it just a planned feature for a future expansion?

On their product page (https://www.t-mobile.com/isp/gateway) where it lists device features, it also says “Mesh expandable    Yes”, but I haven’t found any details about this in the documentation.

59 replies

M

I have the “new and latest” TMO 5G Home internet Gateway of 10/2022.  Easy setup.  Ethernet cable to my ASUS ZEN AX Mesh router.  ASUS app selected Access Point Mode and all re-connected and works perfect!  WiFi works as prior on ASUS Mesh APs x2 and new WiFi channel open on TMO Gateway.  No need to turn off wifi channels on the 5G gateway as prior videos show.  No need to reconnect existing cameras, thermostats, etc.  Have 4 of 5 bars at 5G signal.  Speed test shows about 200 down, 28 up.  Works great and reliable service.

L
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I live in a 100 year old brick building.  I have one of the 2,500 sq ft condos.  The walls consist of brick, wire lathing, and plaster. (This is a serious Faraday cage)  I currently have comcast as my ISP but want to change.  To get a Wi-Fi signal through the condo I currently have an Orbi router and 5 satellites.  Would the T-Mobile gateway connect to my Orbi router and have enough bandwidth to service my home?

P

Now my dilemma my neighborhood is contract locked to Comcast we cannot get anyone else. Whole neighborhood has fiber for Verizon but that was 15 years ago and still 10 more years to go till the exclusive contract is up. Can you believe that Verizon laid the fiber 25 years ahead of when they can offer the service. Anyways I don’t like Comcast for many reasons, coming data cap that they want you to pay for overage, bundles of services I don’t need, high rates as you have to have a bundle as individual services are way overpriced, inconsistent speed.

 

 

Wait...what? How is that even legal?

BillA
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I ran a double NAT arrangement with a Ubiquiti DreamMachine SE (dual access points) plugged into the  Nokia gateway for over 1 year.  No issues.  I recently upgraded to the Arcadian gateway and simply plugged an ethernet cable between the DreamMachine & Arcadian.  No issues.  

Like the Nokia, I will never use the wifi router built into the Arcadian.  I wouldn't worry about double NAT, the main issue would be reprogramming my 77 wifi devices every time I upgraded to a new gateway.

Now thats a nightmare! 

Dulce est desipere in loco.
P

I have the Arcadian KVD21 Gateway and added Eeri 6 Pro Mesh. I called and confirmed disabling the T-mobile wifi and/or router still not an option. I did not change Eeri to bridge mode and everything seems to be working fine. When I check T-mobile router is shows only one device connected (Eeri router). I am leery of making a change to something that does not appear broken. Will this for sure cause double NAT problem?

 

I

I used to have Spectrum (uggg, horrible customer service) & switched to T-Mobile internet & so far love it.  I have Google mesh (older not nest mesh).  I have 4 pucks & connected one to gateway by Ethernet & distributed the rest throughout the house.  I have the gateway behind my tv & live in a house made in the 1920's with lath & plaster walls.  I get great speeds.  I haven't even tried to locate anywhere else because I have such good speed.  The best recorded speeds I have are 493 down & 56 up.  That's with a connection on app that says "very good".  Don't have any idea what I'd get with "excellent" connection..  A whole lot better than I was getting with Spectrum & for a lot less money.  The only problem I've had was speed test dropped in half & called tech support & they rebooted something on their end & I rebooted gateway.  Problem solved.  I will say that I get much better speeds if I reboot gateway weekly.  I'm a pretty heavy internet user, got a whole smart house with a LOT of devices connected & get consistent internet.  Haven't encountered any buffering or stuttering yet.  So far, so good.  Hope it stays that way.

I too have the original Google mesh system, and have my setup like yours (ethernet connecting one of the pucks and three others placed in various locations in an old three story brick home), but only get around 120-150mbps download instead of the 300-500+ when connected to the gateway wifi.  Any tips or additional settings you made?

BillA
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This is the new unit … Arcadyan KVD21

 

Dulce est desipere in loco.
BillA
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Sooo … I started with Tmobile internet using the Askey TM-RTL0102, upgraded to the 5G Nokia FG-21 over 1 year ago. Today I received this email:

 

“You’re eligible for a new home internet gateway with Wi‑Fi 6 technology! Connect more devices to faster speeds, all at the same time. 

Simply return your current device, and we’ll set you up with a new one at no extra cost. It’s that easy.”

 

With a quick 5 minute phone call to Tmobile Home Internet at 844-275-9310  ... I will be receiving the “brand new” Orbi WiFi 6e Gateway Device, No Cost, just return the Nokia with the included RMA.

How exciting, I searched the web and can find no information on this new gateway being offered directly from Tmobile.  I will report back when this mystery device shows up …

Hopefully it is not as locked down as the Nokia FG-21.

Stay tuned!

 

Dulce est desipere in loco.
R

NETGEAR.com Exclusive

Orbi 5G Tri-Band WiFi 6 Mesh System, 4.2Gbps, Router + 2 Satellites

 

 

4.3

 

(3)

 

The Orbi 5G mesh system brings mobile 5G technology into your home and delivers up to 1 gigabit internet speed. Cover up to 7,500 sq. ft. with blazing-fast, reliable WiFi 6 technology providing speeds of up to 4.2Gbps for up to 40 devices. Stream, browse and work uninterrupted throughout your home.

Certified for AT&T and T-Mobile. Currently not compatible with Verizon (coming soon), and not compatible with Sprint legacy network. Requires 5G compatible SIM cards for the 5G networks.

 

ADD TO CART

R
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...Therefore, I had to set the Amplifi HD to bridge mode.  

You should disable your nat on one that's would help it play nice better 

When the Amplify HD was set to bridge mode, that turned off its NAT. That’s why it started working fine; the two routers were no longer playing “dueling NATs.” I sure wish that the Nokia gateway had a bridge mode, though, as my Netgear router has way more features and customizability than the Nokia.  Just a shame to give some of its features up because the Nokia is so locked down by the T-Mobile firmware.

B

To make an Amplifi HD mesh system and T-Mobile Home Internet Gateway play nice:  I set the main Amplifi HD on bridge mode.  Refer to this article for reference -https://help.amplifi.com/hc/en-us/articles/220979347-Enabling-Bridge-Mode.  

When I had first connected the T-Mobile Home Internet Gateway to the my Amplifi HD mesh system using the DHCP mode, the main Amplifi HD worked and the mesh nodes did not work. 

So I contacted Amplifi tech support (via email)  and they said when there are 2 routers to use bridge mode on one of them, since 2 routers cause double NAT which may affect some services.  When I called T-Mobile, they said that T-Mobile Home Internet Gateway does not have bridge mode.   Therefore, I had to set the Amplifi HD to bridge mode.  Now, it all works fine and I get the same speed throughout the house and on all the mesh nodes.   By the way, my speed is usually around 60-70 Mbps down (or less sometimes), 9 up, a ping of 50-60 ms, and two bars showing on the gateway.

You should disable your nat on one that's would help it play nice better 

B

Bad news. First I was told a new firmware is rollingling out to fix the issues with 0178 but she says they cannot push it that I have to wait about a week for it to come.

She was nice and helped me actually find a good line of site to the tower that I am connected to.

So I of course had to unplug the unit to move it and now I am stuck in an endless boot. I see the T then dot dot dot then dot dot dot then reboot over and over. I have tried reseting it with the button holding it nothing works same issue. Removed the SIM reseated noting same issue.

Called support spent a while finally they tell me I need an exchange they cant help I have to be transferred then I got disconnected. Now again waiting for someone to call me so I can get a replacement unit setup.

I guess it’s a good thing I have not ditched Comcast yet or I would be totally stuck.

 

 

DId you ever gotten your issued fixed

A
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To make an Amplifi HD mesh system and T-Mobile Home Internet Gateway play nice:  I set the main Amplifi HD on bridge mode.  Refer to this article for reference -https://help.amplifi.com/hc/en-us/articles/220979347-Enabling-Bridge-Mode.  

When I had first connected the T-Mobile Home Internet Gateway to the my Amplifi HD mesh system using the DHCP mode, the main Amplifi HD worked and the mesh nodes did not work. 

So I contacted Amplifi tech support (via email)  and they said when there are 2 routers to use bridge mode on one of them, since 2 routers cause double NAT which may affect some services.  When I called T-Mobile, they said that T-Mobile Home Internet Gateway does not have bridge mode.   Therefore, I had to set the Amplifi HD to bridge mode.  Now, it all works fine and I get the same speed throughout the house and on all the mesh nodes.   By the way, my speed is usually around 60-70 Mbps down (or less sometimes), 9 up, a ping of 50-60 ms, and two bars showing on the gateway.

R

I have the Eero mesh devices, and also would like to know if can connect without an ethernet cable, making the TMo HI device the primary and my Eeros as secondary for the mesh.

 

Were you able to setup your eero mesh system with no issues? 

 

Also wondering if anyone was able to get a mesh system set up successfully.

J
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I have the Eero mesh devices, and also would like to know if can connect without an ethernet cable, making the TMo HI device the primary and my Eeros as secondary for the mesh.

 

Were you able to setup your eero mesh system with no issues? 

A

to clarify, my asus mesh is made up of 4 Asus routers, and i haven’t played with the all-in-one mesh setups like the eero mentioned. The eero nodes look to have two Ethernet ports, whereas my mesh setup has routers with a WAN port. I’m guessing you can specify,the ports, or maybe the newer mesh setups can figure it out for you (i know newer stuff now a days are much less manual effort, much smarter in terms of consumer support). As for the fuzzy thing i’ve mentioned, that’s not seemless at all.

A

Is there a way to disable DHCP / routing on the mesh network and use the TMO HI device as the sole/only router ?

That way, the TMO HI would give out IP addresses from it’s internal router instead of creating an interference with 2 different IP ranges being broadcast (Double NAT).

I want a seamless, hand off network that switches automatically to the strongest signal.

So I just picked up a Black Friday deal from Best Buy - 3 unit mesh Eero Dual Band AX Wifi 6 w/ wired backhaul that would be perfect for my tri level house and all the Apple devices we use….

 

So i’ve read that you’re basically set your router to the same network as your Tmo gateway, but i haven’t practiced and have no clue of any “ah ha” moments. Basically, you’d set your router as a switch (this can be done via connecting your tmo gatway to the switchports instead of the WAN port, as for the mesh setups i think you’d configure that but since i haven’t played with those i don’t know the details). I would also imagine you’d have to disable DHCP on your mesh router (since the tmo gateway would also be a dhcp server, and having two devices being a dhcp server may cause problems). This would essentially break the double-NAT. I would imagine you’d still have two Wi-Fi signals, because the tmo wifi can’t (i don’t think) mesh with your wifi. Ultimately, i don’t know how this would affect a mesh, as i haven’t tried it.

magenta9856549
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What does double NAT mean. Does it mean having two WIFI networks? Do they not make wireless nodes that will hookup to the gateway? I see Nokia has a WIFI Beacon 6 but it is not available yet.

So with networking, think of each router as a network (including the T-Mobile home gateway, because it’s also a router). If you link a router behind another router, you’re essentially putting a network behind another network. Each Network has their own address scheme and mapping (NAT), and each need settings on how they communicate between each other and the internet. This brings about different pros and cons.

I’m running a double NAT now, because i have an Asus Mesh (no other mesh is compatible, let alone T-mobile’s “iffy” mesh, not sure about bridge-moding the main router and how it could affect the other nodes). So far, i don’t have any loss of speed/performance, but sometimes my router connection does go down (over dhcp conflicts? my only big issue). IPv6 works fine once i set it through passthrough. In terms of port-forwarding, does the T-mo gateway NOT have a firewall? I get that most of the traffic they block is on their end, but so far nothing is blocked (i only need to forward on my Asus router, and everything goes through). Any tips or advice on settings/config to keep stability/security would be appreciated.

Is there a way to disable DHCP / routing on the mesh network and use the TMO HI device as the sole/only router ?

That way, the TMO HI would give out IP addresses from it’s internal router instead of creating an interference with 2 different IP ranges being broadcast (Double NAT).

I want a seamless, hand off network that switches automatically to the strongest signal.

So I just picked up a Black Friday deal from Best Buy - 3 unit mesh Eero Dual Band AX Wifi 6 w/ wired backhaul that would be perfect for my tri level house and all the Apple devices we use….

 

A

What does double NAT mean. Does it mean having two WIFI networks? Do they not make wireless nodes that will hookup to the gateway? I see Nokia has a WIFI Beacon 6 but it is not available yet.

So with networking, think of each router as a network (including the T-Mobile home gateway, because it’s also a router). If you link a router behind another router, you’re essentially putting a network behind another network. Each Network has their own address scheme and mapping (NAT), and each need settings on how they communicate between each other and the internet. This brings about different pros and cons.

I’m running a double NAT now, because i have an Asus Mesh (no other mesh is compatible, let alone T-mobile’s “iffy” mesh, not sure about bridge-moding the main router and how it could affect the other nodes). So far, i don’t have any loss of speed/performance, but sometimes my router connection does go down (over dhcp conflicts? my only big issue). IPv6 works fine once i set it through passthrough. In terms of port-forwarding, does the T-mo gateway NOT have a firewall? I get that most of the traffic they block is on their end, but so far nothing is blocked (i only need to forward on my Asus router, and everything goes through). Any tips or advice on settings/config to keep stability/security would be appreciated.

mattgyver.it
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To those if you with the deco mesh systems, what happens when you throw the main puck into bridge/ap mode? Just curious if it hops onto the gateways wifi or not. 

C

What does double NAT mean. Does it mean having two WIFI networks? Do they not make wireless nodes that will hookup to the gateway? I see Nokia has a WIFI Beacon 6 but it is not available yet.

T

I used to have Spectrum (uggg, horrible customer service) & switched to T-Mobile internet & so far love it.  I have Google mesh (older not nest mesh).  I have 4 pucks & connected one to gateway by Ethernet & distributed the rest throughout the house.  I have the gateway behind my tv & live in a house made in the 1920's with lath & plaster walls.  I get great speeds.  I haven't even tried to locate anywhere else because I have such good speed.  The best recorded speeds I have are 493 down & 56 up.  That's with a connection on app that says "very good".  Don't have any idea what I'd get with "excellent" connection..  A whole lot better than I was getting with Spectrum & for a lot less money.  The only problem I've had was speed test dropped in half & called tech support & they rebooted something on their end & I rebooted gateway.  Problem solved.  I will say that I get much better speeds if I reboot gateway weekly.  I'm a pretty heavy internet user, got a whole smart house with a LOT of devices connected & get consistent internet.  Haven't encountered any buffering or stuttering yet.  So far, so good.  Hope it stays that way.

F

1.2003.03.0168

 

How do you update firmware on the T-Mobile gateway?

Checked my App. The current firmware version is 1-2003.03-0178. I guess it is auto updated to the latest version?

F

1.2003.03.0168

 

How do you update firmware on the T-Mobile gateway?

M

Just an FYI anyone searching this. It’s coming. But it’s probably going through checks and getting ready. But a device wouldn’t have gone through the FCC if such a device doesn’t ext.
Mesh Beacon Passes FCC

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