Bell Canada → What about the Optimax Modem

Does anyone know anything about the modem they provide for Optimax in Toronto? I current have a Speedstream that I use ONLY as a pass-thru, handling the PPPoE negotiation from my LinkSys NAT/router. I feel better about being in control of my security than by expecting their box to protect me.

Will the new Modem allow me to operate in this pass-thru manner? And if not, will it allow me to configure it for very specific port and protocol pass-thru to my server?

linksys are not nat but pat...

Depends on the model...

PAT is always used in conjunction with NAT.

One of a string of highly confusing bits of terminology in our industry because of misuse. I can think of worse than this one.

NAT - Network Address Translation strictly is a 1 to 1 translation of an external IP address to an internal IP address.

But in the domestic market, it is NOT a 1 to 1 translation, it's one external IP address to many internal addresses based on port usage. This is often known as PAT or NAT-P The problem is that PAT and it's anti-acronym are not particularly meaninful. Port Address Translation. Well, the router is NOT translating ports as one might expect it to imply ... it is translating Network IP addresses based on outgoing port connections and specified port based routing for inbound connections.

The bottom line is that the strict use of the term NAT is losing ground to the loose usage and it's likely that in time strict NAT will acquire a new acronym because the domestic and commercial router market are overwhelmingly using NAT as the term for what their routers do.

Now, most of these routers CAN be set to do strict NAT, but that's not what people want. If you firewall your router to block all connections and then expose your one system, you'll have created NAT.

Pretty sure the modem they give you is the 6520..

Would anyone mind if I don't care too much about the difference?

My point was that my current 6520 is used in a mode that Bell says they don't support with their Ultra service. Does anyone have an opinion on whether I am likely to be able to continue using the "new" modem (whatever model it is) with the Optimax service in this same "unapproved" manner?

Hi GlenB,

Do you mean you're in bridge mode?

I used to be on Ultra (don't ask), with a 6520. I had set my 6520 to be in bridge mode, and used my Linksys wireless router as the actual router.

I then upgraded to Optimax (I'm downtown Toronto). Speed however remained the same... so someone at their High Speed Center said that they'd send me a new modem, an "Optimax modem" -- which is the same 6520. o.O

Turns out I got my "new" modem, which is identical to my old 6520. This one however does the full 16mbps. They must flash it with something different -- anyhow.

Your new 6520 should be configurable just like your old one -- you should be able to use your old router and set the 6520 to act as a bridge.

As a side note, I got rid of my Linksys and am now using the 6520 as the actuall router... I found out that the connection between my 6520 and my Linksys was in 10baseT, not 100. I think the WAN port on my Linksys can only do 10. So, got rid of the Linksys, and I'm finding that the 6520 is actually pretty good when it comes to configurability.

Just putting it out there -- try without the router first. And when you do try your router, look at your 6520's system log and make sure it connects in 100, not 10.

(hope that makes sense...)

You are correct about the modem being upgraded...the firmware has to be upgraded or "flashed" to support the higher speeds as you have guessed.

Alex - Bridge mode, yes.

You said "when you do try your router, look at your 6520's system log and make sure it connects in 100, not 10" and that surprised me. I tried for some time to find a way to "see" what was going on inside the 6520. In bridge mode, I have not succeeded. Give me a hint?

The kind of configurability I need from the 6520 is:
- to be able to select ~12 ports and port ranges of my own specification (not selected from some small hardocded list) to pass thru to one or more specific IPs inside,
- to provide DHCP inside for something like a 192.168.x.y to several machines,
- to keep the PPPoE alive, and reconnect if dropped, 7x24,
- to feel confident that Bell (or anyone else for that matter) isn't able to get in to that box from outside,
- and I'll think of a few more things soon after I send this (duhhhh).

Anything there sound like a problem that might make me want to keep using the LinkSys?

I just had the opportunity to check out the Optimax firmware on the SS6520. I see 4 separate options when the user logs into the GUI and yes there is an option to allow the device to be a simple "bridge" for users who have Expressvu and want to operate it that way. So my advice is to use your own router behind this device to do what you need.

Hi GlenB

I'm not at home right now, but if you browse to your Sympatico modem (I think it's at 192.168.2.1), go to the Advanced tab, then Home Networking Modem, then Logs and Statistics (I think), there's a link for "System Log".

In that log, you'll see a couple lines everytime you plug something into one of the modem's ports. It will say something like "Port 3: 10-base-T connection", "Port 4: 100-base-T connection". My Linksys router was only connected in 10, which (if I understand correctly) limits your speed if you're in 16mbps...

In terms of your other requirements, as far as I know the 6520 lets you do all that (it has three options for the PPPoE connection status, and yes you can have it stay connected permanently). You shouldn't need to be in "bridge mode", just use the 6520 as-is. It has even more configuration and settings options than my actual Linksys router -- but all the settings options are nested very very deep in horrible menus and submenus and buttons and links. Once you get your bearings on the 6520's interface you should find everything you need.

And it does allow you to create forwarding rules for custom TCP and UDP ports. You can also set specific IP's as being in the DMZ.

The one thing I can't answer is your concern about Bell not being able to "get in to that box from outside". If you mean them being able to see / change your routing settings, I'd say they might be able to -- but I'm not 100% sure. The reps usually tell you on the phone to do things for them, as opposed to doing it on their own.

Or if by "get in to that box from outside" you meant somehow access your computer, well make sure you're not vulnerable and you know which ports are open and what's listening to them on your computer.

Last thoughts -- you'll go from a NAT type 3 to a NAT type 2 setup if you get rid of your router and use the modem itself. That helps for a lot of stuff. And if you enable UPnP on the router, some devices and software will have a much easier time -- my Playstation 3 is a lot happier now that I got rid of the extra router.

Hope this helps! Let me know if you have specific setup questions.

As far as Bell having access to your 6520 Yes they do for sure .I had lost my pass word once had it on roboform and had a crash had to re install windows etc.needed to re config router could not get into it and could not get online called tec support they remotely re set pass word and configed it to get me back on line.

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