O Canada! → Canadian → Start Communications > [DSL] SmartRG SR505N Modem

Re: [DSL] SmartRG SR505N Modem

Yes. But it's not a pure modem, even though we tend to simply call the whole device "modem". And when we say "bridged", we often simply mean "disable" various other parts of the device, and which other parts "depend", since, typically, we still want to retain some functions to configure and perhaps monitor the modem inside the device.

When "it" is not "bridged", it is still bridged to "its" router, is it not?

Conversely, less sophisticated "modem"-containing devices (like the Sagemcom) will let external routers or external "pc"s do PPP, just as they let their own internal router do PPP. Over that same ethernet. No?

Yes, I think that most people just want a dependable modem appliance that can be set up and left alone.

Some may want to know about DSL re-syncs and significant changes in line parameters.

Very few care about what else is in the case, such as router, radio, web server, Linux system, and instrumentation.

The fact that we just call it a "modem" shows our primary interest.

Perhaps we should call it a MoRoWeRa: Modem + Router + Web Server + Radio.

The use of the term "bridged mode" is for a technical reason; a pure DSL modem does nothing more than bridge two ethernet networks over the phone line. Any router on your network can't tell the modem is there, as far as the router is concerned, it's talking to your ISP's PPP endpoint directly over ethernet as if there was nothing in between.
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Thanks for the info... I myself use it strictly in pppoe bridge mode only, with everything including wifi and dhcp disabled... Its in the basement so even if i turn on the wifi i doubt it would reach very far at all...

I already have a dual band capable wifi access point and an extender, and use two routers to handle my PPPoE...
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@planiwa - great review. Really good info.

@rocca - would generic firmware be made available for the tinkerers out there?

I would like to share some very informal, preliminary observations now, rather than wait another week, and be more definitive after checking out some of these things thoroughly. I hope nobody minds, and perhaps others can follow up on some items that may interest them.

I have two of the modems. One is deployed at a location with several wifi clients. This used to get very frequent syncnosurf events, so much so that I wrote a detector for the condition, a monitor, and a corrector which would fix the problem if it lasted for 15 minutes.

In 5 days of deployment there has been no syncnosurf event at all. Typical data usage was 6GB/d.

I understand that a lot of people here want a modem that can handle a lot of throughput, including high-rate upstream, without problems. This device seems to handle that very well, and certainly much better than the Sagemcom when connected to a Stinger/Ikanos Remote.

The other modem I am using/testing myself. That particular unit may have some defects -- I'm still checking particulars on that. (They don't affect the modem operation).

A few days ago I showed how to set the modem up for Bridged Mode.
Later I hope to show how to set it into Routed Mode, but for now let me just say that when the modem is reset to defaults, it will be in Routed Mode. So that is one easy way.

I don't like the term "bridge(d) mode". Perhaps it might be clearer to say "modem mode" and "router mode".

A few years ago it was fair to say that, in almost all cases, that if you reset a modem+ device to defaults, you could use it as a plain modem, i.e. set up a PPP session over its ethernet on top of its DSL, from a router or a "pc".

Whether the device also was in router/routed mode didn't usually matter, although it would use up an inactive IP address.

Today, with VLAN tagging, + multiple xDSLy capabilities, etc, it's no longer straight-forward.

This modem, when purchased from Start, comes with Start-branded firmware.

Default settings are ROUTED, DHCP, NO-WLAN.
(WLAN can be turned on/off with a button.)

This makes it possible to configure the device with a smartphone!
There is an option to use the MAC address (lower case letters) as a password, but that is not the default.

So, when default-set, this modem will not do "bridged" PPP. It might be able to do so (when Routed), but that's not the default configuration.

When in "modem" (or "bridged") mode, it can do a PPP session on each of the 4 LAN ports.

My device seems to have some defects -- need to test more:

1. LAN1 is inoperative
2. The WLAN light is off for 5GHz. (Other unit as well)
3. 5 GHz WLAN is very unstable. Fails at 10m line of sight.

(Sagemcom 2864 does't have 5 GHz.)

NTP and Syslog don't seem to work properly, even in Routed Mode.

Should Internet light be off in "bridged mode"?
Should date/time always be unavailable?
Should syslog be functional?

Manual: 65p, 2.4MB -- this is a combined manual for 7 models. There is a link to an obsolete version at the beginning of the thread.

What does RG mean in SmartRG? Residential Gateway.

The device has some interesting capabilities, such as

* WiFi transmit power reduction
* remote Syslog
* Monitoring Traffic on the WAN Interface (Port Mirroring)

For those interested in the firmware --

This device, with the Start-configured firmware is vastly more responsive than the Bell-configured Sagemcom, but it is actually far more capable than the shipped config allows. It even has an NC (netcat) command, but the Linux environment is not available as such, not even date, grep, or more.

I apologize for the lack of rigour of the above. Perhaps it is of some use, nonethless.

rocca, if i call your sales number will they sell me a smart rg as a tsi customer?

hivolt, still all good? have you tried heavy torrenting, etc?

Re: [DSL] Usage Monitoring

Re: [DSL] SmartRG SR505N Modem

What's the warranty on the SmartRG modems and who handles it?

Do the same rules apply to standalone modems purchases (not in conjunction with Start DSL service)?!

Re: [DSL] Usage Monitoring

Start's Usage monitoring web page is a paragon of usability. One URL, and you get the answer. And if your router wants to know, that's perfectly easy as well:

        curl -k https://start.ca/support/usage 2>&1\
|egrep '[MG]B|is:' |sed -e 's/<....$//' -e 's/^.*>//';date
 
Your current monthly usage to date is:
8.0 GB of 300GB quota used (2%)
1077.3 MB of free traffic used during the unlimited transfer window
Your estimated usage for the current month is:
117.3 GB
 
Thu Oct  3 03:08:34 EDT 2013
 

Re: [DSL] SmartRG SR505N Modem

Of course, you're only seeing the first 2 MHz of potentially up to 30 :P

Hey, it works... I chose the Huawei HG622 and used the CLI command profile "adsl"
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Download DSLstats from here.

»www.s446074245.websitehome.co.uk/

It works with the Huawei so it might work with the Smart. It's not as nice as DMT but has much of the same functionality and even supports noise margin tweaking like back in the day. Give it a try.

The Sagemcom's two biggest faults are the sync no surf bug (reportedly being fixed a firmware coming soon) and the ~35mbps limit in PPPoE passthru mode if you use an external router.
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I am aware that with the 7330 the Sagemcom should work but from the friends I've helped setup their VDSL service that modem just cannot handle the throughput I need it to do. Plus I don't want to rely on random firmware updates to provide stability.

How much is Start charging for the SmartRG?

We really need this modem is TSI land!

As of yesterday my address now qualifies for VDSL up to 50/10, which makes sense as the new 7330 within eyesight of the house has been in place for a few months now.

I am so glad to see an IISP with this modem. Change is in the air.

Update:

About an hour ago I set the modem up for Bridge Mode. Then I took it to the IKNS-Stinger site where Start installs tomorrow. I plugged in the modem, plugged the phone line into the DSL port, plugged the Tomato router's WAN line into LAN1, watched the DSL light sync, and the Tomato router's Internet light come on. The whole operation took about 2 minutes.

Then I returned here to adjust the Tomato router's configuration remotely, because it was at 192.168.1.1, same as the modem.

So now the Tomato router is at 192.168.0.1, and I fixed the static settings and the BW-Limiter settings, and cancelled the leases.

I now have remote access to the SmartRG (through the Tomato Router).

With the modem in Bridge Mode, there was no need to change anything in the Tomato router, except the router's IP address (and subnet), in order to access the modem.

So, after the Start service is installed tomorrow, I can simply change the username and password in the Tomato router.

(I imagine the scary moment will be when Bell service is discontinued in a week, and there is a possibility of something being disconnected accidentally then. )

Just got off the phone with Start. Modem should be shipped out in a day or so, and no issues not having internet with them.

Thanks for putting this together, Rocca!

Hmm, one of my buddies just signed up with Start specifically because they had the SmartRG ready to go and other IISPs did not (he had a deadline to switch due to an existing contract ending)... I should borrow his new modem and see how it compares on my line to the Sagemcom...
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Yeah, i'll report if I encounter any instability... I'm using it exclusively in bridge mode, wifi disabled, so I wont be able to comment on its routing or wifi capabilities...

Also worth mentioning I'm using two routers, with two concurrent pppoe sessions for two logins, one TSI the other Bell.
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