@_RH wrote:
I have had the legacy TV Box and 1G Internet for the last couple of years and been happy with the service, but now I am getting (economic) pressure to move to the new Ignite service (or switch to someone else).
I have been running my own network with pfSense and a managed switch (with IPv6 turned off) with the router in bridge mode (and WiFi off / wired Ethernet). I need some guidance to make sure that I have a smooth transition (We work at home so we can't tolerate a long internet outage).
I think that you will find that most (if not all) of your questions have already been asked and answered in these forums.
I should also stress that Rogers does not endorse or support running Ignite TV over any customer-owned, third party network equipment. It was designed to run as a turnkey service using Rogers-provided hardware. I have run Ignite TV over my own network gear for years without issue. However, I also have a plan in place to fall back to a supported configuration, if required for support purposes, and am also prepared for the day that Ignite TV may suddenly stop working in its current configuration.
- Am I correct that switching the modem to bridge mode is a simple operation with a standard web browser?
- Is it possible to completely disable all WiFi when in bridge mode?
Bridge Mode disables the primary network that devices connect to but there are some hidden Wi-Fi networks that remain active, that are tied to services that are still running on the Gateway, that cannot be disabled.
My understanding is that I need IPv6 for the Ignite box to function. My plan is to run a VLAN on the existing link to the TV room where I have a computer and WiFi.
- Does the Ignite box need dual stack with IPv4 (or is just IPv6 is that good enough)?
Dual stack
- Does the IP address need to have any special characteristics (or does it just need to be somewhere within the /56 that Rogers has issued)?
The Ignite set-top boxes need to run from Rogers-assigned address spaces. Last time I tested, the set-top boxes ran fine while on a separate IPv4/IPv6 subnet.
- Does the DNS server need to be the one assigned by Rogers DHCP6, or can I use 2606:4700:4700::1002, 2606:4700:4700::1112 (the IPv6 equiavalent of 1.1.1.1)?
No, Rogers DNS is not required. I have tested with Quad9 / DNS over TLS, and Ignite TV works fine. However, the Rogers DNS servers will be faster.
- Can I configure the Ignite box without a smart phone?
There is nothing on the Ignite STB itself that you can configure from any external device.
In a standard installation, you perform the initial configuration of the Ignite Gateway, then simply power up the Ignite set-top boxes. The STB uses a service on the Ignite Gateway to obtain Wi-Fi credentials and then auto-connects to your standard Wi-Fi network.
- How does the Ignite box authenticate (using my IP address, based on credentials entered into the box or something else)?
The Ignite STB just requires network connectivity and authenticates with back-end services using its serial number.
- Is this a self install (I've done all my past modem steps/swaps), or do I need to schedule a technician visit? (Rogers won't support my setup so I'm more or less on my own for problems, so having a technician seems somewhat pointless.)
That's between you and Rogers to arrange.
However, I would still recommend performing a standard Ignite TV installation. Configure the Ignite Gateway. I presume that you plan to configure a dedicated SSID for the Ignite TV set-top boxes that is separate from the one(s) your other devices use. If so, configure that into your Ignite Gateway, then power up your set-top boxes.
One you have all that working, power-off your Ignite set-top boxes. Connect your pfSense gateway to the Ignite Gateway, then switch the Ignite Gateway into Bridge Mode and verify that you have working Internet connectivity. Next, activate the Ignite TV SSID on your access points. Power up your Ignite TV set-top boxes and they should connect to your network gear.
When you need Ignite TV support from Rogers, reverse the above procedure. Power off your set-top boxes, disable the Ignite TV SSID on your Wi-Fi APs, disable Bridge Mode, then power up your set-top boxes and they should connect to the Ignite Gateway's Wi-Fi. Meanwhile, the rest of your network will remain isolated.
- Are there any other important things that I need to know about but don't know enough to ask about?
You should find any other tips that you require in the following thread: https://communityforums.rogers.com/t5/Ignite-TV/Using-the-Ignite-TV-Modem-Gateway-in-Bridge-Mode/td-...
I also strongly recommend that you have the same Wi-Fi name/passphrase configured on your own APs that you have configured on the Ignite Gateway, or else you may find that your STBs lose Wi-Fi connectivity and remain disconnected.
@_RH wrote:
@-G- Thanks very much for the reply, that answered a lot of the questions.
So IIUC based on your answer as long as the box is authorised by Rogers, all it needs to authenticate is credentials that are embedded in the box, and the box is operating from my Rogers assigned IPv4/IPv6 addresses. Correct?
Yeah, pretty much. Give the box connectivity to the Rogers network and everything should work fine.
I want nothing to do with WiFi. Is use of WiFi a requirement?
It shouldn't be, but keep in mind that the Ignite TV is not a normal/typical streaming box; Ignite TV is a proprietary turnkey solution. It was never intended to be run over 3rd-party, customer-owned network gear.
With a standard installation, you configure the Ignite Gateway, Wi-Fi and all, then simply power up the set-top box, it auto-connects, and it "just works". When you then connect it by Ethernet, the Wi-Fi connection will remain active but unused. If that Wi-Fi connection goes away or cannot be made, the set-top box will try in vain to reestablish that Wi-Fi connection and Ignite TV may glitch when that happens.
Am I correct that as long as the gateway is running (with the WiFi turned off), and I have a suitably configured Ethernet connection to the gateway, that all I need to make the box run is to plug in the Ethernet cable?
Yes, that should work but don't be surprised if you see glitches from time to time.
I plan on a dedicated VLAN Ethernet connection that isolates the Ignite box from the rest of my network, and set the firewall to restrict unsolicited inbound connections from the internet, but to allow the box to initiate communication to wherever it wants, and receive replies. The box can do whatever it wants, and if it gets compromised somehow it won't be able to do any damage to my computers.
I don't foresee any problems with that. It should work fine.
I don't know why Rogers can't make this information available for those of us who want/need it, and have the technical ability to use it. Likewise being so arrogant as to force people to have an active WiFi device in their home against their will is disgusting. This isn't aimed at you @-G- , but directed to Rogers Management (if they are watching this forum), and may be the reason I severe a 20+ year relationship with Rogers.
Again, keep in mind that the only configuration that Rogers supports is their standard installation where you just plug everything in and it works. If you run into any problems, you call Technical Support.
That said, it's also nice that Rogers does not go out of their way to prevent you from using your own network gear and that they provide a Forum where you can get unofficial support from the Community. Just keep in mind that the farther you go from replicating a standard installation with your own equipment, the more problems that you are likely to encounter.
As for the lack of technical information out there about Ignite TV and Comcast's X1 platform, I'm quite certain that it's all protected by contracts and non-disclosure agreements, and only available to a relatively select few on a need-to-know basis. Same goes for anyone who partners with MediaKind or Minerva, They are all very protective of their intellectual property and intellectual capital.
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