Using Erro 6 Pro's with Rogers Ignite TV and Internet

[Sailorman]

I'm still sticking around. My current set up is with Digital TV, legacy Internet 500Mbps and a Home Phone configuration. The internet gateway is in an upstairs bedroom and the Home Phone modem is in the basement running to a home alarm system. I'm using digital cable throughout the house which works fine and a CODA-4582 modem in bridge mode running 3 Erro 6 Pro modems set up as a MESH network on the different floors. I love my current internet set-up which is very stable and provides high performance everywhere in my home. If I had a preference, I would leave it all alone, but I'm not sure how long that will be an option with Ignite; and it sounds like if I switch to Ignite there is no going back. So a few questions: 

1. Now that Ignite has been around 4 years, has anything changed to make it practical for someone like me to run Ignite and keep my home system intact with my Eero Pro 6's (that I own) running off the Ignite Gateway. (I've read through the older thread on putting the Ignite Gateway Modem into bridge mode). Do these instructions still apply or any changes? 

2. From what I've read, the phone connection to the alarm system is possible using the Ignite phone but has challenges with my gateway being upstairs and the alarm panel in the basement. (I'm thinking it might be easier for me to run the alarm system off an ethernet connection from an Erro 6 Pro) and not bother with the phone at all.  

3. With the new Rogers Gateway Modem XB7, has anything changed? 

Any suggestions and advice appreciated. 

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@Sailorman wrote:

1. Now that Ignite has been around 4 years, has anything changed to make it practical for someone like me to run Ignite and keep my home system intact with my Eero Pro 6's (that I own) running off the Ignite Gateway. (I've read through the older thread on putting the Ignite Gateway Modem into bridge mode). Do these instructions still apply or any changes? 

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The tips in the Ignite TV / Bridge Mode thread still apply.  Keep in mind that they are only guidelines; everyones' hardware is different.  Also keep in mind that Rogers only officially supports running Ignite TV over their own network hardware.  It should work totally fine with 3rd-party network hardware (and may even work MUCH better).  However, if you should ever run into any technical issues, you may only be able to get support from Rogers if you revert back to a configuration that Rogers can support.

2. From what I've read, the phone connection to the alarm system is possible using the Ignite phone but has challenges with my gateway being upstairs and the alarm panel in the basement. (I'm thinking it might be easier for me to run the alarm system off an ethernet connection from an Erro 6 Pro) and not bother with the phone at all.  

That is still the case, if you want your alarm system to still be able to seize the phone line when it needs to call into your alarm company's central station.

3. With the new Rogers Gateway Modem XB7, has anything changed? 

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In what way?  The XB7 has updated hardware internally but still supports pretty much the same functionality in its software as the XB6 has had since day-one.  One significant upcoming change is that the Ignite WiFi Hub web interface will be going away in one week.  If centralized management remains enabled, you will only be able to fully manage your Ignite Gateway through the mobile app.  (This may result in many more people running their Ignite Gateway in Bridge Mode and using their own router.)

[Sailorman]

Thanks for the update. I was curious with the new XP7 modems and application if it was getting any easier to set up Rogers TV like we set other devices up on our home internet. It doesn't sound like it. 

The other thing I'm still not clear on is the need to put the Eero Pro 6 into bridge mode if WIFI has been disabled on the Ignite gateway modem. I lose the Eero features I'm paying for so this isn't a preferred option. Would be better for me to connect the Ignite TV devices to my Eero WIFI in the normal way. I realize this would be a non standard configuration and I might have to start over and set up as a standard supported configuration if I run into problems.   Can you comment. Tx.  

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@Sailorman wrote:

Thanks for the update. I was curious with the new XP7 modems and application if it was getting any easier to set up Rogers TV like we set other devices up on our home internet. It doesn't sound like it. 

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With the Rogers-provided equipment, it's actually very easy to set up Ignite TV.

First, set up the Ignite Gateway

Then install your Ignite WiFi Pods

Next, install your Ignite TV set-top boxes.  If you used the Rogers-provided hardware, the only thing that you need to do is connect the STB to a TV with an HDMI cable and power it up.  You don't even need to enter Wi-Fi credentials; there is special code in the STB that enables it to (securely) obtain the Wi-Fi credentials for your in-home network and connect automatically.

Once all the hardware is set up, it pretty much manages itself.  It all works great for most people.

The other thing I'm still not clear on is the need to put the Eero Pro 6 into bridge mode if WIFI has been disabled on the Ignite gateway modem. I lose the Eero features I'm paying for so this isn't a preferred option. Would be better for me to connect the Ignite TV devices to my Eero WIFI in the normal way. I realize this would be a non standard configuration and I might have to start over and set up as a standard supported configuration if I run into problems.   Can you comment. Tx.  

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The Ignite gateways perform well, can move traffic at gigabit speeds, and are fully tested with (and were designed to support) Ignite TV.  If you should ever run into a problem, all that you need to do is contact Rogers tech support.

If you disable Wi-Fi on the Ignite gateway and put your Eero Wi-Fi mesh into bridge mode, you will be replacing the Rogers-supplied Wi-Fi with something that is arguably better.  Rogers is also used to supporting this configuration because they used to provide a similar solution when Ignite TV launched.

If you put your Ignite gateway in Bridge Mode and use your Eero Wi-Fi the "normal way", again, it should work just fine... but also, if you should ever run into a problem with Ignite TV, you'll be fighting battles with Rogers tech support every time because the first thing that they will blame is your own network hardware, and they may even refuse to provide you with any support whatsoever.

However, if you must (for whatever reason) run Ignite TV over your own network hardware, I understand.  (Unofficially, so does Rogers.).  Just do yourself a HUGE favour and set your network up in such a way that you can easily switch back and forth between your normal config and a Rogers-supportable config.  I strongly suggest doing the following:

1. Get familiar with my Bridge Mode guide.  I would also strongly advise NOT using the 10.0.0.0/24 IP address space when configuring the internal network on your own hardware since this will conflict with the defaults that the Ignite gateway uses.

2. Power down all your eero Wi-Fi mesh and set the Ignite gateway up.  Don't use the Rogers-provided instructions.  Don't use the Ignite WiFi app.  Connect the Ignite Gateway to the cable outlet, power it up, and use your computer's web browser to perform the initial setup.  (Connect the computer to the Gateway using an Ethernet cable, if possible.). When you configure Wi-Fi on the Gateway, use the same credentials that you have configured in your eero.  (This may also be your one (and only!) opportunity to manually configure Wi-Fi channels in the Ignite Gateway before the Ignite WiFi Hub back-end seizes control.)

3. Power up the Ignite set-top boxes.  Let them connect to the gateway and verify that Ignite TV is working.

4. Power down your Ignite set-top boxes

5. Disable Wi-Fi on the Ignite gateway, unplug your computer's Ethernet cable, connect your eero mesh, and power it up.

6. With your computer connected using your own network hardware, connect to the gateway (http://10.0.0.1) and enable Bridge Mode.

7. Reboot your eero mesh and verify that your in-home network has good IPv4 and IPv6 connectivity.

8. Power up your Ignite TV set-top boxes and verify that Ignite TV is still working.

If you should ever run into problems with Ignite TV and require assistance from Rogers tech support, simply disable Bridge Mode on the Ignite Gateway, power down your eero mesh, and run your in-home network in a Rogers-supported configuration.  Once tech support has resolved your issue, start at Step 4 and go back to running over your own hardware.

One more thing to keep in mind:  If tech support ever needs to open a trouble ticket and escalate it, wait for the higher-level team(s) to finish their work before reverting back to an unsupported configuration.  I once made the mistake of reenabling bridge mode too quickly... and when the senior support teams saw this and could not run their tests, they closed the ticket without fixing anything.  Even more maddening was that the Ignite TV problem was due to a back-end issue, and didn't have anything to do with anything in my home, but they still used my Bridge Mode config as an excuse to not work on the problem.