Use 2 Routers

[ragtop]

I have a Bluecurve router.I currently use the bluecurve router in bridge mode.I use a unifi dream machine as my router.I just upgraded to Fibre + Gig internet.Also upgraded to Total TV package.With the TV package I get a bluecurve wireless cable box.Is there any way i can use the bluecurve as a router so it can be used with the wireless cable box and still use my 3rd party unifi router ? 

[mdk]

@ragtop -- When your BlueCurve is in "router" mode, it uses a "hidden" SSID to communicate with the wireless TV box(es). By setting your BlueCurve to "bridge" mode, you have disabled that WiFi capability, resulting in no connection to the wireless TV box(es).

If you reset the BlueCurve to "router" mode, you enable its WiFi, and you can continue to connect, via Ethernet cable, to your UNIFI.

There are two differences:

• the UNIFI gets a "private" IP-address from the DHCP-server inside the BlueCurve, instead of a "public" IP-address from Shaw's DHCP-server. This blocks all connections from the "public" Internet to the UNIFI, unless you do some "port-forwarding" inside the BlueCurve, to allow traffic from the Internet to go "through" the BlueCurve to reach the UNIFI.
• you now have a "double-NAT" ("Network Address Translation") configuration. This extra level of "NAT" may cause slower Internet access by any computer connected to the UNIFI. I have observed this slow-down with a very-old LINKSYS router, but my hope is that any newer router will have better internal performance.

So, reset the BlueCurve to "router" mode, and power-cycle it. Then, power-cycle the UNIFI, so that it gets a new (and "private") IP-address.

However, you may choose to "retire" the UNIFI, if all your devices connected to it are connected via WiFi, and instead connect those devices to the WiFi network provided by the BlueCurve.  If you do "retire" the UNIFI, you will have two available Ethernet ports on the BlueCurve, to connect two "wired" computers, instead of connecting those 2 computers to Ethernet ports on the UNIFI.

[ragtop]

I definitely want keep the Unifi router.I was having issues with streaming services.With the Unifi I’m able to change the DNS servers which I was not able to with the BlueCurve.I asked for a wired version of the cable box but was told the wired cable box is not available in my area which is WINNIPEG ?

[mdk]

> I was having issues with streaming services.

The issues are not likely to be caused by DNS servers.  What are the symptoms?

> With the Unifi I’m able to change the DNS servers

You can individually change the DNS-servers on your computer(s). Correct?

>  I asked for a wired version of the cable box but was told the wired cable box is not available in my area which is WINNIPEG ?

Look online, e.g., "Craig's List" or "Kijiji" to purchase a "pre-owned" Shaw Gateway. Hopefully, Shaw will let you activate it (presumably, other Shaw customers in your area have it, before the BlueCurve became available).

Or, "Shaw Business" customers get a different HITRON cable-modem (4 Ethernet ports, no fan, so "quiet") that handles Gigabit speeds.

[ragtop]

I use Tidal with Roon .Symptoms were stuttering and drop outs.Set Shaw router to modem mode.Bought Unifi Dream machine changed dns servers to google and cloud fare and problems were gone.On Roon forum the Shaw blue curve router is known to have issues.I have noticed in other forums people have had issues with streaming with the Blue Curve router and ended up buying a 3rd party router which give flexibility in settings

[mdk]

@ragtop -- I use Tidal with Roon .

I don't have a clue what that means. Is it some "Elvish" phrase?

> Symptoms were stuttering and drop outs. Set Shaw router to modem mode.

Maybe, that's all you needed to do.

> Bought Unifi Dream machine changed dns servers to google and cloud fare and problems were gone.

DNS servers only occasionally are needed by your computer, particularly when launching an app. The app would issue a DNS-request, namely "tell me the IP-address for the host name top-gun.gamer.co".  Once the DNS-server returned a value, the app connects to that IP-address, and the DNS-server is not needed, until the app issues other DNS-requests, e.g. "tell me the IP-address for the host login.gamer.co". Sending a DNS-request is only a few hundred bytes, and the response is only a few hundred bytes -- just a "piece of electronic-dust" on your 300/600/750/1000 Mbps connection.

Note that DNS-servers use "recursion", because no DNS-server can resolve every possible "name" to an IP-address. When your app issues a DNS-request, e.g., for login.gamer.co, the DNS-server sends its own DNS-request to the "top-level" DNS-servers, asking "what DNS-server(s) are authoritative for the .co domain?" When the DNS-server gets an answer, it sends another DNS-request to one of those authoritative servers, asking "what DNS-server(s) are authoritative for the gamer.co domain?" When the DNS-server gets an answer, it sends another DNS-request to one of those authoritative servers, asking "what is the IP-address for login.gamer.co?" When the DNS-server gets an answer, it tells your app the IP-address that has been returned.

So, it does not matter whether your DNS-request is addressed to Shaw's DNS-server, or to Google's DNS-server, or to Coud Flare's DNS-server, the same "recursion" happens, unless either Google's DNS-server or Coud Flare's DNS-servers happen to be "authoritative" for the gamer.co domain. Each DNS-server will return the IDENTICAL IP-address.

So, I doubt that changing DNS-servers is the "cure" for your symptoms.

Note that when the DNS-server has done its "duty", your app does not need to make any further DNS-requests. If you get "stuttering", that is a networking issue on the Internet path between your computer and the game-server.

Anyway, the short answer: return your BlueCurve to its "normal" mode, and you will be able to use your WiFi-enabled TV box, and you still will be able to use your own router.

[ragtop]

It’s been well noted that many people have trouble with streaming services with the BlueCurve router.It does not let you change the dns servers like most 3rd party routers.Lot of cases changing dns servers can help.With Shaw’s router it doesn’t give you any freedom to make changes that’s why a lot of people go with a 3rd party router.

[mdk]

@ragtop -- Lot of cases changing dns servers can help.

I disagree.

Once any DNS-server has returned an IP-address of the game-server, your computer communicates directly to that game-server WITHOUT any interaction with the game-server, and it communicates over the same "route" on the Internet, no matter which DNS-server has returned the IP-address.

To compare, if you ask the BING search-engine and the GOOGLE search-engine for the street-address of the nearest Starbucks, you get the same answer, and then you walk/unicycle/drive/roller-blade to the same street-address.

[ragtop]

Thanks for all your info.How would i"port-forwarding" inside the BlueCurve, to allow traffic from the Internet to go "through" the BlueCurve to reach the UNIFI ?

[ragtop]

I also see the wireless Shaw bluecurve cable box has a ethernet port.Can I just run a cable from from Unifi router to the cable box and leave the bluecurve router in bridge mode as I would no be using the wifi from the bluecurve ?