How to install ER605 Multi-WAN router with Starlink and NBN Broadband

Summary | Existing network setup before Starlink | Getting broadband working through the ER605 | Change WiFi router to be a Bridge | Connecting Starlink | Setting Load Balancing | Using the AUX port on the SL WiFi unit | Contact us

Summary

• In the instructions below, we first show how to make sure we can receive the existing broadband service through the ER605, then we connect the Starlink service through it as well.
  • In the process, the WAN interface for our existing WiFi router is changed from a PPPoE type to a Bridge.
  • Otherwise, the existing LAN and WiFi network is unchanged and works as before, except it now works at Starlink speeds.
• Finally, we configure Starlink to be the primary service with the broadband service as the Failover.

Existing network setup before Starlink

• We use the Australian NBN Fixed Wireless broadband service. This typically gives us 25 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up (which is three times better than our old ADSL service).
• We use a BILLION BiPAC 8700VAXL ADSL2+ WiFi router.
  • These instructions should work for most broadband WiFi Routers (obviously with different menu arrangements, but they all do essentially the same thing).
  • Note that the existing BILLION WiFi router could be replaced with a much cheaper and simpler device after the changeover.
• The input cable for NBN was connected to the WAN port of the router and this is set as a PPPoE input type.
  • You should use the setup requirements for your broadband provider.
• We use a Class C internal network 192.168.5/24 with a switch and several wired devices, some on DHCP and some with static IP addresses (printers, solar control, WAP, etc).
  • Replace “192.168.5” with your own network address.
• We have a wired-in Wireless Access Point with static IP address 192.168.5.2 to extend WiFi to a remote part of the property.
• The WiFi router was set with IP address 192.168.5.1 and with DHCP enabled for the range 192.168.5.5 to 192.168.5.55.
  • Adjust this range to suit your requirements.

Getting broadband working through the ER605

1. Power up ER605, connect PC ethernet port directly to LAN port on ER605. Open browser at http://192.168.0.1 to open welcome screen
2. Setup username and password, first time.
3. Network > WAN: Set WAN and WAN/LAN1 as WAN ports (we set up WAN/LAN2 as a WAN as well in case we need it later).
   
4. Click on WAN tab. Set this up with the WAN requirements for your broadband service. In our case (for NBN) we used the following
   • Connection Type: PPPoE
   • Username and password: as required by provider (for NBN there is no password so just enter anything, not a blank)
   • Connection mode: Connect Automatically
   • MTU: 1492
   • Primary and secondary DNS: 203.12.160.35/36.
   • VLAN: Enable, set VLAN ID=2 (apparently this is important for NBN)
   • Secondary connection: None
   Click “Save”.
   
5. Plug NBN cable into WAN port of ER605 (that’s the cable that previously plugged into the WAN port of your WiFi router).
6. Select Network > LAN. Add a new LAN (click “+” Add).
7. Set IP address to 192.168.5.1, Subnet mask = 255.255.255.0 and VLAN=1.

   

8. Enable DHCP and set starting/ending range 192.168.5.5 to 192.168.5.55 (adjust to suit)

   

9. Apply/save all changes and power cycle ER605.
10. Log in to LAN port on http://192.168.5.1 and check the ER605 works on new subnet address.

Change WiFi router to be a Bridge

1. Separately connect PC ethernet port to a LAN port on the BILLION router (this should still be setup for NBN).
2. Log in on old http://192.168.5.1 and check you see the login and setup screen.
3. Select Configuration > WAN and change interface type from PPPoE to “Bridge”. Use the “Edit” button on the ETH interface line.

   

4. Select Configuration > LAN and set IP address to 192.168.5.3 (we were already using 192.168.5.2 for another access port) with subnet mask 255.255.255.0, and disable DHCP server.

   

   The IP address here should be different from any other static IP address used, including 192.168.5.1 (the router) and any other static IP address used by other devices (in our case here 192.168.5.2 and 192.168.5.56).
   IMPORTANT: All static IP addresses must be excluded from the range of IP addresses allowed by the DHCP server.
5. Leave your Wireless settings unchanged.
6. Apply all changes and power cycle BILLION router.
7. Connect cable from ER605 LAN port to a LAN port on the BILLION router (not the red WAN port).
8. From a computer on your LAN network, you should be able to login directly to the ER605 using your computer’s browser at http://192.168.5.1.
9. Select Network > WAN and open WAN tab. Click “Connect”.
10. Check Status > System Status and it should show that Interface WAN has Connection Status “Link Up”.
11. Everything on your existing LAN network and WiFi on the 192.168.5/24 subnet should now work exactly as before, using your broadband provider.

Connecting Starlink

1. Install Starlink (SL) including white SL WiFi unit using the smart phone app and make sure it is working.
   • Use speedtest.net to check the speed on your smartphone. We typically get 150-300 Mbps down and 20-30 Mbps up.
   • Starlink uses the subnet 192.168.1/24

   

2. Now disconnect the white SL WiFi unit. We will not be using it!
3. Connect the white cable from the SL power unit directly into the WAN/LAN1 port on the ER605.
4. Configure WAN/LAN1 with Connection Type “Dynamic IP” with Primary DNS 1.1.1.1 and secondary 8.8.8.8 (there may be better alternatives for DNS but these work for us).
   • Leave VLAN disabled and MTU at 1500.

   

5. Click Save and Connect.
6. Check Status > System Status and this should show that both WAN and WAN/LAN1 have connection status “Link Up”.

   

7. Your WiFi devices and smartphones should now work on your existing WiFi network settings and your wired PCs should work as before, but these should now be giving you Starlink speeds. Yahoo!

   

8. Note that you lose the SL WiFi network and the SL app will complain about a non-Starlink WiFi router, so you can’t see statistics (but sometimes it works).

Setting Load Balancing

1. Select Transmission > Load Balancing

   

2. Disable Load Balancing and all other options under Basic Settings. Open the Link Backup tab.
3. Add a new Rule by clicking the “+” Add button.
4. Set Primary WAN: WAN/LAN1 (that’s Starlink)
   Set Backup WAN: WAN (that’s our NBN broadband)
   Set Mode = Failover (Enable backup link when any primary WAN fails)
   Check the Enable box.
   

   

5. Click OK.
6. Try disconnecting the white SL cable and check that the Failover works with no loss of connection and a speedcheck shows your old NBN speeds.
   • Be aware that it takes a short while for SL to resume when you reconnect it.

Addendum 2022-04-10

See this article er605 doesn't detect WAN port disconnect and doesn't restore connection back.

Note there is a later firmware available ER605(UN)_V1_1.2.0 Build 20220114 published 2022-02-11 (scroll down to find Firmware and Download button).

Problems

Try turning it off and on again.

Using the AUX port on the SL WiFi unit

You can actually leave the SL WiFi unit in place and connect the AUX port to the WAN/LAN1 port on the ER605 BUT we found that the Failover feature did not work if SL went offline.

• Leaving the SL WiFi unit in place has the advantage that you can separately select the SL WiFi network and see all the statistics on the SL app.
• You use the same Dynamic IP settings as above and your LAN network should all be good.
• From what we could figure, it looks like the white WiFi unit still tells the ER605 that the link is up.
• We have read elsewhere that using the AUX port will give you “unexpected” results. We've not really experimented with this. Let us know if you have any suggestions.

Contact us

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This page first published 17 March 2022. Last updated 10 April 2022