What to do if the optical modem limits the number of devices and new devices can't connect? The three-tier solution goes from zero to root cutting

Last month, my colleague Lao Liu bought a smart camera, but couldn't even connect to his home WiFi: he entered the correct password and the signal was full, but his phone just showed 'Unable to join the network.' He brought the camera to my house to try it out, and it connected instantly. Coming back, it was still not working. His first reaction was that the camera was broken and he almost sent it back to return it.

I went to his home and was delighted—he didn't even have a router. Three years ago, the installer said, "The fiber modem has WiFi, no need to buy a router," and the whole house's phone, tablet, TV box, and camera were directly connected to the fiber modem. After counting, there were already eleven units installed. When I called Unicom customer service, they told me honestly: Your broadband account has a limit on the number of devices you can access.

first figure out which wall you're hitting

the issue of "devices not connecting"—there are actually three completely different limits hidden at home, different root causes, different medicines. I've seen too many people mixing these three into one pot, swapping routers twice and still not fixing it.

Old Liu's case is the first type: new cameras can't get in, and all ten old devices at home haven't been lost. This is exactly the opposite of what I wrote in my article about the fiber modem WiFi at Telecom— that modem was the tenth device connected, and after the old device started disconnecting, it started to disconnect. It's like the modem has reached its maximum capacity, but the hardware can't keep it up—it's not that no one is allowed to connect. As for the third type, the router's connection ledger is full, not directly related to the number of devices. I've opened it before, and if you're interested, check the article on router connection count .

carriers have the right to count how many units you have

This needs to be addressed by the working model of the optical modem. In optical modem router all-in-one mode, it is the only operator in the entire house—every device connected sends a private network address number, recording each entry in the booklet. All the booklets are in its hands. If it reports to the computer room, it clearly shows how many devices you have, what brand you have. If you want to set a policy quota, it's like checking a table.

limits are nothing new. In 2012, Beijing Unicom issued a "data limit order," categorizing bandwidth by speed: accounts below 2M could have up to 2 terminals, and between 2M and 10M could have up to 4 devices. This caused a head-on incident at the time, but the official response later stated that the limit was "one network cable directly connecting multiple computers," and wireless router networking was unaffected. Ten years later, reports still exist about Shandong Unicom's personal broadband terminal limit of 15 devices. The implementation varies greatly across regions; some provinces have long been too lazy to count, some are still stuck to this day, and some are divided by package — the higher the level, the more machines allowed. If you want to know if your home has a limit or how many devices, just call customer service and say: "Is there a limit to the number of terminals I can connect to my broadband?" By the way, what if you go over the board? Most likely they'll lure you to the maintenance or service center.

Shun just to say, if you have a proper router at home, you basically won't hit this wall—all your devices hide behind the router, and from the operator's perspective, you only have one terminal at home. Ninety-nine percent of those who hit the wall are families like Lao Liu, who have been 'naked cats running naked' for more than three years.

the first tier of zero-cost solution: add a router, leaving only one at home

China Unicom's phrase "Router networking is not affected" is actually a clear sign telling you the solution. If you plug the router's WAN port into the optical modem port 1, switch all your home devices to the router's WiFi. According to the carrier's booklet, your home will go from eleven to one, and the upper limit will no longer concern you.

operation itself takes five minutes. If the modem is in router mode, set the router to automatically acquire IP as the internet mode and it will start running; For optical modem bridges, select broadband dial-up and fill in the account for routers. I wrote about the details of the two connection methods in my about connecting two routers via optical modem; just flip through and plug it in.

two things to clean up and don't miss anything. First, remember to turn off the WiFi on the optical modem's own network. If you don't, your phone and tablet will remember the old name and automatically reconnect, basically a waste of time—the WiFi disabling path varies by region, so I have compiled the routes from several providers in an . Second, the optical modem router mode is stacked with the router, which equals two layers of NAT. Watching videos daily doesn't feel good, but users who play console online will be at a disadvantage with NAT types. If you mind, just look at the second mode. The origin of this problem can be found in the dual NAT .

Old Liu is in this format. I rummaged through a drawer for a retired old router to help him out of emergencies, costing zero. If you want to buy a new one, a hundred-yuan AX3000T is more than enough to carry dozens of devices—the amount of devices on the router side depends on the memory; my with 62 devices calculated this before.

solution for the second level root break: change the bridging system, the number of devices is handled by the router

and the bridge is a complete solution. After bridging, the optical modem only handles photovoltaic conversion, handing out house numbers, bookkeeping, and dialing all to the router—the operator's booklet is basically useless, and there's nowhere to count it. And at the same time, we've cleared up old issues like double-layer NAT and port forwarding detours.

But the cost is real: IPTV needs to be reconfigured with VLANs, and if you can't fix the TV's black screen, Landlines are still hanging on the optical modem VOICE interface, so be careful; After modifying the optical modem, the backend still loses contact; you need a static IP to get in. So my advice has never changed: first think carefully about whether you are that kind of person. Should we revise the bridge? I wrote a decision that four types of people should blindly correct it, three types should avoid it, and only act when it fits the criteria.

really want to get started, don't just follow the China Telecom tutorial for Unicom. Unicom version has a lazy half-bridge —don't delete the original video, add a new Bridge link, and the TV's landline is fully protected; For mobile users, copy the VLAN first before you act. after the modification, don't panic if you get blinded—it's normal .

third level hard modification: use the ultra-dense light intake modem, set the maximum access number

and have a mode suitable for transitions when you don't want to add equipment and don't want to bother with bridges. Using the super password to access the optical modem backend, most models have options like "maximum number of connected users" in WLAN settings. Some lock the system and keep it untouchable, while others allow you to directly change it. Scrolling further down, there's Terminal Management, which lets you view online lists and kick out people. How to get

Chaomi? I've tested all three: Unicom's CUAdmin new firmware uses dynamic password , and stubbornly sticking to the default password is pointless; getting the CMCC Addmin from Mobile is just the first ; RMS will quietly revert it in the middle of the night. The biggest pitfall of this series is this: you modify the local configuration, and the data center can just push it back ITMS re-installed. I've been at a disadvantage when it came to late-night upgrades, the next morning after the modification, I always re-check.

so I put this one last—it's just a temporary fix, and it might even be confiscated.

After the changes, how to verify it? If you can't connect in three ways, don't misdiagnose

verification is simple: after the new device connects, the light modem backend counts the online terminal list once. Once the number is correct and the new device is included, the process is complete. Check again one night to see if any equipment has been taken off the line. The day after Lao Liu's family moved the router, they installed eleven cameras plus twelve new cameras, none of which were lost. Case closed.

one more reminder: new equipment not connecting isn't all the fault of the quantity wall. Don't just look at it and try to fix it. The device blocked by the router has password sets, full signal, and keeps spinning without entering. The removal entry is in the device management blacklist group. I wrote about how to retrieve it from the wrong group; But if you connect and use an address starting with 169.254, that's a sign that DHCP hasn't sent a house number, so the pool is full. Looking DHCP that post the corresponding number. If the symptoms don't match, first review the triage table again.

order is simple: first call customer service to ask if there's a limit to the limit. If you have an old router, use it; if you play online, modify the bridge; if you're too lazy to touch it, use the ultra-Mi hard mod. After four steps, he managed to get past the wall.