Use Apple AEBS with a 3BB Modem in bridge mode?

[SooKee]

I noticed from another thread from a few years back that it was not possible to use an Apple Airport Extreme with a 3BB modem / router operating in bridge mode as the AEBS cannot do the PPPoE 'handshake' correctly. In some ways that takes out some of the functionality of the AEBS and thus undermines paying the price premium for it. Apparently though with TOT (no thanks!!) it does work. Anyone tried using an AEBS with 3BB recently and is it still the same or does the AEBS now work OK with the 3BB modem in bridge mode?

Reason I ask is that I have a place in Malaysia and with the ISP here the AEBS also cannot carry out the PPPoE 'handshake', presumably because of different protocols, so you cannot use the ISP provided router / modem in bridge mode. I'd rather have the AEBS handle DHCP and NAT etc and just use the supplied modem as a bridge but you can't. If connecting to a modem in bridge mode the AEBS can be used to set up a guest network and also it's easy to see and control what's connected to it via the Airport Utility. If not, and as I have it working now, it just acts as a fairly dumb wifi router.

Upshot is I only want to pay out for another AEBS in Thailand if I can get it working the way I want. If not I'll just stick with the 3BB provided model or buy a cheaper ADSL 2 router at around 5K. I use a lot of Apple devices including ATV, iPhones, iPads and Macbook and they do seem to play nice with the AEBS over some other routers. I understand the wifi capability of the newest AEBS is great too. But I only plan to invest if one if I can use it as I wish.

[arkom]

I am using my Apple AirportExtreme in bridge mode with my 3BB Fibre modem. But a heads up, the technicians they sent are pretty clueless, or maybe just the ones that come to my house. They didn't know how to setup the bridge mode, and insisted that their crappy modem/router is better that the AirportExtreme.

End of the day I had to set it up myself, but it does work.