Thanks to bridge mode, my Galaxus Internet finally works with Unifi
22/10/2026
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
Pictures: Philipp Rüegg
Galaxus Internet now offers bridge mode for the included router. I can now finally build a 10-Gbit Unifi network.
A year ago, I signed up for a Galaxus fibre plan and upgraded our home to 10 Gbps. For the network itself, I installed Wi-Fi 7-compatible access points from Ubiquiti. Many around me – including members of our Community – were saying it's the best hardware for a home network. This is especially true in connection with the associated Unifi system. However, I just hadn’t been able to set it up since it requires a Ubiquiti router. I couldn’t connect it because the Zyxel router that comes with Galaxus Internet doesn’t have bridge mode. Yes, I know workarounds like DMZ exist, but I didn’t want to deal with all that.
But now things have changed.
A quick inquiry is all it takes
Unfortunately, I can’t manually enable bridge mode, which would turn my router into a «dumb» modem. However, all you need to make the switch is send a quick message in the Galaxus customer portal using this form and bridge mode will be activated if possible.
If I were to connect a second router to the Zyxel, I’d have a double NAT. This divides a home network into two separate private subnets, which can lead to problems. As a result, port forwarding often goes nowhere since the first router doesn’t pass traffic on to the second router. When playing online games with this setup, peer-to-peer connections may be blocked. Two competing firewalls also often result in performance limitations and increased latency.
Two potential problems with the DHCP network protocol, which assigns IP addresses to devices, can be resolved in advance. If the new router and the Zyxel have the same local IP ranges, complications can arise. I use the Ubiquiti Unifi Cloud Gateway UCG, which also provides the necessary 10 Gbps throughput. The device boots with the IP address 192.168.0.1, while the Zyxel runs on 192.168.1.1. So the devices shouldn’t interfere with each other. If your setup’s different, set a fixed range. From 192.168.0.2 to 192.168.0.254, for example.
In addition, on the WAN side, the configuration for obtaining the public IPv4 address should be set to DHCP.
Once bridge mode is enabled, DHCP and Wi-Fi on the Zyxel are disabled anyway. That’s why it should work even without these settings. With this approach, though, you can check whether the internet’s working on the new router before deactivating the old one.
Easy setup, annoying fans
In my case, the switch probably would’ve worked right away if I’d connected the Zyxel router to the RJ45 port instead of the WAN port from the start. In theory, that one should work, too, but it didn’t for me. I use the WAN port combined with an SFP adapter module to connect a 10 Gbps Ubiquiti switch.
In addition to the gateway, I use several switches and access points. The latter are already in operation, just without Unifi. So far, I can only control them individually. But as soon as the gateway’s enabled, it automatically detects all Ubiquiti devices on the network. I can add them with just one click using the app. At first, only two access points refuse to be transferred to the Unifi system. But after a quick reset, they work too.
The new Ubiquiti USW Pro XG switches, which I’m using instead of the previous TP-Links, have the advantage that the ports support PoE – Power over Ethernet. That means I no longer have to power the wired access points with additional PoE injectors. This way, I save on a few devices and outlet slots. I could manage the switches, as many members of the Community also requested in my last article. However, I still believe that, in our four-person household, I can manage without this feature.
What bothers me about the Ubiquiti switches is the fans. They produce a distinctly audible whirring sound. I sit less than two metres away from them and need to figure out a solution. I could probably fry eggs on those things just as easily as on the TP-Links. At least those were passively cooled and silent. For the steep price of over 500 francs each, that part’s disappointing.
In the basement, I use the smaller Unifi Flex XG. At first, I wanted to skip buying a power supply for it since I can power the device through its bigger brother using the PoE connection. It works, but the switch only provides 1 Gbps performance that way. I can see that right away in the app. It shows which ports are in use on all devices and at what speed. A coloured light on the device itself also indicates the same thing (light blue for 10 Gbit, dark blue for 2.5 Gbit, etc.). So it looks like I can’t avoid using two power cables. After all, the access point that’s also connected to it still requires a PoE injector.
Setting everything up through the app is really fun. Everything’s relatively straightforward and easy to understand, even for beginners. Still, the setup took up almost an entire afternoon.
Is Unifi the saviour it claims to be?
Unifi’s considered one of the gold standards in network management. What I’ve tried so far confirms this impression. I can monitor my network perfectly through the Unifi app or the web interface., . The menu structure is easy to follow and isn’t unnecessarily nested. Much of it is presented visually. For example, you can see which devices are connected and how – it’s displayed like a family tree. This works because all network devices, including the switches, are from Ubiquiti and communicate with one another.
The tree view also shows you the signal strength of all connected client devices. Two of them – the heat pump and the solar power system – are incorrectly connected to the access point on the ground floor instead of the one closer to them in the basement. Just two clicks, and they’re connected properly. Not that a stronger connection is necessary, but the 2.4-GHz network on the ground-floor access point’s already packed. I can see that in the app, too.
Blocking certain websites, apps or entire domains on individual devices is possible too. Not necessary in our household yet, but nice to have. You can also set up a virtual LAN to isolate untrusted smart home devices from the rest of my network. Maybe I’ll try that next. I still have many menus and submenus to click through. The possibilities are virtually endless.
However, among the countless settings, I’m missing the option to turn off a device at a specific time. I want to put a sofa bed in my office, and the switch’s fan noise will definitely be annoying to anyone sleeping there. I’ll just use a smart plug instead.
Wi-Fi optimisation
Since the access points are now operated through the UniFi system, the mesh network’s working too. If I go quickly from the second to the ground floor – or, as my son would say, stomp down the stairs like a horse – I can track the transitions in the app in real time. There, I can see exactly how many seconds it takes for my phone to switch access points. It’s pretty quick.
I’m a little surprised that the Zyxel router in my closet sends a stronger Wi-Fi signal into the garden than the U7 Pro XG. The Wi-Fi dish hangs on the wall right next to it. Even so, when I measure the signal on my laptop – about five metres away on the patio – it never drops below -80 dBm. That’s enough for surfing the web, but videos load slowly.
For optimal placement, I use Ubiquiti’s online tool. I upload the floor plan of our house there. Rooms and walls are detected automatically. Where necessary, I make manual adjustments. I can immediately see how far an access point’s signal reaches. The tool also shows me how much more efficient placing an access point on the ceiling rather than on the wall is. It’s not a huge difference, but it counts.
My Unifi system has now been in use for two months. During that time, I noticed only two minor issues. On one occasion, the connection between the UniFi router and the switch dropped from 10 Gbps to 5 Gbps. Unplugging and plugging it back in solved the problem. Another time, the internet went down and I lost access to my system. After restarting the UniFi router, everything worked again. Viewing the system, I was able to see from the logs that packet loss was first detected, and shortly thereafter, the connection at the WAN-1 port went down. According to Unifi, the problem was with my internet service provider. However, no outage was listed on their website. I hope it was a one-time occurrence.
Verdict: a bridge to the promised land
Since the launch of Galaxus Internet, bridge mode has been its most requested feature. No wonder: a stable home network works best with the hardware of your choice. It’s now up and running at my place, too. I love the newfound transparency and control that my Unifi system provides. One of my pet peeves are internet problems. They can be caused by anything. Unifi doesn’t solve every problem, but so far I’ve had almost nothing to complain about.
Setup was a breeze, and bridge mode can be enabled in no time. Thanks to the excellent web interface and app, I now understand why so many people swear by Ubiquiti. If it gives me many more years of stress-free network management, then it’s worth the money to me.
Philipp Rüegg
Senior Editor
Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.chAs a child, I wasn't allowed to have any consoles. It was only with the arrival of the family's 486 PC that the magical world of gaming opened up to me. Today, I'm overcompensating accordingly. Only a lack of time and money prevents me from trying out every game there is and decorating my shelf with rare retro consoles.
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