Billion UK Forum

Hey folk, apologies for the daft question.

I'm on a Plusnet UK FTTC contract right now, with my 8900AX-2400 having done stirling work as the VDSL modem/router for nearly six years. My 8900 feeds a couple of switches and ceiling access points for brilliant wifi around the house.

Now my contract is coming to an end, I'm contemplating going with Sky for FTTP broadband and (I believe) IP/wifi phone. The fallback is going BT FTTP.

I'm guessing that if the phone is part of the deal, then I need to use the Sky-supplied router for the phone connectivity, but I was hoping that for all ethernet/wifi to the rest of the house I could plug the 8900 into one of the Sky router ports, get WAN-side DHCP from the Sky box, NAT it and continue as is. I don't like the idea of the Sky router and their remote access to it, but my 8900 would at least firewall me from that and put me on my own segregated LAN. The downside is that I'd lose access to the VPNs I sometimes use which are served by the 8900.

Has anyone done that, and could you please walk me through the WAN settings I'd need to change on the 8900?

Thank you!
Rich.

rich4596 wrote: ↑Tue May 23, 2023 1:39 pm Hey folk, apologies for the daft question.

I'm on a Plusnet UK FTTC contract right now, with my 8900AX-2400 having done stirling work as the VDSL modem/router for nearly six years. My 8900 feeds a couple of switches and ceiling access points for brilliant wifi around the house.

Now my contract is coming to an end, I'm contemplating going with Sky for FTTP broadband and (I believe) IP/wifi phone. The fallback is going BT FTTP.

I'm guessing that if the phone is part of the deal, then I need to use the Sky-supplied router for the phone connectivity, but I was hoping that for all ethernet/wifi to the rest of the house I could plug the 8900 into one of the Sky router ports, get WAN-side DHCP from the Sky box, NAT it and continue as is. I don't like the idea of the Sky router and their remote access to it, but my 8900 would at least firewall me from that and put me on my own segregated LAN. The downside is that I'd lose access to the VPNs I sometimes use which are served by the 8900.

Has anyone done that, and could you please walk me through the WAN settings I'd need to change on the 8900?

Thank you!
Rich.

You can setup the 8900 for 'Ethernet >> IP Over Ethernet' connection, below are the steps (make sure the sky box is not on the same subnet eg Sky box - 192.168.1.x Billion = 192.168.2.x) I would change the Sky routers subnet, so not to make any changes to the current LAN.

To add a Ethernet WAN connection follow the steps below

1. Login to the router
2. Click on 'Configuration >> WAN >> WAN Service'
3. Click on the 'Add' button
4. Change the 'WAN Port' to 'Ethernet'
5. Set the 'Type' to 'IP over Ethernet'
6. Click on 'Next'
7. Under the 'Available Routed WAN Interfaces' you will see your new 'IPoe' interface, click on it to select it and click on the arrow pointing left so the new ipoe interface should be listed under 'Selected Default Gateway Interfaces'
8. Do the same for the DNS options below, click on the 'ipoe' interface listed below 'Available WAN Interfaces' and click on the arrow pointing left so the ipoe interface should be listed below 'Selected DNS Server Interfaces
9. Click on 'Next'
10. Now plug a Ethernet connection from the EWAN port on the 8900 to the Sky box

Once done the 8900 should obtain a internal IP address from the Sky box, note this down it will be found under 'Status >> WAN'

Optional - Then login to the Sky box and put this IP address into the DMZ section, this should expose all ports to the Billion (a workaround because you are running double NAT)

Hope this helps

That's brilliant, thanks very much BF, really helpful!

Just as a follow-up, we're debating whether or not we actually need a VOIP phone as part of the package. In case we decide we don't, can anyone please point me to the guides for connecting the 8900 directly to the ONT, doing away with a BT or Sky router entirely?

Thank you, and sorry for the bone questions!

rich4596 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 28, 2023 6:16 am Just as a follow-up, we're debating whether or not we actually need a VOIP phone as part of the package. In case we decide we don't, can anyone please point me to the guides for connecting the 8900 directly to the ONT, doing away with a BT or Sky router entirely?

Thank you, and sorry for the bone questions!

Same as above setup but use the Client ID option 61 option (enter abc123@skydsl|abc123 within this section to pass authentication)

Thanks as always BF. I've decided to stay with Plusnet for the moment and will ugrade to FTTP with them instead.

To check out how the router needs to be configured to connect directly to the ONT when it comes I've temporarily rigged up a Draytek VDSL modem and created a PPoE conenction to that from port 5 and all working fine. Hopefully when the FTTP is installed I can just plug my port 5 to the ONT vice the Draytek modem and it'll be quick and easy on the day.

Thanks again for always monitoring the forum and the quick and sound advice.

I recently transferred from PlusNet FTTC to Community Fibre FTTP.

Once the CF engineer had confirmed it was all working fine, I just plugged the ONT into the WAN port of my 8900 - changed the config as advised and it all works perfectly.

I even had the Pnet and CF configured at the same time for a few weeks with CF as my primary and PNet as the failover - my contracts overlapped for a few weeks.

I have signed up for the VOIP as the wife insists on it - but she also likes to save money, so maybe revisit this decision in 12months time
CF provided a separate box for the VOIP - which I just connected to a ethernet cable in a different room and plugged in the base station for my DECT phones and all seems to be working Ok on that front too.

Thanks Harry and BF.

FTTP install yesterday transitioning from Plusnet FTTC to Plusnet FTTP. Come time to switch over I just moved the port 5 cable from my Draytek VDSL modem across to the ONT. Bingo. No fuss, straight in. Bosh.

Brilliant! Thanks all!