Fiber Broadband: Options for using own equipment

mobirl

Hi all,

I know from the forum that virgin media fiber equipment could be replaced by using a WAS-110 SFP+, adaptor or SFP+ networking and community firmware on the was-110 adaptor.

Are there some other fiber broadband suppliers that also have options to use your own router equipment and ones that really don't have manageable workarounds?

Thanks

dam099

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058422484/fiber-broadband-options-for-using-own-equipment

Pretty much all the combinations of Fibre retail providers and wholesale networks (other than Virgin retail over Virgin wholesale) supply an ONT which you can connect your own router to directly (using Ethernet). Some are more helpful than others with supplying the necessary settings but most can be found here if needed.

The usual caveat is that their bundled VOIP service wont work with most ISP's and in some cases their TV service might not work (though that seems to be less of a problem lately). Obviously if you only want broadband with your own Router neither of these matter.

NotShero

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058422484/fiber-broadband-options-for-using-own-equipment

All other FTTP providers let you remove their router and connect directly to the ONT.

it’s just Virgin through Virgin FTTP wholesale that requires the WAS-110 as there is no external ONT installed by default. Virgin through NBI or SIRO will come with an external ONT that will allow you to remove their router.

You can check which access networks are available to you here -

https://www.comreg.ie/broadbandchecker/

rocketspocket

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123745516#Comment_123745516

So, if you use Sky/Vodafone over Virgin Wholesale they will install an ONT that you can then connect directly to via ethernet - its just virgin retail that force you to use their 5x router when going over virgin wholesale?

NotShero

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123796735#Comment_123796735

Yes, this is probably because they kind of have to as Sky and Vodafone don’t have integrated ONT routers themselves.

Virgin even has a version on the Hub 5x with a WAN port for use through NBI and SIRO.

Eir seems to be trialing an integrated ONT router now also though, so we might see more of it in the future unfortunately.

rocketspocket

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123796783#Comment_123796783

Very interesting - so that means it may make sense to first go with sky/vodafone - get the ONT installed so you can never be 'locked in' as virgin will use the ONT in the future

NotShero

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123796924#Comment_123796924

Yeah I was thinking the same, iirc I’ve seen at least one post of someone saying they have moved back to Virgin retail eventually and they’ve kept and used the external ONT with I presume Virgin sending out the WAN version of the Hub 5x.

rocketspocket

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123796937#Comment_123796937

Appreciate that - i'll now look into seeing what options the other provide allow -would you know if having an ONT installed via virgin wholesale will automatically gives you a public IPv4 address or that something you'd need to request from sky/vodafone and if so, is that is something they would allow/provide?

NotShero

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123796954#Comment_123796954

I don't know for sure but I would say most likely yes as long as the Hub 5x was replaced with your own router. You get your own dynamic public IPv4 address when you use a WAS-110 so I presume it would be the same with the Virgin ONT.

You'd get a dynamic public IPv4 address from Sky/Vodafone by default as afaik they have never used CGNAT here.

If you need the IPv4 address to be static that would be different and I'm not sure if Sky/Vodafone provide that. Virgin Media only provide it to business customers but Virgin's dynamic IPs are quite sticky and people usually have the same IP address for a long period of time without it changing.

rocketspocket

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123796977#Comment_123796977

Just been researching and can't get a definitive answer but the ONT connection would need to support Virgin retail top speeds and that could be an issue going forward (or future proofing) - for example, virgin retail are now are offering 5Gb but if, for example, the ONT box ethernet port max'es out at 1Gb then you wouldn't utilize these speeds - that said, vodafone do offer 2Gb down so the ONT must be-able to at least support this speed. does going via virgin retail maybe less flexible regarding own hardware but more flexible with speeds (based of the routers abilities and not the ONT)?

NotShero

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123803506#Comment_123803506

OpenEir, SIRO, NBI all supply a 10Gb Ethernet XGS-PON ONT when you order over 1Gb and most of the time even if you order under 1Gb nowadays as GPON is becoming outdated. I’m sure a 10Gb XGS-PON ONT would be installed with Virgin also.

Edit - Someone just posted in another thread that they have just switched to Sky through Virgin Wholesale and the link is 10Gb so there’s confirmation.