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Sky FTTH router replacement.

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  • 06-09-2020 10:13am
    #1
    masterluke3
    Registered Users Posts: 22 ✭


    Hi. At home I have sky fibre-to-the-home with the black box sky hub. As I think is normal in these installations I have a powered white box on the wall that provides the connection to their router. I don't like the sky hub and I would like to swap it out with something that will allow me a it more control, but I don't want to sacrifice speed. I have replaced routers before on DSL, but I'm not sure how these new connections work. Google has shown me lots of hits about sky users replacing the hub, but these all seem to be on "fibre powered" DSL and not FTTH. My questions are..
    What router would be able to support this?
    What settings are required to setup the connection?

    Thanks


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    #2
    ED E
    Registered Users Posts: 36,167 ✭✭✭✭ED E


    The white box is an "ONT".

    You want a "Cable Router" - aka no need for the xDSL part. It needs to support VIDs on the WAN port and thats pretty much it. The settings for Sky need to be confirmed, I think theres a poster here whos done it but youll have to dig deep to find it.


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    #3
    masterluke3
    Registered Users Posts: 22 ✭masterluke3


    Thanks - I did have a good look here but I couldnt find sky settings anywhere. Everyone seems to be talking about vodafone siro rather than sky.
    Any help would be very welcome


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    #4
    fbradyirl
    Registered Users Posts: 1,156 ✭✭✭fbradyirl


    masterluke3 wrote: »
    Thanks - I did have a good look here but I couldnt find sky settings anywhere. Everyone seems to be talking about vodafone siro rather than sky.
    Any help would be very welcome

    Was looking myself and found this https://helpforum.sky.com/t5/Broadband/Modem-router-setup/td-p/3268531

    “ In Eire the connection type is PPPoE, and you need to use a generic username / password, something like:
     
    randomuser@skydsl / password
     
    or
     
    abcdefgh@skydsl /1234567890abcdef”

    I’ll be trying myself in the coming days with OpenWrt so will report back.


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    #5
    masterluke3
    Registered Users Posts: 22 ✭masterluke3


    Good find thanks. Any old router should do fine if its just a PPPOE connection.


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    #6
    fbradyirl
    Registered Users Posts: 1,156 ✭✭✭fbradyirl


    You also need to ensure you can VLAN tag on the router. See my note at the bottom here for Vodafone: https://finbarr.dev/2017-07-13-replace-eir-f2000/


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    #7
    ED E
    Registered Users Posts: 36,167 ✭✭✭✭ED E


    masterluke3 wrote: »
    Good find thanks. Any old router should do fine if its just a PPPOE connection.

    Careful. Lots of units can't do NAT at FTTH speeds.


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    #8
    fbradyirl
    Registered Users Posts: 1,156 ✭✭✭fbradyirl


    fbradyirl wrote: »
    Was looking myself and found this https://helpforum.sky.com/t5/Broadband/Modem-router-setup/td-p/3268531

    “ In Eire the connection type is PPPoE, and you need to use a generic username / password, something like:
     
    randomuser@skydsl / password
     
    or
     
    abcdefgh@skydsl /1234567890abcdef”

    I’ll be trying myself in the coming days with OpenWrt so will report back.

    I can confirm these settings work fine for Sky FTTH. I’m using OpenWrt on my EdgeRouter X.


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    #9
    masterluke3
    Registered Users Posts: 22 ✭masterluke3


    Thanks for everyone's help. All up and working nicely in my old tplink openwrt router. I'll need to upgrade at some point at I'm getting 60mb rather than the 150mb that my line allows.. but I'm fairly sure thats my underpowered router. The given settings work fine.

    Anyone have any router recommendations that don't cost the earth and can handle FTTH speeds (preferably with enough grunt to handle openvpn too)


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    #10
    demon1
    Registered Users Posts: 16 ✭demon1


    I have been searching and cannot find any clear suggestions about what router / modem I would need to replace my sky router for ftth. I am not sure what model the router is but it is not the Sky Hub. Do I need a separate modem? If so what modem / router combo will work, eg DrayTek V130 or 160 paired with a DrayTek Vigor 2862AC router.

    I am not well versed in networking and the various terminology and there are lots of different standards ADSL/VDSL etc and its difficult to find the information needed for my usecase, but would like greater control over the connection and to be able to apply a vpn at the router level and at some stage be able to learn and try out stuff like Vlans


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    #11
    masterluke3
    Registered Users Posts: 22 ✭masterluke3


    demon1 wrote: »
    I have been searching and cannot find any clear suggestions about what router / modem I would need to replace my sky router for ftth. I am not sure what model the router is but it is not the Sky Hub. Do I need a separate modem? If so what modem / router combo will work, eg DrayTek V130 or 160 paired with a DrayTek Vigor 2862AC router.

    I am not well versed in networking and the various terminology and there are lots of different standards ADSL/VDSL etc and its difficult to find the information needed for my usecase, but would like greater control over the connection and to be able to apply a vpn at the router level and at some stage be able to learn and try out stuff like Vlans

    One that supports openwrt and hasn't got a puny CPU. You need a cable router with just a WAN ethernet port and not an ADSL one with a phone line connection.


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    #12
    pizzahead77
    Registered Users Posts: 2,268 ✭✭✭pizzahead77


    masterluke3 wrote: »
    One that supports openwrt and hasn't got a puny CPU. You need a cable router with just a WAN ethernet port and not an ADSL one with a phone line connection.

    It doesn't have to support OpenWRT - that's a nice to have feature


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    #13
    demon1
    Registered Users Posts: 16 ✭demon1


    Thanks for the response. Do you think the attached would work

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Linksys-WRT3200ACM-UK-MU-MIMO-Gigabit-Router/dp/B01MF9OQC8/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Linksys%2BWRT3200ACM&qid=1603286934&sr=8-1&th=1


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    #14
    masterluke3
    Registered Users Posts: 22 ✭masterluke3


    pizzahead77 wrote: »
    It doesn't have to support OpenWRT - that's a nice to have feature

    Well technically yes it doesnt have to support openwrt... but if it doesnt then you'll need to make sure ilthe manufacturers firmware supports setting the VLAN for the WAN connection which I know openwrt routers do...but as you say, others may well do also.


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    #15
    masterluke3
    Registered Users Posts: 22 ✭masterluke3


    demon1 wrote: »
    Thanks for the response. Do you think the attached would work

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Linksys-WRT3200ACM-UK-MU-MIMO-Gigabit-Router/dp/B01MF9OQC8/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Linksys%2BWRT3200ACM&qid=1603286934&sr=8-1&th=1

    Yes that looks like a great option


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    #16
    SachaJ
    Registered Users Posts: 1,745 ✭✭✭SachaJ


    fbradyirl wrote: »
    Was looking myself and found this https://helpforum.sky.com/t5/Broadband/Modem-router-setup/td-p/3268531

    “ In Eire the connection type is PPPoE, and you need to use a generic username / password, something like:
     
    randomuser@skydsl / password
     
    or
     
    abcdefgh@skydsl /1234567890abcdef”

    I’ll be trying myself in the coming days with OpenWrt so will report back.

    Thanks for this.

    So I essentially replace with the following and it should work in my PPPoE settings (Asus RT-AC68U)?

    "XXXXXX@vfieftth.ie" -> "abcdefgh@skydsl"
    "vodafone" -> "1234567890abcdef"


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    #17
    banie01
    Registered Users Posts: 16,595 ✭✭✭✭banie01


    SachaJ wrote: »
    Thanks for this.

    So I essentially replace with the following and it should work?

    "XXXXXX@vfieftth.ie" -> "abcdefgh@skydsl"
    "vodafone" -> "1234567890abcdef"

    The text before the @ can be any random string you like as can your password.


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    #18
    SachaJ
    Registered Users Posts: 1,745 ✭✭✭SachaJ


    banie01 wrote: »
    The text before the @ can be any random string you like as can your password.

    Perfect, thanks. Sounds like a simple change and worth it for the Sky Black Friday TV & Broadband deals.


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    #19
    _Kaiser_
    Registered Users Posts: 28,760 ✭✭✭✭_Kaiser_


    Evening all

    So I just setup my new ASUS RT-AX58U router to replace the Sky Hub my recently-installed Siro/Sky service came with. After some teething issues, I managed to get it to connect to the Internet so all good there.

    BUT.. the results on Speedtest.net are sub 100, not the 500ish I was getting with the Sky router.

    Any ideas?


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    #20
    ED E
    Registered Users Posts: 36,167 ✭✭✭✭ED E


    Is NAT acceleration on?


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    #21
    _Kaiser_
    Registered Users Posts: 28,760 ✭✭✭✭_Kaiser_


    ED E wrote: »
    Is NAT acceleration on?

    I can't see anything off-hand. I should add though hat I have the cable from the SIRO box on the wall connected to the WAN port on the router. Should this be connected to one of the LAN ports? (It was connected to LAN 4 on the Sky router)


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    #22
    _Kaiser_
    Registered Users Posts: 28,760 ✭✭✭✭_Kaiser_


    Little further along.. it turns out part of the issue was the ethernet cable from the SIRO box to the new router. When swapping them out I decided to use a longer one but I'm guessing it wasn't a CAT6 cable as I used the original and am getting 350ish now.

    Still a ways off 500 but getting there!


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    #23
    SachaJ
    Registered Users Posts: 1,745 ✭✭✭SachaJ


    I presume you made the change to the IPTV section?

    https://www.boards.ie/ttfpost/108276808


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    #24
    ED E
    Registered Users Posts: 36,167 ✭✭✭✭ED E


    _Kaiser_ wrote: »
    Little further along.. it turns out part of the issue was the ethernet cable from the SIRO box to the new router. When swapping them out I decided to use a longer one but I'm guessing it wasn't a CAT6 cable as I used the original and am getting 350ish now.

    Still a ways off 500 but getting there!

    I assumed you'd used the same cable, yeah sounds like 2 pair not 4 (100BaseT or about 85-95Mb total useable).

    RE NAT check:
    Check Tools > Network > HW Acceleration


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    #25
    _Kaiser_
    Registered Users Posts: 28,760 ✭✭✭✭_Kaiser_


    ED E wrote: »
    I assumed you'd used the same cable, yeah sounds like 2 pair not 4 (100BaseT or about 85-95Mb total useable).

    RE NAT check:
    Check Tools > Network > HW Acceleration

    I don't think I have that option but I've run a few more speed test and getting over 420/430 now. I'm not using Sky's DNS servers on the new router though so maybe that's why I'm not seeing the full 500?


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    #26
    SachaJ
    Registered Users Posts: 1,745 ✭✭✭SachaJ


    _Kaiser_ wrote: »
    I don't think I have that option but I've run a few more speed test and getting over 420/430 now. I'm not using Sky's DNS servers on the new router though so maybe that's why I'm not seeing the full 500?

    Strangely I set NAT Acceleration to Disabled and then reset it back to auto and I'm seeing much faster speeds. Also using the Google DNS


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    #27
    _Kaiser_
    Registered Users Posts: 28,760 ✭✭✭✭_Kaiser_


    SachaJ wrote: »
    Strangely I set NAT Acceleration to Disabled and then reset it back to auto and I'm seeing much faster speeds. Also using the Google DNS

    What menu is that under mate?


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    #28
    SachaJ
    Registered Users Posts: 1,745 ✭✭✭SachaJ


    LAN -> Switch Control


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    #29
    _Kaiser_
    Registered Users Posts: 28,760 ✭✭✭✭_Kaiser_


    SachaJ wrote: »
    LAN -> Switch Control

    Hmm.. don't have that on mine. Just Jumbo Packet enable/disable


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