Not quite - I just like to have all the knobs available to tinker …
My modem is a DGND3700v1 - the v1 is important. I put firmware from HERE on the router and a couple of command line tweaks to run it purely as a modem in bridge mode with wireless/etc off. It reboots when the power fails and resyncs every few months It gives some fairly funky and granular control - currently been syncd for 49 days:
We have a 25 Mb/s plan. In the detailed stats about the only thing it doesn’t give me that I liked on my previous ADSL Cisco kit (877w) is DMT Bits per bin, which was handy for mapping the copper profile and watching interference from HF sources.
For routing I use a couple of ASUS boxes, an AC66 and AC68 separated by a few hundred metres of wireless over Ubiquiti NanoStation M5’s (5 GHz) - very cool little boxes to share the love with. The ASUS boxes are currently running Tomato by Shibby, but thats been somewhat abandoned dev wise so I’m looking to go OpenWRT or similar - something that again has all the knobs to twiddle … I’ve been playing with OpenWRT on a tiny GL-MT300N just for fun and wireless bridging some Ubiquiti cameras.
For VoIP I use MyNetFone on an old Siemens Gigaset with a few handsets scattered around piped through Asterisk.
Hi V8Snail
If I am understanding you correctly, in order to be able to use your D-Link wireless modem router because of its superior Wi-Fi ability, is to connect your Huawei modem router to your D-Link modem router using an Ethernet or Cat 6 cable between the 2 devices. The cable should go from the WAN port on the Huawei to the LAN port on your D-link router. You may need to change the SSID and password on the D-link for both the 2.4 and 5GHz bands and all your Wi-Fi devices should be able to connect to the D-Link Wi-Fi output. All the devices will have to be reconfigured so that they connect to the D-Link router as the preferred network and not the Huawei router. You should be able to turn off the Wi-Fi signals on the Huawei router.
Your phone will still be connected to the Huawei router, and all your devices will be able to connect wirelessly to the D-Link and have internet access as well. Hope this helps (and works for) you.
There are other issues such as networking performance, eg download and upload, and adding the (admittedly not so big) additional electricity to the bill for the useless Huawei box that should not be necessary.
Workarounds like that are not difficult, but at least some RSPs require that to use a BYO device, but why? Just because they can?
As an analogy, if you had a London Taxi but your council would only let you drive a Smart car for hire, would you be happy to tow the London Taxi with the Smart car to make the council happy?
Thanks for your suggestion @Airsie. It will work like that once configured correctly; however, I will have no redundancy. If/when the Huawei dies I am still left with no VOIP. The D-Link will connect directly and every other function works flawlessly, except VOIP. Running two routers will also affect my battery backup time significantly and I’m not keen in upgrading that if I can help it.
I am with a local Gold Coast provider OnTheNet which I have used for some years for ADSL, with my own Netcomm modem with VoIP capability connecting with MNF. On changing over to NBN, I stayed with the same provider and bought from them a TP-Link VR500v modem, which has VoIP capability, AC1200 wireless and is NBN compatible.
The new modem was supplied unlocked, so I was easily able to apply my existing VoIP settings and run MNF VoIP over NBN using the new modem. Also, I could have opted to use OnTheNet’s own new VoIP service, but I decided to continue with MNF because MNF has a very useful voicemail facility. If a call is unanswered or if I set a parameter online, voicemail causes a sound file to be emailed to me.
I thoroughly recommend OnTheNet for all internet use. On NBN I have never had a drop-out.
I’m with iinet NBN, whoa are part of TPG and I am using a TP link vr2800 because the iinet router modem was rubbish. I have to admit that I am not using voip so we don’t have that issue. When I have called them with connection problems they have been very quick to blame the modem. It was never the modem. They just read their scripts and ignore what you say.
I am forever grateful that I found a totally reliable local provider. If I were ever to have an issue, I would be talking to a technician who is only a couple of kms from me. If I was to be ignored, they would very soon find me on their doorstep. Moreover, I don’t have to struggle to make myself understood by somebody who isn’t fluent in English.
I was with TPG with VOIP. When the TPG supplied modem died, I needed to get working quickly again for work, so I bought a Netgear router and a separate Cisco spa112 for the VOIP phone.
The Netgear was simple to configure, but TPG would not or could not give out the configuration for the VOIP phone.
I phoned Exetel who said they could assist me, so I switched, they gave me the configuration required and no regrets.
On all NBN data products you can use an aftermarket VOIP solution. Exetel allows the use of any VOIP service though they do have a package if you wish to buy it.
If you purchase just a data package from Telstra or TPG or whomever else you might choose, though they probably bundle a VOIP plan but the prices for just data with others is a similar cost eg MyRepublic, then you can bring your own modem or router and add a VOIP service. Just be sure to buy a NBN approved VOIP capable modem eg a Fritzbox but there are others or get a VOIP service dongle/attachment to fit to the modem or attached router. I will add if you get a bundled VOIP that you don’t want or can’t use then ensure you don’t roll your old number over to it if you want to use it on your aftermarket service…just let the data provider allocate a new number to the unused VOIP service.
While providing a potential solution for us ‘die hards’ who wish to use our own approved kit, that tacitly implies it is OK that some of our RSPs will not divulge their ‘secret codes’ to use a BYO approved VOIP enabled router. Pay $80 pcm to include a VOIP number and unlimited standard calling but then pay another $X pcm to use a 3rd party after market service so you can use your own router? Yes you can, but why should you have to? The answer seems to be ‘because they can make us’.
A discount if you don’t want their VOIP service and will buy someone’s elses? Funny idea that, right?
I would ask why the RSP’s do not offer a number of modem options that include better high end solutions?
Without needing to answer that question, is the current situation something open to challenge with the ACCC as a form of restriction on trade. Effectively the major RSP’s are for any one requiring an attached phone service locking competitors of their chosen supplier out of the market?
What would you say if Optus only offered Huawei phones, two only models and Telstra just one from ZTE. Want an IPhone? Sorry we only support voice calls if you BYO?
No doubt Samsung or LG would sort it by setting up their own networks exclusively for their customers. Market forces!
The answer to both I think is that the user has a choice, if you don’t like the terms of any given contract there are other providers out there who will provide a service that will allow complete freedom of VOIP choice. You don’t have to use Telstra, TPG, iPrimus (now a part of the Vocus group which includes Engin and Dodo) or any other RSP who won’t release their codes. If you choose to do so then don’t like the terms you signed on to, who is to blame? Buyer beware as the saying goes I guess?? Of course if they don’t disclose some item that would have stopped you from using the service had you know before signing then you should have redress under the ACL and perhaps for some that might be a way to void an unsatisfactory contract when trying to use a BYO device.
That we do, but you are essentially siding with caveat emptor and it is on the customer to know what questions to ask (in more or less detail) being the rule of the day (which it usually is) and the good will of the RSP that does not provide the expected service to let a contract go, no penalties, no complaints need be raised, no worries.
Failure to be forthcoming is the crux of the grizzles here. If TPG had disclosed this anywhere (barring recently maybe), I couldn’t find it and not for lack of looking. It certainly wasn’t spelled out as many forum users have indicated.
Being under contract is not an issue I have for jumping ship. Needing to change a number of well seasoned RSP specific email addresses for each household member is. Changing email addresses can be just as much of a hassle as changing phone numbers and having to let every personal and business contact know.
That is a good reason everyone in your family should have a gmail or similar generic account, or a for-pay one that is a ‘forever’ address, sans potential business failures along the way. To prep for that most email systems support filters whereby all incoming email gets forwarded to another account, as well as sending an auto acknowledgement advising of the new address. If you consider how to do now and start doing, at some point all of your contacts can be advised of the new address and you can cut ties at will.
I don’t like what some RSPs do, but the choice of who I use is mine. If I want some form of USO, CSG, USG (when it matures into reality) as an example of things I might desire, then I choose a RSP who supplies it, and with that choice comes some negatives such as price, limits on traffic, hardware support. Many RSPs with specific settings do require the use of their “in house” hardware choices and they do make this point on web sites, and in conversations. They also make statements regarding BYO choices and how they will not provide tech support for problems that arise beyond simple connection to the internet issues. Regarding TPG VOIP in their FAQ sections regarding NBN
“Will my current modem/router work with nbn™ broadband?
To use your new TPG service you should use the supplied TPG router. Our digital voice service relies on the TPG router to work and cannot be used on a 3rd party router.”
They do however supply details on how to access the nbn internet though…just not the VOIP settings.
If I want my choice of voice provider then I also make choices so that I can connect the way I want. But I do realise in this instance the details likely did not become obvious until after a failure and were not made obvious until then. In that regard a breach of ACL has perhaps taken place in that something that may have stopped the user taking up the service was not apparent until later and that failure may entitle them to compensation and/or no penalty cancellation of the service. I say may because it may not have been important to the user even if they had known about the non divulging before committing to the contract and only became a problem when a device failed.
My answer was to the two general points made, the first being that a provider doesn’t always allow the release of their codes which I think is proprietary information which they are entitled to keep even though I see no particular sense to that. The second that it is a restriction on trade and in that case it is not a monopoly or a duopoly or even likely a cartel like operation. There are just too many other options out there to support the second one as a restriction on trade.
From memory TPG, Telstra and many other RSPs allow the maintaining of email addresses for a fee (some also do this for free). As an example Telstra support the email address for 12 months after service cancellation for free thereafter there is an annual amount payable, iPrimus charge about $6 a month for email address retention, TPG around the same I think. But as @PhilT makes the good point that to have a non RSP/ISP email address or addresses as your main one/s is a far safer option that relying on a RSP who may go out of business, may amalgamate with another and cease to support one or more addresses, or who may cease to provide a satisfactory email service for a user’s needs eg too small an inbox.
addendum
Found this article that may help a Telstra nbn customer use a 3rd party device:
ISP’s want modem/routers they can remotely configure, upgrade, & diagnose. Usually done via TR069 & successor standards/extensions. All that can be automated and that means dollar savings. Online self tests likely wont work with BYO gear. While they work off the standards, the real world application and results back from individual devices can be nuanced. The smaller the brand/device set, the easier it is for the ISP to support.
Everyone knows ISP’s can look into your network, read your router log, see all the connected devices, wifi, etc? Don’t they?
I’m not yet on NBN & still operating with my BYO ASUS device through the ‘bridged’ HFC modem/router. Attached to that I have a Gigaset VoIP box with PSTN line in and MNF configured.
The thread is good pre-reading for my coming choices when NBN hits us next year.
It gives some fairly funky and granular control - currently been syncd for 49 days:
