BT Smart Business Hub with 4G backup

[#1]

I have been trying to get a 4G ZTE MF286D Router to work as a backup for my Plusnet FTTC broadband using a BT Business Smart Hub 088317 – the model with the red WAN label above Ethernet port 4.

In other words, if our standard FTTC broadband goes down (as it did recently for 6 days), I want to just disconnect the ADSL cable and switch on the ZTE 4G router to get our network back up and running.

Several posts on the web just say to connect the ZTE via Ethernet to the WAN port on the BT Router (making sure to disconnect the ADSL cable from the BT router first.

I have done that, but the BT router just never connects.

Now my knowledge is very limited, but at no point do these instructions say any other changes need to be made.  So, my question is, both the BT Router and ZTE router can be put into Bridge Mode.  Should I be doing that to either unit?  In fact, the ZTE router can have:

1. LTE Bridge Mode
2. Cable Broadband Mode
3. Wireless Broadband Mode
4. Automatic

It is by default, set to Wireless Broadband Mode

Also, these instructions say to connect the Ethernet cable to the WAN input on the BT Router from any of the 4 Ethernet ports on the ZTE, but port 1 on the ZTE is marked WAN/LAN1 so I do not know if that port should be/not be used for this set-up.

When the broadband was down, this 4G router was connected to one PC via Ethernet and worked really well and actually gave a faster download speed than we normally get with the FTTC.  What I am trying to achieve is to have the whole house network running from 4G when necessary, and not just one PC.

Has anyone attempted a similar set-up?

Thank you

[#2]

I don't think this will work.

My guess is that the BT Smart Business Hub will be looking for an Openreach NTE on the WAN port and thus send the required PPPoE setup that the Openreach NTE needs.

None of the ZTE options include taking BT PPPoE setup and behaving like an ONT.

Possibly you could send the mobile network credentials in bridge or cable modem mode but you need the credentials to be right for the VDSL so I can't see this working either.

A third party router with a WAN port and a VDSL port would work. I had something a bit similar working with a Draytek 2860 a while back. You want something that actually supports load balancing or failover.

[#3]

Thank you.  I have no idea what you are saying with all the acronyms and initials you use, but it appears pretty clear that I am barking up the wrong tree.

[#4]

Sorry about the acronyms.

NTE - Network Termination Equipment - The little box you get that converts Openreach Fibre to the Ethernet connection a BT Hub (or Plusnet Hub) takes. In Openreach this is often called the ONT (https://www.bt.com/help/broadband/whats-an-openreach-modem-ont )

WAN - Wide Area Network - In this case the internet as provided by Plusnet.

PPPoE - Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet - What Plusnet (and others) use as a way of establishing your Internet connection. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point-to-Point_Protocol_over_Ethernet

If you want to have a failover service while the BT Smart Business Hub may support this (I think with a USB device and their EE network) it isn't easy to get this with the setup you have.

It may be possible to get the ZTE MF286D to be the failover device (your device connection would need to be on the ZTE MF286D rather than the BT Smart Business Hub) but I don't know if it can be set to prefer it's WAN connection. You would connect the ZTE MF286D WAN port to one of the BT Hub's LAN ports (not it's WAN port).

That would be worth experimentation.

[#5]

Hi Mark,

You talk about NTE being an OpenReach modem.  

From your explanation, that refers to FTTP.  I have FTTC.  I have no modem.

Does the same apply - unable to use the ZTE router as a broadband backup even if I only connect it to the BT Smart Hub when needed (and disconnect the ADSL line to the Smart Hub)?

Thanks

[#6]

The basic problem, as I see it, with the WAN connection of the BT business hub and the ZTE router is that the BT business hub expects to see Openreach (full fibre) Network Terminating Equipment on the WAN port and sends the commands that it would send to this device.

The  ZTE router won't respond correctly and I don't think a connection will be made.

Connecting the ZTE router's WAN port  to the Plusnet router's LAN port will probably work (I would expect a suitable option to be available on the ZTE router).

[#7]

@markhawkin 

A search reveals

"NTE stands for Network Terminating Equipment, which is a device installed at a customer's location to connect their internal wiring to the service provider's network. It enables access to services like internet and phone connections."

It should be noted

"An Openreach NTE (Network Termination Equipment) is a type of master socket that connects your home to the telephone network, allowing for broadband and phone services. The most common type is the NTE5, which can have a removable faceplate for easier access to the internal wiring"

"An Openreach ONT (Optical Network Terminal) is a device that connects your home to the fibre-optic broadband network, allowing you to access high-speed internet and voice services. It is typically a white box installed in your home that connects to a fibre-optic cable running from the exchange"

Maybe keep to the expected terms?

[#8]

Fair point Dan.

The Openreach ONT is their network termination equipment but as you state, the copper master socket is generally known as the "NTE".

[#9]

Does the same apply - unable to use the ZTE router as a broadband backup even if I only connect it to the BT Smart Hub when needed (and disconnect the ADSL line to the Smart Hub)?

@RG58 rhe only way to use the Smart Hub connected to the ZTE, would be to temporarily configure the Smart hub as an access point i.e disable DHCP and connect the ZTE to a LAN port. 

But it doesnt really make any sense to do that. Assuming you only power up the ZTE when its needed for backup, just configure the ZTE wireless to have the same SSID and password as the Smart Hub. Then in the backup situation , power down the Smart Hub, power up the ZTE and wireless clients should reconnect to the ZTE. If you have wired connections then just move them from the SMart hub to the ZTE temporarily.  

[#10]

To achieve the stated aim, would the following work...

1. Put the 4G ZTE MF286D into bridge mode
2. Disconnect the FTTC xDSL cable
3. Place an ethernet cable between the BT Hub's WAN port and an ethernet port on the ZTE

That leaves all of the DHCP control, configuration and WIFI exactly the same with the BT Hub, user see no network change, the back haul is then run over what is effectively a MiFi MODEM - not a router.

Working with something as complex as this, somewhat calls upon knowing and understanding the correct terminology - it is by definition technologically complex.

[#11]

I have two options to try now - which I will do at the weekend.

1. Place the ZTE 4G Router into Bridge Mode (which I assume is listed in the setup as "LTE Bridge"

2, Set up the ZTE with the same SSID as the BT Router and just connect that to my network instead of the BT Hub whenever needed

Thank you to everyone who has replied.  I will update this post next week.

[#12]

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@RG58 wrote:

I have two options to try now ...

I think the third option of @markhawkin 's suggestion of using the ZTE MF286D as the router, with the BT Smart Hub (in bridge mode) acting as a VDSL2 modem connected to the ZTE MF286D's <WAN/LAN1> port *should* work, and will likely automatically switch to 4G as failover backup (according to this).

According to the ZTE MF286D manual, you'd need to set the <WAN/LAN1> port to "Cable Broadband Mode"

It is a bit confusing whether the WAN cable needs to be connected or not to be able to select "Cable Broadband Mode" - so try with and without if you can't set that.

This video - YouTube : How to Configure PPPOE on ZTE Router ( Create New WAN Connection) 

appears to show that when in "Cable Broadband Mode", that you can enter the WAN PPPoE username and password for the BT Smart Hub. However leave the [Enable VLAN] box UNTICKED, and the MTU=1492.

In the BT Smart Business Hub, you probably want to disable the WiFi, and then configure it to 'bridge mode' -

1. On a computer connected to your Hub, go to http://btbusinesshub.home or 192.168.1.254 in your browser.
2. Click on Advanced Settings.
3. Enter your Admin password if prompted (it's on the base of your Hub) and click Ok. If it doesn't work, click Hint (a custom password may have been set).
4. Click Continue to Advanced Settings.
5. Select the Broadband tab, then the Routing tab.
6. Scroll to the bottom to the Bridging section.
7. Tick Yes next to Enabled.
8. Click Yes on the confirmation screen to apply the changes.

It is my understanding that BT Smart Hubs default to VLAN=101 and there might not be a user selectable option for that.

It *looks* like you should be able to have a setup with FTTC as the primary internet connection, and automatically failover to 4G, without swapping cables or switching on or off the power supplies.

Good luck !.

[#13]

Thank you.  I will try that tomorrow.

The other option of putting the ZTE into Bridging Mode did not work as did the option to clone the BT WiFi settings to the ZTE and only use it when the original Plusnet FTTC Broadband went down - 1 because the WiFi code on the BT Hub can only be WPA-2 or WPA Auto and the ZTE does not have those options, and 2, although I can power one PC direct from the ZTE via an Ethernet cable, if I plug that same cable from the ZTE into my Network Switch next to my BT Business Smart Hub, there is no internet signal to any PC connected to that switch.

Unfortunately, the old adage that a "little knowledge is dangerous" applies to me.  I do not have the know-how to understand why this is the case.

[#14]

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@RG58 wrote:

... the WiFi code on the BT Hub can only be WPA-2 or WPA Auto and the ZTE does not have those options

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From this YouTube screenshot, the ZTE appears to have an option for "WPA2(AES)-PSK" which should be good enough.

[#15]

@RG58 

before attempting to set up the ZTE tomorrow, first make sure you have the latest firmware updates -