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Custom Hardware

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Dal1980
Hooked
Posts: 8
Registered: ‎27-11-2017

Custom Hardware

I rang sales tonight inquiring about if Plusnet support 3rd Party Routers since both Sky and Talk Talk don't allow anything but their own equipment to be installed.

I will probably initially just use the provided hardware if I take out Plusnet fiber but I am keen to put some kit together and install PFSense onto it as I've not had the pleasure of working with a professional setup at home (for experience/knowledge building).

I know there was a question on here directly relating to PFSense a year ago but thought I'd start a new topic just in case there's anything I should be aware of.

 

Any advice guys before I take the plunge... should I worry about Domestic vs Business fiber or should I go over to XLN?

 

The thing that made me feel less confident about Plusnet is the guy on the phone said "there shouldn't be any problem with using your own router" and "I think you should be able to get the connection details for setting it up". I was hoping sales would have had definitive answers for me but I think they want me to just 'test' my idea and buy first worry later. XLN at least confirmed that I can do what ever I want and they make all connection details known together with support in setup (I don't mean PFSense support though, just their settings in general).

 

 

I was hoping for more time but I've been waiting for over 3 hours for the stupid verification email to arrive in my inbox (and it isn't my host that delayed the email).

 

Many thanks

12 REPLIES 12
DaveyH
Champion
Posts: 1,946
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Registered: ‎15-11-2012

Re: Custom Hardware

Fix

There's no problem using your own router and the connection settings are HERE

 

Obviously Plusnet can't/won't provide support for third party routers though.

7up
Community Veteran
Posts: 15,824
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Registered: ‎01-08-2007

Re: Custom Hardware

Plusnet are quite easy going in that respect and will allow you to use your own hardware. I don't think that will change either. BT for the monsters that they are don't impose that stupid self limiting restriction that others use either and as they own PN..

I often wonder what the advantage of it is for companies like Sky?

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Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Custom Hardware

I would suspect @7up that the advantage they have is that it could be easier for them to probe the hardware remotely and extract information they can then use to help diagnose a customer’s fault with.

Not only that, they can also see what’s attached to your network as well Wink

Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Custom Hardware

I've run pfSense with a variety of modems, for many years, and not had any related issues.  Thumbs_Up

Dal1980
Hooked
Posts: 8
Registered: ‎27-11-2017

Re: Custom Hardware

Thanks guys

 

Nibiru that was helpful information, thank you, it's settled my mind a lot knowing there's a community veteran with direct experience with pfSense under plusnet.

7up and Mook - appreciate the insight into other providers, this makes plusnet look like a very nice option then. Smiley

 

DaveyH - I've accepted this as the solution, thanks for the link to the connection settings as well, this will come in handy.

 

Great guys. I hope to add value to the community too in the future. I'll get this sorted out in the next couple of days.

Cheers

Dal

Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Custom Hardware

As you will be using pfSense, can I recommend paying the one time £5 charge to get a Plusnet static IPv4 WAN address, so that you can sign up and use a free Hurricane Electric IPv6 Tunnel Broker account, making your pfSense LAN side network IPv6 enabled (as Plusnet show no sign of having native IPv6 any time soon).

Weirdly (on 20CN ADSL) I generally get better performance over tunnelled IPv6 than I do on native IPv4 routed via Plusnet.  Other people on higher speeds have said that the tunnel becomes a limiting factor, but that might depend on their hardware, or some tunnel limit that I am unable to achieve (on 6.8Mbps ADSL).

 

Wink

 

7up
Community Veteran
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Registered: ‎01-08-2007

Re: Custom Hardware


@Anonymous wrote:

I would suspect @7up that the advantage they have is that it could be easier for them to probe the hardware remotely and extract information they can then use to help diagnose a customer’s fault with.

Not only that, they can also see what’s attached to your network as well Wink


Yeah i get that bit but what is the point in forcefully stopping users from using their own hardware? - Many won't like the stock hardware that they're forced to use which lacks features of their prized router etc. Plus not everyone wants to be spied on or have the mac addresses on their network collected under some mass surveillance program.

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Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Custom Hardware

I think it is probably down to support, or the cost of implementing it. If you offer a very limited service when it goes wrong it is easier to fix as the option and configurations are limited, resulting in less time spent on calls, that means less bodies to manage the call streams, and that means less money to spend paying them.

ejs
Aspiring Hero
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Registered: ‎10-06-2010

Re: Custom Hardware


@7up wrote:


Yeah i get that bit but what is the point in forcefully stopping users from using their own hardware?


For FTTC, there's potential for people to choose their own modems which basically don't work properly and/or don't support all the required features, for things like vectoring or UPBO, this could cause problems for other lines.

See also: https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2017/11/calling-clarity-openreachs-broadband-modem-conformance...

Dal1980
Hooked
Posts: 8
Registered: ‎27-11-2017

Re: Custom Hardware

According to that article they don't seem to be so sure about it themselves (or certainly open about it). Does this worry only extend as far as the modem itself or can problems arise from incorrect network settings on a device behind the modem. For instance, I'll be using the stock router that plusnet supply then using pfSense for all the other network 'intelligence'.

ejs
Aspiring Hero
Posts: 5,442
Thanks: 631
Fixes: 25
Registered: ‎10-06-2010

Re: Custom Hardware

I don't think there's anything to worry about incorrect router settings causing problems for anyone other than you.

However, the Plusnet Hub One cannot be set to act as a bridged modem, and if you're going to use something like pfSense, I think you'd be better off getting something else to go with pfSense that can function as a modem.

Dal1980
Hooked
Posts: 8
Registered: ‎27-11-2017

Re: Custom Hardware

I have a HUAWEI HG633 from my TalkTalk connection now at my disposal. This doesn't seem to have anything that talks about bridges so think I'm in the same boat there. I'm not sure if this is down to options in software or if it is a physical limitation on these devices.

I looked at updated the firmware to an opensource one like DD-WRT, OPEN-WRT and Tomatoe (I have no experience of doing this) but they didn't have this modem listed anyway.

I do have a D-Link DSL-2640B (rev:B2) I could use and it is on the OPEN-WRT list although there seems to be options built into this for bridging on the native D-Link firmware.

Trying to tackle all of this to gain knowledge in networking is already creating more questions than it is answering lol. I feel like I'm watching the "Lost" TV series again.

I've been working on physical issues with where to put a PC with pfsense since the entry point to my internet is in the living room and I have all my cat cable running from the living room to various rooms (together with a HDMI distro device). Anyway that seems to be something I need to just figure out. I'll probably need a thin client of some kind but was going to use a large form factor ATX case with full size mobo etc that I had laying around. I also need a NIC card and my budget is tighter than a C1 car boot on a black friday shopping spree.