Can you connect your own router directly to a CityFibre ONT?

OverDrive

OverDrive

OverDrive

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Hi all, I am considering moving to a CityFibre FTTP provider from Virgin Media. I am currently using a Netgear router connected to the VM hub in modem mode. Would it be the same configuration with a CityFibre provider? Or can I connect my router directly to the ONT? Ideally, I would like to just hook my router up directly.

I am presently considering Lit Fibre, IDNet and Vodafone. Although leaning away from Vodafone at the moment as I have read about the possibility of load balancing on the network increasing the latency at times.
 
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As long as you have a compatible router (most these days are) you can connect it to the ONT. You then put your ISP details into your router's WAN settings.
 
ChrisD. said:
As long as you have a compatible router (most these days are) you can connect it to the ONT. You then put your ISP details into your router's WAN settings.
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Thank you. Are these details always provided to the end user?

I may take the opportunity to upgrade to a new Wi-Fi 6 router as mine is quite old now. Would something like the TP-Link AXE5400 (or similar) be suitable? What should I look for in the router spec?
 
All three of the ISPs you have listed let you use your own router. IDNet provide you the PPPoE details without asking, Vodafone give you them if you ask, and Lit use DHCP.
 
If they do go via ground, you’d have had them digging outside to put fibre in and a small box outside your house in the footpath, then it’s basically a spade in at an angle to lift the grass a few inches deep and then the cable goes in, not a 6” deep trench like VM - should - dig.
 
Avalon said:
If they do go via ground, you’d have had them digging outside to put fibre in and a small box outside your house in the footpath, then it’s basically a spade in at an angle to lift the grass a few inches deep and then the cable goes in, not a 6” deep trench like VM - should - dig.
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Caged said:
If it's an area that Lit Fibre built then it's likely to be PIA
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I'm guessing it will be via the Openreach poles/overhead on the street. I have seen Openreach engineers up on the poles a few times recently. I'm guessing they are installing CityFibre lines or upgrading their own infrastructure? According to the Openreach website, we won't have Openreach FTTP until the end of 2025. I think most people in the neighbourhood are on VM cable as that has been the best option until CityFibre arrived last year. I can't imagine many have been using the old copper lines with ADSL with VM as an option.
 
You just need to be able to set a VLAN tag of 911 for City Fibre which you should be able to do on your Netgear

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Broken Hope said:
You just need to be able to set a VLAN tag of 911 for City Fibre which you should be able to do on your Netgear
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Is this for any City Fibre provider? Is it something that you do regardless of whether the provider needs credentials entered or uses DHCP?
 
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Broken Hope said:
Yeah any provider, most routers allow you to do it.

Aquiss has guides for the main router brands.

https://support.aquiss.net/en/knowledgebase/category/vlan-id-setup-guides
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While not normally required, if your router doesn't support VLAN ID, or you for example used a virtualised environment, it's possible to pre-tag the incoming interface with a VLAN ID using a managed switch or something like Proxmox, you then just feed the router or virtual router a clean DHCP WAN connection. I found this approach quicker and easier when messing about with multiple different routers/virtualised routers.
 
I'm using my own router and the various checkers show I can now get a service from any of the City Fibre resellers. I originally joined Lit Fibre when they were their own independent fibre provider.
 
picnic said:
I'm using my own router and the various checkers show I can now get a service from any of the City Fibre resellers. I originally joined Lit Fibre when they were their own independent fibre provider.
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Yeah you probably aren’t currently connecting over City Fibres network, they could change that in the future I suppose.
 
You are on CityFibre's network if you got an email a couple of months ago about maintenance work and your IP address changed. If you move to a different ISP then CityFibre come and swap your ONT. Not every ISP on CityFibre uses a VLAN, I'm not completely sure of the reason behind it because it's a bit awkward but any decent router supports it. At a guess it's to stop people plugging the ONT into a switch, having one device get a public IP address while none others work, and generating support calls.
 
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