topic Re: Router Help in Broadband & Landline

Router Help

StuartFaust — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 09:23:10 GMT

Hi , looking at joing EE with a 900mb broad band deal.

I need to know if i can put the router supplied into modem only mode and use the router i currently have?

Also if i have a land line via IP can i still use the modem in modem only mode?

Re: Router Help

Mustrum — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 09:39:20 GMT

@StuartFaust there is no need to use the EE router, you could just connect your router direct to the ONT.

HOWEVER

If you have EE's Digital Voice, then the EE router must be used and it can't be set to modem only mode. If your Landline is supplied by another VOIP provider there would be no need for the EE router.

Re: Router Help

StuartFaust — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 10:20:46 GMT

I have a asus rt-ax82u router setup via vigin , i was hoping to just plug it into the modem/router provided and leave all the settings as they are.

Re: Router Help

Mustrum — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 11:04:00 GMT

That could work, you could switch off the WiFi on the EE router and just use it for the EE Digital Voice if that is what you will have.

However you would get double NAT which may be an issue for you.

Re: Router Help

juiceof2limes — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 11:27:33 GMT

I have my ASUS RT-AX86U as main router connected to the EE SH+, only because I have EE version of Digital Voice. As @Mustrum mentions, if you do not have Digital Voice, then there would be no need to use the EE supplied hub.

My setup has been in place like this for quite a while now, previously the same when with BT and their hub. And yes, while there is the potential issue of double NAT, I've not not experienced any issues nor seen anything that I can say is caused by double NAT. All my services work as expected, including VOIP services, VPN to office, no lag etc.

If you do go down the route of using both routers, just decide which one you are using for WIFI and switch the other off to avoid channel issues or set both routers to use different channels to avoid overlap/interference. You also need to think about DHCP as both routers would have this service active although to different IP ranges. Personally, I do not use the EE WIFI and thus DHCP is not an issue for me.

Re: Router Help

bwj1 — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 09:08:44 GMT

Thanks juiceof2limes

Do you think you could provide a walkthrough guide for your setup?

I'm trying to do the same thing with an Asus RT-AX88U as I have so many settings that I don't want to lose after moving from BT to EE. Everything seamless apart from setting up the VOIP. I didn't ven get any communication telling me what my new home number would be!

I also under understand that on the Asus I should disable SIP Passthrough in the NAT settings?

Final question - our home phones are cordless DECT. Would just buying the EE & BT Digital Voice Adapter allow the phones to link to the Asus router without using the EE router?

Re: Router Help

Mustrum — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 09:23:07 GMT

@bwj1 you appear to have missed the critical information in the posts above. If you are having EE's Digital Voice you must use the EE router as the first connection to the internet/ONT. Depending on the phones you may be able to register them to the DECT server in the EE Router.

You will not get EE Digital Voice from your Asus. But for other funtionality, just connect the Asus Wan port to a LAN port on the EE Router, no need for PPOE settings, just decide if you want the EE Router or the Asus - if like mine the Asus will be a different ip range so no need to change that - just plug and play.

Re: Router Help

bwj1 — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 09:34:03 GMT

Appreciated - will try that setup and report back 😀

Also need to enter the battle to retain our old home number - wasn't told of a change on switchover from BT!

Re: Router Help

juiceof2limes — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 11:48:04 GMT

If memory serves me correctly, the default IP for EE Hub is 192.168.1.254 (admin) and thus would conflict with my original ASUS setup which is on 192.168.1.1 (admin). So I changed the EE default IP range to be 192.168.2.254 etc

EE Hub - IP 192.168.2.254
ASUS Hub - IP 192.168.1.1

For IPv6, I have it as Passthrough, enabled.

Hope this helps you.

Re: Router Help

bwj1 — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 15:10:53 GMT

Thanks for the help, so sorry for the newb questions. I thought I was tech proficient having set up my Asus router to work with EE Broadband fine, getting IPv6, but no VOIP, so clearly not as clever as I thought!

I tried changing these default values in the EE Hub to

Gateway IP address 192.168.2.254

Server address range 192.168.2.64 - 192.168.2.253

but when I try to connect to the new Gateway IP get nothing, no gateway homepage, no ping (not hooked up to the Asus yet so no conflicts there).

Second, I don't see the option in the EE Hub Advanced Setting for IPv6 passthrough or is that a setting I need to change in the Asus as below?

Re: Router Help

juiceof2limes — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 06:43:37 GMT

Did you click save when you changed the EE settings because your pic shows 192.168.1.*

So this is my EE Hub settings

IPv6 passthrough is set on the ASUS as per your pic.

With all settings setup correctly, you should be able access the EE Hub admin as 192.168.2.254 and the ASUS on 192.168.1.1 (I am assuming this is the range your using here).

Your EE hub would have the cable from inbound ethernet cable connected to WAN port, the ASUS would then be connected to the ASUS via ethernet cable to say Port 1

Re: Router Help

JimM11 — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 06:51:06 GMT

@juiceof2limes Are you sure about the cabling that you are explaining, the Asus Wan connection would be to the EE port 1-4 of its Lan side? The EE wan going to the ONT for operation and allowing DV operation!

Re: Router Help

juiceof2limes — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 06:56:54 GMT

Yes, that is what I am saying, ONT to WAN port on EE hub, and ASUS WAN port to Port 1 on EE Hub. I probably should of worded it better! 🙂

Re: Router Help

bwj1 — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 16:59:42 GMT

PS - don't need the phone socket adapter for Digital Voice to work with Motorola handsets that required a their wifi base to be connected to the copper wire wall socket previoulsy

Re: Router Help

Mustrum — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 17:06:12 GMT

@bwj1 sounds like you have discovered the DECT function on the EE Hub!

Re: Router Help

bwj1 — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 17:11:21 GMT

@Mustrum

Hi the PS was following a fuller post which set out all the steps needed to get up and running, but it got modded!

Will try and post again

Re: Router Help

Mustrum — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 17:16:46 GMT

@bwj1 the forum can be funny if it detects links it does not like - even after you delete them..

Re: Router Help

bwj1 — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 18:04:53 GMT

@juiceof2limes

thanks to all for help, got this working now

If it assists anyone else, I followed the more detailed post by juiceof2limes in the similar BT forum thread

I've copied it below with my observations that relate to an Asus RT-AX88U in italics as it might help others

"Re: Digital Voice with different Router

DMZ is set within the SH2. I am not using Netduma.

This is my setup.

I am not using WIFI from SH2 either.

My ASUS router was already setup using address range 192.168.1.x and issuing DHCP, therefore I did not want to change this.

Newer Asus routers are set up with a subnet mask that begins in the range 192.168.50.x so I didn't find any need to take this step and there is no double NAT conlict

SH2

Changed SH2 to new IP 192.168.2.254 (under Hub Gateway IP address) and disabled DHCP.
Disabled WIFI
Disabled Smart Rules
Disabled Firewall
Disabled UPnP (can't remember if it was enabled to start with)
Enabled DMZ (same page as Firewall) and device is static IP of 3rd party router.

In my setup as there was no need to change the EE Hub subnet, in the EE DMZ settings, I set up a link to the Asus homepage of 192.168.50.1

From now on for me to get to the web interface of SH2, I use address 192.168.2.254

I can still use 192.168.1.254 although obviously need to use a LAN cable when the wifi is turned off on the EE hub

ASUS / other 3rd party router

WAN connection type changed to Static

Under WAN IP Setting:
Set IP address to static address 192.168.2.1 (SH2 address range)
Set Default Gateway to 192.168.2.254 (SH2)

Again as no need to change the subnet mask of the EE Hub, I used static IP address of 192.168.1.1 and default gateway of 192.168.1.254 in the Asus Wan settings. I did however have to mess about with the address range in the EE Hub because it starts at 192.168.1.63 to 192.168.1.254. Changed the range in the EE Hub to start at 192.168.1.1

Also, just to be pedantic because not everyone is a tech, can I set out that I have the WAN cable on the EE Hub linked to ONT connection on the BT Openreach box and a LAN cable between LAN1 on the EE Hub and WAN connection on the Asus

Because DMZ is used, didn't have set any port forwarding rules up on SH2. My ASUS still manages those successfully.

Don't forget to setup Dynamic DNS on SH2 if needed.

For IPv6 to work on my ASUS, I had to change Connection Type to Passthrough.

Hope this helps anyone trying to the same."

Possibly also key to remember that various steps require saving in the EE Hub settings and both routers rebooting. It also doesn't work out of the box - it takes a good 7-8 minutes for the EE Hub to reboot and recognise the configuration so bit of patience needed!

All appears to work ok including Digital Voice and ipv6

Re: Router Help

bwj1 — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 18:06:08 GMT

PS sorry to post two replies but this keeps getting auto-modded!

I'm getting for a 900MBps service (700MBps guarantee) 758MBps on my phone but only 565MBps on my laptop, so there's another question for a diffrent thread as to why the difference!?

Finally, I'm still minded to transfer to another VOIP provider that allows me to use my own router without this runaround. I can't say I've noticed any speed loss using the compromise solution but would like to manage all my settings in one place/not be dependent on a workaround using a lower spec router. I've noticed that unlike Broadband the VOIP is a 30 day rolling contract so shouldn't be too difficult to change - here's hoping!

Re: Router Help

juiceof2limes — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 18:12:29 GMT

Like you, I noticed the 30 day rolling contract for voice and asked the same question many months back about porting number out to 3rd party VoIP provider but didn't get a definitive answer if that is possible without ceasing BB. Under BT it wasn't possible.