New router, connecting

[Gordon57]

I am going to FTTP on Friday this week. EE have sent a new router out, it's a white hub with a small circle of light. The old router was dark grey with two arcs of light, almost making an eye shape.

Anyway, it says to set it up ready for activation, and I am trying - but, I can't get on to a network/internet with the new box. I have plugged all the cables in, but there in no connection, so I can't complete the setup.

So far I have managed to change the master password, the name and password for the wife. I was hoping to just change the cables over, obviously it is not that simple!

I may just wait for Friday now, I'm a disabled pensioner and fiddling about with cables is not easy.

Questions though,

do I need a cable to connect the WAN to the FTTP when it is installed? The one supplies is not long enough, I need about 5 metres from the (planned) location of the fibre socket and where I want to place the router. Other ends of an old fireplace.

Will the old internet service be cut off prior to the new one working? My wife has to do a Covid test each week, due on Fridays. I'm bothered about it being cut off too as our phone is VOIP now, no phone line once it changes.

Hope it goes smoothly now, EE have had to cancel an re-order as BT could not find us on their system - change of phone numbers 5 years ago caused that anomaly ! That's why I went to VOIP, not even the same number. Stopped the spam calls, but I still have selective call blocking active anyway.

[pip11]

You will need an ethernet cable to connect the hub. Only a 1mtr one is supplied so you will have to source one from elsewhere. You can order almost any length you require from ebay.

[Gordon57]

I said the one supplied was too short, I have cable (CAT6) of varying length so will use that and mark it so they know what is to be connected.

Still looking to find out when they will disconnect the old phone line which has the current Internet service. The new router warns it my take 24 hours to connect the new service and I don't want to be without for more than an hour or so. 

[XRaySpeX · Accepted solution]

You may use the new white Smart Router on your existing Fibre connection instead of the old black Smart Hub. Just connect it up just the same. You will probably need to set the setting WAN Port to OFF on the Advanced/ BB/ Internet page. Then set it back ON when your FTTP becomes live on Fri.

[Gordon57]

Thank you, I will try that later as I've just moved a desk back for now.

[XRaySpeX]

Thanks! You're welcome 🙂 ! Glad I could be of assistance

[Gordon57]

Then was affected by EE, they want that router back as they are sending another out. to explain, they sent one because it was auto triggered by an order they then cancelled as Openreach could not find my old line on the system as I changed number in 2017. So they fixed that and a new order was placed which triggered sending out another router. I have to use the new one as it is tied to the new order. One step forward...

I'll set the (new) router up on Thursday when it arrives, and reset the old on to send back. I really need all this practise when I have a hand out of action, I had a stroke last December.