This topic

PPPoE or IPOE

vince77 — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 09:34:32 GMT

Hi,

is there a possibility to use IPoE for IPv6 with BT fiber (it seems it is only PPPoE)? I use to live in France where IPoE/DHCP is the standard. Are there any plans to propose this in the future?

Best regards,

Vincent

Re: PPPoE or IPOE

licquorice — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 12:05:05 GMT

No and no

Re: PPPoE or IPOE

vince77 — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 13:39:53 GMT

OK thanks for the quick reply.

There seems to be "obvious" advantages to move to IPoE like higher QoS (probably limited though), longer MTU, and reduced costs (with basically switches and no more Radius or equipments like BAS or LNS). But this comes at a cost for sure during the transition itself.

Any idea why not considering IPoE in the future? (cost? legacy?).

Best regards,

Vincent

Re: PPPoE or IPOE

licquorice — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 14:09:12 GMT

Why fix something at huge cost that isn't broken.

Re: PPPoE or IPOE

WSH — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 19:46:22 GMT

Not only that but PPPoE is a better protocol.

IPoE is simpler but also inherently less secure. Not something you want in this day-and-age. I believe it was only originally intended for use with IPTV and VoIP.

Re: PPPoE or IPOE

vince77 — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 08:47:46 GMT

Fair enough.

I was simply wondering why BT is sticking with PPPoE other than short-term cost. I did not find so far any official reasons on Internet. I assume the answers you both provided are experts opinions but not necessarily BT's position.

A few other ISPs (Sky, Talk Talk for fiber) in the UK and many in the rest of the world (France, Australia, etc...) have shifted to IPoE, even sometimes for legacy infrastructure like xDSL.

Thanks

Re: PPPoE or IPOE

licquorice — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 09:03:02 GMT

Both my and @WSH opinions are not based on anything official from BT but purely from a technical and pragmatic viewpoint.

BT has a customer base of many millions, 90+% wouldn't even know what PPPoE/IPoE is let alone care which is used. The cost to change would be enormous in the first instance and, possibly more important, less secure.

BT seems to always take the most secure option for its systems, to the extent it's implementation of VoIP is proprietary to increase security.

As said previously, if it's not broke why fix it?

Edit: not sure if any of the ISPs you mention have actually moved to IPoE rather than having always used it from the outset.