This topic

Use my own router/modem with BT Fibre 2?

Steveharman — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 15:57:39 GMT

Hi,

I'm moving away from Sky Broadband, possibly to BT.

Does anyone know for sure if I'm able to use my OpenReach FTTC modem and our existing router on BT FIbre 2 or is there an obligation to use the BT router (for the telephone service)?

We used it fine with BT fibre a few years ago, I'm interested if it would still be the case.

I did call BT customer service....they didn't know. 😉

Thanks,

Re: Use my own router/modem with BT Fibre 2?

Keith_Beddoe — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 16:03:30 GMT

@Steveharman

Yes you can, provided you do not need a phone service, as that only works with the Smart Hub 2.

Re: Use my own router/modem with BT Fibre 2?

imjolly — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 16:04:06 GMT

if you are getting digital voice then you must use the SH2 and main connection if no DV then can use openreach modem and own router for FTTC

Re: Use my own router/modem with BT Fibre 2?

gg30340 — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 16:04:29 GMT

You can use the Openreach modem with any WAN router if you are getting FTTC.

If you have BT Digital Voice you must use the BT Smarthub2 which would do away with using the Openreach modem.

Re: Use my own router/modem with BT Fibre 2?

licquorice — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 16:04:54 GMT

BT don't place any restrictions on what router you use.

Re: Use my own router/modem with BT Fibre 2?

Steveharman — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 16:08:21 GMT

Thanks. "digital voice" ?

We'd like 'phone service and broadband - 'phone is secondary, we don't need any fancy features.

atm we're with Sky Broadband and need to have our firewall (pfSense) route through the Sky router to maintain voice service. I was able to connect up the existing modem/firewall and it worked fine but we lost voice.

I'd be ok running the BT router as well as the existing firewall/modem combination if that were possible, I just want to avoid the current double-NAT situation that we're forced to at present.

Re: Use my own router/modem with BT Fibre 2?

Steveharman — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 16:10:03 GMT

Even for the telephone side of things?

We're with Sky atm and yes, our existing modem works fine for broadband with them too - but if we want phone service we need to use their router.

Re: Use my own router/modem with BT Fibre 2?

gg30340 — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 16:14:23 GMT

As has been pointed out already in this thread, if you want to use the BT Digital Phone system, you must use the BT Smarthub 2.

If you also want to use your own router, the Smarthub 2 must be used as the first device and your own router would be connected to that.

Re: Use my own router/modem with BT Fibre 2?

Steveharman — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 16:16:02 GMT

Understood. What I don't understand is "BT Digital Phone system" - is there an _alternative_ phone option to "BT Digital Phone System" or is that basically just the fancy marketing name for "all our telephone services" these days?

Re: Use my own router/modem with BT Fibre 2?

imjolly — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 16:20:57 GMT

if you get the BT phone service then as a new customer it will be DV which is VOIP using the SH2 as a dect base station. that is only choice if you take BT digital voice

Re: Use my own router/modem with BT Fibre 2?

gg30340 — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 16:21:02 GMT

BT Digital phone is a bespoke system that BT use. It will only work with the Smarthub 2 and will not work with any other router.

If you don't want to use it you can use any VoIP phone service that you want.

Re: Use my own router/modem with BT Fibre 2?

gg30340 — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 16:22:50 GMT

See link about BT Digital Voice

Solved: Digital Voice FAQs - BT Community