Pending Ultrafast upgrade + Google WiFi

[neildunn]

Hello all, seeking your kind advice.

My current setup is an OpenReach White Modem with a Google WiFI mesh setup, with copper to the home.

I recently initiated an upgrade from Superfast to Ultrafast. On the phone the BT sales person re-assured me that an engineer visit was a simple trip to ensure our line can support the guarenteed speeds but after reading more closely online and in BT's documentation I belive the engineer will actually be making a breaking change at the cabinet to switch us to G.Fast, and hooking up the new Ultrafast Smart Hub that was delivered to our house today.

My concern is that they'll make the breaking change at the cabinet, come to the home, try and setup the new hub, and I won't be able to turn the hub into a modem only mode and continue to use my Google WiFi setup, which I have been infinitely happy with and includes some complexity (mesh extended with ethernet cabling to my garden studio).

Any advice would be much appreciated, shall I cancel the upgrade? Can I trust the engineer will understand enough of my current setup? Would the engineer be carrying modems that support G Fast? Can I get the new hub to play nice with the Google WiFi setup?

[Keith_Beddoe]

Welcome to this user forum.

You would not be able to turn it into a modem only, so your Google WiFi could only be used in the wireless access point mode, if that is possible. You may lose things like the ability to do port forwarding. Look on the Google forums.

I am not aware of any separate modems that support ultrafast, but someone else on the forum may be able to advise.

Openreach do not supply modems any more.

[licquorice · Accepted solution]

The Huawei MT992-10 is a G.fast modem.

I believe Openreach supplied this modem with early installs, not sure if they still do now the SH2 is available which supports G.Fast in one box.

[neildunn]

Thanks for the help both. It turns out the OpenReach engineer was able to setup a new G.fast compatible modem for me, so everything worked seamlessly. 

[licquorice]

Good result.

[Keith_Beddoe]

You are lucky

[Jordanthfc7]

Sorry for the late reply, but I’m in the same boat at the moment and worried that the G-Fast won’t support my Nest WiFi.

can I ask what modem you got?

[CJT80]

@Jordanthfc7 

it maybe advisable to start a new post and explain your situation in full.

[robby2k9]

The Openreach engineers install ultrafast for other providers who don't supply a G.Fast router, & so they carry the MT992 G.Fast MODEM onboard for this purpose. However, if you ask nicely (& offer a decent brew & biccys) the engineer might be persuaded to leave one with you as a backup to your BT supplied smart hub.

[crd945]

Hi - Given that BT requires VLAN (which is not supported by the Google Wifi), dont you need to insert a Managed Switch which supports VLAN between your Google router and the Openreach MT992 modem?

See Google's site for a full article on this topic (VLAN support workaround) on the google WiFi website - https://support.google.com/wifi/answer/9798157?hl=en-CA

"Some Internet Service Providers (ISPs) require VLAN in order for their modems to communicate with wireless routers. VLAN is not supported by Google Nest Wifi or Google Wifi and can cause your setup to fail. 

Add a separate managed network switch (sometimes called a 'smart' network switch) with VLAN features. 

1. Connect your modem’s LAN port to the switch’s WAN port  with an Ethernet cable. 
2. Connect the switch’s LAN port to your Google Nest Wifi routers or Google Wifi primary points WAN port 

    with an Ethernet cable.

3. When finished, set up your Google Nest Wifi"