Recent issues with connectivity Fibre to premises

[licquorice]

Where to start!

What do you mean by 'reverse ethernet system going on'

How can you connect too many things through one cable, one cable =one device? No idea what is meant by that and sounds a load of tosh.

Any TP Link switch will be fine

The device needs to be POE capable if expecting to power it via POE, not all devices are.

[Burmey]

Thank you @licquorice 

To explain the set up - fibre comes in , connects to a new fibre hub but is next to an ethernet socket in the wall. This ethernet socket goes back to the place in the new build where all the ethernet cables for my house originate (we have two in every room, name of which aren't used), plugged into a big TP link switch.  To enable these ethernet cat 6 all over my house to work, we've had to plug one end of the ethernet cable into the hub and the other into the wall and that plug then powers the ethernets all over the house. Don't even go there as to why our idiot builder /developer thought it was a good idea to put ALL the cables into a cupboard in the centre of the house and brought the original broadband  (this was only 2022) into the house, this way , almost rendering any future FFTP impossible, This is the only work around we've figured out (with the help of the original open reach engineers who installed the full fibre last year). We've also got 4 discs as our house is very wide.

It's all worked fine up until the past couple of weeks. 

Thanks for the info re POE - wasn't aware that not everything had POE capability. Very helpful.

[licquorice]

Ok. It won't make any difference running everything from one LAN port or splitting it between 2 or more ports, it's all the same LAN.

A factory reset of the hub is definitely worth a try.

[Burmey]

Thanks. Are all routers like this in terms of vulnerability and if this reset works, will it be likely I'l need to do this annually?

[licquorice]

No, it seems to be a vulnerability of the BT hub. It's not really possible to predict how often a reset might be needed. Turning off MAC randomisation on your devices might help

[WSH]

“…utilising the other ethernet socket available to me to reduce the load somewhat.”

I hope you're not intending to run two cables to the same node.  I take it you know what a “switching loop” is?  If not, I suggest you look it up first.

[Burmey]

I have to say I have a clue what you just said there. What’s a node ? And no I have no idea what a switching loop is. I’m not trying to do anything with any of the cables other than use available sockets . I’m really not sure what you mean by. Sorry 

[Burmey]

Thanks @licquorice  not sure how to turn mac randomisation off (only have a vague idea what it is) but I’ll do some research. Thanks 

What alternative hubs/routers and mesh systems work well with bt fibre? 

[Burmey]

Thanks @licquorice  not sure how to turn mac randomisation off (only have a vague idea what it is) but I’ll do some research. Thanks 

What alternative hubs or routers and mesh systems work well with bt fibre? 

[WSH]

It's not clear exactly what you are trying to do but if you connect two cables from the same point to the same switch it won’t double the capacity.  What it will do is create a switching loop.  The data just loops back and forth between the switches and the network grinds to a halt.

It can be done, (using Link Aggregation/LAG and LACP), but it needs sophisticated kit.  I don’t keep my finger on the pulse like I used to before I retired but I’d be surprised if domestic grade kit can do LAG even today.

More likely “Spanning Tree Protocol” or STP/RSTP will shut down one of the links and you will gain nothing from the second connection.  Worse case, the switches can’t do Spanning Tree and the network crashes.