Digital Voice on Business Smart Hub 2 - VLANs

[GrahamS33]

Does the DV service use a different VLAN on the PPPOE side of the Smart Hub from the "IP" service? 

I presume it must if it is to work with the SH2 when in Bridge mode.

[licquorice]

I can't see how DV can work with the SH2 in bridge mode, by definition the IP layer will not be accessible.

[GrahamS33]

Agreed, but if it DV was in a separate VLAN from the Internet traffic, it could be terminated in the SH2 while the Internet VLAN was bridged/forwarded and terminated on the inside router.

[licquorice]

Hmm, interesting concept. As the residential hub doesn't have a bridge mode I can't see why BT would complicate things by using separate VLANs for voice and data on residential lines. It might do on business lines but I somehow doubt it.

[GrahamS33]

I am not sure it would really complicate things.  The DV VLAN would be completely separate from the Internet, as a walled garden.  Use it for DV, provisioning, diagnostics, firmware upgrades to interfaces that only BT could have access to.  A  seriously good security feature with very little extra cost as it is all in software.

I have a Swisscom router in Switzerland and I am pretty sure that is how it works.  The Swiss went down the everything by IP route about five years ago.  They spent a shed load of money with a much more sophisticated solution than BT/Openreach.  They've sold all their exchange buildings and deliver everything from DSLAMs in manholes or somewhere.  I'm on the lowest possible bit rate as I am mean.  100Mbps/100Mbps...  VDSL2 - no idea which profile.  I would still be ecstatic with a quarter of that.  Beautifully engineered.  They have gone the triple play route with TV and IP STBs.

[licquorice]

If you have the inclination to read through it, there is a very interesting thread here on the intricacies of DV https://forums.thinkbroadband.com/fibre/4664092-bt-fttp-with-digital-voice-alternative-to-smart-hub-...

Particularly this post 

[GrahamS33]

Thank you - a fascinating thread.  I think I understand most of it. Hopefully it's not Dunning-Kruger effect.

My Draytek router can do port mirroring on the WAN (VDSL2) i/f, but as there is no DV yet, there will be nothing to see (plus nothing would come up if no SH2).

I will have to make my move to DV very carefully and ask BT very specific questions before I saw off the branch I am sitting on...

Some serious self education on SIP will be needed.

On a side note - reading the thread while living in the Highlands of Scotland gives me serious bandwidth envy!

[GrahamS33]

Business Smart Hub 2:  DV is not compatible  with the hub when in bridging mode. My VLAN thoughts were wrong...

Web chat

Time to think up a Plan B... 

[licquorice]

Rather as I expected I'm afraid. Thanks for the update.