Digital Voice with different Router

[jamestrever]

Hi,

I have recent purchased and setup a UDM Pro from Ubiquiti and set this up as my router plugged into the ethernet cable coming out of the ONT. This is all working great. 

I am currently now using the Smart Hub 2 as a wireless access point which is also working great but I am having 2 problems.

1. Not really a problem but logging into the SH2, it thinks it has no internet access

2. The digital voice phones which are connected to the SH2 are not working (and the SH2 now says the Service is not ready - whereas it used to be fine).

Has anyone got this setup working as I like and want to continue to use the Digital Voice phones but want to using my own networking equipment (and access points eventually) in the house. 

[licquorice · Accepted solution]

Can't be done

[choppyc]

It can be done -

My setup

Smart Hub 2 > Netduma R1 > Asus AC68u as AP

On the Smart hub disable, DHCP, Firewall, UPNP,  Wifi and smart setup (everything disabled) - only connect the digital voice phone first.

Connect the Netduma to the Ethernet Port1 of the Smart Hub, then to the  WAN of the Netduma. Create a static IP on the WAN setup in the Netduma, i.e 192.168.1.1, Gateway 192.168.1.254 and both DNS as 192.168.1.254 and then add that static IP to the Smart Hub 2 (192.168.1.1)  place this in DMZ and also add a port fowarding Rule 1:65535 (BOTH) TCP and UDP to the static IP of the Netduma (192.168.1.1).

My Netduma then manages DHCP under 192.168.88.1

Save

Turn everything off

Turn on the Smart Hub 2 let it connect, check the phone is connected, the boot up the Netduma, this should then connect and allow internet access, you can then add a AP direct to the Netduma. 

Any 3rd Party router should work so long as you can create a static WAN ip on that router, and then add this to the smart hub 2.

My setup has been like this for months and is working faultlessly.

Regards

[Dsotm]

Hi

I am thinking of moving to BT  FTTP and saw your working setup for 3rd part router. I see you have two routers connected off the BT Smarthub - is there a need for two? I have a Nighthawk(R) X4S R7800 and wanted to keep using that

Many thanks

Brian

[licquorice]

If you want to use Digital Voice you need the BT SH2 connected. If you don't need Digital Voice, just connect your Netgear directly to the ONT.

[Dsotm]

Hi.

I understood from the posted solution by ChopyC that he had retained the ability to use Digital Voice on the Smarthub AND used his own routers at the same time. Is he incorrect?

[licquorice]

It is not clear from your post whether you wish to retain Digital Voice, you just ask about connecting a third party router.

As I pointed out in my original reply, if you wish to keep Digital Voice then you must use the SH2. You can also create the convoluted network that @choppyc  describes in order to also use a third party router. However, if you don't wish to have Digital Voice then there is no need to use an SH2 at all.

[Dsotm]

Hi Liquorice

My apologies - I was hoping to retain digital voice as I would like to get rid of my current landline. I also wanted to keep my current router if possible. If ChoppyC's setup does work AND keeps DV it would be ideal. Also my current router has 4 Ethernet ports (I usea all of them) and a Wan port where it looks as if the Smarthub has 3/1

[colbartram]

Hi. I'm new here. We recently went FFTP as between them BT and Openreach never got the 2 mile copper to our exchange reliable enough to sustain internet connectivity in bad weather....  I asked to retain my Netgear infrastructure. As it cannot support the Digital Voice phone, the installation guy  connected to copper on the back of the fibre to my old master socket so I would still have a landline. I've just realised that although we have a great dialtone, the exchange is not recognising us - any attempt to dial is rejected as number unrecognised. An agent on the fault reporting desk told me today that we'd been switched to digital at the exchange and the original copper service could not be reinstated, as part of their strategy to make copper obsolete by 2025. So the installation guy was wasting his time.  (Another example of BT-Openreach disconnect.)

So I've lost the use of a perfectly functional phone and cannot use the new Digital device, all because I prefer to retain the use of my router and extender (old rambling building) .

Apart from feeling somewhat abused by this process, it looks to me as if my only option (apart from junking my nearly new Nighthawk router) is to create the configuration you have defined - though the description elsewhere as 'convoluted' is a bit discouraging.  If you have any updated observations or guidance I'd be very interested. I feel BT should provide guidance themselves on  this topic, as there must be many of us wanting to simply connect our WiFi infrastructures to a FTTP service, and have a landline.    By the way is 'ONT' the new little box inside my house?  Thanks anyone for help.

[licquorice]

Why would you expect BT to provide instructions on how to configure and use the hundreds of various devices it is possible to use in your domestic network.

The ONT is the white box that converts the incoming external fibre line to an Ethernet signal.