Connecting my own Router to a standalone Smart Hub 2 (Fibre 2 Contract)

[Willisjw]

Hi, quick clarification, you have changed the default sub net from 255.255.255.0 to 255.255.252.0 is there a reason for this? (Was wondering if it was a typo 😳)

thanks, John

[WSH]

That thread is nearly 10 months old so I doubt you’ll get a reply.

I would suspect the answer is no, it’s not essential.  I think someone has read of the use of 252 in linking routers together across the internet and then applied it wrongly.  As far as I know, it’s use here serves no useful purpose.

We are short of addresses in IPv4.  One way of maximizing usage is to subnet to the minimum number of addresses you need and so there is no wastage.  255.255.255.252 creates only 4 addresses as the minimum needed to link two routers together.  The first address identifies the network, the middle two are the addresses of the two routers at either end and the last address is for broadcast.  This is the minimum any network needs.  255.255.252.0 is probably a typo. The only reason for using that is if you have a very big network, as it creates 1024 addresses.

In the home environment subnetting like this serves no purpose at all as you are already using private addresses and are not short of them.  The use of 255.255.255.0 alone ensures that 192.168.1 and 192.168.0 are two separate networks without going into any complex subnetting.

Of course, I might be wrong as there might be some cunning motive here, I’m not seeing.  Anyone else care to enlighten?

[countrypaul]

That subnet mask is probably meant to be 255.255.255.252 (as @WSH implies) as there are only 2 active addresses in use 192.168.2.1- the SH2 and 192.168.2.2 the Asus (Wan port) there is little need to use a larger network. Given that there is nothing else connected to that network having a larger mask such as 255.255.255.0 or 255.255.252.0 will make no difference in practice.

[TimCurtis]

@Willisjw 

Using 255.255.252.0 was not a typo as I had other 192.168.x.x ranges in use but was probably only necessary for me to use 255.255.254.0 in reality.

[toshawarnc265]

Hi,

I'm no expert that's my son's area of expertise.

But from a user POV, we have always had our own router, not used the BT Smart Hub.

However, when they informed us the analogue line was going to be disconnected, and will be going to VOIP, after communicating that we had our own hub, we were told we couldn't use it for VOIP over the BT system unless we used the new BT Super Hub, the adaptors they sent also would only work with BT's hub. The connection being via DECT (non standard which effectively meant they had a monopoly on how we could access VOIP.
Their adaptors, although it did have WP on the label,they connect via DECT!. They also stated that in the event of problems they couldn't diagnose faults unless the BT Hub was being used.
My wife is disabled and has very limited sight, the special phones we have thus couldn't be used! Cut no ice with BT!
Our own hub is far superior than the BT supplied hub, and also we can access to the various elements of control in our hub, etc etc etc. No way were we going to tack our router piggy back style onto the BT Hub.... not the best way of accessing the internet.
BT were unwilling to help unless we used their hub!
The decision thus was to seek another provider, and as Vodafone were happy to use our own router, and provide all the necessary details in order we were able to go VOIP using our own system. 

Very helpful technical guys who provided the info required to achieve our internal phone network connection via VOIP. We also got both our mobiles on unlimited minutes and calls plus 100Gb data, Internet with asymmetrical Gb up and down! The overall cost actually saving around £35 per month on what we were paying prior which was 900Mb down, 100Mb up, two mobiles with unlimited calls and data and 15Mb data and that was special (HALO) as long as we had B/Band with BT!
My son did all the technical stuff plus a bit of coding on our hub, those who choose using BT Hub and phone adaptors lock folk into their system. (Laugh is BT allow their business users to use what ever hub THEY wish??? ..won't offer the same to residential users!)


 

[toshawarnc265]

Additional.... we were able to port our landline number and retain that number which I have had since 1970. Voda as I said, providing all the necessary settings, P/Ws and etc in order to achieve it!
No need for the hassle of trying to inform lots of folk of a change of number!

[licquorice]

Total nonsense of course, you could have used a third party VoIP provider with BT and used your own router. Never let truth get in the way of a good rant.

[toshawarnc265]

Nice one.... use the restrictive BThub, and pay for third party VOIP on top?

Appears by other posts on here, the problems weren't or aren't specific to me?

BTW it wasn't a rant.... having had numerous problems with LOS over the months leading up to the decision.

Yep.... several compo payments... but that doesn't help the LOS's some times for two days, with promises of sorting within 48 hours etc.

I gather they were having problems due to them playing with VOIP?? Gateway problems I think their engineer admitted to, each time they'd have an engineer come, the first time as we knew there was no fault on the premises, the next two visits he didn't even bother to check, as a waste of his time. Note too, our neighbours were suffering too the same, whether it was BT, Sky or etc.... the problem looked like it was with Openreach maybe?
Anyway it is satisfactorily sorted now..  my post was mainly in the form of as heads up and conclusion.

I didn't make the decision lightly, I'd been with BT since 1970. 

Anyway, never mind, .....thanks for the comment... not.