Vodafone router USB port / Using own router/ 1st impressions of chat /telephone support very poor!

[youcrazyboy]

Had router for 10 days, first tech help:

Online chat

I was on chat for 30 mins asking how to connect my mac to my usb laser printer I succesfully connected to the router. Vodaphone connect portal says name of printer in sharing tab and has an associated address: 

http://vodafone.connect:631/printers/HL2130series

Advised to use port mapping and contact Brother for settings... I was like ...huh?

My final advice was: connect printer directly to mac!  

Then she said she is not tech support... call support....!

Phone help

Spoke to guy who said usb ports dont work. I said they do I connected a usb hard drive which worked on network and printer is recognised. Just need to know how to add printer in printer preferences on Mac OS X. He seemed clueless and said he normally works in phones. Went away for ages and came back and insisted USBs are for future use only. Connect via wifi he says (to a printer withput wifi or ethernet) 

I have an Apple Time Capsule so I said can customers use own router he said yes but had to be approved router. Can I have a list of approved routers? NO. Huh? Why? BTOpenreach rules.  So if I say name of router you can say yes or no and if I guess right you will send set up instructions? Yes, Uhh.. Apple time capsule? No. Draytek? Yes what model? I dunno just asking... Can you send me list of routers so I can choose one to buy? No. 

How do I get free Static IP address as advertised?  Tumbleweeds.... Don't have a clue. 

Very very bad first impression of CS.  Anyone answer any of these queries....

[machare]

I don't think that you can reasonably expect Vodafone support to tell you how to configure network printers in Mac OS X.  It is not clear that printing via the router is possible.  You might do better to buy a print server with a USB port that is known to work with Mac OS X, or if you have had this working with another router just use that for printing. 

[youcrazyboy]

I’m sorry I don’t agree. The router has a working usb which is a feature of the router, the portal Vodafone connect has a sharing tab with options to share printers and hard drives on the network. I think it’s entirely reasonable for Vodafone to know the most basic functions of the hardware they are providing and how to connect it to one of only two major OS’s that its customers use. Do you also think it unreasonable to expect that a simple question can be answered in 50 mins? Or that a IT CS agent doesn’t know what a Static IP is? Again a service they offer and adertise?  Or for customers to only be allowed to use their own routers if the router is on a secret list they have that we cannot see? It’s completely absurd. 

[Mark]

I'm sorry to hear you're unhappy with the service we've offered you so far @youcrazyboy. As we'll need access to your account to set up a static IP address and providing he information to allow you to use your own router,  please send us your details by following the instructions in this private message and we'll be in touch.

[fabyon]

Quick search on google :

Open Reach Approved VDSL modems (just pick one saying you own it and then they'll give your username and password)

https://uno.help/knowledge-base/article/openreach-approved-vdsl-modems

Generic instructions to add a printer to a Mac connected via USB on a router:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/how-to-add-printer-connected-to-a-router.503324/