HOW TO: Use a third party router on Vodafone VDSL

[jonnywombat]

On Firday afternoon Vodafone UK sent a corporate email telling their support team that they can now give out Broadband username and passwords.

I have now set up my own router, and here's what i did.

Step 1 Ring VF on 08080034515 and get your username and password. The support team member then emailed me my Log in info.

Step 2 Swap your router. Keep your VF router in case you ever get an issue and need tech support as they will not support your 3rd party device

Step 3 In your routers web interface access the WAN settings. Set connection type to PPPoE, enter username and password and leave all settings as default EXCEPT enable 802.1Q and set Vlan tag to 101.

Step 4 Save settings and apply. Your router should now connect to VF. Mine took a couple of minutes to get a connection and another couple from the router showing it was connected to actually being able to access the net

Step 5 After a few minutes the connection dropped, and it would not connect again. After investigation I was told this is to do with VF registering your router on there network. Hard reset your router. Power it down remove the power cord for 30 seconds and power back on.

Step 6 Enjoy

This is just based on my experience of setting up my router ASUS DSL-AC68U, YMMV. However the ASUS is syncd at 73.6meg, when the VF router syncd at 72.1 and I have noticed a marked improvment in performance.

HTH someone

Jonny

[Aa1258]

Hi has anyone tried connecting a BT hub 6 with Vodafone I am having so many issues connecting. 

I have the username and password but it say my username and password incorrect contacted VF and they are not helping me at all. 

Any suggestion please 

[MrWhite]

I've read posts on other forums previously that the HomeHubs are locked down to BT, so can't be used with other ISPs.  Might be worth checking the forums on kitz and thinkbroadband to see if anyone has go these to work.

[Aa1258]

Hi thanks for the quick reply I have done some research and the hubs are not locked down. 

They can be used with other isp. 

[dannylee1980]

The HH6 is locked to BT leased line companies like talktalk, Plusnet and other BT leased services.

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@Aa1258 wrote:

Hi has anyone tried connecting a BT hub 6 with Vodafone I am having so many issues connecting. 

I have the username and password but it say my username and password incorrect contacted VF and they are not helping me at all. 

Any suggestion please 

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[FreshAir]

I'm suffering intermittant connection drops where all internet is lost so not just a WiFi issue. 

OpenReach have been out a few times, have found nothing wrong but squeezed a slightly improved speed on last visit.

Can people advise if changing the Vodafone router has resolved this type of issue as I'm getting tired of connection disconnects?

[UnPotat]

Hi all, just thought I'd chime in on this if anyones still active. 

Im at my wits end with bloody Vodafone, on the stock router, of which they have sent me two of them already believeing they were at fault, the internet its self cuts our every few hours, I've had it as bad as 1-2 dropouts every two hours!

I've been through support level 1 and tech support level 2 and 3! I cant even get a bloody stable line, I'm down to 23mbps down and 3mbps up and im still getting 1000's of CRC erros and 100's of thousands of FEC corrections in that time, having had both BT and Sky fibre on the past and an Openreach visit while with vodafone I know the line is fine.

Although I no longer have it, I did have an Asus VDSL router, which the supplied username and password given to me by Vodafone did not work, which I confimed with them in 6! different phone calls as being correct, I have also got a Home Hub 5 unlocked and running OpenWRT/Lede which ALSO gets Chap authentication rejected when trying to connect(same as the Asus).

I'm at my wits end of making this connection work, to the point that we will have to leave to another provider and pay more because currently I can't even skype call people without the internet dropping out! Let alone use it properly.

TLDR:

What have I tried -

Asus DSL-AC55U Router

Bt Home Hub 5 running the latest LEDE version (i.e unlocked running a varient of OpenWRT)

Two seperate Vodafone Connect routers supplied by Vodafone

----------------------------------------------------------------

Vlan ID - 101

Username  - dsl000******@broadband.vodafone.co.uk

Password - ********

Cloning Mac address of supplied official router

Both PPPoE and PPPoA

Running as DHCP Client while cloning mac address

---------------------------------------------------------

Result -

pppd[1954]: CHAP authentication failed: CHAP Auth Failure
pppd[1954]: CHAP authentication failed
pppd[1954]: Modem hangup
pppd[1954]: Connection terminated.

Again I don't see what I can do, they can't provide me with a service that actually works for longer than a few hours at a time, if even that(compared to BT providing me with 55mbps down and 6.5up stable for around 5 days at a time), and I can't get any router to authenticate with them using the details they provided having checked them 6 times and waited over two months for them to fix things with their own router(s)

Any suggestions as to how to make this incomprehensibly bad service work would be appreciated.

[Bunn]

Hi. I changed my modem router to an Archer VR2800. I am still having the same disconnections as before and actually getting a lower speed than with original VF unit! 25 down and 13 up. I just despair! 

There is a dedicated IPTV mode on the router where you can set up a specific port to run IPTV. Have tried to set it up but when I do I lose the tv. It asks for a VLAN value between 102 and 4094 but when I set it to a random value between those parameters there is nothing coming through on IPTV. 

The internet is set up on a VLAN value of 101 and connects fine. Reason I'm trying this is that the set up manual reckons that IPTV will run much smoother and internet browsing will be easier too. Anyone with any ideas on VLAN values ot IPTV set up I'd be grateful. 

[Nabs]

@UnPotat if your speed is lower than your advertised minimum speed and not resolved within 28days  then you can exit the contract without penalty, see this document for more details. 
If that doesn't work then you could try and terminate under the "quality of services" clause in the contract (quoted below)

Because of the quality of our services. If the service is materially degraded for an unreasonable period of time or if we don’t do something fundamental that we should have done under this Agreement within 7 days of you asking us in writing you may be able to leave the Agreement early without paying a termination fee. P

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I don't imagine Vodafone will let this happen easily though so you'll have to be prepared to fight it and even go through the ombudsman if required.

[MrWhite]

@UnPotat - just a couple of things to try.  Not sure you need to clone the mac address. Whether or not this will have an effect or not, I'm not sure.  For the username and password - get Vodafone to send it in an email on on chat of they haven't already.  There's been a few case where 0/O, I/l etc. get confused.

Connection should be PPPoE

I've never used the BT HH or a custom firmware, but it's worth checking the modem part and ensuring this works as it should with the custom firmware - i.e. does it get a DSL connection and hold this (regardless of you authenticating and getting an internet connection)

Good luck.

[Bunn]

Hi UnPotat

I have done all the stuff with VF re user and password etc. It is connecting spot on, but I am paying for 76mbps. Not that I thought I would ever achieve that but was promised around 55mbps. It has been at that initially but then dropped to 33mbps (all this on the up) and now down to 25 according to the router stats, but having performed a broadband speed test directlt plugged into the router it is showing 19mbps now!!!

The Archer shows a max speed of 45mbps for the line with attenuation of 15 with an SNR margin of 12.3db .

I think I am going to speak to VF and ask them to test the line, but will put back the VF router as they claim not to support any 3rd party ones.

The IPTV is odd as the IPTV box shows an ethernet connection active and the router shows IPTV active with a VLAN value setting of 2000.

Cant understand why it is not streaming.