How to Set up a third party router with vodafone

[gipjon]

IF YOU ARE USING A THIRD-PARTY ROUTER THAT WORKS 100% WITHOUT BUGS.PLEASE PM ME THE MAKE AND MODEL SO I CAN UPDATE THE LIST

The first thing you need to do is ask Vodafone for your username and password. live chat with Vodafone is best because you can copy and paste the name and password into the router. ( some users did write it down wrong. password is lower and upper case. username watch out for zero and o )

https://www.vodafone.co.uk/contact-us/index.htm

https://www.vodafone.co.uk/bbservcd/

FTTC SETTING         ( FTTP is below FTTC)

The setting is the same for all the routers it's down to the isp (the setting page will be laid out differently but the setting are still the same, eg

Vodafone setting are

Vlan ID - 101

enable 802.1q (not on every router)

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

Username - ******@businessbroadband.vodafone.co.uk  ( for business customers )

Password - ********

PPPoE

MTU Size : 1492

rest of the setting auto detect when the router and the dslam are negotiating with each other

List of third party router that work well with vodafone will update as more router are confirmed working 100%

asus ac68u                              ADSL and VDSL router with Ethernet + dual band Wifi 

ASUS DSL-AC55U                   ADSL and VDSL router with Ethernet + dual-band Wifi 

DrayTek Vigor 130:                 ADSL and VDSL modem with Ethernet ( UK model )

Draytek 2762 VDSL

Draytek 2862 Series

Fritzbox 3490

technicolor tg589vac :             ADSL and VDSL router with Ethernet + dual-band Wifi 

Netgear D6400-100UKS         ADSL & VDSL router with Ethernet + dual-band AC1600 Wifi  + beamforming

Netgear rbk40  :                       ADSL and VDSL router with Ethernet + Tri-Band technology

Netgear D6220                        ADSL and VDSL router with Ethernet + dual band Wifi 

Netgear Nighthawk D7800    ADSL and VDSL router with Ethernet + dual band Wifi 

Technicolor DGA4231/DGA2231 is actually the Vodafone THC3000/THC3000g

TP-Link Archer VR2800

TP-Link AC 1600                      ADSL and VDSL router with Ethernet + dual-band Wifi 

TP-Link TL-Link Archer VR400 V3 AC1200 Wireless MU-MIMO Dual Band

TP-Link VR600                        ADSL and VDSL router with Ethernet + dual-band Wifi 

TP-Link W9970                        ADSL and VDSL router with Ethernet + dual-band Wifi 

Zyxel VMG3925-B10B

List of routers with WIFI 6 that works well  

None listed as yet 

IF YOU ARE USING A THIRD-PARTY ROUTER THAT WORKS 100% WITHOUT BUGS.PLEASE PM ME THE MAKE AND MODEL SO I CAN UPDATE THE LIST

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Gigafast 

Openreach the VLAN will be 101 or not required

CityFibre, the VLAN will be 911 or possibly not used.

Mtu 1492

PPPoE 

Username - *******

Password - ********

List of routers that works well with Gigafast

Asus RT-AC86U 

Cisco 5506-X

Linksys EA9500

netgear nighthawk ar500

FRITZ!Box 7530

TP-link M4 deco system

TP-Link Archer AC2300 MU-MIMO Wi-Fi Gigabit Router (Plug ONT cable into Internet port, run Autodetect > PPPoE > add username/pass = connected at full speed), no need for VLAN IDs

TP-Link Archer VR400 V3 AC1200 Wireless MU-MIMO Dual Band (1st Advanced tab, change the Operation Mode to Wireless Router Mode (the ONT is acting as a modem, hence it will not work if you are in DLS Modem Router Mode). 2nd  Do not enable VLAN ID or it will not work! Vodafone will tell you to set it to 101, if you do this it will not work! Keep the default MTU size (1480), do not change it to 1492, as suggested in several posts in this thread, or it will not work!. 

Synolgy RT2600ac ( https://forum.vodafone.co.uk/t5/Broadband-connection/Synology-RT2600ac-Vodafone-Router-CityFibre-PPP... )

List of routers with WIFI 6  that works well 

RT-AX86U ?

(from user) I managed to connect Asus DSL-AX82U modem/router and use it without Vodafone Wi-Fi hub finally. When use Asus router tutorial choose network provider as BT - Infinity. VLAN ID come up automatically as 101 then just copy your Vodafone username and password

[pwilliment]

Though so far I haven't been able to get ipv6 working. Any help with this would be gratefully received.

[Cynric]

@pwilliment It may not be you, VF have had problems with the IPv6 roll-out. Did you see anything in the router logs?

[billhinge]

Hi,

I recently upgraded to the 900Mbs FTTP. Can I ask a question to those folks who have used third party routers on FTTP, have you noticed any benefits? I have used third party (Draytek, TP-Link, Asus)  before on FTTC with marginal improvement with a different ISP. Currently getting 930-980mbs with good wifi (2400 mbs - better than third party) and VOIP with the UltraHub. I do have a Mikrotik router/switch connected by lan behind the UltraHub for the house and it all works. Would putting the Ultra Hub behind the Mikrotik bring any benefit given I'd still be using it for VOIP and WifI (can't think of anything?)

[Ripshod]

Just so you're aware, putting the Vodafone router behind another device will never work. The Vodafone router expects, and will only connect to, a PPPoE session. Putting the mikrotik first will kill the Vodafone and make it useless as anything other than a switch. You'd also lose the Digital Voice service, unless you have the knowhow to set up an ATA or VoIP phone (only a few devices work with Vodafone's service).

[billhinge]

Thanks for the heads up, reason I asked about putting the voda behind the Mikrotik was I thought I read someone had said they had done it either on this forum or another. No worries I won't bother.

I don't mind tinkering I was/am an IT architect (not an network architect though, but I know enough to get by), for my sins I was one of the original BT architects on copper ADSL, 3G and also worked for Vodafone on something else. I don't mind fiddling with VOIP as I've done it at home and in corporates but it sounds like not worth the effort if everything is working.

[Ripshod]

If you're so technically minded you may want to take the Vodafone router out of the equation totally. If you can live without the landline for a few days you can get your PPPoE login details from CS. Just to see how you may benefit.....

[billhinge]

Thanks, I read much of this thread and I notice many have done or are doing this. However, it seems there is a new policy on the Vodafone site from 28th of May. https://www.vodafone.co.uk/support/articles/can-i-use-my-own-router-with-vodafone-broadband----722f3...  which says no hence the current position seems to be a bit confusing. I could contact Vodafone support, having done so several times in the past I find my blood pressure always rises and I'm just getting over a bit of lurgy and don't have the energy plus I have a physics exam on Monday so will wait. Alternatively I could probably stick a spare Hub on the end of a new PPPOE server (the Mikrotik support PPPOE client and server plus bridging) and snoop the logs by turning off password obfuscation. (I was given 2 Hubs!). I may stick the second hub on the end of an new PPOE interface for shiggles next week. Trouble is I want to keep the current hub for wifi, believe it or not its the best wifi I have had by a long way 😂

Plus, RouterOS supports BCP (Bridge Control Protocol) for PPP, PPTP, L2TP and PPPoE interfaces. (Mikrotik have a pretty good  manual !)

[Cynric]

Looking on the O.R. site I cannot find a list of approved devices and my recollection is that they stopped approving them some years ago.

[Jayach]

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@Cynric wrote:

Looking on the O.R. site I cannot find a list of approved devices and my recollection is that they stopped approving them some years ago.

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The approved list was for modems that would be connected direct to their equipment, now everything is I.P. connected it is irrelevant.

[Cynric]

@Jayach Yes, that's what I thought, but the way that the recent VF item was worded made it sound like a different situation.