Fibre compatibility - Draytek VIGOR2820n and others

[BillLowe]

Hi all,

Still getting my head into the setup at my new office. Looking to upgrade our ADSL connection to fibre optic from BT, we're on a BT line with our ADSL provided by Daemon at present. Our exchange is fibre enabled.

I am confident that the BT business hub can integrate with our current network quite happily, but I am concerned that we will lose some functionality and more advanced features, diagnostics etc. Our network consists of...

• DrayTek VIGOR 2820n Modem/Router
• DrayTek ZyWall 2 Plus Hardware Firewall
• Netgear FS726TP Switch
• D-Link DIR655 Wireless router... which I think is daisy-chained with the VIGOR to provide public WiFi (confusing me)
• Windows 2008 R2 Server, Windows XP Webserver boxes
• POE phone system

So... I'm not seeing any major issues so far with regards to upgrading to fibre. But if anyone out there has experience with the 2820n + BT fibre in particular I would interested to here about it. I gather there are models of the 2820n that are fibre friendly and those that are not but so far I've been unable to confirm which of these we have.

Thanks,

Bill

[BillLowe]

Bump!

Anyone?

[MiloBT]

Hi Bill

Based on the specs seen here (http://www.draytek.co.uk/products/vigor2820.html) you don't need to replace the 2820n, since this has a WAN connection available (as well as the integrated ADSL modem).

All that will need to be done is for the BT engineer to plug in the OpenReach VDSL modem, then an ethernet cable from that into your WAN2 port on the 2820n.

In the configuration for the 2820n, it is likely to be currently set up for a PPPoA connection (using the integrated ADSL modem). That will no longer be used.

You'll need to adjust the WAN2 connection and set up a a PPPoE connection (see the guide I wrote here: http://business.forums.bt.com/t5/Broadband-and-internet/BT-Fibre-Infinity-Guide-to-using-your-own-ro...)

Then nothing else should need changing with your setup and the supplied BT hub won't be required (unless you want to use it that is?)

Hope that helps

Milo

[BillLowe]

Thank you Milo! I really appreciate the response, very relieved to have confirmation that this hub will work with the fibre connection. I coudn't spot any reference to fibre in the specs for the Draytek, just for my own education - is it the cable compatability that I should have been looking for? 

Again, thanks for the detailed response and your other post, very informative!

Cheers,

Bill

[MiloBT]

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@BillLowe wrote:

Thank you Milo! I really appreciate the response, very relieved to have confirmation that this hub will work with the fibre connection. I coudn't spot any reference to fibre in the specs for the Draytek, just for my own education - is it the cable compatability that I should have been looking for? 

Again, thanks for the detailed response and your other post, very informative!

Cheers,

Bill

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You're welcome.

Regarding the compatibility, yes the 'cable' connection is what you should look for.

Because the OpenReach modem is handling the Internet connection you're just piggy backing off that (the same as Virgin customers do from their cable modems). The PPPoE set up is just to pass your username & password along to the modem. I'm sure your Draytek has that setup available to it (PPPoE for the WAN2 connection), but you might want to just double-check.

Eventually VDSL integrated modem/routers will become more commonplace, as has happened with the ADSL ones, but I don't see that happening for a while as yet.

All the best