Using B2/B3 as router with Sky Fibre FTTC broadband.
Posted: 29 Sep 2012, 11:37
This is specifically relevant to Sky Fibre Broadband but as that is just BT Infinity sold wholesale, it might be of use to other FTTC customers.
FTTC connections require two boxes - a VDSL modem and a WAP/switch/router much like the early days of ADSL before ISPs started supplying all-in-one boxes.
Although the Sky supplied router allows you to set a DMZ up so you can continue to use the B2/B3 as your main network router, the issue with this is that it requires three boxes to be continuously powered on due to Sky using a DHCP authentication method called MAC Encapsulation Routing (MER). Most DHCP clients don't use it but the one in Sky's own router does. It seemed crazy to me that I would need this box switched on 24/7 just to get an IP address for my connection. I'd read that Open WRT supports MER and can act as a replacement for the Sky router so it should be possible to get the Bubba to do the same, and off to the interwebs I went...
The solution is surprisingly simple after thinking I was maybe going to have to build my own DHCP client from source.
First you need to get the default wi-fi key and the MAC address from Sky's router - both are printed on a sticker on the unit and are also available on the router's web interface.
Go to this site and input this information, selecting Sagem F@ST as the router model and It will give you the PPP username and password.
On the Bubba, as root, edit the file /etc/dhcp/dhclient.conf and add the following after the line that says "send host-name "<hostname>;":
E.g.:
Connect the WAN port on the Bubba straight into the modem and run "dhclient", your server should now successfully negotiate a WAN IP address and you can carry on about your business. Running "dhclient -v" will give verbose output and should help with any troubleshooting.
/fin
FTTC connections require two boxes - a VDSL modem and a WAP/switch/router much like the early days of ADSL before ISPs started supplying all-in-one boxes.
Although the Sky supplied router allows you to set a DMZ up so you can continue to use the B2/B3 as your main network router, the issue with this is that it requires three boxes to be continuously powered on due to Sky using a DHCP authentication method called MAC Encapsulation Routing (MER). Most DHCP clients don't use it but the one in Sky's own router does. It seemed crazy to me that I would need this box switched on 24/7 just to get an IP address for my connection. I'd read that Open WRT supports MER and can act as a replacement for the Sky router so it should be possible to get the Bubba to do the same, and off to the interwebs I went...
The solution is surprisingly simple after thinking I was maybe going to have to build my own DHCP client from source.
First you need to get the default wi-fi key and the MAC address from Sky's router - both are printed on a sticker on the unit and are also available on the router's web interface.
Go to this site and input this information, selecting Sagem F@ST as the router model and It will give you the PPP username and password.
On the Bubba, as root, edit the file /etc/dhcp/dhclient.conf and add the following after the line that says "send host-name "<hostname>;":
Code: Select all
send dhcp-client-identifier "<username>|<password>";Code: Select all
send dhcp-client-identifier "8c4ca622fra4@skydsl|QZTt6H8ia8OKfJ9";/fin
