SKY MER service

As a "backup router" Has anyone managed to use their router using the newer MER protocol.

As far as I'm aware this isn't possible.

MER uses the routers MAC and other information to authenticate the router onto the network

This is instead of using a username and password like with PPOA

Some people have said that this MAY be Sky cracking down on using your own hardware

E.g. you can't extract a username and password if one isn't used.

If it is possible I'd assume it'd involve mac cloning or something.

I'd be interested if someone has actually cracked this

The Sky router ( D-link 2.04 Firmware ) first seems to auth in pppoa then switches to MER. If I use my own router with my extracted username and password it auths in pppoa and stays there.

I think Sky have modified the generic method of connecting via MER (non-RFC compliant?) in order to prevent third-party MER-compatible routers from connecting up, even when the MAC address of the Sky router is spoofed. If PPPoA is phased out on Sky Broadband this could pose an issue for users using their own routers, and as third-party routers are prohibited users would be unable to complain to Sky.

In reply to a post by Oliver341:

If PPPoA is phased out on Sky Broadband

Whilst they could do this, I suspect they won't. I read only last week that Connect still has more subscribers than LLU, and Connect uses PPPoA through 20CN or 21CN, and I don't think BT can use MER.

I assume MER is Sky's equivalent to O2/BE using IPoA.

In reply to a post by jchamier:

Whilst they could do this, I suspect they won't. I read only last week that Connect still has more subscribers than LLU, and Connect uses PPPoA through 20CN or 21CN, and I don't think BT can use MER.

Yes, PPPoA could only ever be disabled on Sky's LLU network.

I assume MER is Sky's equivalent to O2/BE using IPoA.

Similar I believe. However Netgear's usual "Does Your Internet Connection Require A Login? No" does not connect up to Sky's MER network, even with a spoofed MAC address. Routers with a specific MER option (e.g. Billion I think) also cannot connect to it.