FTTC + ADSL failover

I've just ordered a FTTC connection along with a second phone line (from Plusnet). I'd like to organise things so that if the FTTC connection goes down that I can automatically failover to a basic ADSL service running with a different ISP on the other line - as reliable internet access is very important for my work. Quite a few routers seem to offer multiple-WAN connections (dual-WAN/triple-WAN/quad-WAN), but most of the blurb seems to discuss more about failover to a 3G connection or another ethernet port rather than failover between FTTC/VDSL2 (via the Openreach modem) and ADSL2+ on another line.

Would the Draytek Vigor 2850 do everything that I want i.e. switch between the Openreach FTTC modem on an ethernet port and it's own internal ADSL2+ on the other line if the FTTC breaks down? Does it switch automatically in a pretty much seamless fashion or is there a big delay and lots of lost packets while it switches over? Are there better choices out there?

Thanks for any help/suggestions/corrections.

Edited by deleted (Wed 24-Apr-13 19:22:29)

You can use the 2850's internal VDSL modem instead of the Openreach modem if you're not too worried about Openreach T&Cs and have the router switch between native VDSL and ADSL in the event of FTTC outage. That may result in a quicker failover than if you go via ethernet to the Openreach modem.

I use a 2850 on FTTC without the Openreach modem and it works flawlessly.

How would you wire that, given that you can't have FTTC and ADSLx on the same line?

The router has an adapter that allows you to connect separate VDSL and ADSL lines simultaneously. Quite straightforward really.

In reply to a post by caffn8me:

The router has an adapter that allows you to connect separate VDSL and ADSL lines simultaneously. Quite straightforward really.

But at the cabinet there is a filter to stop ADSL signals getting through once FTTC is enabled. So it doesn't matter what you have at your home, you need an Openreach engineer to disconnect the FTTC at the cabinet before ADSL will work.

So no point with the Draytek unless you have two lines.

In reply to a post by jchamier:

So no point with the Draytek unless you have two lines.

OP plans 2 lines.

Hi Dave, take a look at pfsense (http://www.pfsense.org/), it will happily run on an old thin client off ebay and will give you plenty of options for fail-over and load balancing, it can do the PPPoE direct to the BT VDSL modem that will come with your FTTC service and the ADSL via your current router. Currently running exactly that setup at a site and working well.

If you want dumb/simple failover (either/or) then use a router like below that fails over to WAN port (where the Plusnet supplied router would be connected (and then to OR modem)

Stu

We use the 2850 in exactly your configuration in our office without the openreach modem - VDSL & ADSL directly into the Draytek which works very well on our short line to the cabinet ( approx 20m )
I have the same setup at home - but it would appear the Draytek dosen't like the long line ( approx 800m). The openreach modem gives better speed and stability.

Phil

In reply to a post by caffn8me:

The router has an adapter that allows you to connect separate VDSL and ADSL lines simultaneously. Quite straightforward really.

k

In reply to a post by XRaySpeX:

In reply to a post by jchamier:

So no point with the Draytek unless you have two lines.

OP plans 2 lines.

Yes, that's the plan - already have ADSL on my main phone line - getting FTTC on another line - will ask for the new master socket to be put in next to the existing one.

Sounds like Draytek 2850 here I come! Cheers everyone for the helpful comments.