BTNet and router configuration

I help a small business with their IT on a break/fix basis.
Unknown to me they've had BTNet FTTP installed and now their port forwarding remote access won't work.
As I understand it the supplied Meraki MX68W is cloud managed by BT and I'll have to get a router with a WAN port and forward through that. In previous threads a Draytek has been recommended but the client is cost focused (tight).
1. Can I use a TP-LINK Archer C7 Wireless Cable Router?
2. What WAN port settings are needed to connected to the Meraki , it's IP is 192.168.128.1 and the DHCP is working?

In reply to a post by Avonpalmer:

I help a small business with their IT on a break/fix basis.
Unknown to me they've had BTNet FTTP installed and now their port forwarding remote access won't work.
As I understand it the supplied Meraki MX68W is cloud managed by BT and I'll have to get a router with a WAN port and forward through that. In previous threads a Draytek has been recommended but the client is cost focused (tight).
1. Can I use a TP-LINK Archer C7 Wireless Cable Router?
2. What WAN port settings are needed to connected to the Meraki , it's IP is 192.168.128.1 and the DHCP is working?

First, you could check if the Meraki is configured to allow user-controlled port-forwarding using uPNP.

If your plan is to buy a new box, I don't understand whether you're saying: (1) *replace* the Meraki with a different router, or (2) put the new router *behind* the Meraki (connected to the Meraki's LAN port).

Option (1) will work, but it involves removing the BT-managed router, which is part of the service they have bought, and probably invalidates their SLAs. The WAN settings will depend on how the FTTP service is configured: it's likely to be PPPoE and you'll need to know the username and password. You won't configure a 192.168.x.x address on the WAN port: PPPoE will negotiate it.

Option (2) sounds like what you're planning, but if the Meraki is doing NAT it won't help: you will still need BT to make a config change on the Meraki for inbound port forwarding. That's unless you plan to set up something more complex, like tunnelling to a cloud server.

There are some other options which involve talking to BT:

- ask if BT will add the required port forwarding options on the Meraki router for you. If this is a business-grade service they really ought to do it for you, or give you access to some portal where you can do it yourself

- ask if BT can provide a public IP subnet behind the router, e.g. a /30 or /29, which would allow you to connect your new router on a public IP. Again, this is the sort of thing which may be available on a business-grade service, although may cost extra.

Thanks candlerb for your reply.
I can't get into the Meraki Configuration as it's exclusively cloud based. I set up a Meraki Dashboard account and tried to claim the device to manage it but it said that it had already been claimed, presumably by BT.
You have summarized it so well, it just seems like a lot of work to forward one port.
I've just spent and hour trying to speak to BT techs.
I might move them to a cloud based remote access solution.
Many thanks

I'm guessing the BT device is just designed to terminate their fibre and the expectation is that a router would be added by the business in front of it - that is normal for BT based lease lines.

The Meraki is a firewall/wireless router so based on that they see it as 192.168.x.x and say DHCP is enabled suggests that it is also running NAT.

So only way around that if its cloud managed is

a) Get the those managing it to configure the port forwarding as required, which is what I'd expect a business ISP to do if supplying a managed router.
or
b) Replace the Meraki/Cisco router totally and connect a device of your own choosing to the Openreach ONT, replacing if they have remote monitoring might cause issues and T&C of service might state the supplied router has to be used for uptime and other connection monitoring.

The Meraki is an optional BT Managed router used with BTnet.

As it is managed by BT, all the OP needs to do is arrange for BT to configure the port forward.

https://business.bt.com/products/broadband-and-inter...

Wi-Fi, Guest Wi-Fi and simple LAN

BTnet is available with optional Cisco Meraki managed equipment to connect your systems to your leased line. Through just one neat piece of kit, which is unique to BT, you�ll get Wi-Fi for the office, advanced Guest Wi-Fi for your visitors and loads of LAN ports. After our engineer�s installed it for you, it�s a cinch to set up and use.

With the intuitive BTnet web portal, you can keep an eye on how you�re using the service. And because it�s online, you can do that from any device, anytime, anywhere you can get on the internet. Want to change something? Easy. Just tell us through the portal and our UK-based support team will sort it out for you.

Thanks everyone.
The Salesman came back from holiday and explained that once the install is complete there is a method via business.bt.com to request changes like port forwarding.
I'm not sure if this is purely by request or whether you have limited user access to the configuration pages.
Quite underwhelmed by the lack of documentation and that I had to chase a salesman to find out.
Anyway I'll summarize when complete as BT seem to be rolling these out to small businesses everywhere.
Thanks everyone for the input.

You get read-only access to stats but have to request changes.

BT are providing these to people asking and paying for them - own CPE behind the NTE still an option thankfully.

Post deleted by MrSaffron

Deleted post while adding a few things like BT support number to call, which original poster should have did invite them to share personal data and as we have not verified the account the post has been removed.