Are you allowed to use your own router with Vodafone Fibre?

I currently use Talktalk Fibre 900. They haven't caused me any issues so far, but I am thinking ahead with my contract expiry in a few months. Currently I am being charged £38.33 per month for 900/900. Vodafone seem to consistently have good deals - £31 per month for 900/900!

My current setup includes a Cityfibre ONT -> TP Link ER7212PC Gigabit POE+ Router -> TP-Link 24 Port Switch -> Devices.

Could I retain the same setup without having to use a godawful Vodafone router? Because my TP-Link setup has been absolutely rock solid with ZERO downtime or connectivity issues.

I've been through more ISPs than I can count, and I've always had issues with their cheap router.

Yes, you can use your own router (and I do).

Here is what Vodafone say:

“ Can I use my own router with Vodafone broadband?

You must use a Vodafone router with our Pro Broadband plans and any plan with Digital Voice 

For all other broadband plans, you can use a non-Vodafone router, but it needs to be one that's approved by Openreach. To use a non-Vodafone router, you’ll need to contact us for your broadband username and password. Start a chat with us to get yours.

If you’re using a non-Vodafone router and are experiencing any speed or reliability issues with our network, you'll need to reconnect your Vodafone router.”

Good luck

Vodafone, albeit FTTC here. Yes, they do let you use your own router. They do (or at least did for me) give you a static IPv4 address if you just email them to ask, which is actually very good given that this is either chargeable (or not an option at all) with many ISPs today.

Just a couple of warning notes:

The Vodafone supplied "THG3000" router is the worst piece of IT equipment I've come across in a long time (and this even includes some multi-function inkjet printers!) and if you've got more than half a dozen devices on your network, expect it to be unusably slow to make any changes whatsoever to your network. On this basis alone, I would say that it's pretty much mandatory to chuck this rubbish away and use something that doesn't entirely suck. Just be aware that it looks like their bundled VoIP service depends on their own router, so if you want to use a landline you'd be better porting it to a third party service instead to avoid being locked into their router.

Vodafone's support is especially dreadful, so if you know what you're doing it'll probably be ok, but if you ever have to contact them for anything, be prepared to be speaking to people in far distant lands who don't understand the difference between "wifi" and "internet". Truly, eye-wateringly bad support. To be fair to them, my service has been extremely reliable which is why I'm still with them as, had I needed to contact their support line more often, I'm sure I'd have rage-cancelled years ago!

In reply to a post by jjrobb:

Yes, you can use your own router (and I do).

Here is what Vodafone say:

“ Can I use my own router with Vodafone broadband?

You must use a Vodafone router with our Pro Broadband plans and any plan with Digital Voice 

For all other broadband plans, you can use a non-Vodafone router, but it needs to be one that's approved by Openreach. To use a non-Vodafone router, you’ll need to contact us for your broadband username and password. Start a chat with us to get yours.

If you’re using a non-Vodafone router and are experiencing any speed or reliability issues with our network, you'll need to reconnect your Vodafone router.”

Good luck

Is their Pro broadband the one where they charge extra for a mesh Wi-fi system?

As for being Openreach approved, is that a thing these days?

The pro is the one with a mobile back up from what I remember, sorry not sure about the mesh.

Looks like comes with a WIFO 6E router as well.

https://www.vodafone.co.uk/broadband/pro-ii

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

As for being Openreach approved, is that a thing these days?

The sticker must have fallen off my generic AliExpress OPNSense box

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

As for being Openreach approved, is that a thing these days?

That's only applicable to FTTC and it's the modem (or combined modem/router), not the router, that should be "approved".
Openreach have an MCT (modem conformance test) that manufacturers can submit their devices to for testing.

https://help.uno.uk/knowledge-base/article/openreach...

It doesn't appear to have been updated since 2021.

Edited by j0hn83 (Tue 30-Apr-24 16:08:48)