Zen Router Supplied with FTTP

Our village has recently been enabled with a full FTTP network, and I am interested in having Zen provide a FTTP connection to my home. I have been with Zen FTTC ever since it was available, with very good service.

Whilst I am conversant with FTTC and VDSL technology, I would not pretend that I understand very much about what is needed for FTTP.

I recently chatted to Zen Tech Support about hardware options... Given that the ONT is effectively the modem, my simple brain thought that I could continue to use my Netgear D6400 router and EX7000 WiFi extender. However, Zen Tech Support insisted that the supplied FRITZ!Box 7350 router must be used for FTTP to work correctly. I don't understand why - and I was considering improving my WiFi router to a WiFi 6 unit from e.g. Asus or other manufacturer.

I smell a rat... Whilst I fully understand that Zen would prefer me to use their supplied router, to make tech support easier - and I've always kept my supplied VDSL router in case of technical problems with my current FTTC service - I don't see any reason why I can't do similar with a router for FTTP?

Any constructive comments/advice gratefully received

In reply to a post by AgedP:

I smell a rat...

You'll be right to think that, lots of Zen users here use their own routers.

I would also recommend you take your time to read some of the threads about Zen on this forum before deciding to stay with Zen on FTTP

Edited by deleted (Wed 31-Aug-22 10:35:19)

You can use whatever router you like as long as it's compatible with FTTP.

Also, I'd be avoiding Asus due to their non-existent regard for security. Get a proper Access Point, such as a UniFi AP and mount it upstairs on the ceiling for best coverage.

You may also want to look at recent posts in here about Zen, they have gone downhill.

Did you request that Zen supply a voice connection as well (Digital Voice)? If so that component is only supported via the supplied router. The actual broadband connection will work with any router that supports PPPOE (on Openreach FTTP) - I use Ubiquiti equipment

In reply to a post by S2KIP:

You can use whatever router you like as long as it's compatible with FTTP.

What exactly does compatible with FTTP mean?

FTTP is just a generic term describing the access network and has nothing to do with authentication.
A router that works with 1 FTTP connection won't necessarily work with another FTTP connection. Quite a few routers don't do PPP for example.

Any router with an RJ45 WAN port that does PPP will do for Zen FTTP.

It can be hard to get Zen support to work through issues using your own equipment; they will usually want you to go back to their supplied router to prove a fault isn't your equipment. Which is frustrating, especially when your connection stops working at full speed thanks to a migration they've put through on your line from BTW to their own Zen GEA backhaul (grrr).

Beware that some routers may struggle to saturate a 900mbps connection as the router handles the PPPoE processing overhead, not the ONT. Some equipment struggles to reach line rates processing PPPoE and doing routing. The Zen supplied Fritzbox does at least manage line rate for PPPoE.

Once you accept the above, there's no issue using own supplied equipment with Zen so long as you aren't taking a voice product from them. If you are taking voice product then you will have to use their equipment.

I dealt with this myself by keeping my FTTC running for a month overlap, and porting my landline number to AAISP's VOIP service, which costs me a couple of quid a month (we don't make outgoing calls on it). Then I am free to move the connection to any provider I like.

In reply to a post by AgedP:

Our village has recently been enabled with a full FTTP network, and I am interested in having Zen provide a FTTP connection to my home. I have been with Zen FTTC ever since it was available, with very good service.

Whilst I am conversant with FTTC and VDSL technology, I would not pretend that I understand very much about what is needed for FTTP.

I recently chatted to Zen Tech Support about hardware options... Given that the ONT is effectively the modem, my simple brain thought that I could continue to use my Netgear D6400 router and EX7000 WiFi extender. However, Zen Tech Support insisted that the supplied FRITZ!Box 7350 router must be used for FTTP to work correctly. I don't understand why - and I was considering improving my WiFi router to a WiFi 6 unit from e.g. Asus or other manufacturer.

I smell a rat... Whilst I fully understand that Zen would prefer me to use their supplied router, to make tech support easier - and I've always kept my supplied VDSL router in case of technical problems with my current FTTC service - I don't see any reason why I can't do similar with a router for FTTP?

Any constructive comments/advice gratefully received

In a word, no, you can use any router you want provided it has a WAN port.

The only complication can be is of you've ordered digital voice from them (the Fritzbox 7530 has a buolt in DECT base for cordless and a phone port so you can plug your existing phone in should you wish but I think you can get hold of the server details (I have Zen FTTP and am using the Fritzbox but previously used an olld Netgear on my connection which I dithced when it went out of support and because I couldn't get IPv6 to work on it.

Not gone down the digital voice route yet.

To be fair to Zen Tech Support (whom I've always found to be good) they are likely to be less keen to advise on routers not supplied by them as a setting they might advise the customer to change may have an inforseen impact on the customer and lead to customer complaints like 'I was told to do X or Y and now little tarquin can't play Call of Duty/Fortnite/FIFA!

The Fritzbox also has autoconfiguration ability so although it's not locked down, if you plug it in out of the box and leave it for 5-10 minutes connected to an active Zen connection, it'll configure itself with your connection details, also makes diagnostics easier.

I'm afraid I can sympathise with the mindset of being reluctant to touch anything you aren't 100% familiar with as while I don't work for an ISP, I do work within a Service Desk role for a large organisation.

At the beginning of the first lockdown, people were just told to go home, most of the users had desktops so while we tried to get hold of laptops, get them imaged and sent out we were guiding them through installing a VPN client on their home systems, logging in and connecting to thjeir desktops.

We found a couple of security products that, despite our efforts, refused to allow the connections, myself and colleagues also spent some of our own time trying to get hold of trial versions to test.

As an immediate but not ideal fix we'd ask the end user to disable the product and use the inbuilt windows defender/firewall or talk to the security software vendor, for a few option one wasn;t welcomed so we ended up directing them to support for the troublesome products.

Someone also went and bought a machine and one of my less experienced colleages, trying to be helpful, tried to apply domain group policy to it, not noticing it wasn't one of ours, bearing in mind this was Windows home editoon installed by an OEM, it didn't work well and I had to sit through a factory reset with an angry end user.

So I can see their point a bit

In reply to a post by S2KIP:

Also, I'd be avoiding Asus due to their non-existent regard for security.

Personally, I use an Asus RT-AX88U Router which works really well with FTTP and it has good WiFi.

I am not aware of a security issue that is specific to Asus Routers and would welcome more info if possible.

In reply to a post by S2KIP:

I'd be avoiding Asus due to their non-existent regard for security.

In reply to a post by Fido:

I am not aware of a security issue that is specific to Asus Routers and would welcome more info if possible.

I would second the point about more information required.

Dear all,

Thanks so much for the very quick, and some very detailed responses - much appreciated

Firstly, for clarity, I have not placed an order with Zen for FTTP - I was making the described technical enquiries with their tech-support before deciding what to do.

As I thought, there is no imperitive to use their router - unless I want their 'digital voice' service (VOIP?) That's another can of worms, probably for another post. I know next to nothing about VOIP, but I guess I'm going to need it come 2025... Made more tricky since we have next to no mobile signal out here in the sticks, and many friends/contacts refuse to use WhatsApp calling etc. (I'm guessing I could buy VOIP services from a third party?)

I do fully understand the plight of the tech support folks having to problem solve where there is hardware they're not familiar with - too many extra variables. That's why, as I said, I kept hold of their Technicolor router for the FTTC I currently have.

Having read the FRITZ!Box 7350 manual, and I'm likely to sign-up for 'digital voice' - and like the sound of the DECT basestation feature - I'm warming to the idea... I'd just switch off the FRITZ!Box wireless, and likely purchase a WiFi 6 AX unit for wireless - possibly a Ubiquiti as someone suggested...

Thanks again all for your help and advice so far