Netgear dgnd3300, can I use it?

[doozer]

About to leave O2 and signed up for unlimited up to 16Mb.
It was O2 tied in with my mobile Sim which I no longer use.
So gone for the cheaper option as I'm a sky user.
Recently bought the netgear DGND3300 and looking through a few threads wondered if I can use it?

[Scubbie]

The DGND3300 is an ADSL only router. There are a few members who have had issues with connecting a non-Sky router to their ADSL line recently. We don't have information available to help to identify whether it was actually something they did wrong or whether Sky has locked out PPPoA on some connections.

There are a few ways around this, but firstly try the process to extract your Sky router's log in details and set up the DGND3300 correctly to see if it will connect on the PPPoA connection.

One common fault is typos. another is using the wrong MAC address to extract the password. Copy and Paste the LAN MAC address to the generator and store the results in a Notepad Text file.

Read through this section for more information: Extracting Sky Router passwords

As for the other options, they include chasing Netgear for a firmware fix, installing DD-WRT firmware and using the instructions available on this forum for MER and piggybacking the DGND3300 to the Sky router and using that as the primary router, with the DGND3300 providing the better WiFi coverage.

[doozer]

Hi Scubbie,
Thanks for the reply.
The posts I managed to read, some are dated in 2008. Are they still valid?
You spotted why I would still like to use my own router, I am using 2.4 and 5Gh, still not sure if that is worth while?
When I bought the netgear it came with a "Product update" about problems connecting to "UK Be There and O2 DSL Detection Issues" that was dated Feb 2010.
So the router I will get from Sky is that likely to be capable of connecting to something else other than ADSL?

[Scubbie]

Extracting the log in details and connecting via PPPoA is still perfectly valid in many places. Sky are using a non-standard variant of MER as well now and all their ADSL routers are capable of connecting via MER and PPPoA, with the exception of the Netgear DG934G, depending whether or not your line supports MER 1st or PPPoA 2nd.

My line supports both. So I can use my DGND3700 to connect via PPPoA and my Sky Sagem 2304n connects initially via PPPoA, then disconnects and reconnects using MER.

The latest Sky router (Sagem 2504N) has a WiFi that works up to 144mbps, but only on the 2.4GHz channels.

With regards to how the router connects, Sky are currently shipping 2 versions of the Sagem 2504N. One comes with a firmware designed only for an ADSL connection (PPPoA or MER) with two filters for your telephone sockets. The other is shipped with a firmware that supports SFU and SFUP (both FTTC based), no filters but a 2nd Ethernet cable. This 2nd version works on both the Sky Fibre connections and can also work on Sky's ADSL based broadband.

Please do look around this forum to gain a little more insight into MER. Use the search feature. Some notable threads:

Sky's MER and why it does not work with other routers

MER on Netgear Routers

Got MER working with a Netgear

7800N beta firmware for SKY (1483MER) NOW WORKING!

Billion 7800n MER BETA firmware available

It is also worth noting that it may be possible to get MER to work using the firmware from DD-WRT.

[Gigabit]

It is also worth noting that it may be possible to get MER to work using the firmware from DD-WRT.

DD-WRT does not work on ADSL modem routers. Only cable routers.

[Scubbie]

DD-WRT does not work on ADSL modem routers. Only cable routers.

Phooey! I wasn't aware of that.

[doozer]

Thanks for that Scubbie.
I understand the implications of my original question!
Just would be "Nice".

[Scubbie]

No problem.

If the PPPoA option works, then great.

If it doesn't, consider the option provided in this thread: How to connect two Routers together