Screwy network

[David Fletcher]

On Mon, 2022-02-21 at 16:27 +0000, ubuntu at howorth.org.uk wrote:
> dave at thefletchers.net wrote:
> > The router that Zen supplied is also IMHO crap. It also prohibits
> > the
> > forwarding of certain essential ports.
> 
> I'm interested to know a bit more, because I use Zen as my ISP
> although FTTC rather than FTTP. Zen supplied me with a Fritz!Box 7530
> and I just tested whether I could enable port 25 forwarding, and yes
> I can. So have they gone backwards with their FTTP offering?

I've just powered up the Fritz!Box again and logged into it and I have
the same impression as before - it's a one box does all intended for
customers who want nothing more than access to facebook, gmail etc.
using either PPPoE or DSL and providing WiFi and an analogue phone
connection. Perhaps it's fine for that purpose but not for me. Just now
I couldn't even find my way into the settings for port forwarding so
that's it, I have no further interest in it apart from possibly having
a go some time at flashing it with OpenWRT.

The 12V power supply it's provided with works nicely with one of the
little Jetway motherboards I have here.


> I'd be tempted to call Zen technical support and ask them about it.
> I've found them helpful. They might be able to find some way to fix
> it (a new router maybe? :)

Not me. Like I said, I have two excellent routers running OpenWRT. Zen
don't care at all what router you use. For a "landline phone" I have an
ATA191 that's working nicely over IPv6 with sipgate and only costs me
anything if I make a call.

The OpenWRT Archer C7 and Xiaomi routers that I have seem to be very
rare. If tempted at all, there's loads of BT type routers already
flashed with OpenWRT on eBay that would likely work well for you. I
assume your FTTC gives you a copper DSL type connection? You might also
be able to use one of these with the eth1 socket plugged into a fibre
terminal but I don't know for sure, best to be sure before purchase but
the Home Hub 5 is available on eBay for only £22.95 and says it has
a Ethernet WAN (RJ45) socket as well as the four LAN sockets. Probably
just the job.

Dave