Using your own router with BT Business Broadband

Can I use my own router?

Yes, as long as it is compatible with BT's broadband service. BT's own hubs are designed for its service and include features such as Hybrid Backup, Complete Wi-Fi Plus and, on Pro, Wi-Fi Security Controls. A third-party router or firewall can replace or sit behind the BT hub, but BT is clear that it does not support third-party routers on its main technical helpdesk, so you or your IT provider set it up and look after it.

Businesses usually want their own equipment for one of these reasons:

• An existing firewall with rules, VPNs and logging already configured.
• Site-to-site VPNs between offices, or remote access that the IT team manages centrally.
• Several static IP addresses mapped to different internal services.
• Network segmentation for tills, cameras, staff and guests beyond what a hub provides.
• A managed network run by an IT provider who standardises on one make of equipment.

BT's technical requirements

BT lists what a third-party router or firewall needs:

• PPPoE. It must be able to establish a PPPoE session using the broadband username and password BT gives you. That is also how any static IP addresses on your account are delivered.
• An Ethernet WAN port if an Openreach modem was installed as part of an older fibre installation; the router connects to the modem's LAN1 port.
• An approved, integrated VDSL modem if your router is replacing a BT hub on a recent fibre installation with no separate Openreach modem. Check this with the router's supplier.

On Full Fibre, the Optical Network Termination box (ONT) on your wall provides an Ethernet connection, so a router with an Ethernet WAN port and PPPoE support plugs straight in.

If you need several fixed addresses, BT also offers a No NAT range of five static IPs, and BT's addresses come with an IPv6 prefix as well as IPv4. Your router or firewall needs to be set up to use them correctly. Note that BT Ultra Broadband does not support static IPs.

Modem-only mode, by access type

The simplest way to use your own router depends on which line and hub you have. BT's help sets it out like this:

The Standard Fibre Pro point catches people out. If your own firewall must sit at the edge of the network on a Standard Fibre line, talk to us before choosing Pro. On Full Fibre, it is not an issue. See BT Business Smart Hub 3 for more on the hub.

What you give up

BT says that using your own router, or a BT hub other than Smart Hub 3 in modem-only mode, means you cannot use these extras that come with BT Business Broadband:

• Hybrid Backup, the automatic switch to 4G if the line fails. Your router would need its own backup connection.
• Complete Wi-Fi, BT's Wi-Fi discs that work with its hub to extend coverage.
• Wi-Fi Security Controls, the device-level security on Pro.

There are support implications too. BT says its engineers will not recommend, connect or support non-BT equipment, and asks you to keep the BT hub in case of problems, because you will need to reconnect it if BT has to fix a fault on your broadband. BT also says an engineer visit may be charged if the cause turns out to be your own equipment. So if you use your own router and the connection drops, plug the BT hub back in and test before reporting a fault. See BT Business Broadband support.

Own router or a different plan?

Before replacing the hub, check whether a BT option already does what you need:

• Port forwarding and static IPs. BT's hubs support port forwarding and assigning static IP addresses, which covers many remote access and camera needs.
• Managed security. If the reason for your own firewall is security rather than control, BT Ultra Broadband provides a Cisco Meraki security appliance with a next-generation firewall, content filtering and intrusion prevention, managed by BT. It does not support static IPs and is not intended for customers keeping their own third-party firewall. See Ultra vs Pro.
• Device control. If you want to control which devices join and what they can reach, Wi-Fi Security Controls on Pro may be enough.
• Several sites or a dedicated service. A business that needs its own edge equipment for multi-site VPNs and dedicated bandwidth may be better served by a leased line.

Setting it up without losing time

If your own router is the right answer, a few steps make the changeover painless:

1. Get the details from BT first: the broadband username and password, and any static IP range on your account.
2. Set up and test while the BT hub is still live, so you know the router's PPPoE settings work before the switch.
3. Schedule the swap for a quiet time and keep the BT hub labelled and ready to reconnect.
4. Update anything that pointed at the hub, such as IP phone settings, port forwards and VPN endpoints.
5. Re-check after any line change. A move, upgrade or plan change can change the connection details.

If your phones run over the internet, check router settings such as SIP ALG with your phone system supplier. See broadband for VoIP.

How we help

We help you decide whether your own equipment, a BT hub or a different plan fits best before you order, including the access-type and Pro caveats above. We can pass on BT's connection requirements and tell you which BT extras you would lose. The configuration of third-party equipment sits with you or your IT provider, and Forever Group can help with wider networking if you need it.

Contact us with your current router or firewall and what it does for you, and we will recommend the simplest route.