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I'm switching broadband providers to take advantage of the new-to-my-area BT Infinity.

My current network setup consists of a Netgear ADSL modem and an Apple Time Capsule router. This replaces the Sky Broadband network hardware provided by Sky, which is a Sky branded netgear ADSL modem and router in-one.

BT have sent me an 'Infinity Home Hub', which appears to integrate a modem (there is a landline phone socket), however there is an ethernet port coloured red and marked as 'broadband'.

Ports of the BT Home Hub

I have done my research and discovered that while BT Infinity advertises as Fibre Optic broadband, it is really fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) and then vDSL to the property.

Does anyone know if the Home Hub integrates the vDSL modem?

If possible I would prefer to keep my current router (the Apple Time Capsule), regardless of whether BT will support me with it or not. Would it be possible to turn off the routing features of the home hub and simply bridge it with the Time Capsule? Effectively relegating the home hub to just be a modem and not a router.

If the router features cannot be disabled and the home hub is indeed also a modem, are there any vDSL modems from reputable names like Linksys, Netgear, Belkin, that I could purchase? I couldn't find any during my initial research - it seems that vDSL isn't widely used throughout Britain, and as a result, no hardware is sold here.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Gareth
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Jasarien
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1 Answers1

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I've been on BT Infinity Option 2 (40Mbit down, 10Mbit up) for the last five months. The installation guy said that the green cabinet I am connected to was the second one in the country to be upgraded to VDSL.

The BT Infinity Hub router differs from the BT Home Hub 2.0 router in that it does not contain an ADSL2 modem. Instead, it does not contain any sort of modem. It's just like a cable router.

When your installation guy comes around, he'll bring a BT Openreach VDSL modem, which he will connect to the BT Infinity Hub router. The BT Openreach modem is BT branded Huawei HG612 with modified firmware already set up for BT Infinity.

Once he leaves you will be able to replace the Infinity Hub with any other cable router, like your Apple Time Capsule. I use a Netgear WNR3500L running the Tomato firmware.

paradroid
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