Free to use router "managed" by ISP

[SauRoNZA]

You are 100% correct. However, when you business is being a managed service provider looking after customers and an ISP refuses you access to a router (or to use your own) then that is unacceptable. The demarcation device should be a carrier ethernet certified ONT that is transparent to subscriber interaction. This is what you are talking about what is being used overseas, not a cheap router as the demarc.
And if you have a Vodacom link, it really frees up their time. They ignore you forever...

Yeah things have changed with fibre as a whole and like you say it’s not directly to the ONT with managed router being optional.

In the DSL and Cable days it was managed end to end and still is where those services apply.

But I fully agree you should have the option use your own, but only if waiving all support for it in the process.

 

[backstreetboy]

You can add Herotel to this list.

Finally got through to someone from management, who then agreed to refund and i can purchase a router i like with full control, just do not mess with their PPPOE settings.

On that note, Herotel offers free Installation and router, if you cancel within a year, you pay. So i guess it does belong to you then? With my previous WISP, you pay installation, however it always belongs to them (They cover insurance too, and replace at no cost with some T&C's).

They supplied some outdated TP Link router, which does not catch wireless past the room it is in.

I am considering purchasing a newish Tenda since my previous WISP supplied a Tenda router, pretty impressed with the Wifi range and management app, any other recommendations in that price range ?

Totolink. Rock solid and gets updates as well. Comes with Mu-Mimo, Beamforming and band steering.

TOTOLINK

totolink.net

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[backstreetboy]

Can't agree with you more on this. For a non technical person resetting a router and then setting up pppoe is about a 3 hour phone call if you are lucky. Managing routers remotely is pretty much the solution.

You have the majority on the left about 70%+ non technical people and then you have 30% technical people to your right. When a client places an order with you how would you know their technical skill when it comes to router setups an management and that is why ISPs supply locked routers because when someone that is not technical logs into a router an see pppoe username and password they can easily mistake that for Wifi username and password and kill the connection without even knowing causing support requests.

I think a unlocked router but with remote access for the ISP is the best way to go. The ISP can make changes and fixes in a few minutes and the issue is resolved.

That I can get behind but this trend of locking the whole thing down is just retarded.

 

[Rocket-Boy]

I would never give control to anyone else for devices on my network.
Then again the router my ISP supplied is still sealed in the box it arrived in, I have a Mikrotik which does a way better job.

 

[Kyoto]

Can't agree with you more on this. For a non technical person resetting a router and then setting up pppoe is about a 3 hour phone call if you are lucky. Managing routers remotely is pretty much the solution.

You have the majority on the left about 70%+ non technical people and then you have 30% technical people to your right. When a client places an order with you how would you know their technical skill when it comes to router setups an management and that is why ISPs supply locked routers because when someone that is not technical logs into a router an see pppoe username and password they can easily mistake that for Wifi username and password and kill the connection without even knowing causing support requests.

I think a unlocked router but with remote access for the ISP is the best way to go. The ISP can make changes and fixes in a few minutes and the issue is resolved.

I have a router, that I have complete control of for LAN WIFi control, the WAN side is locked down so I cannot screw up the WAN settings, but the ISP still has access to the LAN/ Wifi settings if I was daft enough to screw the SSID up etc.

 

[w1z4rd]

I would like to obtain some advice on the following please;

I changed to a new ISP and took the free to use router that they offer. Once activated I discovered that I could not log on to the router with the default username and password in order to customize my wifi SSID and password etc. I contacted the ISP who informed me that they own the router and it is managed by them and I am therefore not allowed to log on to the router unless I buy it from them and then they will unlock it. If I want to change anything on the router I have to contact them and they will apply those changes (SSID, password etc.). That can obviously only happen during the support hours available. Nowhere prior to this did they communicate this to me, yet point out that it is their interpretation of "managing the router"

I have never had any ISP do that with routers provided (free to use and managed by the ISP). Anybody else had this experience please and am I unreasonable to be upset by this?

This is pretty fair, buy your own router if you want to manage it. Theyre not expensive.

It gets worse, Im on a wifi network where not only did I have to pay for my hardware, but the ISP manages it.

 

[AfriNatic]

I have a router, that I have complete control of for LAN WIFi control, the WAN side is locked down so I cannot screw up the WAN settings, but the ISP still has access to the LAN/ Wifi settings if I was daft enough to screw the SSID up etc.

At Afrihost the router we supply is yours to keep. It's a gift to whoever signs up for fibre with us. If you ever cancel the router is yours. We have pushed updates to enable us to do some very basic configs to the router because the router we supply is unlocked in all aspects even the wan settings. It's just better that way and gives us some functions we can assist clients with over the phone if they run into issues.