Is it possible to run a second fibre ISP over existing fibre?

[Pada]

Hi,

I currently sit with a VOX business fibre that is running over Frogfoot network, and I would like to know if it would be possible to put a switch between the Frogfoot Mikrotik & VOX Mikrotik and then simply dial say an Afrihost fibre account while my VOX one is still running?

I have just spoken to someone from Afrihost, and she told me that I can only have 1x fibre account active at any given time - so I merely want to get another opinion or whether this is a fact...

The reason I want to run another account over the same fibre is also to see if my Internet issues are just due to issues on VOX network or due to Frogfoot infrastructure issues, since VOX is not capable of figuring out & solving the issue.

Thanks in advance!

 

[cavedog]

Unfortunately not. If it was Openserve fibre you could just dial any adsl account but not with other fibre providers.

 

[pinball wizard]

Hi,

I currently sit with a VOX business fibre that is running over Frogfoot network, and I would like to know if it would be possible to put a switch between the Frogfoot Mikrotik & VOX Mikrotik and then simply dial say an Afrihost fibre account while my VOX one is still running?

I have just spoken to someone from Afrihost, and she told me that I can only have 1x fibre account active at any given time - so I merely want to get another opinion or whether this is a fact...

The reason I want to run another account over the same fibre is also to see if my Internet issues are just due to issues on VOX network or due to Frogfoot infrastructure issues, since VOX is not capable of figuring out & solving the issue.

Thanks in advance!

That is correct.

Only on Openserve can you switch between accounts like in the adsl world. Everyone else requires cancellation of the service and the handing over of the line to the new ISP.

 

[ArmatageShanks]

Unfortunately not. If it was Openserve fibre you could just dial any adsl account but not with other fibre providers.

Is this on purpose or coincidental?

 

[cavedog]

Is this on purpose or coincidental?

PB Cool explained once it's because you get placed in the respective ISP's vlan on the cable provider where with Openserve traffic gets handed over from IPC at Teraco so dialing multiple pppoe sessions from the same line for different ISP's is possible.

 

[Venomous]

The only way around your request is to have a full second installation done and then to have a second CPE/ONT in your home. If there is an available fibre point/cable in your street. That will cost you a full installation fee though and some cable providers do not like doing that either.

And you'll have to swap the connection on your wifi/cable manully.

So yes, you can have a choice, if the cable provider is ok with it, but it comes with extra cost and extra long term effort for you.

 

[websquadza]

Is this on purpose or coincidental?

It's down to network design. (in a nutshell, and overly simplified) Openserve's network operates a massive Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF) system that establishes paths (route from client to ISP) based on the realm (username@ispname.co.za) in the PPPoE connection. An impressive and massively complicated system.

All other providers use VLANs to achieve this. This means that a virtual circuit is mapped between the ISP's handover and your CPE manually and this needs to be changed for access to another ISP.

Business fibre also carries QOS and SLAs in most cases, so allowing two ISPs on the same circuit would make it impossible to know who's responsible and where and moreover for a finger pointing game.

 

[ArmatageShanks]

It's down to network design. (in a nutshell, and overly simplified) Openserve's network operates a massive Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF) system that establishes paths (route from client to ISP) based on the realm (username@ispname.co.za) in the PPPoE connection. An impressive and massively complicated system.

All other providers use VLANs to achieve this. This means that a virtual circuit is mapped between the ISP's handover and your CPE manually and this needs to be changed for access to another ISP.

Business fibre also carries QOS and SLAs in most cases, so allowing two ISPs on the same circuit would make it impossible to know who's responsible and where and moreover for a finger pointing game.

Ah I see, that's a good explanation, thanks.

 

[Pada]

Wow, thanks a lot for the explanation people!

Then OpenServe fibre connection looks like a fantastic option, since I intend on running 2x separate fibre ISP connections for redundancy for video streaming purposes.

So I'll see if I can sign up for OpenServe fibre in the area and then get the VOX business fibre migrated to another ISP that also supports Frogfoot, like Afrihost.