BT Broadband - can I use my own ADSL Firewall/Router?

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Hey folks

Anyone have experience using BT Broadband?

I'm setting up some standalone lines for our remote premises, BT have been contracted to install the lines and provision the service to them (ADSL, up to 8Mb)

My question is pretty simple, but no-one at BT is able to give me a straight answer to it, so hopefully someone here will know: Can I use my own Firewall/Router or do I have to use the Voyager ones they provide?

I have a job lot of NetScreen 5GTs that I will be installing - they're the ADSL version so I can do away completely with the BT Router, provided BT make it possible to do so. Passing PPPoA through the Netscreen isn't a problem, so I guess its just a question of whether BT will allow you to set up using something that isn't 'supported' by them?

If anyone knows one way or the other I'd be grateful - otherwise I'm going to run into the problem of sticking the Netscreen 'behind' the BT Router - which will probably work but be unneccessarily complicated for the field guys to support.

Cheers!

 

You should be able to. I was using a BT phone line, using Tiscali for the ISP. My stepdads PC was using the modem provided by Tiscali, but I was using my PC and laptop with a Netgear modem/router.

 

BT are a mare.
We have BT Internet at work - they supplied us with 2 routers, both of which were domestic (despite being on a business package) and unsuitable for a AD domain.

When we pointed this out, they acted like we were stupid and sent another - exactly the same. So we did our own thing.

On a domestic front, I think you can do whatever you like, but beware of the 'installation disk'. It's a bit like the Borg - it tries to take over your life. Better off configuring manually.

 

I'm on Bt Business Broadband and have been for about a year now. Since day one I have used my own netgear DG834G modem/firewall without any issues at all. When I first signed up they sent me a voyager modem/router, but that is stored in the attic.
HTH
NB

 

You can use what you like. All you need is to get the username / password from BT to connect.

 

Cheers folks

Believe me, if I could have chosen another provider I would have but, as usual, I have no input into comms provisioning!

Thanks for the advice - looks like I'll be keeping a big pile of Voyager modems in the stockroom gathering dust!

 

You do need to hang on to at least one of those modems.

If you have a prob sometimes the 'helpdesk' will refuse to troubleshoot unless their modem is being used.

Harry.