Netgear Modem/Router with Now TV Broadband

[Anonymous User]

Is it possible to replace the standard NowTV Broadband Modem/Router with another? I have recently switched from BT Broadband, which allowed me to easily swap out the BT Home Hub with a Netgear Nighthawk Modem/Router... allowing me to get much better wifi coverage around my house. However, it doesn't appear to be as easy with NowTV. In order to set my Nighthawk up to use Sky broadband - I'm required to enter a broadband username and password, but I'm told that NowTV do not provide such a thing, without which it just won't seem to connect up.

I'm told that it's possible to hook up the Nighhawk as just a router, working with the NowTV modem... but I'd very much like to avoid having multiple devices all rigged up.

Any advice greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[Andy]

@Anonymous User Welcome to the forum. While there are ways around it NOW TV originally didn't allow other routers to be connected to the service. They've since removed that clause from the terms but they don't provide the information required to allow you to use a third-party router, and as a result it's a grey area whether discussion on how to set up a third-party router is allowed on the forum. 

To be on the safe side I'll tag @Karl-F the Community Manager who can advise whether how to do this can be discussed on the NOW TV forum or not. If not, you'd need to search/enquire on other forums instead. 

[Anonymous User]

Im using below. Where the number is the mac address of the nowtv router they sent me. Im using a tp-link ac1200

User name 7050AFC53938@skydsl

Password 7050AFC53938

[Anonymous User]

How did you setup your NowTV modem and your AC1200? I have this exact same model but I'm struggling to understand how you have configure them (as there is no bridge mode in the NowTv hub)

Thanks in advance

[Anonymous User]

I just setup my router yesterday and it was so easy. No need for wireshark

These are the steps I took to setup my TP Link Archer C9 which has custom firmware DD-WRT on it and I use a BT Openreach V2FUb/r modem.

You don't need wireshark!! Sky/NowTV don't require MERS authentication, just that a value is there.

1. Plug in modem, plug in router, enter startup script below, save and restart both modem and router.
2. You have a working router!!

so you can just use:

abcdefghi@nowtv|qwertyuio as your Option 61 client identifier!!

in hex form: 616263646566676869406e6f7774767c71776572747975696f

Just enter this as your startup command:

killall udhcpc

udhcpc --background -i vlan2 -p /var/run/udhcpc.pid -s /tmp/udhcpc -x 0x3d:616263646566676869406e6f7774767c71776572747975696f

[Anonymous User]

That is perfect @Anonymous User I'm also using DD-WRT over my Archer C7 however my goal is to enable my VPN over the DD-WRT in order to secure my traffic.

If I'm keeping the modem as router my VPN is worth nothing right? The main access point to the internet will remain the Sky modem