Third party router credentials

[KrisieP]

Hi, 

Has anyone been able to obtain their login credentials to be able to use a third party router?

I have just spoken to someone and it's "something they do not support"!?

Thanks all

[RoyB]

@KrisieP 

They certainly don’t, and it’s a breach of the T&Cs as well 😛

Which you might think would mandate that Now supply a router with more ports and better WiFi range than they do; but alas, it doesn’t.

Search the Community for ‘third party router’. There are several postings that tell you how to get, and some that even describe, the credentials you need.

[Boris]

Actually, my T&Cs say simply that Now will not guarantee that thier services will work with third party equipment so it would seem those T&Cs have changed...

Hopefully, technocal support will npw also release the credentials needed! The various entries I have seen on the forum (requiring MPoE and option 61) are not entirely straighforward to follow and require a startup script... not the easiest way to proceed.

[RoyB]

@Boris 

My bad. Indeed so, at December 2021:-

3.8 If you wish to use a modem or any other equipment that we have not supplied to you in order to access the NOW Broadband and Calls services it is your responsibility to ensure it is compatible with the NOW Broadband Network and we cannot guarantee that NOW Broadband and Calls services will work with this equipment.

But I didn’t get the memo 😢

Logically, if Now are going to allow this now, though, they really ought to supply the credentials.

Even BT do….

[Boris]

Still no joy on getting the user credentials from technical support though.
Apparently, they do not have access to these details (so how are their
routers set up un the first place?)!

[chilli2]

@Boris  You dont need the user credentials from support

 You dont need to use anything like wireshark, you dont need to use any system that works out a hexadecimal value based on your now TV routers mac address and then use that to generate a password / username

you dont need any of that.

All you need is  a router/modem that is compatible with  Now TV/Sky

I posted this under the topic Switching form Plusnet to Now....

If you use your own router, this must support MER log ins , on TP link VR series routers this should be listed as Sky(MER)_VDSL 

 If you have any issues with your line, signal, wifi etc Now will NOT offer support for your own device ( and few other isps will offer support for non supplied equipment) Keep the now router to hand should you encounter any issues

 If you struggle with setting up routers - stuff like assigning IP addresses to devices , and so on, and you sometimes need help with setting up wifi then use the now TV router do not buy your own router unless you know ho to set it up, and if its compatible.

I know other manufacturers have devices that are compatible with MER log ins , and i can only speak for what i have ( TP link Archer VR2800) for info on TP link routers go to the tp link community forums for DSL modems and routers and you will see a topic headed "Modem routers that are set up to work with Sky and Now broadband"

the settings i use as posted in that forum are:

type: Sky (MER)_VDSL

Username: abcdefgh then the at symbol then nowtv

Password: 1234567890abcdef

As far as i know most of the TP link VR router modems should work, however you may need the latest firmware .

And as mentioned earlier , If you have any issues with speed , drop outs, wifi or anything now support will not help you unless you unplug the third party router and see if the issues are still present with the Now Hub ( router)

[Boris]

Hi Chilli2,
That is very helpful, thank you.
I have an Asus DSL AC88U. I fear that doesn't support MER (though it does
seem to support Sky vdsl so I will try with that). Might have to connect my
router via the supplied one, which is overkill and far from ideal....
Thank you again and best wishes, Boris.

[chilli2]

As far as i know there is a difference between the settings for Sky VDSL and SKY(MER)_VDSL I think both are listed on my to link router

[Boris]

So, this is what I did to get my ASUS DSL AC88U modem / router working with Now Broadband (finally).

First I tried using the quick connection wizard, selecting "Sky Fibre broadband" as my ISP, my (broadband) <mac addreess>@nowtv as my username (in the format xxxxxxxxxxxx@nowtv) and AABBCCDD as my password. Despite several attempt that did not work.

I then tried manually setting up the WAN (the dsl connection had already completed and was working, but without any internet as the VDSL was not connecting). However, no DHCP "Option 61" fields were apparent for a setup using "Automatic IP". I had been told, on the ASUS DSL AC68U (ie an older router / modem from ASUS), the newest firmware did expose DHCP option 61 (and option 60) fields when editing settings for Automatic IP so I update to the latest firmware for my modem / router (1.10.08 build 593 from August 2021) but still no sign of any Option 61 settings.

I tried setting the mac address to spoof the broadband mac address of my Now  Broadband hub 2, and to try "PPPoE" to allow me to enter the same username and password combination as above, even though I knew PPPoE was incorrect,  in the hope that these might somehow "stick" when reverting the WAN connection type to Automatic IP but no way.

I then tried the quick connection wizard a final time, with "Sky Fibre broadband" (as before) but the username <mac address>@skydsl (xxxxxxxxxxxx@skydsl) and the same "password" and, hey presto, my VDSL connected at full throttle.

I am pretty sure that the only thing needed is the user name with @akydsl but when I check, I see that my mac address remains spoofed to the Now TV hub 2 mac address (and the mac address in my user name) so this may be part of the solution too. As it is now working well, I do not want to investigate too much in the fear that I may break my working solution!

Please note: the router does not (explicitly at least) support Sky MER, and does not explicitly allow me to enter credentials in DHCP option 61 (when trying to set up manually) but has now connected and is running well. So, if you have an ASUS DSL AC88U, try the connection wizard with the username and password combination as given here - and good luck!

[Saltrams]

Thank you for your recent, encouraging post. I didn’t have the tech knowledge & have been putting-up with the cruddy router for nearly a year. However, I’m hoping to try again with my Asus RT-AC87U router with your instructions.

May I clarify the one essential point with you please?

“I then tried the quick connection wizard a final time, with ... the username <mac address>@skydsl (xxxxxxxxxxxx@skydsl) and the same "password" and, hey presto, my VDSL connected at full throttle.

I am pretty sure that the only thing needed is the user name with @skydsl but when I check, I see that my mac address remains spoofed to the Now TV hub 2 mac address (and the mac address in my user name) so this may be part of the solution too.”

Is it the NowTV router’s own MAC address that you used? i.e. the unique MAC address of the physical device, which might even be printed on a label on the device, or at least visible within my network map?

TIA 🙂