VLAN tagging on Spark not required for previous Bigpipe customers?

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spmiller

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#236364 30-May-2018 00:51

Hi all,

I was previously with BigPipe using the BigPipe modem (HG659) and when I moved to Spark I didn't bother changing the router because everything was working fine. This morning the modem went kaput (i.e. it won't power on any more), and I swapped in the Spark modem (HG659b) I got when I signed up. I had expected it would work seamlessly, but you can guess what actually happened -- no Internet -- and the helpdesk's diagnosis was "new modem required".

When I got home I decided to try connecting my laptop directly to the ONT to see if it would work. I found the PPPoE connection wouldn't establish if vlan tagging was on, but worked fine with it off. I unchecked the box in the Spark modem, and now the tubes are flowing again.

Is this expected behaviour? I had thought vlan tagging was required for Spark connections. I would love to go back and check if vlan tagging was enabled on the Bigpipe modem, but unfortunately that's not possible.

(As an aside -- the Connection Promise was fantastic. I borrowed a mobile broadband dongle from a family member and the helpdesk loaded on 20GB really quickly. Without it I couldn't have downloaded Wireshark and solved this. It's a good reason to be with Spark!)

cbrpilot

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#2025397 30-May-2018 09:57

Good morning spmillar, this is certainly not my expectation of a BigPipe to Spark move.

Once the connection is migrated to Spark the Fibre network (e.g. Chorus or other LFC) should require VLAN tagging is enabled on your router. From a service provider perspective it makes precious little difference to us if the connection is tagged or untagged between your router and the ONT - the traffic arrives to our network looking pretty much exactly the same. If Chorus/LFC hasn't enabled tagging for your connection with Spark it will still work (so long as you've changed your router settings as you have done already).

Dave.

My views are my own, and may not necessarily represent those of my employer.

hio77

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#2025404 30-May-2018 10:12

if vlan tagging isn't on for your profiles on chorus's end, this would explain what your experiencing.

Being you appear to be pretty capable it may be moot, we do as a process only allow with tagging on.

tagging off makes for quite a support overhead as you end up with configurations that appear to be set wrong.

as Dave has noted, if this works for you no problem.

Happy to ask the tagging to be put back on though :)

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spmiller

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#2026037 31-May-2018 00:24

Thanks cbrpilot and hio77 -- Enable is my LFC so I guess they made a mistake during provisioning. I do recall they took a few weeks to do the switchover, so perhaps there was a manual process prone to failure going on there.

Since it doesn't matter to you guys if the connection's tagged or not I'll leave it as it is, and make a mental note that my connection is 'different'.

Thanks for your help!

Aredwood

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#2026042 31-May-2018 01:58

Was the connection actually re provisioned during the change to Spark? Or was the change only between the Bigpipe and Spark billing systems?

My understanding is that RSPs have to pay a fee when a connection is churned. So it would make sense for Spark to not churn any changes between themselves and Bigpipe, to save on those fees. And keep the changes solely within the billing system. And it makes the changes seamless as well. Since the customer doesn't have to reconfigure anything.

Helpdesk need some more training to recognise such connections and tailor their advice.

hio77

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#2026075 31-May-2018 08:45

Aredwood: Was the connection actually re provisioned during the change to Spark? Or was the change only between the Bigpipe and Spark billing systems?

this will have been a full migrate, as it moved networks from BP/Skinny to Spark.

based on what the OP has said, i suspect there has been some manual work.

Although i haven't seen it happen on the enable side, It is possible a human simply has made a clerical error in data entry.

#include <std_disclaimer>

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.