Optical Network Terminal - advice required.

Forums › New Zealand Mobile and Wireless › Optical Network Terminal - advice required.

geekIT

1948 posts

Uber Geek

#306907 2-Sep-2023 19:55

I'm finally getting around to having fiber installed, but there's a small hitch - the offered ONT model doesn't seem to be appropriate for my somewhat unconventional requirements.

If I understood the fairly quiet Indian accent of the Chorus installer boss correctly, it seems that the ONT type that they usually install has only ONE activated LAN terminal, whereas my slightly unusual setup will need TWO active terminals.

I refer to the model depicted on the following link, under the heading "Check Your Connections".

https://www.chorus.co.nz/q/model-type-200

The number 2 section shows four terminals marked GE1, GE3, GE3, GE4 (Dunno if the first GE3 should be GE2?)

According to the guy, only GE1 is activated, but he seemed sure that I'd be able to obtain another model with two working terminals.

Anyone able to comment on this?

Sit tibi in infernis arderet Putin, Trump and all MAGA Republicans

1 | 2

9253 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3123067 2-Sep-2023 20:07

What are you actually trying to accomplish?

Norton

Get easy to use, easy to install Norton antivirus protection against advanced online threats (affiliate link).

Jase2985

12353 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#3123115 2-Sep-2023 20:22

so you want two connections at your place? then you would need to pay for 2 connections

Goosey

2347 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#3123116 2-Sep-2023 20:30

Here’s probably the start of the “context”

https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=39&topicid=298862

just remember, the fibre ONT ain’t like a DSL router modem….

your current (or new) router will need to plug into the ONT. (WAN Port on the router will connect to the LAN port on the ONT).

your router handles everything else including running your LAN

i think in some situations you can have multiple ISPs / ISP accounts using the LAN port on the fibre ONT.

but what would you need that for in a simple house as that’s twice the connection/ monthly fees.

huckster

708 posts

Ultimate Geek

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#3123118 2-Sep-2023 20:41

Please explain your "somewhat unconventional requirements".

You might find you are barking up the wrong tree and if we knew what they were, we would be able to help.

RunningMan

7975 posts

Uber Geek

#3123150 2-Sep-2023 22:08

You can activate all 4 ports if you like, all with different RSPs.

Linux

10317 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3123151 2-Sep-2023 22:17

@geekIT Sounds like you are thinking the LAN / network ports on the ONT you are treating as network ports on a router / switch

Why would you need more than 1 port active on the ONT unless you want more than 1 ISP connected at your house

geekIT

1948 posts

Uber Geek

#3123170 3-Sep-2023 00:54

LOL, I was hoping I wouldn't have to explain my setup because it's kinda hard to describe and probably harder for someone else to understand my description.

Here goes:

My ISP has been Spark\Telecom for around 50 years. The single-level, minimum base-height house (near Invercargill) I recently bought has a slightly odd phone setup. The copper wire comes up the driveway in an underground (20mm?) black polythene pipe. The wire enters the house about 600mm off the ground into a regular phone junction box in the lounge.

Here's where it starts to get wacky. Some previous owner must've decided they didn't want the phone in the lounge, so the copper line loops back outside and runs, stapled to the weatherboards for some 20m on three external walls, finally entering a room on the opposite side of the house to the lounge.

(Note there's virtually no crawl space under the house).

When we first moved here I was still doing computer work, so I made that room the office. The main phone is there, with wireless satellite phones in several other rooms. The original junction box in the lounge is active but supports no phone.

The office also has a fairly elaborate computer setup with several pcs and their sound systems, printers, modem, gigabit hubs, spare parts storage etc etc.

About four years ago I bought a Vero media player and attached it to the TV by HDMI cable. At first I supplied the Vero with video files copied from the computer to a USB stick or USB hard drive, but it became clear that the system would be more efficient if I ran a network cable from the main office PC to the TV\Vero area.

So I installed a gigabit 5xport switch\hub beside the TV and ran an RJ45 cable inside and up the office wall to the attic, across the house and down to the TV area to the switch.

This arrangement is very flexible and works well. The Vero plays files that are housed on the main office computer, but the system can also be accessed and manipulated from laptops in the lounge or other rooms by cable or wireless.

So, what's my problem with fibre? Well, it's probably not as acute as I'd first thought, provided I either buy another gigabit 5x terminal switch or change it to a switch with more than 5 terminals because all 5 are in use. Thing is, or rather, the way I see it now, the fibre line goes to the ONT, but there's only one ONT outlet port to supply my LAN.

From what the Chorus guy said, I'd thought the ONT had more than one LAN terminal, like a modem\router, but it seems both he and I were mistaken.

I also thought Chorus would disconnect the copper line, thus requiring me to mount my main phone in the lounge, where it would be connected to the exchange by fibre, but from what the guy said, they'd leave the copper line in the polythene pipe alongside the fibre cable.

Hope all this makes sense.

Perhaps all I really need is confirmation that the ONT definitely has only one LAN connection?

Sit tibi in infernis arderet Putin, Trump and all MAGA Republicans

Aaron2222

151 posts

Master Geek

#3123172 3-Sep-2023 02:47

The ONT doesn't have any LAN ports. It doesn't act as a router at all. While it does have 4 Ethernet ports, only one port will be active, and this is what you plug your router into. So you'd plug your router's WAN port into the first port on the ONT, and then plug all the computers and switches into the LAN ports on the router.

RunningMan

7975 posts

Uber Geek

#3123178 3-Sep-2023 07:12

As @Aaron2222 says you've misunderstood what the ONT does. All it's doing is converting a fibre cable to an ethernet cable.

Presumably you have a single internet connection via ADSL or VDSL currently with a single modem/router that plugs into a phone jack. Depending on the model you have, you would just unplug it from the phone jack, plug it into the ONT instead and leave the rest of your network connected.

If your current modem/router is no good for fibre, then it would be replaced with a similar unit that is. The ONT is like a phone kack in your current setup - it's just a place to connect your router to.

EDIT: There is a product called Residential Gateway Mode where the ONT also does your routing, however it is uncommon, and the end-of-life announcement for it came out some time ago. This will be what the Chorus tech will have been thinking about, but don't go there, it's not a long term solution for you.

You just need to get an ethernet cable between the ONT and the location you want your router, so have some thought about where you want the internal ONT placement when signing off the proposed build.

huckster

708 posts

Ultimate Geek

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#3123210 3-Sep-2023 10:28

The fibre line goes to the ONT.

If you stick with Spark and want a landline, it will go over fibre.

The ONT has many ports but only two will be relevant to you.

An Ethernet connection that will go to your router.
An RJ11 telephone port for the phone line

Chorus can possibly hook your existing internal copper to the ONT so that your existing phone jack points can be used if the ONT ends up next to any of your copper lines. The copper line to the outside world will go.

Your router can be put anywhere you like as long as you have an ethernet cable from the ONT location to the router.

So fibre -> ONT.

ONT Ethernet -> Router.

Router -> All your funky devices that need internet

ONT RJ11 to Phone or possible hooked into internal copper lines.

Lias

5250 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3123233 3-Sep-2023 11:34

@GeekIt sounds like your more familiar with older technology..

If you're familiar with old school media converters from the dark ages of networking, it may help you to think of the ONT as multiple fibre to copper media converters jammed into a single box, to allow multiple fibre internet connections into a building. Each RJ45 port on it goes to a different internet connection (So if you only have 1 connection, only 1 port works).

Hope that helps.

I'm a geek, a gamer, a dad and an IT Professional. I have a full rack home lab, size 15 feet, an epic beard and Asperger's. I'm a bit of a Cypherpunk, who believes information wants to be free and the Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it.

geekIT

1948 posts

Uber Geek

#3123366 3-Sep-2023 16:28

Thanks for the tips,guys - I'm beginning to get the idea. One other thing: My Spark modem is a model HG659b - about 4-5 years old? Will it need to be replaced?

Sit tibi in infernis arderet Putin, Trump and all MAGA Republicans

xkicken

66 posts

Master Geek

ID Verified

#3123369 3-Sep-2023 16:36

geekIT:

Thanks for the tips,guys - I'm beginning to get the idea. One other thing: My Spark modem is a model HG659b - about 4-5 years old? Will it need to be replaced?

that router still works with fibre but its highly recommended to replace it with an aftermarket router

Linux

10317 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3123370 3-Sep-2023 16:36

geekIT:

Thanks for the tips,guys - I'm beginning to get the idea. One other thing: My Spark modem is a model HG659b - about 4-5 years old? Will it need to be replaced?

Nope I but I would get a more modern router

RunningMan

7975 posts

Uber Geek

#3123379 3-Sep-2023 17:38

geekIT:[snip] My Spark modem is a model HG659b - about 4-5 years old? Will it need to be replaced?

I'd suggest if it's working well for you now (i.e. having no current issues) then it will be fine for you on fibre too. It's capable enough on a fibre connection, and most of the issues people have with them relate to too many LAN devices in use. If you were going to have this problem with your current network you would have already experianced it on xDSL.

Not trying to put you off getting something newer, but if you have it, and it meets your current needs, then it should still be fine.

1 | 2