Advice on choosing enterprise router vs. managed switch with DHCP

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Viskerel

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#289376 2-Sep-2021 12:03

I have a business that uses Vodafone UFB for internet connection. We also have two phone lines over fibre, so we were provided with the Vodafone Ultra Hub router (not the Plus, as the plus has less phone ports...).

We currently have an annoying setup where the fibre is terminated in a cabinet in the kitchen, at the front of the business. The router sits in the cabinet and we have a single Cat 5E cable that connects to our rack-mounted switch in the server room. We tried to get them to bring fibre straight into the back room, but it wasn't possible.

Anyway, I'm looking to have just a bit more piece of mind, as I don't particularly like the Ultra Hub and we want to host services on-premises with some reliability. We have a lot of static routes, so it would be good to have all of those settings on something we own, in case we have another problem with Vodafone (quite frequent at the moment). Currently, we have one network with the Ultra Hub as a DHCP server, but I'm thinking of two options:

Pass through the connection from the Ultra Hub to an (enterprise) router, maybe something Cisco or Ubiquiti.
Keep the Ultra Hub as the router, but disable DHCP and use a different DHCP server (managed switch?).

For both cases, Vodafone have told me the phone lines will have to go through the Ultra Hub. I'd rather have our own device that we can rely on, and whose settings can stay even when switching ISPs.

Does anyone have any experience with something like this and/or recommendations on what route to go with? Thanks

cyril7

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#2770538 2-Sep-2021 12:21

Hi, I would abandon the Ulra hub, at least for routing/firewall features, its a bit of a locked up lemon in my view. But to retain your phone services as they are you will need to keep the Ultra hub for that purpose. Also be aware that for the ATA of the ultra hub to work you will need to provide it with a network that is presented tagged on vlan10 to the WAN port, the ATA is bound to that and its not readily worked around. You could also consider porting your numbers to 2Talk or Hero and then you can use a wider range of phone ATA's or VOIP phones.

Not sure of what routers vendors you are farmiliar with, you mention Cisco and Ubiquity, I personally would not go with either, especially the later, but thats me. I would go with a Mikrotik, again thats me.

Cyril

Viskerel

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#2770556 2-Sep-2021 13:10

Thanks Cyril, I've had a look at Microtik routers and they seem to offer some great features, I think we'll go with one.

Switching to a different phone provider is probably a good idea, but not really on the table right now. Any idea how I'd pass through a connection from the Ultra Hub to a Microtik? Would I use a bridging mode?

Cheers

cyril7

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#2770563 2-Sep-2021 13:23

Hi, no you wont bridge it, its far simpler than that. On you WAN interface (typically port1) you will create a vlan sub interface, lets give is a name "Internet" and it will be on vlan10, this interface will be registered as a WAN in the Interface lists (to cause it to work correctly with the firewall rules) it will have a DHCP client on it and that will be set to add its gateway as a default route and DNS peer. This interface connects to the ONT.

On my typical Mikrotiks (ie HEX or RB4011) the remainder ports will be on a bridge that you will put your internal lan network on, remove a port from the bridge, put a vlan sub interface on it, lets call it "VOIP", and again make it vlan10, this vlan is not in anyway L2 bridged to the WAN one, with routers vlan sub interface tag references are just numbers of the tag applied to that interface.

So now this sub interface "VOIP" give it an address and put a DHCP server on it and a suitable pool, put it in the LAN Interface list to make it work correctly with the firewall rules. The WAN of the Ultra hub plugs into this.

Obviuosly you will also need to sort what and how you want your local LAN on the bridge to be set.

Cyril

Viskerel

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#2770571 2-Sep-2021 13:34

Okay, think I understand most of what you said. So the Microtik connects directly to the ONT for internet and we basically pass through a connection for the Ultra Hub phone (might not be the right term).

Will this work with a static public IP? We use IPoE with dynamic IP setting, but Vodafone actually has it static on their end.