Slingshot modem swapped out with a Spark Modem

Tiberius:

My ISP (Slingshot) had provided a Modem. I presumed that the Modem was linked to this ISP and that I would need to keep using the same Modem. I have a Chorus fibre ONT. I had a problem with the Slingshot Modem and couldn't access the Internet. However, I had a spare Spark Modem and did a factory reset on this. After the reset, I was still able to have access to the Internet via my original ISP (Slingshot).

How is this ? Are the ISPs details stored in the ONT ? I have several other Modems (ex Trademe) that were originally with various other ISP's. If I try resetting these, am I likely to end up with the same result.

Not trying to patronise - I dont know what you know...

The ISP provides internet via the Chorus fibre network, effectively the laser light pulses that come down the fibre into the ONT. (Optical Network Terminal).

The ONT converts the light pulses to electrical and makes those pulses (ON/OFFs/Bits) available on an ethernet port.

You plug your ethernet cable into the ONT and into your router and your router talks to your ISP.

The ISP's connection may/or may not require different types of authentication at your router to validate that you can connect to their service.

The protocol PPPoE often gets mentioned - That requires a 'username' and 'password' - though often the ISP doesn't actually check the credentials - though some do.

So Spark (for example) says the set PPPoE on the router with a username of user@spark.co.nz and password of password.

Some ISP's actually give you unique details that the router must supply, to confirm you can connect.

Spark (and others) also use something called VLAN and to access the default Spark service you must have VLAN 10 set to 10.

Once connected, the router *should* then find the DNS servers from your ISP automatically and will know your IP address because of the connection you are on.

Then you are up and running.

So you should be able to get pretty much any router working with your ONT - provided you get the right settings. If the ISP has somehow locked the router, you may not be able to change the connection type etc and you may not be able to connect. I dont know who/if ISPs lock routers in NZ.

The router *should* then find the DNS servers from your ISP and will know your IP address because of the connection you are on.

In your (lucky) case, you seem to have the same default set of authentication/connection credentials as Spark on your Slingshot connection.

Depending on the default settings in the other routers and what ISP they were for, they *may* just work after a reset, or you might have to log into the router and change some settings.

Tiberius

RunningMan

RunningMan

Spyware

robjg63