Create PPPoE connection through OpenReach modem or FTTP ONT

Modified on Wed, 11 Dec 2019 at 07:02 PM

In this solution we explain how to connect a network cable to a fibre broadband modem (or FTTP ONT device), and make a connection to the ISP. The following screenshots are taken from a Windows 10 PC.

Requirements

OpenReach modem or FTTP ONT (or a VDSL router with "PPPoE pass-through" enabled, and PPPoE WAN connection disabled)
Ethernet cable (Cat.5)
PC (with WiFi turned off)
Broadband username/password from ISP

Sections

Section 1: Disconnect existing router & WiFi
Section 2: Create the PPPoE connection
Section 3: Connect using a PPPoE connection
Section 4: View the PPPoE connection status
Section 5: Using BT test credentials

Section 1: Disconnect existing router & WiFi

Sections

Power off (then back on) your BT OpenReach modem so as to ensure best possible sync speed.

Unplug your existing router from the BT OpenReach modem, and connect your PC directly to it instead

(Ensure that the LED indicators light up on both the modem AND your PC; if in doubt, try a replacement cable)

Turn off your WiFi: Click the WiFi icon in your system tray, then click "Wi-Fi" to turn it off

Section 2: Create the PPPoE connection

Sections

Click Start (Windows logo) > Settings

Click Network & Internet

Click Dial-up

Click Set up a new connection

Click Connect to the Internet, then click Next

When asked to use an existing connection select No, then click Next

Click Broadband (PPPoE)

Enter the broadband username & password, then click Connect

Wait whilst the connection is established...

Whilst waiting with the message "Registering your computer...", click Skip

Click Close

Section 3: Connect using a PPPoE connection

Sections

As in section 2, Click Start (Windows logo) > Settings > Network & Internet > Dial-up, then click Connect

You will again be prompted to enter the broadband username & password (due to the way Windows 10 authenticates)

(The "Email address" is the broadband username)

Wait whilst your username & password are authenticated...

...and (hopefully!) connected.

Section 4: View the PPPoE connection status

Sections

Press the keys "Windows logo" + "R", and type control ncpa.cpl, then click OK

Right-click on Broadband Connection and choose Status

Click the Details button

Make a note of the assigned IPv4 Address

You can also check the status of the connection by clicking the network icon in the system tray: (in the following example we see the "Network" Ethernet cable "Connected" and we see the dialup connection "Connected")

You do not generally need to perform this step, but if asked to do so then here are the instructions:

Section 5: Using BT test credentials

Sections

Repeat section 3 and section 4, but when prompted to enter the broadband username & password enter:
Email address: bt_test_user@startup_domain
Password: test

Make a note of the IPv4 Address (as in section 4)

Press the keys "Windows logo" + "R", and type http://www.bbc.co.uk, then click OK

If the test has succeeded, you should see the notice shown below:

Expert testing

Experts may want to change the MTU of the PPPoE connection, perhaps to test if lower MTU values yield better performance. From a command prompt type the following:

netsh interface ipv4 show interfaces

...which will list the IDs of the networks including PPPoE connections. TO change the MTU use this command:

netsh interface ipv4 set subinterface "25" mtu=1492 store=persistent

...where "25" is the ID of the PPPoE connection.

Be sure to change the MTU back to 1500 after testing.

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