(DSL connection) Swapping Sky Router with DSL-AX82U and maintaining the landline

[efamily50]

Hello, I am looking for help in swapping the default Sky Router with a DSL-AX82U and maintaining landline functionality along the copper line.

My question is, is it possible to swap the default Sky router with a DSL-AX82U while maintaining the internet, and importantly the landline functionality by plugging the DSL cable into the DSL port in the new router (exactly as how it works with the default Sky router).

The line enters the house through a Master Socket 5C and as it stands it is a simple matter of connecting the two lines from the MS5C to their respective ports and everything works. I have checked that the DSL-AX82U contains a DSL socket which it does, but whether it will be as simple as plugging it in and configuring it to work without a need for the Sky router I do not (and would wish to) know.

Thanks.

[TimmyBGood]

@efamily50 

The 'Sky Talk Internet Calls' service only functions through a Sky Hub.

If you don't have that already (with your phone or DECT base station plugged into the Hub) it will be switched over before the end of January 2027.

[efamily50]

Thanks for the response.

There are elderly members of the house who do not want fibre or VOIP landline services, and wish to remain on copper (telecare).

In this hypothetical situation, that we remained on the copper line, would it be possible to use the landline services through the DSL-AX82U without "daisy chaining" the routers together. In other words, is it a fixed attribute of the landline that it requires the Sky router, or is it a fixed attribute of VOIP landline only.

Thanks.

[TimmyBGood]

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@efamily50 wrote:

There are elderly members of the house who do not want fibre or VOIP landline services, and wish to remain on copper (telecare).

In the absence of a universal fibre roll-out copper circuits will remain in use at some properties for a considerable time, but PSTN (analogue voice) switch-off is still scheduled for the end of January 2027: 'VOIP landline services' are inevitable at that point.

In this hypothetical situation, that we remained on the copper line, would it be possible to use the landline services through the DSL-AX82U without "daisy chaining" the routers together.

No

In other words, is it a fixed attribute of the landline that it requires the Sky router, or is it a fixed attribute of VOIP landline only.

The Sky Talk Internet Calls service which replaces PSTN requires a Sky Hub, whether the broadband is ADSL, G.fast, FTTC or FTTP.

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[efamily50]

Thanks for clarifying.

So even on fibre, it's not possible to use a third-party router and still maintain landline services?

Thanks.

[Me134]

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@efamily50 wrote:

Thanks for clarifying.

So even on fibre, it's not possible to use a third-party router and still maintain landline services?

Thanks.

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Both replies fully clarified that did they not?

Is there a reason you're looking at using the Asus router rather than the Sky Max? Better WiFi coverage presumably? Is it possible to use that connected to a Sky Lan port and disable the Sky WiFi? The phone will still plug into the Max router.

[TimmyBGood]

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@efamily50 wrote:

So even on fibre, it's not possible to use a third-party router and still maintain landline services?

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The configuration for Sky Talk Internet Calls appears to be baked into the Sky Broadband Hub, Max Hub and Gigafast+ Hub models and is otherwise unavailable.

The vast majority of non-ISP routers don't contain an Analogue Telephone Adapter anyway (and that includes the DSL-AX82U) so there's nowhere to plug in an analogue telephone handset.

[efamily50]

It's just I was under the impression that the issue was only with DSL routers. Which I had long suspected, hence the OP. I thought having a VOIP landline would be possible with a third party router on fibre, but apparently not.

With regard to why, I've been having issues playing games that are very sensistive to jitter and bufferbloat. I am using a high-quality shielded ethernet cable, not WiFi. As fibre is out of the question for reasons I've already outlined, I figured that a router with QoS would be my only option. The DSL-AX82U is a fantasic router with many options for optimizing the connection and packet prioritization not available on the standard router. The issue, of course, is that a landline is also needed as a compromise with other family members. Hence my predicament.

By the way I've already tried fibre and it didn't fix the ping spikes, which I suspect could be something to do with the lines or box outside my house but is not bad enough that it is causing drop outs, hence Sky and the engineer tell me everything looks fine on their end. In one test I had ping spikes up to 1000ms. Nobody on my street is apparently gaming so I'm the only one who notices the issue, as the internet doesn't drop.

[efamily50]

Thanks. I can at least rule out buying a DSL router as an option. It was never a good way to spend money anyway with fibre just around the corner.

Do the higher tier Sky routers come with tools such as QoS? I don't use WiFi so I don't need signal strength or boosters, what I'm looking for is better performance (specs of the router) and QoS, packet prioritization tools.

Thanks.

[Chrisee]

@efamily50 therexare only three Sky hubs being issued currently none of which offer QOS as such. However if you pay for the WiFi Max bundle the white Sky Max hub (which has an on board VDSL modem) can prioritise one.device see https://www.sky.com/help/articles/sky-wifi-max-prioritise-a-device

If you want better performance beyond that buy a suitable third oarty router BUT you will lose the landline facility if uou connect it directly to thecincoming service in place of the Sky hub. While there is no modem mode on any Sky hub in many cases you can use a third party router behind a Sky hub in a Double NAT setup which causes few issues for most users.

[cuke]

Cannot the solution be is to retain the sky hub, turn off it's WiFi and dhcp server, then use the Asus hard wired to the sky hub as an access point. Thereby retaining the phone?

[Chrisee]

@cuke yes thst will work but I would leavecthe Sky hub as the DHCP server as most devices in Access Point mode.do not offer DHCP services. My own set up is essentially the same. 

[efamily50]

Thank you for the help and replies, it seems that a Double NAT setup is the only option left. Is this likely to add latency?

[Chrisee]

@efamily50 yes there will be a slight increase in latency by adding a second router but it should not be significant. 

[simon194]

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@efamily50 wrote:

There are elderly members of the house who do not want fibre or VOIP landline services, and wish to remain on copper (telecare).

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As no one has mentioned telecare, you should contact the telecare provider and they will replace the existing unit with a VoIP compatible unit or, as they did with my mum's telecare unit, one that uses the mobile network.