Setting Sky Q Hub into Pass Through

[Zarniw00p]

Hi,

I want to put my home network behind a much more configurable Firewall but don't know how, or you even can, put the Sky Q hub into Pass Through mode (like you can with Virgin's cable router.

Is this possible onn the Sky Q hub?

Cheers

[Chrisee]

@Zarniw00p there is no equivelant to the Virgin hub's modem mode on Sky hub. However you can connect a second router in what is known as a Double Nat configuration which works for most set ups. Alternatively some routers can be connected directly to a Sky line but which you need depends on the type of service you buy from Sky and whether you are in the UK or Ireland.

[Zarniw00p]

Hi,

I thought so,  so I bought a Draytech Vigor 130 modem. I used Wireshark to obtain loginn credentials via the DORA processand will configure the new modem accoordingly.

Kinnd regards

[TimmyBGood]

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@Zarniw00p wrote:

 I used Wireshark to obtain loginn credentials via the DORA process

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While that's an enjoyable exercise in applied networking, there's actually no need to do so these days: articles found online describing this as being necessary are long out of date.

[Zarniw00p]

Hi,

dDo you mean you can get login credentials from Sky?

Regards 

[cookiemonsteruk]

@Zarniw00p 

Not from sky themselves but the credentials are

Dhcp option 61/client identifier is

Anything@skydsl|anything 

And the vlan id needs to be set to 101 if you are on an fttc superfast line

[cookiemonsteruk]

@Zarniw00p 

P.S. and the MTU is 1500

[Zarniw00p]

Hi,

Many thanks for your reply. I don’t trust the Sky Q hub, especially as they keep resetting the Admin password. I have a proper NGFW that will look after my LAN security.

Kind regards 

[Chrisee]

@Zarniw00p used various Sky hubs for over 7 years never had the admin password change or read credable reports of it happening to anyone else unless somebody had physical access to the unit and reset it.

On the earlier hubs the default password was very weak but so are the defaults on many routers its easy to change though. Given Sky limit use of their domestic internet connections to the account holder and their family the risk should not be great,

[Zarniw00p]

Hi,

Although I change the password every now and then it resets to the original very weak password.

[mae-3]

@Zarniw00p 

Nice to see somebody considering good network security in placing a Next-Generation Firewall on the parameter.

For doing this you just need the modem connected directly to the NGFW WAN port and for it to do DHCP Option 61 or/and DHCPv6 Prefix Delegation (PD).

And which NGFW are you using if it is OPNsense it will work with Sky authentication out the box.

[Zarniw00p]

Hi there,

I have a Watchguard Firebox T25 UTM NGFW firewall. I suspect I'll be ditching Sky broadband at contact end and replacing it with VM as their equipment can be put into Modem Mode 😎

[mae-3]

@Zarniw00p 

It is a nice firewall, unfortunately, I cannot find anything in the documentation about DHCP Option 61.

You could try it connected to a modem with DHCPv6 Prefix Delegation (PD) which 80% of Sky broadband exchanges support.

[Zarniw00p]

Hi there,

For the time being (until contact end) I'll leave the Sky Q attached but turn off all services. Then I'll switch to VM 😎

[mae-3]

@Zarniw00p 

I wouldn't touch VMO2 with a bargepole... 😎