Sky Business Digital Voice and Unifi

[DCFC+Nick]

Hi Folks, wondered if anybody could give me any tips and advice for our upcoming switch to Sky FTTP for our business.

We have decided to go with Sky after they did a great job switching our home to FTTP. Our business install is in a week or so. 

Only problem is that for the business' local network, we use Ubiquiti Unifi for everything. Gateway / Router, Switches, APs, Cameras etc. 

I've researched a lot on these forums to discover what I think I need to do to get the Unifi router working with the FTTC ONT / Modem. (DHCP, option 61 etc.) 

Where I'm coming unstuck is with information on the voice package. Now I know domestic customers need to plug into the sky hub to use voice. However what about business customers, who would usually have their own network infrastructure. Surely this isn't the same for them? 

With BT, home customers need to plug into the BT home hub, but BT business users can use the BT Business VOIP through any router, no need for the BT hub. I'm really hoping Sky have made the same considerations, as I do not want to double nat on the business network for obvious reasons, but I cannot find any answers anywhere.  

Any info appreciated. 

[GD1]

@DCFC+Nick  As we are domestic customers here we have no experience with Sky Business Broadband or their phone setups.

You're going to need to ask Sky Busines about your requirements https://www.sky.com/business/help/home/soho-cust-oh

[TimmyBGood]

@DCFC+Nick 

Sky Business Broadband is a barely rebadged domestic service: I'd be very surprised is their phone offering extends beyond the four BT jack ports on the Sky Business Hub.

[DCFC+Nick · Accepted solution]

Just to confirm, so this information is out there.

First of all, Sky Business FTTP does not work with the DHCP option 61 settings on third party routers, such as Ubiquiti Unifi, like it does with the consumer fibre. At least our package certainly does not. 

All information out there (which is for consumer fibre to be fair) suggests it should be:

DHCP Option 61: anything@skydsl|anystringhere

Had a nightmare setting it up today, hours on the phone to support, who for some strange reason, are completely unable to provide any PPPoE or DHCP log in information for use with 3rd party routers. They did tell me it was possible, but that they were unable to tell me how, as they do not offer support for third party hardware, so they themselves cannot access that information. 

First of all, I understand this position, but it's a strange one. I'm not asking for support, just the details I need to connect to the package I pay for on their network. I've never experienced this before with any other ISP. Normally, if you want to use a 3rd party router, you simply call and ask for the details (if you can't already harvest them from the backend of the original ISP provided router.) 

Anyway, after several hours, and with no help, I just started trying different configuartions. Turns out I was thinking too hard. Simply entering the same log in string into the PPPoE setting, rather than DHCP, has us up and running.

So if anybody else finds this information in relation to Sky Business FTTP and Ubiquiti Unifi... Set it up as a PPPoE connection using:

Username: anything@skydsl
Password: anyrandomstring

That seems to be working for us. Whereas the commonly suggested method for consumer connections, of using Option 61 DHCP, did not. 

Finally, internet calling does not work without the Sky Business Hub, and there's no way to get it to work, other than to forward calls to a mobile. 

Sky have been great about this, and are allowing us to transfer our number back out to a different VOIP provider, who's system can run on any internet connection via ethernet. We'll still have sky internet calling, but we wont actually be using it, and it will be with a random number, rather than the one we've had for at least 12 years, which we will be using elsewhere. 

(Side note, sorry, I know this is a consumer / domestic forum. But there is nowhere for business customers to go. So business customers will naturally find themselves here, looking for answers, from time to time. The business tech support worker, who was trying to help me earlier, was even browsing these forums, looking for answers, whilst I was on the phone.) 

[GD1]

@DCFC+Nick  I've marked your detailed reply as Answer for greater visibility should a Sky Business broadband user have a similar query.

The settings should also work on other 3rd party routers.