Fibre broadband

Hi everyone, apologies if this is in the wrong place on the forum but I'm looking for some help / guidance to get my existing router to work with my recently installed fibre broadband service. I'm with TalkTalk ISP and recently our area got upgraded to fibre to the street (existing copper to the house) and was supplied with a TT router which works OK but decided to use my super reliable Linksys x3500 instead as its got a much higher spec that the TT one but cannot get it to work. As far as I can tell from the spec of the Linksys, it can handle a fibre connection but when all TT settings are put in the WAN light (connected to ADSL) is not lit so can never connect to internet. My understanding of the original ADSL line and the increaded speed of the new connection (originally 3mbs vs now 38mbs) as far as the router is concerned would be the same ? Obviously there is a difference that the Linksys doesn't like as it used to work fine with the origanal setup.
Is my assumption incorrect and I will not be able to use the original router.
Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you.

x3500 is also an ADSL2+ modem, so if you have another brand modem you can instead use x3500 as a router only, or remove the other modem and use x3500 alone. However, ADSL2+ is limited to 24Mbps down/1.4 Mbps up at best of times, perhaps your ISP is using port bonding to attain higher speeds. What I don't know is if the modem has to support such a feature or if it works with all ADSL2+ modems. Anyway:

- if x3500 is both modem and router: plug the telephone line to the proper jack (RJ-11) on x3500 and enter the properties of the ADSL connection (PPP whatever, username, password, etc.) or just run the wizard - Linksys Official Support - Setting up your Linksys X-series Gateway as a modem-router using the Setup Wizard

- if x3500 is only used as a router: Plug one end of an ethernet cable to the modem, and the other end to the WAN port of x3500 (labeled as cable) - Linksys Official Support - Setting up your Linksys X-series Gateway as a router using the setup wizard

Thank you for your reply - I think there must be a fundamental difference between the signal that comes to the house after the fibre (FTTC) was installed since the Linksys WAN light which would normally be on (when the original setup was copper) when it gets a DSL signal, is not. Therefore trying to use it as a combined modem/ router I think must be a non-starter even though the spec says it can support a fibre connection but I have to assume that is where the fibre is taken directly to the house and not to the cabinet in the street ? I have kept the same connections as before i.e. telephone master socket to DSL port and it doesn't work.

If anyone has other suggestions other than use the Linksys as a router only, please let me know, thanks.

You have the new modem provided by the ISP connected, right? And then an ethernet cable from modem LAN port to Linksys WAN(cable) port?

First try to connect the modem directly to a PC, if it works then connect to Linksys as above (if it doesn't then try with a different cable). And configure Linksys as a router only (link in previous post).

Thank you for your reply. Let me take you back.... previously, I was using the Linksys as a combined modem / router connected by ethernet to a PC (and wireless to other devices) and this was before I upgraded to fibre - everything worked fine albeit at around 3mbs. I then upgraded to fibre as it became available in my area and assumed because it was not to the premises but to the street cabinet then copper to the house, I could keep my existing setup exactly as it was and enjoy the greater speed of around 38mbs - it didn't work and, as I previously mentioned, the WAN light never came on and hence no internet. I then installed the TT supplied fibre super router (as they call it) and everything worked fine. Both situations are connected identically i.e. with master phone socket to DSL port (RJ11) then ethernet to PC and wireless to the rest. Given that both have TT settings,there must be a difference in the signal after the upgrade that the Linksys either does not like or cannot handle and possibly can now only be used as a router ? I could obviously just keep the new TT modem/router but already I sense it is not as good as the Linksys was in terms of coverage/ Gb ethernet etc which is why I'd like to change back to it, if that was technically possible (as a combined modem/ router).

Hope I have explained my situation better and perhaps you will comment again, thank you.

Ok, much better :) (38Mbps DSL uses port bonding and I couldn't find any references to it with x3500, that's the only possible thing that I can think of not compatible)

What I am telling is use the new TT device as a modem only, and still use Linksys as your router. So wireless devices will connect to Linksys (better coverage) and wired devices will go into Linksys too (hence Gigabit Ethernet).

You just need to plug an Ethernet cable between TT LAN port and Linksys cable port. And configure Linksys as described in the tutorial I linked (Linksys Official Support - Setting up your Linksys X-series Gateway as a router using the setup wizard). You don't need to use the Linksys software mentioned as everything can be configured with the management interface but I can't seem to remember it.

Many thanks for sticking with me - reading your reply, I think you are telling me that the Linksys would be incompatible to use as a combined modem / router with the new fibre speed ? and only way to get the better spec of the Linksys is as you have described which I will certainly give a try and let you know. It has become quite obvious in the short time using the TT supplied router that it does not have the quality of the Linksys so it would be a shame just to sell it on when, as you have alluded to, all the devices will be connected to it as it was before.

Thanks again for your time and I will do as you suggest at the earliest opportunity and feed back.

I've just skimmed over this but for UK FTTC you need a VDSL router, I use this one - http://www.scan.co.uk/products/asus-dsl-ac68u-wireless-11ac-1900mbps-dual-band-router-adsl-vdsl

John, thank you for the input. I wasn't aware of the VDSL (I have been using cable for a long time). I would still use the TT modem (disable wireless and some other functions) and use Linksys as a router, and only switch to a VDSL modem/router if TT modem turn out to be problematic.

Thank you both for taking the time and interest in my situation - I will try the TT as a modem connected to the Linksys as a router. I'll let you know how that works.