FTTH · Router freedom
Use Netgate directly on fibre: router freedom in Europe
If your fibre provider supplies a separate Ethernet ONT, a Netgate appliance can often replace the provider router and manage the Internet connection directly. The ONT remains in place; Netgate becomes your router and firewall.
The clean FTTH setup
This page concerns replacing the router, not cloning or modifying the provider’s optical terminal.
Why remove the provider router
- Avoid double NAT and two firewalls in series.
- Control firewall rules, VLANs, VPNs, DNS and logs in one place.
- Use Multi-WAN, failover and public IP services without an intermediate router.
- Keep the network design independent from the ISP’s consumer hardware.
What must be checked first
- A separate ONT with an Ethernet output, or an operator-supported bridge/passthrough mode.
- The connection method and official parameters: DHCP or PPPoE, credentials, VLAN ID and IPv6 settings.
- A Netgate WAN port fast enough for the subscribed line and the required security services.
- Separate requirements for voice and IPTV, which may need dedicated VLANs or may remain on the provider equipment.
Router freedom is not identical across Europe
EU Regulation 2015/2120 protects the right to use terminal equipment of the user’s choice, but national regulators determine the network termination point. That boundary decides whether the modem or ONT is part of the operator network or user equipment.
| Country | Position | For an FTTH customer |
|---|---|---|
| Italy | Explicit right | AGCOM Decision 348/18/CONS includes modem/routers among terminal equipment and requires providers to make the necessary configuration parameters available free of charge. A Netgate can therefore be connected to a separate provider ONT. |
| Germany | Explicit right | Section 73 TKG places the termination point at the passive connection. In 2025 the Bundesnetzagentur rejected an FTTH exception: free choice also applies on fibre, subject to technical compatibility. |
| Belgium | Explicit right | Since 1 November 2024 providers must allow the customer’s own modem/router and publish technical specifications. |
| Netherlands | Explicit right | Since 28 January 2022 consumers and businesses may connect their own modem/router at the fixed network termination point. |
| France | Check the provider | The European open-Internet principle applies, but we found no equally explicit ARCEP rule guaranteeing replacement of an FTTH ONT. Using a router behind a separate ONT depends on the provider and available parameters. |
| Spain | Check the provider | No equally clear general consumer rule was found. A router can often be used behind the ONT, but parameters, voice/IPTV and support depend on the operator; replacing the ONT is not guaranteed. |
How the migration works
- Identify the ONT and its Ethernet hand-off.
- Obtain the official connection parameters from the provider.
- Configure the Netgate WAN for DHCP or PPPoE and, where required, the Internet VLAN.
- Test Internet, IPv6, inbound services, voice and IPTV before returning or disconnecting the provider router.
What we do not promise
Not every provider profile can be reproduced, especially when the ONT is integrated into the router or optical authentication, voice and television are proprietary. We do not recommend cloning GPON identifiers or using an uncertified ONT. The supported route is the provider’s Ethernet ONT and officially supplied parameters.
Let us check your line before you buy
Send us the country, provider, connection speed, a photo or model of the ONT and the services you use. We will check whether Netgate can replace the router and which appliance has the right WAN capacity.