Purpose of the Project:

The main objective of this project was to bypass the limitations imposed by an ISP-provided CPE with severely restricted user-configurable settings. The goal was to set up a direct PPPoE connection with an MX67W appliance to provide a more robust and flexible network at my parents' residence. This setup would facilitate two WIFI 6 access points and enable a more robust AutoVPN connection back to my apartment in Poland.

Challenges and Solutions:

One of the significant challenges faced was the lack of configuration best practices for the ZTE ZXHN H268Q, with information scattered across online forums and minimal support from the ISP regarding PPPoE login credentials.

Additionally, proper VLAN tagging on the MX67W was crucial. Initially, the VLAN ID configuration was set on both the CPE and the MX67, which caused connection issues. The solution was to remove the VLAN ID configuration from the MX67, allowing the connection to be established successfully.

The MX67W was configured to use its LAN2 port as a secondary WAN port, with an IP address within the 192.168.0.0/31 subnet. This setup provided a fallback to the CPE's gateway in case the direct PPPoE connection failed, serving as a pseudo-redundancy measure.

Meraki Gear Used:

The MX67W appliance was the central piece of Meraki hardware used in this deployment. No additional Meraki devices were required for this particular setup.

Non-Meraki Gear Used:

The ZTE ZXHN H268Q CPE was incorporated into the environment by setting it to bridge mode. This allowed it to interface with the VDSL connection and let the MX67W appliance handle the direct login with the ISP.

Future Plans:

Looking ahead, the integration of an MG cellular gateway for an additional redundancy layer is being considered, should unlimited cellular plans become more affordable. Another potential upgrade is moving to a MX75 appliance that supports an SFP modem, which would potentially eliminate the need for the ISP's CPE to act as a modem, provided it's compatible with the service.

Conclusion:

The MX PPPoE Uplink Configuration project has successfully enhanced the network's capabilities at my parents' residence, paving the way for future upgrades and increased reliability. This deployment demonstrates the flexibility and scalability of Meraki solutions in a residential setting.