@Wattie 

Hello and Welcome! 

The gateway you are mentioning, would this be an ONT you referring too?  Basically a small square white box with the fibre coming in and the LAN cable coming out?   Post a pic of this if you can, this device will affect how you set this up!

In short the Velop is just Linksys version of Deco.. they are identical so there is no reason you cant use the M9 as you have been.  However.. depending on the ONT device you have this may require a username and password for your new internet, you would add this to the M9 to allow it to "dial" the internet for you.   The ONT (if that is what it is) is really just a converter from LAN to Fibre, so you need a username / password on your Deco to get online.

Your new ISP should be able to provide this, BT for example is homehub password BT so you get the idea! 

Qn - does M9 need to be factory reset first, do I need to switch off gateway before connecting M9 and then create a new setup?

No you shouldnt need to do this, it can be changed via the deco APP.  Connect to the deco wireless and edit the INTERNET CONNECTION, should re-run the wizard for you.

Qn - would the x60 be a better bet as the main deco?

With 200mbps internet, its still well within the capabilites of the M9.  So its your call really..  imho I would keep the x60 where the majority of your clients would be (living room or office etc)

Qn - is this destined to fail and will I be forced into running velop in bridge mode and connecting decos to it via ethernet ?

Highly unlikely, you probably just need the settings and username/password from the new ISP.  Once you have that it should be possible to switch over!

  @Philbert 

Philbert wrote

  @Wattie 

 

Hello and Welcome! 

 

The gateway you are mentioning, would this be an ONT you referring too?  Basically a small square white box with the fibre coming in and the LAN cable coming out?   Post a pic of this if you can, this device will affect how you set this up!

 

In short the Velop is just Linksys version of Deco.. they are identical so there is no reason you cant use the M9 as you have been.  However.. depending on the ONT device you have this may require a username and password for your new internet, you would add this to the M9 to allow it to "dial" the internet for you.   The ONT (if that is what it is) is really just a converter from LAN to Fibre, so you need a username / password on your Deco to get online.

 

Your new ISP should be able to provide this, BT for example is homehub password BT so you get the idea! 

 

Qn - does M9 need to be factory reset first, do I need to switch off gateway before connecting M9 and then create a new setup?

No you shouldnt need to do this, it can be changed via the deco APP.  Connect to the deco wireless and edit the INTERNET CONNECTION, should re-run the wizard for you.

 

Qn - would the x60 be a better bet as the main deco?

With 200mbps internet, its still well within the capabilites of the M9.  So its your call really..  imho I would keep the x60 where the majority of your clients would be (living room or office etc)

 

Qn - is this destined to fail and will I be forced into running velop in bridge mode and connecting decos to it via ethernet ?

Highly unlikely, you probably just need the settings and username/password from the new ISP.  Once you have that it should be possible to switch over!

 

Philbert 

- thanks for posting a response.....although feeling a bit of a fraud as I managed to get the thing going last evening! 

yes the thing Gigaclear describe as a Gateway is an ONT - seperately powered and in my layman's terms - sort of the modem equivalent.  The contractor setup the velop and [rather unhelpfully] advised that if I wanted to use anything different it wouldnt be supported and would need to be connected via the Velop ethernet port, with Velop wifi disabled.

nether the M9 nor the x60 would play ball when connected direct to the ONT without reset [with modem powered off] straight to red light and no obvious [to me] means of connecting to it via the Deco app.  
Game-changer was the factory reset of the x60, connection to modem, power up both, then use app to setup new network.  This time it found the x60, secured the internet connection [without needing credentials] and 12 hours or so on is stable, broadcasting the signal at good speeds and looking promising.  Velop packaged away and destined for the attic.

So, happily, the learning for me is that yes the Deco system seems to work well with direct connection to Gigaclear's gateway / ONT, the only limitation being that it seems they benefit from factory reset before re-deploying.  Not ashamed to display my ignorance, so if it helps anyone else then great, but I'm not ure I can explain WHY it worked!!