@krthkj great post. I wish i found this 6 months ago. When i was in hathway i can easily see the PPPoE details from hathway provided GX router. So i did mac & serial clone in xc220v. I didn't know that i have to enter PON password. For a month I struggled with their CC team to get me in touch with technical team. Calls & mails from and to went in vein as they never get me in touch with technical support. I threaten them that i will close my connection if they don't still they are relent that i can close if i want. Fedup and gone back to airtel once the 3m hathway plan is over which i have been user for almost 10years. 
 

It would have been great If there is an easy way to get PON details.

but the thing is with just s/n my xc220v gets O5 registered without any password is it possible? After O5 registration i entered PPPoE details but internet never connected.

  @SRV97 based on my experience, your ONT appears to be incorrectly configured or it might not be properly registered on Hathway's OLT. You will need to work with their technical support team to resolve this issue.

In my case, when I switched to Hathway in 2020, I wanted to use my own router, the TP-Link Archer AX6000. I insisted on getting a dedicated bridge router instead of their default Wi-Fi ONT router. They provided a basic ZTE ZXHN F601 PON ONT. Fortunately, I was able to log in to that ONT and find the PON credentials. More recently, I switched to the TP-Link XZ7000-G7 ONT, which has worked effortlessly so far. Basically, I've cloned the credentials from the ISP's ONT, which I still have in my possession. I'm hoping to return it and get a clean set of credentials for my new ONT, though I'm not sure if Hathway will agree to this.

While an all-in-one device is convenient, it can be a significant challenge to configure and troubleshoot. To avoid frustration when you call technical support, always ask to speak with a senior technician who will better understand your needs. Keep in mind that while fiber connections for residential and small businesses are usually managed on the ISP's device, medium to large companies often choose a separate ONT and router for greater security and control. Getting the right support person may take time, so be prepared to wait.

About ONT Activation Process

From what I know, an Optical Network Terminal (ONT) goes through a series of states before it becomes operational, i.e, to connect to the OLT (Optical Line Terminal) on the ISP's network. The process is a bit like a device handshake.

• O1 (Initial): The ONT is powered on but hasn't yet detected a signal from the OLT.

• O2 (Standby): The ONT has detected a downstream signal and is synchronized with the OLT.

• O3 (Serial Number State): This is where authentication begins. The OLT discovers the ONT's unique serial number. Some networks also require a LOID (Logical ONT ID) or a PON username and password at this stage for further authentication.

• O4 (Ranging): The OLT does some calcuations, timing adjustments and established a stable connection on the shared fiber line.

• O5 (Operational State): At this point, the ONT is fully registered, authenticated, and can send and receive data.

  @krthkj as i said earlier even without password and just s/n i did get O5 registered in PON settings. Same goes with airtel there is no need of PON password. Can you check if you get same O5 without PON password? 
 

the PPPoE details are correct because when i change password in default router it won't connect. Means the username and password in default router are sane as iam using in tplink router.

i used same MAC, S/N and PPPoE as the default router. Maybe PON password is the case. OR as per geeky twins in youtube airtel now shifted to ALSL OLT's hence tplink products have issues connecting to them which includes your G7. They are suggesting to buy G3 instead. Xc220v has no issues with airtel but with hathway, so maybe there is a chance Xc220v is not supported to their OLT.  

2020 is 5 years ago it was easier then to connect with technical team. I know this because i used hathway in between 2014-2018. Though it was cable modem services were good. Once they upgraded to fiber service quality, CC, technicians knowledge has reduced a lot in my area. Now the CC number is 90% bot it won't understand anything even if it would takes hours to connect with human agents who have 0 knowledge about all these and don't even consider transferring call to technical team. 

  @krthkj Great topic!

We have a community in Brazil where people do this too. But tp link models arent not much customizable unfortunately.

So most people end up using a VSOL V2802RH, Intelbras R1 (Brazilian only model) or ODI stick.

Hope tp link can improve their firmwares to support all available options.

  @SRV97  I tested it out like you asked, and the results are as follows.

Hathway needs to register my ONT (Optical Network Terminal) with their OLT (Optical Line Terminal) before I can connect to the internet. This kind of task requires specialized knowledge, so it's likely beyond the scope of a standard technical support agent.

Last year, I switched to static IP for a month, it was a simple and quick change. But switching back to a dynamic IP was a challenge. I had to wait a long time to reach a senior technician because the standard support team couldn't handle a request that was outside their standard procedures.

  @MacielJunior That's a really interesting point. It's cool to see a community doing the same thing in Brazil.

It makes sense about the TP-Link models. I've noticed they're great for an easy setup, but not so much for custom needs. That's why people go for other devices like the VSOL or ODI stick to get the control they need.

The majority of TP-link this market is B2B, with ISPs buying in huge numbers. As a small fraction of their customer base, our specific needs aren't a top priority. It will likely take a shift in their strategy for TP-Link to invest in firmware that offers more support and customization.

Hopefully, that day comes soon!

krthkj wrote

  @SRV97  I tested it out like you asked, and the results are as follows.

 

	GPON SN	GPON Password	Registration status	MAC Address on Archer AX6000	Internet Status
Case 1	ISP's SN	ISP's PON Password	Registered (O5)	Archer AX6000's MAC	Connected, Got IP
Case 2	ISP's SN	blank password	Registered (O5)	Archer AX6000's MAC	Connected, Got IP
Case 3	XZ000-G7's SN	blank password	Registered (O5)	Archer AX6000's MAC	No connected, No IP
Case 4	XZ000-G7's SN	blank password	Registered (O5)	ISP ONT's MAC	No connected, No IP

 

Hathway needs to register my ONT (Optical Network Terminal) with their OLT (Optical Line Terminal) before I can connect to the internet. This kind of task requires specialized knowledge, so it's likely beyond the scope of a standard technical support agent.

 

Last year, I switched to static IP for a month, it was a simple and quick change. But switching back to a dynamic IP was a challenge. I had to wait a long time to reach a senior technician because the standard support team couldn't handle a request that was outside their standard procedures.

  @krthkj thanks for testing. Not only hathway its the basic thing that ONT have to register with OLT first. So blank password your ONT was registered same as mine but you did get ip. Seems the tplink xc220v doesn't support with OLT they used in my area. Same like G7 is no longer supported with airtel. 

  @SRV97 It seems that ISPs prefer a simplified setup by forgoing the password protection.
This raises a security concern: if the ONT's serial number is physically accessible on the device, isn't it vulnerable to cloning for a denial-of-service (DoS) attack?

Regarding the Airtel, I'm thinking about switching to it, but I'm hoping to get a firmware update first.