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[BigBunny]

I hope I have posted this in the correct subject area of the forum if not please accept my apology.

I have had 40/20 fibre for about 18 months now and have been using an OR ECI MODEM and a 582N locked down router.  It looks like I am on an ECI cabinet.  Internally all my wireless kit is N though I will at sometime upgrade to AC as the prices come down. 

I have been looking a definitely replacing the router and possibly purchase a combined unit to replace both of them.  I came across the TP-Link Archer D5 at sub and just above £60, but thought that I would get input from others here as I cannot find any mention of this particular unit on Kitz and wondered if there was a reason?  Secondly some adverts for the D5 unit state version 1 while others make no mention to version at all.  I looked on the TP-L website and though they show firmware for version one and two they don't actually say, but appear to indicate that this refers to the various countries where it is sold.

I know the D5 is an 812.11ac router but it is the improved N abilities that I am looking for and maybe to assist initially when I eventually upgrade.  Any input, advice, or other recommendations will be greatly appreciated.

[William Grimsley]

40/20

Hmm, I never knew there was a 40/20 product...

[ejs]

40/20 was a Plusnet package, using 80/20 with Plusnet limiting download speeds to 40 (the modem might still be connected at 79999k, Plusnet limit their copy of the IP profile).

The TP-Link Archer D5, and I think all the Archer DN models, are ADSL only, they do not support VDSL2, so couldn't replace the ECI modem. If you're going to keep using the ECI modem, you might as well get something which is just a wireless router (has no modem at all), which should be slightly cheaper, although high 11ac wireless speeds would probably make it still fairly expensive.

Also, is there any chance you're thinking about replacing the 582n because it's recently been given a remote firmware upgrade, and you're hitting the DNS issues? If so, that should be fixed for everyone soon.

[BigBunny]

Thanks guys, and that is the generic guys meaning M & F.

BTW that should have been 40/10 and was a typo.  When I originally contracted for fibre I actually got about 60 down and close to 20 up and that lasted for many months.  I think they suddenly realised as it suddenly went to where it should have been.  I actually get about 12 up, but who's complaining.   

[kitz]

possibly purchase a combined unit to replace both of them.

Once you move to ac, the price tends to go up a fair bit.  :/

Off the top of my head, the TP-link archer VR900 and Zyxel VMG8924 are possibly about the cheapest.  There may also be a few Billion 8800AXL knocking around for sale, but that is being replaced by a much more expensive model and may be hard to get hold of now.  The Netgear D7000 is another vdsl modem to look at.   They all have rrp somewhere around the £150 mark.   Although kcom do sell the Zyxels for iirc £99 which is about the cheapest price, if you cant pick up an ex-isp one up on ebay.  Thompson also have one, but I dont really know a lot about it .    Favoured AC units on here seem to be Billion 8800AXL or Zyxel VMG8924.

[kitz]

but it is the improved N abilities that I am looking for

Ooops sorry, with talk of wireless AC, I at first thought that was what you were looking for.

Before advising it would probably be useful if we know how important the following two aspects are to you:-

1) Is GbE a must have.  (Some wireless N models only have 10/100)
2) Are you bothered about full line stats for monitoring.

[BigBunny]

Hi Kitz,

Yes GbE is really essential.  I have a network and server background and I must have updated every switch to Gigabit where I then worked, and not just the uplinks.  I have servers and a Netgear NAS box here at home, and I also do some web development so need to upload as well as download.  The slowest point should be the fibre and the few Zyxel Powerline adapters I have.

The AC is not important as I have not got anything that currently uses it, though just nice if indeed I do get anything with it.  Really good N is though.  However like anything IT prices drop pretty quickly, and technology improves so what costs £150 today is probably half of that in 2-3 years time on the open sellers market.

[kitz]

Yes GbE is really essential. I have servers and a Netgear NAS box here at home, and I also do some web development so need to upload as well as download.

Same as me, and unfortunately limits choice somewhat as it rules out the Billions.

Really good N is though.

Options at <£100 :-

• TP-Link TD-W9980. circa £75 at most places.  Dual Band wireless N 2.4GHz and 5Ghz. Lantiq chipset. Limited line stats and no monitoring.
• Zyxel VMG8324. circa £55+VAT @ Eclipse.   2.4 GHz 11n (2x2). BCM chipset full line stats and monitoring.
• TP-Link Archer VR200 - circa £80 at most places. Dual Band Wireless AC750. Lantiq VR9 chipset.
• Zyxel VMG8924. £99 @Kcom Mytech. BCM chipset full line stats and monitoring.  Dual band wireless AC.
• Thomson TG799VAC- circa £85. Wireless AC.

Note. 
Ive got a VMG8324 and TD-W9980.  Although both are wirless N, the TD-W9980 is 5Ghz, but to be perfectly honest I didnt find it any better than the VMG8324.. and especially when it came to range the VMG8324 IMHO performed the better of the two.  (The 5Ghz signal soon dropped out of range.) Others have also been impressed at the range of the VMG8324.

The other 3 are  AC and you may be able to stretch your budget as they all come in at under £100.  Dont know much about the VR200 other than its little brother to the VR900 main difference is using a Lantiq rather than BCM modem chip.  The Archer series tend to have a good rep for wifi.

TBH theres only 3 out of all of the above that I'd contemplate and the fact that I like to see line stats actually only narrows it down to 2..  but the choice is yours.

[William Grimsley]

• TP-Link TD-W9980. circa £75 at most places.  Dual Band wireless N 2.4GHz and 5Ghz. Lantiq chipset. Limited line stats and no monitoring.
• Zyxel VMG8324. circa £55+VAT @ Eclipse.   2.4 GHz 11n (2x2). BCM chipset full line stats and monitoring.
• TP-Link Archer VR200 - circa £80 at most places. Dual Band Wireless AC750. Lantiq VR9 chipset.
• Zyxel VMG8924. £99 @Kcom Mytech. BCM chipset full line stats and monitoring.  Dual band wireless AC.
• Thomson TG799VAC- circa £85. Wireless AC.

To add, the Billion BiPAC 8800NL.

[kitz]

To add, the Billion BiPAC 8800NL.

Im afraid not: - as "GbE is really essential".

Same reason why I never bought a 8800NL -   I have a NAS box so needed GbE...  and didnt want to have to use a separate switch.

[BigBunny]

Really useful information Kitz.  Many thanks.

[William Grimsley]

To add, the Billion BiPAC 8800NL.

Im afraid not: - as "GbE is really essential".

Same reason why I never bought a 8800NL -   I have a NAS box so needed GbE...  and didnt want to have to use a separate switch.

Really? I have a GbE port on my Billion BiPAC 8800NL...

[Dray]

Yes, there is one

Ethernet: 3-port 10/100M and 1-port Gigabit auto-crossover (MDI/MDI-X) switch

[licquorice]

One is probably not much use as the devices on the other 3 ports will still be restricted to 10/100M

[kitz]

One is probably not much use as the devices on the other 3 ports will still be restricted to 10/100M

Nods.  It means I cant backup to my NAS (or any other networked device) using GbE as both devices need to be attached to a GbE port. 
A full backup can take long enough as it is using GbE, so would take hours using 10/100 :/

GbE is now one of the important things for me when it comes to choosing a router.    Years ago and before GbE routers,  I had to use a separate network switch for data transfers... but my trusty Negear switch died after many years use and Im all about keeping the clutter down these days.