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[astrolight]

Hi all,
I was hoping for some advice with regards purchasing a new VDSL modem/router.

I am on a Plusnet 76Mb FTTC line, <200m from a Huawei cabinet, 2.3km by road from the exchange.

Currently I have the BT supplied ECI 061513 modem, with Plusnet supplied Sagecom 2704N.
I am also using TL-PA201 powerline adapters to a Netgear WNR3500v2 set up as a wireless access point for further coverage. The router and access point are opposite corners of the house.

I have been looking at the following modem routers:
Netgear D7800
Netgear D7000
TP-Link VR600
TP-Link VR900
TP-Link VR2600
Asus DSL-68U

My understanding is that, due to having a Huawei cabinet, it would be best to use a modem with a Broadcom chipset? Should I therefore rule out the 68U and the D7800? Feel free to recommend options not listed above.
I believe they all support both G.INP (G998.4) and G.Vector (G993.5).
Is it possible to find out if these devices support G.Fast (G.701)? Or if they will? Or is it just a case of wait and see if firmware updates are given once g.fast is rolled out?

I would like whatever I buy to be somewhat future-proof and robust.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Comments, if any, on my network setup are also accepted :p

[psychopomp1]

Yes you're better off going with a router which has a Broadcom VDSL2 chipset. In that case the TP Link VR2600 is your best bet as this has a Broadcom chipset & is also one of the very few combined modem/routers out there which uses 4x4 stream Mu-Mimo wifi streams - the other being the Netgear D7800 but this has a Lantiq chipset which isn't ideal for those on Huawei cabs. The VR2600 isn't cheap at ~£200 but the wifi coverage & speeds on this beast is the dogs-you-know-what 

[astrolight]

£200 is a little painful

I realise this is a difficult question to answer, but do you believe the VR2600 would cover my entire house? As this would allow me to do away with the WNR3500v2 access point.
Master socket with modem/router is in one corner of an 'average-size' four bedroom house.
If the WiFi coverage is as good as you so eloquently described then £200 seems a little less painful (at least in my head).

Although £200 for that seems a much better deal than the £100 Plusnet wanted to charge for a Hub One (rebranded BT HH5A?).

Thanks for the input.

[Chunkers]

The Asus DSL-68U gets good reviews but I keep reading people having issues with the connectivity, the MediaTek xDSL/Modem chipset is unuseable on my line in the devices I have tried so far.  Personally I also had some PPPOE issues with my AC-68U but I still think the AC-68U router with separate broadcom based bridge modem is a better bet than the DSL-68U with its MediaTek (xDSL/Modem).  The router part of the AC-68U is great, btw, and the interface is fantastic.

Personally I would follow the advice above, avoid the Asus DSL-68U and either get a good Broadcom based xDSL box e.g. TP-Link or get a separate router you like with all the WLAN whizz bang stuff you want and cheap Broadcom modem to bridge.

o7

Chunks

[ejs]

I don't think anything is likely to have G.fast support added by a firmware update.

I don't think any improvements in wireless technology are really aimed at improving range, they're all about increasing speed.

I think the Netgear D7000 and the TP-Link VR900v2 use a slightly newer DSL chipset (BCM63138), but none of the devices with it are particularly easy to get detailed stats out of, and I don't think anyone has done a thorough comparison to see if it makes much difference.

[psychopomp1]

£200 is a little painful

I realise this is a difficult question to answer, but do you believe the VR2600 would cover my entire house? As this would allow me to do away with the WNR3500v2 access point.
Master socket with modem/router is in one corner of an 'average-size' four bedroom house.
If the WiFi coverage is as good as you so eloquently described then £200 seems a little less painful (at least in my head).

Although £200 for that seems a much better deal than the £100 Plusnet wanted to charge for a Hub One (rebranded BT HH5A?).

Thanks for the input.

I have the Linksys EA8500 which has the same Qualcomm Mu-Mimo radios as the VR2600 except that its a standalone router only (ie no modem inside) and this easily covers my 4 bedroom house with wifi. Of course you don't want to spend £200 and end up being disappointed, Amazon would be the place to buy it from due to their excellent 30 day returns policy.

I would stay away from the Netgear D7000 and Asus DSL-68U as they are quite old and for the same money you can get much newer routers with better wifi radios.

[Dray]

The ZyXel VMG8924 also includes 2 voip phone ports.

[NEXUS2345]

I have the TP-Link C2600, which is the VR2600 without the modem. It is around £150. I don't think the range is amazing, but the range it covers it provides maximum throughput all the way. The web UI is nice, although it lacks anything for VoIP and does not have any VPN features. If you want VPN stuff, you apparently need to go for the C3200 or above.

[astrolight]

The Asus DSL-68U gets good reviews but I keep reading people having issues with the connectivity, the MediaTek xDSL/Modem chipset is unuseable on my line in the devices I have tried so far. Personally I also had some PPPOE issues with my AC-68U but I still think the AC-68U router with separate broadcom based bridge modem is a better bet than the DSL-68U with its MediaTek (xDSL/Modem).  The router part of the AC-68U is great, btw, and the interface is fantastic.
Personally I would follow the advice above, avoid the Asus DSL-68U and either get a good Broadcom based xDSL box e.g. TP-Link or get a separate router you like with all the WLAN whizz bang stuff you want and cheap Broadcom modem to bridge.

I have had a quick look at the interface emulators on the Asus & Tp-Link website and both seem fairly nice
At this point I may steer clear of the DSL-68U based on comments here.

I don't think anything is likely to have G.fast support added by a firmware update.
I don't think any improvements in wireless technology are really aimed at improving range, they're all about increasing speed.
I think the Netgear D7000 and the TP-Link VR900v2 use a slightly newer DSL chipset (BCM63138), but none of the devices with it are particularly easy to get detailed stats out of, and I don't think anyone has done a thorough comparison to see if it makes much difference.

Thank you for your points.
My understanding is the VR2600 uses the BCM63268, but I have found information regarding chipsets difficult to find.
I'm not hugely fussed about stats as long as the basics are there and preferably error information.

I have the Linksys EA8500 which has the same Qualcomm Mu-Mimo radios as the VR2600 except that its a standalone router only (ie no modem inside) and this easily covers my 4 bedroom house with wifi.

If you don't mind my asking, what modem do you use with this setup?
Not sure what the pros/cons of separate and combined router/modems really are and whether it matters to an end-user like myself.

The ZyXel VMG8924 also includes 2 voip phone ports.

Personally, I don't think I would use these. But thanks for the input.

I have the TP-Link C2600, which is the VR2600 without the modem. It is around £150. I don't think the range is amazing, but the range it covers it provides maximum throughput all the way. The web UI is nice, although it lacks anything for VoIP and does not have any VPN features. If you want VPN stuff, you apparently need to go for the C3200 or above.

When you say, lacks anything for VoIP I assume you mean lacking ports? Similar to Dray's comment above?
What am I missing out on, if anything, by not having VoIP features?
Excuse my ignorance!

[psychopomp1]

If you don't mind my asking, what modem do you use with this setup?
Not sure what the pros/cons of separate and combined router/modems really are and whether it matters to an end-user like myself.

I'm using a HG612 modem with the Linksys EA8500 which is a rock solid combination. A standalone router usually gives you far more options to configure routing settings especially if you can get DD-WRT firmware installed (like i have on the Linksys) or Merlin firmware if you buy an Asus standalone router. For example you will need DD-WRT firmware if you want to play around with wifi radio power settings [ ] or use OpenVPN to connect to the internet anonymously. Otherwise if you're not too arsed about advanced router settings a combined modem/router will do the job

[astrolight]

I'm using a HG612 modem with the Linksys EA8500 which is a rock solid combination. A standalone router usually gives you far more options to configure routing settings especially if you can get DD-WRT firmware installed (like i have on the Linksys) or Merlin firmware if you buy an Asus standalone router. For example you will need DD-WRT firmware if you want to play around with wifi radio power settings [ ] or use OpenVPN to connect to the internet anonymously. Otherwise if you're not too arsed about advanced router settings a combined modem/router will do the job

Hmm, perhaps I could pick up a HG612 on Ebay for the matching Huawei chipset/cabinet, then look to pair it with a new router... TP-Link C3150 / Asus RT-AC3200 look promising at first glance.
I'm opening as many doors as I'm closing with this thread! 

[jstallan]

I have the HG612 (from ebay) paired with the ZyXel VMG8924. I originally wanted a one box solution and the PlusNet One Hub did a good job. In fact as a one-box solution it's more reliable than the ZyXel. Anyhow, I'm hoping I've finally got the ZyXel stable now and the HG612 seems a solid piece of kit (unlock it and it has more features).

If you are out of contract with PlusNet why not see if they will *give* you a One Hub for signing a new contract ?

[Chunkers]

If you just want to extend your wireless coverage or plug any holes or areas of bad coverage and since you are already using homeplug you could consider one of these TP-Link Wifi plugs.  I use them as temporary network points sometimes and also have one in service to address a gap in coverage in one room of my house.

Depends on the geography of your house, of course, but I have found that there isn't much to choose between price-comparable WAP's / routers in terms of range they are very similar, after all they are power limited to the same value.  I think a lot of the wifi specs and discussion is just marketing double-talk and product differentiation.

Ultimately a cheap second WAP could be a more reliable way of having good coverage.

Just a thought ....

Chunks

[astrolight]

I have the HG612 (from ebay) paired with the ZyXel VMG8924. I originally wanted a one box solution and the PlusNet One Hub did a good job. In fact as a one-box solution it's more reliable than the ZyXel. Anyhow, I'm hoping I've finally got the ZyXel stable now and the HG612 seems a solid piece of kit (unlock it and it has more features).
If you are out of contract with PlusNet why not see if they will *give* you a One Hub for signing a new contract ?

I think as a starting point I'll certainly pick up a HG612, and install firmware from here.
Unfortunately, I have 7 months left on my contract. I already contacted them to see if they'd be willing to send one pre contract negotiations, but no luck.

If you just want to extend your wireless coverage or plug any holes or areas of bad coverage and since you are already using homeplug you could consider one of these TP-Link Wifi plugs.  I use them as temporary network points sometimes and also have one in service to address a gap in coverage in one room of my house.
Depends on the geography of your house, of course, but I have found that there isn't much to choose between price-comparable WAP's / routers in terms of range they are very similar, after all they are power limited to the same value.  I think a lot of the wifi specs and discussion is just marketing double-talk and product differentiation.
Ultimately a cheap second WAP could be a more reliable way of having good coverage.
Just a thought ....
Chunks

I did notice this promotion whilst researching. Which may help me make a decision before the end of the month.

[psychopomp1]

I think as a starting point I'll certainly pick up a HG612, and install firmware from here.

Excellent decision! I always say let the modem (eg HG612) handle the xDSL side of things and the router handle the routing side of things...that way its easier to pin point any issues and don't forget with a 2 box setup you can turn off/on your router a trillion times a day without the DLM messing up your sync rate on FTTC.

Asus stand-alone routers are generally amongst the best, the ASUS RT-AC68U, ASUS AC87U and ASUS RT-AC3200 are all very highly rated (AC87 is 4 stream Mu-Mimo) and if you've got money to burn then go for the Asus RT-AC5300  . Have a look here for info on installing Merlin fw:
http://www.snbforums.com/threads/asuswrt-merlin-custom-firmware-for-asus-routers.7846/

Also there's alternative firmware for Asus routers by a chap called Hugo Gomes, his firmware is based on Merlin's but he adds extra features like unlocking ALL wifi channels (useful if you want to use a USA bought router in UK or vice versa) and his fw also allows you to play with radio power settings anywhere from 42mW to 1000mW....obviously you must respect local power regulations

http://www.snbforums.com/threads/custom-fork-rmerlin-firmware.21489/

PM me if you want more details on where to get HGGomes' fw (latest is 380.59.1 I believe)