Keep Draytek Vigor 2920n or find another?

Just brought a Draytek Vigor 2920n and only realised when it arrived it did not have any ADSL ports - as the Vigor 2820 would. Instead, it has two WAN ports. Completely my fault for not reading the description more thoroughly.

I am currently with Be, and it sync between 10 to 16 mbps (currently 10.1mbps down with 29dB line attentuation) with the supplied Thompson TG585v7 Bebox, however I find it disconnects / reboots itself quite randomly at times, though especially noticeable under network load. This has become quite an annoyance, and having had good experiences with draytek equipment, I had decided it would serve the job at keeping the network up.

I am now faced with several options:

1) return the Vigor 2920N and buy another ADSL router with 4x gigabit ethernet ports / Wireless-N
2) Bridge the BeBox TG585v7 as a modem with the Vigor 2920N
or 3) Connect a spare Vigor 100 and bridge it to the Vigor 2920N

I previously had used the Vigor 100 with no issues on a BT/Entanet line (it is a replacement supplied by Draytek several years ago when the original modem stopped working and had been working very reliably otherwise), but recent testing shows it connecting to our Bethere connection at 2-3mbps slower than the Bebox.

One of my requirements is that the router have 3+ gigabit ethernet ports (for various reasons), and I haven't seen many routers that fulfill that.

Are there other modem/routers that can hold onto the line better than the Bebox? At present the bebox has been disconnnecting at particular times of day far too frequently, though I suppose it is possible it could be al ine issue.

For (1), what other suitable routers can be suggested? Personal experiences are welcome.
Or is either 2 or 3 more than capable - i.e. would the TG585v7 actually work as a decent modem once the routing/switching load has taken off? or would the Vigor 100 be more reliable?

Can't help with your main query, but is the BeBox getting very hot in the centre of the top?

If so, prop one side up by about 1"/2.5cm, to promote a cross-flow of air through it. The airflow is lousy otherwise and they overheat badly. Also make sure it is on a hard surface, not on a carpet for example, else the air inlets underneath get covered.

Are you on the latest firmware on the Bebox?

It's easy to bridge it and route using the Draytek.

I also have a 2920n that I use to connect to Virgin XXL (Gigabit WAN port) and BE Pro (with Vigor 100 to fast WAN port). Bought this with my eye on Virgin 100meg service when it comes out in my area.

My experience would replicate yours in so far as the connection speed with the Vigor is slower than BE supplied router (which becomes very hot), but absolutely rock solid with Vigor.

Details from Vigor to BE connection show

SNR 4
Loop Atten 30
Downspeed 14.8
Up 1.74

Of course this is not quite as fast as the Virgin connection but as I work from home I highly value BE's reliablity. My experience of Virgin is that whilst the upload speed is pretty consistent at approx 4.8 download varies wildly from high 40 to as slow as 10

Cheers

Alan

Edited by deleted (Mon 03-Jan-11 10:56:11)

I've just updated the firmware to the latest I can find (8.2.7.7), and confirming that it is working fine, I will try bridging it.

The Bebox does get rather hot, though I have this turned upside down so the vents are pointing upwards. I cannot gauge whether this is more or less effective though!

I will see how stable this set up is, before trying the Vigor 100 for another week.

In reply to a post by fusioned:

The Bebox does get rather hot, though I have this turned upside down so the vents are pointing upwards. I cannot gauge whether this is more or less effective though!

From what I remember, there are vents top and bottom! Though the ones at the top are hard to see.

The trouble is the hot air has no incentive to travel away from the centre.

The solution I suggested worked for many people on Speedtouch 585v6 and 585v7 (BeBox). Within minutes.

I think it likely that by turning it over you could easily make things worse.

It's designed to be mounted vertically, with the aerial at the top

In reply to a post by BatBoy:

It's designed to be mounted vertically, with the aerial at the top

What is? The BeBox?

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

In reply to a post by BatBoy:

It's designed to be mounted vertically, with the aerial at the top

What is? The BeBox?

Yes. Like this http://www.flickr.com/photos/lunixx/2402317174

That's a good way of mounting it. Do I see a stand there? I don't remember one with my O2 Box.

I don't reckon upside down will help, do you?

I think it's a reflection.

I think upside-down will cook something.

Turning the bebox upside down has been quite common advice given in the past few years (some posts on thinkbroadband.com, bethere and various other forums) - and it seems to help a little. I may put it on its side to save space, especially with use of another router to handle those duties.

Upside-down? nah...

Don't shoot the messenger! A Bethere engineer originally suggested this.

It would make some sense, if I remember my physics from over a decade ago. Cooler denser air would displace any hotter air warmed up by the circuitry, and form a convection effect through the large vents.

In reply to a post by fusioned:

Don't shoot the messenger! A Bethere engineer originally suggested this.

Who?

In reply to a post by fusioned:

Don't shoot the messenger! A Bethere engineer originally suggested this.

It would make some sense, if I remember my physics from over a decade ago. Cooler denser air would displace any hotter air warmed up by the circuitry, and form a convection effect through the large vents.

It would make zero sense. If the inlet and oulet vents were to be reversed, (and I maintain there are some at round the top rim, though quite narrow), then they would have been manufactured reversed.

Also the components on the main card will all be on one side, I expect the top but don't know. It doesn't really matter. If you turn it upside down then they will have even less unrestricted air space, whichever side they are mounted.

Either prop a side up as I suggested or stand on end as BatBoy suggested. Either cools it enormously. The design does not promote an ambient temperature through-flow. These two solutions do.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

If the inlet and oulet vents were to be reversed, then they would have been manufactured reversed.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

The design does not promote an ambient temperature through-flow. [My] solutions do.

You can not have it both ways.

That isn't both ways.

1. Turning it over does no good. If it was meant to be like that the vent would be on the top.

2. The unit is designed to be mounted upright with the aerial at the top. Lifting it up from the horizontal to the vertical will increase the flow of cooler air.

In reply to a post by fusioned:

2) Bridge the BeBox TG585v7 as a modem with the Vigor 2920N

If you've not made a decision yet, I would go with the above. I use my BeBox (TG585v7) bridged to my Draytek 2820Vn and it works superbly.

Bridging removes the problematic parts of the 585v7, and as a simple modem it works very well.

Or, you could go for overkill and get one of those cheap laptop cooler trays. The extra fans on those could cool down the box.

I use a 2920 with a 585v7. It's a very solid combination. Alternatively, DG834g v3/v4 works for me on plusnet instead of the speedtouch.

-- gyre --