Upgraded to 145Mb/s FTTP, advice on replacing Vigor 2850n

Hi all

It's served me well for years but on Monday I upgraded from my 30Mbps FTTC service to a 145Mbps FTTP service. The FTTC service, just like ADSL before it, has been running through a trusty Vigor 2850n I've had since 2012. But, of course, this router just doesn't cut it for FTTP in that its maximum throughput caps out at around 80Mbps, so I'm basically wasting around half the total bandwidth I could be using (I've verified it is the router holding this back as a direct PPPoE connection from my PC was returning speeds of about 150Mbps).

So what router to replace it with? As I've been impressed with the performance and reliability of the Vigor over the years (only the power supply going south, twice, ever gave me cause to complain but they are easy to source replacements for), I'm naturally inclined to go for another Vigor, the most obvious replacement being the Vigor 2927ax, which while having a very high max throughput of 1800Mbps costs around £300 (ouch).

I could go for the cheaper (around £200) Vigor 2763ac but its throughput tops out at 950Mbps, which granted, is way more than I need now and for the next few years most likely, but who knows when/if speeds beyond 1 gigabit will become widespread and affordable? My instinct is to buy something likely to have the longest life possible, which would be the 2927ax or is that pointless, is it unlikely speeds would go much beyond a gigabit during the lifetime expected of this router (I expect a router to last 10 years!)?

But are there any other routers I really should consider? Before I bought the Draytek, I did - briefly - try a TP-Link router and was utterly unimpressed by its reliability (it had trouble maintaining a stable VDSL connection that the Vigor 2850 managed effortlessly, maybe that was just a problem with the router and the firmware at the exchange, and maybe their kit is better now?), is it the case that TP-Link has improved at all over the years since? What other brands should I consider and which of their models?

In terms of features I need, I run a VPN on the Vigor and I've used the LAN DNS feature, and an old USB-based laser printer is shared via it too. So I'd need a router that can support those features also.

So suggestions, please! Thanks in advance!

I know this is several months old, but I may need to switch from my Sky Ultrafast 145mbs connection.

In my case, I use the Sky router SR204, and I don't think it's possible to use an alternative router as I also use the digital landline connection in that router (Sky don't share how to use their VoIP with a 3rd party router).

May I ask which ISP you are using?

It doesn't answer your question, have you considered unbundling your phone line from your BB? I did this when I went on to FTTP as we hardly use and ISP call costs were ridiculous if not on a package.

I went to Andrew and Arnold and never paid more than £2PM, able to use any router you want. I got lucky and bought brand new ISP handsets on Ebay for £30 quid.

Thanks, yes I did this transition for my mother-in-law earlier this year, just havn't done it for myself. In reality, we transitioned over to our mobiles for practically everything, so the landline is only for stragglers who we haven't talked to in a long time (at least 2 years).

I've used Asus routers for years now, the higher end models such as the RT-AX86U have gigabit WAN ports so will easily handle your broadband

In reply to a post by joconnell:

I've used Asus routers for years now, the higher end models such as the RT-AX86U have gigabit WAN ports so will easily handle your broadband

99.97% of all modern wifi routers have gigabit wan ports, higher end asus models have either 2.5gbit or 10gbit wan ports

My advice is simple:

1. If you like Draytek and are familiar with them, buy a Draytek
2. Buy the cheaper one

It's clearly good enough for now and the foreseeable future.

If you assume a 5-year lifespan for your device, then the 950Mbps one will almost certainly last you 5 years. And the £100 you save now will go towards any future possible upgrade or replacement.

Whether or not "speeds beyond 1 gigabit will become widespread and affordable", what really matters is likely how soon it will be before *you* decide that *you* need a speed *higher* than 1Gps.

And even if you suddenly decide in the future you need a 2Gbps service (say), then almost certainly you will need to change your router at that point anyway, so that it has the right type of ethernet ports (2.5G or 10G), newer standards of wifi, and so on. And the faster equipment will have fallen in price by then.

Therefore, bank your £100 and put it towards the future upgrade or replacement. Actually, it's more likely that your router goes pop and needs replacing: if you buy the expensive one *and* have to replace it like-for-like then you're £200 down, for no benefit.

If you're still looking for Draytek alternatives, then everyone has their favourites. Mine is separate Mikrotik router + Unifi wireless access points.