Recommended Fibre router

What routers would you guys recommend for Fibre?

Thinking of joining Zen soon when Fibre enabled, who recommend the Netgear WNR2000 at £60 incl VAT but I've read mixed reviews of this.

Will definitely need to purchase a new router anyway so if I'm going to spend upwards of £50 then I want to make sure I am getting good value.

Are there any others which people would recommend?

asus rt-n56u

Do you need gigabit LAN?

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

Do you need gigabit LAN?

Don't think so. Why would you need this? Does it improve speeds/performance?

In reply to a post by keith_thfc:

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

Do you need gigabit LAN?

Don't think so. Why would you need this? Does it improve speeds/performance?

Not for your Internet connection, but handy if, for example, you are backing up to a network drive or streaming HD video in your house and your hardware supports it.

Edited by kasg (Sat 13-Aug-11 13:37:13)

I got a Buffalo NFiniti WHR-G300NV2 in February for £23.99 delivered. No problems, and the setup wizard just worked, even finding my static IP address automatically.

Three or four others have bought one since.

In reply to a post by keith_thfc:

What routers would you guys recommend for Fibre?

Thinking of joining Zen soon when Fibre enabled, who recommend the Netgear WNR2000 at £60 incl VAT but I've read mixed reviews of this.

Will definitely need to purchase a new router anyway so if I'm going to spend upwards of £50 then I want to make sure I am getting good value.

Are there any others which people would recommend?

I have been very happy with the Netgear WNR2000, much better than the Thompson Router originally recommended by Zen so it was sent back. Good coverage throughout the house including converted loft, in the garage and in both front and back gardens. But as Robertos says there are cheaper ones around but I was happy with the outlay on the Netgear.

I use the Netgear WNR3500 with BT Infinity and love it.......

Zyxel NBG 4604
Has Gigabit ethernet ports. The only gotcha, do NOT use spaces in the SSID.

Looking forward to getting a combined modem/router in the future, but not one of the units that are currently available.

DrT

In reply to a post by Garyilka:

I use the Netgear WNR3500 with BT Infinity and love it.......

I use the Netgear WNDR3700 and am more than happy with it

Thanks for the replies.

Ian - I've been looking at the WNDR3700. Did you have any firmware issues?

WNDR3700

WNDR37AV I use this one.

asus rt-n56u

It updated itself the first time I connected it to the internet and I have had no firmware problems with at all

Thanks Ian

In reply to a post by DrTeeth:

Zyxel NBG 4604
Has Gigabit ethernet ports. The only gotcha, do NOT use spaces in the SSID.

Looking forward to getting a combined modem/router in the future, but not one of the units that are currently available.

DrT

Daft question but what's the difference between a combined router/modem and one that is just a router?

With a combined modem/router, you don't need to plug your own router into the BT Openreach supplied VDSL modem as it's all consolidated into one unit. The terms & conditions don't allow this currently but many people use a combined unit anyway.

My ISP says that it is NOT a requirement to use the BTO modem.

DrT

Bought a Dlink DIR855 some years back but never used it and couldnt find it at time of install, hence bought the Netgear WNDR3700 as that was all that seemed available.

40 mins on the great aftersales service operating from the US i was advised to return router to shop where purchased for a refund.

Went out and bought a cheapy TPLink £40, never tried.
Meantime found the DLink and must say if it wasnt for the way the LCD information works in real time i would have probably spent untold time trying various settings.
Awesome streaming HD around the house.
DIR 655 is a cheaper option.

Its not just input username, password with BT supplied modem/routers, incidentally have one, that wont have it either.

Openreach say otherwise:

We�ll supply and connect a VDSL2 active NTE to the data port of the SSFP. This allows us to monitor and test the product. The active NTE needs to be located within reach of a power supply and must remain connected to the power and data port at all times.

Edited by deleted (Mon 15-Aug-11 09:29:32)

In reply to a post by Edge:

With a combined modem/router, you don't need to plug your own router into the BT Openreach supplied VDSL modem as it's all consolidated into one unit. The terms & conditions don't allow this currently but many people use a combined unit anyway.

II'm probably being a bit dim here but in what circumstances would you want to plug your own router into a VDSL modem?

In reply to a post by keith_thfc:

In reply to a post by Edge:

With a combined modem/router, you don't need to plug your own router into the BT Openreach supplied VDSL modem as it's all consolidated into one unit. The terms & conditions don't allow this currently but many people use a combined unit anyway.

II'm probably being a bit dim here but in what circumstances would you want to plug your own router into a VDSL modem?

In order to route ('share') the VDSL connection to its clients. There are protocols for routers to speak to modems, to tell it to connect and so on.

Edited by deleted (Mon 15-Aug-11 11:09:04)

The modem provided by Openreach is 'just' a (bridged) modem - similar to a dial-up modem. It has no routing capabilities or wireless etc.
If you want to do more than plug a single computer directly into the modem , you will need to connect a router to add the required functionality.

The BT VDSL modem is the endpoint in the premises where the internet connection is live, but this box doesn't have any routing capability to share the connection to the rest of the devices in your house. This is why BT also provide a Homehub in addition to the VDSL modem if you choose BT Infinity; ie, you'll have 2 separate units for FTTC unlike ADSL which usually has one.

If you choose a different ISP (such as me, I'm with IDNet) you have the option of providing your own router because BT will only supply a VDSL modem in this case.

Rather than have 2 separate boxes with the need for 2 plug sockets, some people are using combined VDSL modem/routers like this one. Although from what I understand this is against the terms & conditions at present.

Thanks for that. I didn't realise BT Infinity give you a router and separate modem.

Its making sense to me now. I can see that Zen provide a free VDSL modem but I need to have a compatible router - alternatively I can get one combined device. I didn't quite understand before.

In reply to a post by keith_thfc:

Thanks for that. I didn't realise BT Infinity give you a router and separate modem.

Its because BTopenreach provide the VDSL modem as part of the FTTC connection, and BT Infinity give you the router as part of the internet account.

As you say, Zen suggest you buy a suitable one, but you get the BTopenreach VDSL modem as part of the connection.

Some people (perhaps against terms) are trying using routers that do the VDSL part in the same box.

Combined VDSL modems with routers it a bit rare in the market place, and also when FTTP arrives it will initially be handed to users via ethernet, so its better to get a non combined router, and have the modem seperate and router seperate.

In reply to a post by DrTeeth:

Zyxel NBG 4604
Has Gigabit ethernet ports. The only gotcha, do NOT use spaces in the SSID.

Looking forward to getting a combined modem/router in the future, but not one of the units that are currently available.

DrT

Have you found any way to change the Supervisor account password? I'm using the latest available firmware (1.00(BWH.2)C0), but can't change the default password.

It's not a major issue, management is restricted to LAN only but it's a bit annoying.

In reply to a post by Amjad:

Have you found any way to change the Supervisor account password? I'm using the latest available firmware (1.00(BWH.2)C0), but can't change the default password.
It's not a major issue, management is restricted to LAN only but it's a bit annoying.

I found that when I updated the firmware, I could not use the original details that I had used. IIRC I had to use a different password. I don't know if that is the same issue. The firmwares do not fix much from my point of view so I am staying on the H.1 version as upgrading is more trouble than it is worth. - and that is saying something from somebody who always updates.

DrT

Thanks, I asked on the Zyxel forums and the silence was deafening! Hopefully they'll fix it with the next update.

I wouldn't hold my breath.

Not a bad bit of kit at all when one gets used to its foibles.

DrT

And the BT Openreach FTTP Modem handles Fibre Voice Access for two voice lines as well. I'm currently trialing the FTTP BB & FVA

to chnage supervisor password use save vconfig as .cfg file option and edit the text file before ftping back up