Finally got FTTC - which modem please?

Hi,

After years of low speeds we finally received notification that FTTC is indeed active on our exchange and cabinets (Willowcroft Derby) and successfully placed the order today! We are predicted to get the full whack up and down so this will be quite a change for us (currently 1.5 megs).

Which router do you recommnend please? Preferably with gigabit capability and ideally not much more than £100 although we can push up a bit if needed.

After a bad experience with reduced speeds after an intolerant ADSL 2+ "upgrade" we reconfigured the house wiring so that the current router is right next to the NTE5 (?) faceplate and from there we use 500mbps LAN plugs to network to the office upstairs. We get 250mbps + from this arrangement so pretty good. Am I correct in thinking that the new router will go next to a modem supplied by BT and that these are then connected please? What cabling for that and does it come via BT or possibly with the new router please? Presumably our LAN plug arrangement is not affected?

Sorry for all the questions! Just want it spot on for when the BT guy arrives.

Thanks
Dave

Which provider have you ordered FTTC via, some supply a router.

The Openreach modem and the router can be up to 100m apart, i.e. the limit for an Ethernet cable.

Hi,

We are with ADSL24 - pretty certain they don't provide one so we need to purchase.
Any recommendations appreciated.

Thanks
Dave

In reply to a post by spon:

After a bad experience with reduced speeds after an intolerant ADSL 2+ "upgrade" we reconfigured the house wiring so that the current router is right next to the NTE5 (?) faceplate and from there we use 500mbps LAN plugs to network to the office upstairs. We get 250mbps + from this arrangement so pretty good. Am I correct in thinking that the new router will go next to a modem supplied by BT and that these are then connected please? What cabling for that and does it come via BT or possibly with the new router please? Presumably our LAN plug arrangement is not affected?

Your "Home Plug AV 500" will be fine - but the big question is if you need wireless or not on the router?

Something to check is the throughput of the router - assuming you will get 40mbps or faster FTTC, you don't want the router being too slow (ie, cheap and designed for ADSL2+) to slow you down.

Hi,

Yes we will need wireless.

Thanks
Dave

I got one of these in Feb 2011, as I thought it worth a punt at the price. If it was no good I could return it, if OK but not good enough keep it as a spare, or be perfectly happy.

I'm perfectly happy! As I believe are three or four here who got one on my recommendation.

There is a gigbit LAN version that two or three have bought. I didn't get the feeling they are over the moon about them - they run on some bought-in firmware with oddities from what I remember.

I was joining IDNet. I moved from them to Plusnet this Feb, to save money. Plusnet supply a "free" Netgear WNR1000 N150. That has one nice feature that the Buffalo doesn't - it records the traffic to and from the internet.

But it's wireless is nothing like as good as the Buffalo. 150kbps maximum and in fact I can only get 65kbps connection. Even that drops out fairly often if this laptop is in its usual place downstairs. Router is in the spare bedroom. The 65kbps doesn't really deliver that consistently in live use either, as a subjective view.

The Buffalo gives rock solid 150kbps using one channel, and InSSIDer reports it as being on 300kbps using 2 channels. My laptop only has a 150kbps card unfortunately, but I unfailingly get 150kbps connection speed.

Errmmmmmm!!!! I just realised there is a driver CD with the Buffalo that I needed to use to connect my old laptop at all. I didn't need it with the new one. I wonder if that will give me 300kbps? Will try during the next couple of days.

I intend to go back to the Buffalo anyway, for the better wireless. Plusnet usage meter shows slightly above what the Netgear reports, which is slightly above what the sum of my two Networx monitors, (on new and old laptops), show. I haven't quite sorted out the reasons, but the difference is small, so stuff the Netgear .

Oh, and if you go for the Buffalo, take the free delivery. Mine, (and some other stuff from Amazon sellers), came next day anyway!

(Edit - putting in the link helps ).

Edited by RobertoS (Mon 19-Mar-12 23:28:20)

Am I correct in thinking that the new router will go next to a modem supplied by BT and that these are then connected please? What cabling for that and does it come via BT or possibly with the new router please?

It'll be fine. The engineer will fit a faceplate filter on your existing NTE, or possibly even leave an existing one in place. The modem comes with a short (1.5m) RJ11 lead, ask the bod to wall mount the modem close to the NTE. Make sure you have two spare power supplies, one for modem, and one for your new router.

Happy days, for the engineer.

Ask ADSL24 to ensure they haven't requested 'HWS' on the order, as you will not require it, and don't wan't to be charged extra by mistake.

I think "power supplies" might confuse people, as most here will take you to mean PSUs. "Mains sockets" would be clearer, and in case the OP has only one I say to him a multi-socket mains extension lead is fine.

Also the new router will have a 1m or 2m ethernet cable to connect to the modem. Your connections from the router are then as you have now. The technical difference is that an ADSLx router contains a modem, and in this setup the modem is stand-alone.

I think "power supplies" might confuse people

Yes, sorry Bob. By 'power supplies', I did of course mean, 'power supplies' !

Newton figs at dawn!

Crumbs !

I'm sure you don't leave any.

Ahh good point about the PSUs - I went up the loft found two old pcs and stripped them down to get at the old power supplies. I've cleaned and tested these ready for the arrival of the BT guy - where do they go please? No wait............

Seriously though, good point about the sockets, we've only got one there so I'll need to have a think how to do it and keep the job tidy. Possibly just a double plug in the LAN plug pass-thro socket. Yuk.

Roberto, that modem does look like great value but I really want a gigabit job as we move some big stuff to NAS over the network. Anyone got any recommendations please? Lots of options but seems nothing stands out unless you pay top dollar for Draytek?

Thanks for your help
Dave

This is the gig LAN one. It's that DD-WRT firmware some found difficult, though since then I've seen it (the f/w) recommended.

If you search these forums for WZR-HP-G300NH, (all posts), you get a few threads.

I have just upgraded my D-Link DIR-655 to the Asus RT-N56u and I would highly recommend it. One of the main reasons I upgraded was that I found that the wireless signal strength was lacking in some areas of the house with the old D-Link but with the new Asus router I am getting excellent signal all around the property.

It's a bit on the pricey side but well worth it in my opinion.

Hi,

That gets good reviews and now on the short list - cheers

I use http://www.buffalo-technology.com/products/wireless/...

Find it fantastic get great signal and speed throughout the house

That is a link to a half-broken Buffalo Home page somewhere by the look of it . Try clicking it and see.

No problem, if you have any specific questions in regards to the router let me know.

I used a Cisco E3000 for a year whilst I was with Aquiss on FTTC and thought it was pretty good. I then swapped provider last month to BT Infinity to save some money and after two weeks on their service using the E3000 I decided to give the included Home Hub 3 a try.

Pleasantly surprised at how good it is and tbh the wireless coverage is better than what I was getting with the E3000 which was decidedly limited in terms of the distance you could move away from it and still get coverage. Simultaneous dual band and lots of internal antennae should have given good coverage but the HH3 definitely betters it in my experience.

Was very nervous about swapping back to BT as an ISP as I haven't used them for that since the ISDN2e days a decade ago (and that didn't end well) but once i had gotten past their complete and utter confusion on whether I needed an engineer visit or not the actual FTTC service has been good.

Aquiss have very good customer service and its great being able to speak to someone in the UK when you do have an issue but I don't personally think the Entanet network stands up to heavy loads during peak times that well. I had occasions on their 40Mbps Business FTTC where I was getting less than 1Mbps download because there was a tennis match in Australia and lots of their customers were streaming it from the web. I didn't fancy waiting to see what It would be like during the Olympics and European championships later this year.

I can only re-iterate what Roberto says the Router is in my opinion wonderful, bought it upgraded the firmware and a year on not had a single problem with it at all. Cheap and work what more can you ask ? Why pay £100 + for the same thing.


Steve