VDSL Modem/Routers - Your Favourites?

As some of you know I've just joined the Fibre club, but unfortunately out of all the routers I've used over the years I cannot seem to get on with the PlusNet Hub.

In particular where I need to use Wifi Only Devices there seems to be strange compatability issues and not distance issues. Some Wifi devices run without issue and some don't - this is mainly with 2.4Ghz devices and not the 5Ghz ones. I've also tweaked the Wifi settings and back to default with no avail and I'm generally quite up to speed with the wifi side of things.

The issues cause more inconvenience than being deal breakers. I had been looking to buy a VDSL Modem/Router before I moved to PlusNet Fibre as initially the ISP's I was looking at didn't supply them by default.

So my question is as the post title - what VDSL modem/routers (other than the HH5a) have you found to be good?

I think I've seen posts re the BT HomeHub 5A which is the same thing under the bonnet that wifi can be helped by separating the 5GHz and 2.4GHz services. By that I assume they mean give them different SSIDs.

I like my Billion 6300. It's stable and supports dual stack IPv6/v4 (shame my ISP doesn't support IPv6 yet).. It's getting on a bit now but I think it's the only router I've owned in over a decade that I can just forget about.

Yes different SSID and it does seem to improve things ie. stops devices flipping between the two signals as they wax and wane

Not used the TP-Link VR900 but others say its good http://amzn.to/28PXyEI at £119 (sometimes does have lower price offers).

Have found the W9970 version which is just 2.4GHz at £34 to £38 is surprisingly good as a modem basic router and can use it in bridge mode to a really good Ethernet wireless router if you want.

Thanks for the info, yes 2.4Ghz & 5Ghz can have seperate SSID's and also there are drop down menu's to essentially cap speeds by only allowing certain wireless protocols on both frequencies. This makes no odds to the issues I am experiencing.
I have also been able to "fix" the fault by using an alternative eg USB wifi rather than the built in wireless chipsets in the "problem" devices - yet as I metioned above is not a scenario I have come across with previous modem/routers even those like my last Asus DSL N55U that supports both 2.4/5Ghz wireless frequencies.

There is a budget model prior to the TPlink TD-W9980 although not sure if its current. The TD-W9980 though appears to be at a reasonable price point.

It's just useful to know how others have got on with VDSL hardware and what they think is good.

The W9980 while middle of the road wireless is lacking in the VDSL2 chipset side, i.e. limited G.INP support and no vectoring

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

The W9980 while middle of the road wireless is lacking in the VDSL2 chipset side, i.e. limited G.INP support and no vectoring

Am I right in saying that on the VDSL2 side of things the PlusNet Hub/BT HH5a is very similiar in it's feature set to modem/routers such as the W9980?
Are you looking at it in a way of future proofing or near future proofing?

Edit:-
I had looked at this TPLink model before :-
http://uk.tp-link.com/products/details/Archer-VR600....
& http://uk.tp-link.com/products/details/cat-15_Archer...

But if they offer full VDSL2 support that I'm unsure of. What are the current VDSL2 standards/numbering/designation that should be looked for on VDSL2 Product specification lists?

Edited by Vorlon (Fri 24-Jun-16 01:25:58)

Have you split the SSIDs for 2.4 and 5Ghz. If that does not solve it, you may have a faulty router.

What devices are having issues?

In reply to a post by ukhardy07:

Have you split the SSIDs for 2.4 and 5Ghz. If that does not solve it, you may have a faulty router.

What devices are having issues?

I'm quite certain it's a compatability issue as per the details in my post. In fact I've proved it's a compatability issue by using USB wifi dongles in place of built in wifi chipsets. I've tried changing to the favoured 1, 6, 11 channels (2.4Ghz) and found channel 6 to be marginally better for throughput, but it was so close it could of be a red herring.

I find it highly unlikely that the router is faulty as per a similar discussion we had on another thread. After working for years as a qualified engineer on domestic electronics of varying standards ie upmarket HiFi to Beta/VHS to tv it's quite apparent what sort of faults/errors/odd behavior are attributed by.
So often I see on electronic/computer retail websites product comments where someone has returned an electronic device a number of times "because they were all faulty" - when in reality probably non of them were and is something we used to call "Finger Trouble" in the trade. Hard drives are usually favourite for that sort of scenario and where there are genuine failures so many are returned in perfect working order.

On a non-important cosmetic observation:- I noticed the PlusNet hub is a bit odd in as much as it looks as though the Panel under the Horizontal light is removable? To add weight to this mine had a protective cellophane type covering on it to be removed. Perhaps there is something there on the BT Home Hub such as a USB socket on the front underneath it, or perhaps it is removeable on the Plusnet router. I've not investigated anymore than looking at it.but t seems a bit odd to put cellophane just on that piece of rectangled plastic.

Anyway, quite happy to stick with the Plusnet router to ensure the line is OK and its stable and then depending if I go down the wired route soon will determine if i replace the router. Ideally I would like something that is generally better in all regards.

Edited by Vorlon (Fri 24-Jun-16 11:29:31)