I'm still on separates (using an HG612 as modem) but recently replaced my router with a Billion 8800. I thought about retiring the HG612 but eventually decided not to mess with it. I also like the fact I can reboot or even power cycle my router as often as I want.

I didn't want to do anything that might trigger a DLM backlash and I'm not convinced I'd see much of a speed gain. I don't really need the speed I have (64Mb/s) anyway.

So I'm taking a watching brief. If the HG612 fails I can get the 8800 to take over the duty. But for now I'm happy with things as they are.

In reply to a post by plankton:

. I'd recommend to everyone regardless of connection speed to ditch the combo modem-router-switch-wifi box and get kit in fit for purpose.

Why? For the average user. They just want one box to plug & Play and no messing around. Which to the vast majority of users is more than fit for purpose.

In reply to a post by Andrue:

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

I'd question if the HG612 is any longer suitable for anyone obsessed with speed.

Any particular reason? I thought it was still well regarded as a modem.

I'd be really interested too. If there is something more robust out there at a sensible price I'd go for it. I'm sold on the idea of separate boxes modem/router/wifi.

I have two of them. I have also had on my line a Vigor 130, a VMG1312-B10A, and now my Billion 8800NL R2.

It's a little hard to be definite, as my line is currently banded at 55000kbps, but the Huawei's are showing under 60000 max attainable where the other three show 66-67000.

Someone recently also confirmed that whatever they replaced their HG612 with gave 6-7Mbps higher sync.

They are simply outdated I think. Plus some of them are beginning to fail - a couple of reports of that in the last month. I agree that up till now they have been reliable work-horses, but things move on.

The OP of this thread is presumably on the full 79999kbps sync, so unless we hear about the attainable before and after we can't tell anything about the modem. I'm fairly sure his 400kbps or so is nothing to do with that.

I prefer the separate box setup to some extent, but for only one reason. That you can reboot the separate router without upsetting the sync/DLM.

But how often other than when experimenting do you need to reboot the router? If frequently, then there is something wrong which needs resolving. (Though on FTTC that could result in DLM screwing you up for months).

I find most reboots are of the modem, either standalone or as that component of the combo.

Having said all that, I can quite understand and accept what you are doing with your setup. A setup that to me suggests the two-box modem+router is a good idea. But your usage description has to be wayyyyy out of ordinary .

Leaving my two points. For the vast majority a single-box solution is fine, adding a WAP to it possibly needed a fair bit of the time. With the second point that the single box provided by ISPs, (and - note! P & P charged for even if the box is "free"), is normally rather basic. In ADSLx days modem/routers such as the Netgear DG834 series were pretty good things to have.

I agree that the majority of folks just want plug and play. There is a but though, they also want reliable internet/wifi ..... chatting to my neighbour who's more into driving steam engines than IT he was expressing how his WiFi didn't work most of the time etc etc and general dissatisfaction with the service he got from Talk-Talk. Looking at his set up, I'd say his issues are caused by lack of faceplate filter and his extension wiring, stone walls and a cheap Wirless Router. He's got a nice Desktop Mac, Smart Phone and tablet gizmo. So he's forking over £40 a month for broadband and phone, he's spent the thick end of £2500 on tech, he access the net via FTTC that cost £37,000 of tax payer money to install and he uses billion dollar data centres for email and web etc But between him and the net he's got a box that cost's £10 and was built by folks on £1.50 an hour and has software that was cobbled together for the lowest possible cost in the shortest time. His disappointment with his home internet experience is down to the way it's deployed in his home, not TalkTalk or BTOR. I suspect many household are in the same position. So I'll stand by my remarks, with the caveat of if you've the money and a modicum of tec skills/willingness to learn, get some reasonable kit in to make your home internet experience great.

Don't get the full sync, although only 100m odd of line I'm a a few Kbps down from the max, the lines aren't in the best condition around here, replacing the HG612 although it would be nice get full sync it would be more about replacing kit for something less elderly and less likely to fail. My marginal speed increase that I gave was real world rather than sync speed. I suspect that the router I'm using has very slightly better through put than my HH5.

Huawei or ECI cabinet? Possibly the Vigor 130 for ECI, and the cheaper Billion 8800NL R2 I have, in bridge mode, for Huawei. As I read the specs Billion has a Gigabit port that could future-proof (within reason) the link to your router.

The Vigor and my Huawei cabinet did not get on well. DLM got very upset in the space of two days. On ECI I believe it is fine.

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

Huawei or ECI cabinet?

Huawei all in one. I like the idea of the 1gb.

Thanks for the info.

Sean

Check out the 1Gig port though before buying. Remember I'm using it in combo modem/router mode with only one 100Mbps ethernet wired connection. Plus a few wireless ones. I'm not sure which port, maybe the WAN one.