Broadcom Chipsets

Sometime ago it was generally believed that a modem/router with a Broadcom chipset gave better results in terms of connection speed.

I've just swapped my venerable Zyxel with a Broadcom chip for a Draytek with probably one from Mediatek. As a result the max attainable rate has dropped from circa 42 to 37 Kps, a significant drop. The Draytek has the latest firmware. It looks as though there may have been something in the old belief.

Is there any way of discovering which of the current modem/routers have a Broadcom chip? I'm on a flaky FTTC line and can't see this village getting full fibre anytime soon. AFAICT most of the newer ones are for WAN (Full fibre) connection only, which for someone like me would mean using a separate modem with attendant hassle.

Ideally I'm looking for something fairly compact, say around the size of a Draytek 2763. WiFi doesn't really matter since I have an access point in the roof, although I could always remove any aerials.

In reply to a post by Tacitus:

Sometime ago it was generally believed that a modem/router with a Broadcom chipset gave better results in terms of connection speed.

I've just swapped my venerable Zyxel with a Broadcom chip for a Draytek with probably one from Mediatek. As a result the max attainable rate has dropped from circa 42 to 37 Kps, a significant drop. The Draytek has the latest firmware. It looks as though there may have been something in the old belief.

Is there any way of discovering which of the current modem/routers have a Broadcom chip? I'm on a flaky FTTC line and can't see this village getting full fibre anytime soon. AFAICT most of the newer ones are for WAN (Full fibre) connection only, which for someone like me would mean using a separate modem with attendant hassle.

Ideally I'm looking for something fairly compact, say around the size of a Draytek 2763. WiFi doesn't really matter since I have an access point in the roof, although I could always remove any aerials.

You mean 42 to 37Mbps (not Kps/Kbps)?

I think the issue can be specific in relation to the hardware on the exchange (ADSL) or cabinet (FTTC/VDSL) end.

I found disconnecting unused extension wiring had a massive impact on my FTTC line - not related probably but you may want to test that if you have any. Not sure if the combination could make things worse.

I'm struggling to find the information. Tempted to open my TP-Link Archer VR600 to check

seb

That would be about right for a DrayTek , being more business use oriented they go for reliability more than speed..

Seb: You mean 42 to 37Mbps (not Kps/Kbps)?

Yes my bad - I need new glasses.....

Seb: I found disconnecting unused extension wiring had a massive impact on my FTTC line - not related probably but you may want to test that if you have any. Not sure if the combination could make things worse.

It's on a direct run of Cat5e from the main box. Disconnecting the extensions makes no, or little difference.

Seb: I'm struggling to find the information. Tempted to open my TP-Link Archer VR600 to check

A lot of the stuff on the internet appears to relate to non-UK devices.

I did try a Fritz 7530 (Ex Zen). I was astonished to find that even switching to 'stealth mode' a port scan showed Port113 (I think it was) as being there but closed. Doesn't need saying that if 113 is there, then the rest must be also and it's not stealthed as it should be by default. Didn't give me a high opinion of AVM's idea of security.

Edited by Tacitus (Mon 27-May-24 19:37:00)

In reply to a post by AndreiV:

That would be about right for a DrayTek , being more business use oriented they go for reliability more than speed..

I did try the same thing some years ago with an older Draytek, and whilst there was a difference, it was nowhere near as marked as this. Most likely the line has deteriorated over time and/or there are a greater number of users

Edited by Tacitus (Mon 27-May-24 19:38:04)

So I opened up by Archer VR600.. almost mangled it not seeing it has screws before trying the clips. I can't see any obvious IC here.. there's an Mnova MP1548JNL 2033J next to the VDSL port but I can't find anything on that - I'm not sure what kind of component it is.. the main chip is under a heatsink I don't really want to remove.

Maybe try Twitter/X on he manufacturers?

seb

It's on a direct run of Cat5e from the main box. Disconnecting the extensions makes no, or little difference.

Please describe all this in detail .

If there any extension wiring connected, it will be ‘seen’ by dynamic line management as a bridge tap.This will cause DLM to tweak things and slow stuff down.

In reply to a post by seb:

So I opened up by Archer VR600.. almost mangled it not seeing it has screws before trying the clips. I can't see any obvious IC here.. there's an Mnova MP1548JNL 2033J next to the VDSL port but I can't find anything on that - I'm not sure what kind of component it is.. the main chip is under a heatsink I don't really want to remove.
Maybe try Twitter/X on he manufacturers?
seb

Thanks for trying Seb. There does seem very little information around as to chip type in today's Modems. I think the Fritz range also use Mediatek. I was rather put off by their idea of a visible, though locked port being 'stealth mode'.

I've just been banned from Twitter. It asked for confirmation of my birth date and I hit enter too soon. It now thinks I am about 6 months old. Getting reinstated is becoming such a palaver that I'm wondering whether to bother.

For the Draytek I'll try their forum.

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

It's on a direct run of Cat5e from the main box. Disconnecting the extensions makes no, or little difference.

Please describe all this in detail .
If there any extension wiring connected, it will be ‘seen’ by dynamic line management as a bridge tap.This will cause DLM to tweak things and slow stuff down.

I'm on FTTC so it's an ordinary phone line that enters the house to the standard BT NTE5 with a removable bottom section. The phone line, a run of BT1308? which connects three phones, is wired into the filter section.

From the back of the box there is a run of around 6m of Cat5e, which goes straight to a BT (Flat plug) type socket. It uses a single pair of the Cat5 and there is nothing else on that section.

It is simple to disconnect the phone lines by removing the front plate, so I'll give that another go.

I also have a currently unused Gigaset 300a, which does both VOIP and analogue. At present I don't have any DECT phones since most of the VOIP suppliers seem to be offering Yealink rather than Gigaset. I'm reluctant to purchase a set of Gigaset phones now if I'm going to finish up with Yealink ones when I transfer to VOIP. Can't understand why so few support Gigaset since they have a good reputation.

Not sure if disconnecting all the old phones and plugging the N300 into the NTE5 would cause problems as it would be the only phone device connected, all others would be via DECT. Once I go VOIP it would be connected to the router.

As Zarjaz says, just removing equipment from the extension sockets isn't the important bit. They have to be disconnected at the NTE.