Best Broadband Modem???

[NG708]

Does anyone have any recommendations for a good quality, low interferance broadband modem?

I currently use a DSL D-Link200, about 5 years old and it wasn't state of the art at the time.

It seems to reduce the quality of my phone calls as I usually get interferance or a very quiet, almost suppressed, line if the broadband is connected.

So anyone have a recommendation for a decent one that doesn't cost the earth but does not seem to reduce the quality of phone calls?

Also is it worth paying more for these little ADSL filters that plug into the phone socket and split the line? I was wondering how much interferance these could cause if not good quality?

Thanks!

[P.Pilcher]

The reason you are having the problems that you mention is because you haven't got any filters! I have had broadband for almost as long as you, but fitted good quality filters to all my telephone outlets as soon as my line was enabled. My telephones behave totally normally - as does my 56k dial-up modem on the very rare occasions I use it.

P.P.

[Gertrude the Wombat]

The best one seems to be the one you rent from your cable company.

This has at least two magic advantanges, both of which I've found very useful:

(1) when it just stops working the cable company replace it for free
(2) when it gets blown up by a lightning strike the cable company replace it for free.

[NG708]

I've got filters plugged in and have had since the line was on. However you can clearly hear noise from the broadband modem in the background whilst you are on the phone.

[JediDude]

As far as filters go you are better off getting a filtered front panel for your BT master socket like This (http://www.clarity.it/xcart/product.php?productid=16134&cat=262&page=1), these are used by BT engineers when installing ADSL and are much better quality than the plugin type.

As for modems you would be better of investing in an ADSL Router/Modem like this (http://www.dabs.com/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=22ZR&CategorySelectedId=11177&PageMode=1&NavigationKey=11177,50542) or if you fancy wireless, This (http://www.dabs.com/ProductView.aspx?Quicklinx=3VZ5&CategorySelectedId=11177&PageMode=1&NavigationKey=11177,50542&InMerch=1)

[Keef]

You certainly shouldn't get any noise at all from your ADSL.

There are various quality levels in microfilters, and it's not necessarily the most expensive that are the best. I had noise problems (and line-drop problems) with the first set I had. The ones I'm using at the moment came with something "BT" that I bought, and they are fine. Google may help with quality info.

I had one of those Netgear DG834 wifi/modem/routers, and after six months of constant problems (and zero customer support from the Indian call centre), I gave up and bought a Draytek instead. It cost over twice as much, but it worked flawlessly out of the box and has done ever since (apart from a brief interlude when the BT connection went down).

[IO540]

Microfilters vary hugely. Some are apparently total cr*p, as I found when helping my neighbour set up his broadband.

Also, some wifi routers (those with built-in modems, as most of them are) have problems; they generate noise on the line which can be heard in the phones. Suprising but true.

If you want a standalone ADSL modem, look on Ebay for a D-Link DSL-300G+ I have two of them and they work perfectly.

[spekesoftly]

If you are planning to initially experiment with a different ADSL microfilter, I can recommend the SpeedTouch 413. Not the cheapest, nor the most expensive; it did well in a comparative review.
We have four plugged in around the house - no problems and no line noise.

[JediDude]

I had one of those Netgear DG834 wifi/modem/routers, and after six months of constant problems (and zero customer support from the Indian call centre), I gave up and bought a Draytek instead. It cost over twice as much, but it worked flawlessly out of the box and has done ever since (apart from a brief interlude when the BT connection went down).

I have had no issues with mine and have several friends who are equally satisfied. I guess you were just unlucky.

[Saab Dastard]

I too am a satisfied Netgear user - although I'm cable rather than ADSL.

SD

[Keef]

Yes, if you're lucky with your Netgear, it's fine. I'm sure most are. I was unlucky: mine was faulty on arrival, and I could NOT get it fixed. Then it started to drop the line at random several times a day and to refuse to reconnect till powered down. At that point, and with no further results from "Customer Service" I called it a day.

I also have two of the D-Link DSL-300G+ modems that IO540 recommends. They're both in the Norfolk cottage - one in use and one as spare. They work OK, but then you need a separate router and a separate WiFi unit. That's good if one part goes down, because the rest keeps working. However, the one-piece Draytek is a lot neater and a lot less clutter - it hasn't misbehaved yet, and it doesn't interfere with the telephones.

[spekesoftly]

As another Netgear user, I've broken all the recommended 'rules' for siting the equipment. For convenience it's positioned very close to the monitor and a cordless telephone. Neither interfere with one another, and despite a ground-floor location, Wifi and telephone reception is good throughout the house, including upstairs.

[IO540]

Draytek routers are very good but not without problems.

I have a currently-spare 2600Gi. Great until I put in the latest firmware. Now, it goes totally dead if I config the wifi for SSID DISabled. They obviously haven't tested that. Also, WPA/PSK selects "WPA2 only". Obviously they haven't tested that, either. Also, the new firmware has a broken firmware upgrade function, so I can't downgrade either..... :ugh:

I also have a couple of 2900Gi ones - these use the external modem. Thousands of features, most of which work and the rest don't, or don't quite. The traffic filters have various obscure bugs, the VPN works on PPTP but doesn't handle IPSEC for remote callers. The remote config port (443) is always open even if you disable the feature - this is something which is known in the hacking underworld; the fix is to set up NAT so that all packets sent to 443 are forwarded to an unused IP. One can spend weeks on this stuff....

Obviously there is no support. They have a forum on www.seg.co.uk (http://www.seg.co.uk) but nobody with much knowledge ever posts on it, except by accident.

There's no free lunch in this business. All the consumer gear works in the most common configurations, and the rest .... if it doesn't you chuck it in the bin, write off the £60 and try another box.

Probably the only stuff that works as it should is from Cisco et al but then you need a degree in gobbledygook (called the "Cisco certified engineer") to set it up. I had Cisco routers for years, running nonstop.