Modem Router

[Tosh McCaber]

What's the best/ worst ADSL wireless modem/router around at present?

[hellsbrink]

Define, please

Do you mean ADSL, ADSL2/ADSL2+, wired only, wireless only, combination of wired/wireless, VOIP capable, digital TV capable, wireless N or not, yada yada yada?

Can't just say "what modem/router" without knowing what you actually need!

[Tosh McCaber]

Apologies, I should have specified ADSL Wireless modem/router- I was in a bit of a rush this morning!

I've editted my heading request accordingly!

[Mike-Bracknell]

My deployment list consists of:

Netgear DG834G or DGN2000 (for SOHOs) - price ~ £50
Draytek Vigor 2820n (for SMEs) - price ~ £160
Cisco 877 (for SMEs where QoS performance is of paramount importance and other links are available) - price ~ £250

I would err towards the Draytek for most installs, and only if the customer is pikey would I go with the Netgear, or they require faultless VoIP would I use the Cisco.

HTH.

p.s. - the Cisco 877w you would need for wireless.

[Saab Dastard]

I would put Linksys (owned by Cisco) between Netgear and Draytek - and not touch Belkin with a 3m bargpole!

SD

[mixture]

Linksys (owned by Cisco)

Please don't get swayed by the "owned by Cisco" lark... they are very much different business units with different target markets. If you think much (if any) Cisco IP gets handed town to Linksys on the cheap, you would be much mistaken. The word Cisco is largely there because of their more established brand name, which is cheaper to exploit than feeding Linksys its own marketing $$$.

Much like HP's "Compaq" brand for the home users.....

[Tosh McCaber]

The reason that I'm asking the question is that I've a wired/ wireless Belkin Modem Router. Whilst it's not bad on the hard wired lines, other than the occasional reboot to speed things up, it keeps needing rebooting at regular intrvals to keep wireless connections intact.

[Aerouk]

I've been using Belkin hardware for some time and I must say I'm not impressed with them at all, their software is dreadful and the hardware doesn't last long.

I recently purchased a router from Tenda (Cheap Laptop Deals, Monitors, Hard Drives and LCD TVs | Ebuyer.com (http://www.ebuyer.com)) which has been not bad and only cost £10-20.

[Keef]

I went through the same palaver - in order:
Belkin was a disaster, and consigned to the bin.
Netgear: better, but not good. I was about 3km from the exchange and that was a bit much for the Netgear.
Draytek - some problems with the 3km so they sent me new firmware to install. Flawless thereafter.

Then a kind person provided a Cisco - a challenge to configure (putting it mildly) but great fun.

If I were buying again, I'd go Draytek every time.

[papabravowhiskey]

I've used Linksys, BT Voyager, Thomson and various others. The one I like most is the AVM Fritzbox: bit more expensive but has given no problems at all and is great for VOIP as well. I have no connection with AVM other than as a satisfied customer.

Regards
PBW

[Ancient Observer]

Mr Bracknell,

whilst I enjoy and value your contributions, as you appear to know what you are talking about, I am a little hurt at being called a pikey. I used to like my Netgear. (1.5km from exchange)

I'm only not a pikey cos BT gave me one of their homehub 2.0 for free. (Actually, they gave me 2, but that's another story)

[Mike-Bracknell]

AO - The choice of Netgear isn't necessarily the de-facto choice of the pikey. On the contrary they make a lot of very good kit.

The comment is more that my business customers who baulk at capital outlay of ~£160 for a proper broadband router are then directed towards a Netgear.

Also I wouldn't suggest that all and sundry SOHO users *need* the power/reliability/etc of a ~£160 router, but for those people who are discerning about such matters it's a worthwhile investment (also since it'll work with future BT Infinity rollouts too :))

p.s. - to avoid yet another forum labelling me such, my surname isn't Bracknell :)

[mixture]

AO,

I think this might be a rare occasion where I have to show support for Mr Bracknell. :cool:

Whilst his choice of "pikey" might not have been ideal, the point he was trying to get accross is that when faced with "budgetary constraints", particularly when faced with a home user, it is often a lot quicker to say "buy Netgear" than spend time trying to justify Cisco/Juniper/whatever.

Netgear have been around for a while, and the stuff they churn out is probably as good as you'll get in the "much-of-muchness" environment of the el-cheapo end of the IT market.

[Ancient Observer]

Ah, yes, I remember. It's Mike who at the time that he joined up was working in Bracknell.

I suppose some one has to.

The Netgear was one of my previous employer's choices for me to use at home. They found it easy to wave their "Enhanced Security Checked IT Security" wand at it. I have no idea what they did, but it did allow me to see some lowish level allegedly secret stuff on it. Prior to that I had been sub-Pikey with a Belkin.