Replacing the BT "white box" fibre router.

[Captain_Cretin]

It was only a few days ago that I commented on what to replace the BT "white box" with when it dies - it must have heard me, it has locked up the last two nights running, requiring a hard reset.

Mark kindly posted the list of BT approved routers :-

Here’s the approved list from September 2015 and the conditionally approved.

Approved Devices
Cisco C887VA-K9 (Firmware: 39m_B_38h3_24h)
Cisco C897VA-K9 (Firmware: 39m_B_38h3_24h)
Zyxel VMG8324-B10A (Firmware: A2pv6F039q)
Zyxel VMG8924 (Z-400UK) (Firmware: 1.00(AAKL.10)C0_0703)
Huawei HG633 (Firmware: 3_01.32.10)

Conditionally Approved Devices
Technicolor 589v3 (Firmware: A2pv6F037g.d24c1)
Technicolor TG598VAC (Firmware: A2pv6F039o1.d26b)
Zyxel 1312 (Firmware: V1.00(AAJZ.5)b2_0331)

Has anyone got any of the above and would care to comment on how good/bad it is?

I have a perfectly good TPLink Wireless router handling the Wifi side of things, so strictly speaking I dont need a Wifi enabled router, but depending on price, I dont mind swapping out the two for a single box.

 

[timeless]

l just grabbed backup modems from ebay, the modems handle the signal the router handles the logon from what lm aware, not to mention l prefer the idea of having backup hardware any surge should only hid the modem leaving me with replacements.

 

[Captain_Cretin]

I understand your logic, but with BT EOL'ing them, replacements are going to become scarce; and TBH, if it is playing up at less than 2 years old, I dont really want to keep buying them.

 

[Captain_Cretin]

Dear GOD!! I have just been through the list to have a look; what a shower!!

Expensive and obsolete (100MB Ethernet!!)

Stupid money (£1,000+)

Crap firmware

And/or all of the above!!

I might take my chances with one of the ones as yet uncertified; as it seems that by the time BT say it is OK, it is EOL!!!

 

[Captain_Cretin]

I'm looking at the TP Link Archer AC750 VR200 (£80 at Maplin), anyone taken one for a whirl?

BTW, getting hacked off with certain review sites, they all test the WIFI, but not one comment on the VDSL performance.

 

[Mark.J]

You can't easily compare DSL performance between routers as there are so many variables, not least the fact that disconnecting and reconnecting the line a few times may also influence the result, and the technology tends to vary a lot by nature. So to test one properly you'd need to have several DSL lines of varying different qualities to test with and then run one test every other day to avoid degrading those lines through the act of testing.. it becomes a challenge.

As for the "approved" routers, remember that BT doesn't test them all.. those are just the ones that ISPs need to get approved and often form the basis for their bundled kit or options. So I wouldn't limit yourself to that list because, as you've spotted, most of those are a bit naff / budget kit.

We have also written a couple of articles for VDSL / ADSL routers, albeit more of a summary than detailed reviews:

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.ph...tions-uk-fttc-isps-integrated-vdsl-modem.html

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.ph...oadband-router-options-uk-fttc-vdsl-isps.html

As for the TP Link VR200, well I've recently tested the high-end version (VR900) and you'll see an article on that during early Jan 2016. But overall I quite liked that one and the VR200 is basically a cut down release of the same model, so I'd assume it's quite good too. The WiFi is good, but nothing special, although it's the price vs performance that usually attracts for TP Link kit.

The only problem we found with the VR200, which is true of a fair few other VDSL routers, is that customers of Sky Broadband's FTTC won't be able to use it as an all-in-one as it doesn't yet support Sky's specific implementation of MER. Oddly the VR900 does support this (*shrug*) and I've been told that the VR200 will gain support in the future, but it does mean that for now Sky's VDSL is a no-no on the VR200 unless you bridge it to a separate Openreach VDSL modem of course.

 

[Captain_Cretin]

Thanks Mark, I went out to get a VR200 today (Maplin), only to be told they are nearly out of stock, and have none in a local branch; have they EOL'ed it already??

I wondered why Maplin had the best price for it (£79.99), now I know.

The ONLY other VDSL modem they had on the shelf was an Asus N68U (?) for £169, I have heard too many bad things about the current Asus VDSL routers to buy one though.

 

[Kits]

I have been using a Draytek 2860N for the last 18 months not had any problems the Openreach modem is packed away with the other Draytek for if any problems happen or tests if they ask to test other equipment on the line.

 

[Captain_Cretin]

Thanks KIts, but the Drayek is out of my price range right now; due to an error on my part BOTH our car insurance policies need renewing this month, plus the tax on mine, AND its major service :-{

(I forgot the wifes was a 10 month policy)

 

[Captain_Cretin]

That VR900 review is going to be interesting, there are LOADS of complaints about it over on Amazon, although the VR200 seems to be OK - only 3 reviews though.
Lot of complaints about the 9880 as well, poor WIFI and VDSL speed drops.

 

[Captain_Cretin]

Well I have ordered the VR200; although doing a straight search on Amazon turns it up priced at £85, dig a bit deeper and Amazon had one on offer themselves, for £68.
They DID, now IT IS MINE!!!!

Hopefully it will arrive before Christmas, so I can get it set up if the BT modem dies on us. I could have bought another BT modem for £22, but........

 

[Mark.J]

It's usually best to buy TP-Link routers one year after the release I find , that way they've had plenty of time to fix all the bugs (a common problem with their kit). The new UI they've introduced means that's almost certainly true for the latest VR's as well, but otherwise they're good.

Side note - Been told the Sky MER support on the VR200 will be fixed in the next firmware, due Jan/Feb 2016 sometime.

 

[Captain_Cretin]

I haver been buying TPL for years, I havent noticed the WIFI being particularly weak, but it turns up regularly in reviews; what I have found is that it doesnt play well with NetGear equipment, and that the older draft "N" stuff I have doesnt work as well with the official "N" spec gear, even after firmware and software updates.

Still, RF interference around here is getting so bad I am getting ready to run cat 7 cable through the house; things are so bad that the TV loses 80% of the channels during the evening - it has 100% strength and quality on all channels for most of the day. I am going to move the antenna higher and see if they can "see" the Sutton Colfield transmitter, even though I have LOS on the Malvern relay less than a mile away.

 

[Mark.J]

I had to give up on Netgear kit, it wasn't keeping pace with rival router manufactures and I kept finding that their own kit wouldn't work with other adapters produced by Netgear . Life has been better ever since.

 

[Captain_Cretin]

The last NetGear router I had (DGN2000) MELTED, but prior to that, it wouldnt pay with any draft "N" gear except Netgears own; it worked fine with "G" stuff though.

My FiL still uses an identical DGN2000 despite its fairly unreliable nature; his runs extremely hot, but so far hasnt melted the case.

Having said that, his ELCB has tripped out several times in the last week, and the PC stopped working last night.

His £3,500 HiFi amp blew up a few nights back,but I dont think I can blame the router for that, word is, he DID have it going full chat at the time, so I will have to blame Keith Jarrett.

 

[uno]

We're not fans of TP-Link kit for various reasons. Zyxel have sorted their hardware out, similar to what Billion did when they released the 7800 series router.

The VMG8924 performs well, has a nice chipset and wireless coverage/throughput seems good, also has VoIP ports for connection real handsets.

Matt