Reply to: More on a "reliable" ADSL modem/router.

[lilelvis2000]

I can't...

Neither can I.

[Fred Bloggs]

Get cable if you can.

No cable within 20 miles of here. Sadly.

[gingerjedi]

Get cable if you can.

I can't...

[Jog On]

Get cable if you can.

[lilelvis2000]

I gave up on my line. eventhough I had a reasonably stable connection...my speed was well below the 512K I should have got. So I ditched the broadband at home. I find something else to do on weekends and evening now...like removing rust from my Morris.

Though, recently my neighbour was telling me that they have somehow upped it to 2Mb recently. I might have a look into that.

[Fred Bloggs]

Coincidence?

I've tried 4 or 5 and came to the conclusion that my line is tulip, it can work flawlessly for months then it can go through periods of dropping out? It's worse in hot and dry weather.

I've been told it's most probably a bad high resistance joint somewhere between me and the exchange but BT are fliping useless and don't want to know about intermittent faults. I'll just have to wait for fibre sometime in the next 10 years when the UK decides to catch up with the 3rd world.

Yes, my line is rubbish too. My strategy is to wait for the bandwidth charges to drop on the 3G network. I can buy 5Gb a month from Vodafone for £20 a month. Voda is the only 3G network available where I live, when they can supply 10Gb for say £25 - 30 a month I'll dump ADSL altogether.

[gingerjedi]

Thanks all for the support and comments. Here's the list of modem/routers that do not work reliably on my "wet string" ADSL line so far over the last 5 years-

Netgear (various flavours of model 834), BT Voyager 2110 (three different ones), Draytek Vigor 2700G.

Here's the list that does work-

Speedtouch (costs about £20!).

Coincidence?

I've tried 4 or 5 and came to the conclusion that my line is tulip, it can work flawlessly for months then it can go through periods of dropping out? It's worse in hot and dry weather.

I've been told it's most probably a bad high resistance joint somewhere between me and the exchange but BT are fecking useless and don't want to know about intermittent faults. I'll just have to wait for fibre sometime in the next 10 years when the UK decides to catch up with the 3rd world.

[Fred Bloggs]

I'd give the solwise a try. it worked on my poor line quite well.
As I feared - even though I like them - the Draytek wouldn't make a difference.
Glad to hear that you were able to return it and have something reasonably solid in place.

Thanks, I'll make a note of that. For now, I have the cheap Speedtouch modem device that works and I'm hanging onto it like glue! I have bought a wireless access point/4 port LAN switch that I am going to hook the Speedtouch modem to. Then at least the kids can go on the web without formimg a queue at the one PC that's connected to the Speedtouch.

[lilelvis2000]

I'd give the solwise a try. it worked on my poor line quite well.
As I feared - even though I like them - the Draytek wouldn't make a difference.
Glad to hear that you were able to return it and have something reasonably solid in place.

[Fred Bloggs]

Thanks all for the support and comments. Here's the list of modem/routers that do not work reliably on my "wet string" ADSL line so far over the last 5 years-

Netgear (various flavours of model 834), BT Voyager 2110 (three different ones), Draytek Vigor 2700G.

Here's the list that does work-

Speedtouch (costs about £20!).

[Fred Bloggs]

Sorry to hear that Fred - I shoulder some of the blame as one of those who recommended Draytek kit

Nope, no blame apportioned. Draytek admit that the units "have issues" under some circumstances. Thanks for your help it's appreciated.

[FarmerPalmer]

I've had the same Linksys WRT54GL since 2003 and it's absolutly flipping brilliant.

I've turned wireless off and cabled up the flat and it just sits and behaves itself like it should

I too have a Linksys Router working faultlessly, and a Linksys wireless access point for the PS2 in a room where there is no network cable connection, and 2 Linksys switches running sub-nets (one in my study, and one in my son's bedroom) and a Linksys 3G router as a backup if/when my ADSL goes down.

oh and a Linksys NSLU2 (Slug) - Linux ARM box

[CheeseSlice]

Firmware can have a lot to do with stability. Find a good one, then stick with it. No experience with Drayteks though.
I tried two firmware updates on my 4 year old Billion router. Both times I rolled back to a known good version due to drop-outs and resyncs.

When this one eventually dies I'm going to find another stable hardware / firmware combination and then not f**k with it.

[DaveB]

3Com Office connect here. Does what it says, wired and wireless. No issues since the day I bought it.

[VectraMan]

I won't say I told you so.

Okay so I didn't quite, but I did say what makes a router good for features, and speed and reliability on a good line doesn't mean it'll be good on a marginal one. At least you're getting your money back.

My Netgear still works flawlessly, but then I could almost throw a stone and hit my telephone exchange (if I didn't throw like a girl anyway), so I'm not sure that's relevant to your situation.