Broadband/router...?

**KevinS** · 27 March 2008, 08:40

Originally posted by interested View Post

2 questions:

1) having been with Zen for years I've never really considered anyone else. Just about to move flat and it looks like O2 have a much better deal - half price, double the speed and LLU which Zen don't have in London. Anyone else use them? Any good?

O2 and Be use the same infrastructure.. I am with Be and the service is excellent.. Good speeds and TS is pretty good (based in Bulgaria)..

Originally posted by interested View Post

2) I need a ADSL2+ router if I go with O2, with 802.11n wireless networking. There don't seem to be that many about and the Netgear Rangemax seems to have iffy writeups on Amazon. Anyone got a router that fulfills these criteria and would recommend?

cheers

I thought 02 supplied routers for their service (Be definitely does and it is a SpeedTouch unit)??

**Fred Bloggs** · 27 March 2008, 09:28

I'm not sure if this will affect you, probably not in London but I had terrible issues with Netgear stuff-

We have today raised concerns about the reliability of the world's most popular ADSL chip; The AR7.

Potential problems have been uncovered with the Texas Instruments AR7. The chip is at the heart of about a third of routers in use worldwide today - including Linksys and Netgear kit.

We recommend any customers who have a device containing this chip should replace their equipment.

The issue was fingered when BT engineers were called to test lines for subscribers suffering repeated disconnections. BT staff test for a wiring problem using hardware based on chips made by Speedtouch - rivals to the AR7.

In many cases, the BT engineers would report back that there was no problem with the line, and the customer would be stung with an £180 unnecessary call-out charge.

The "fault" manifests itself on lines that have a variable signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Fluctuating SNR can be caused by submerged wires, interference from electrical equipment, and myriad other factors on Britain's aged copper phone network.

The AR7 is now produced by German chip giant Infineon, which bought Texas Instruments' DSL unit in June this year. When it was released in 2003, the AR7 was aimed at pushing ADSL to its bandwidth limits for applications like IPTV.

The connection problems AR7-based routers seem to be having is most likely caused poor optimisation for the UK's network last mile.

BT carries out lab testing on routers aimed at the UK market, but does not release the data to any Internet Service Providers. BT won't provide us with any information on hardware testing. That's why we've brought this issue to light like this. BT's testing is bound by confidentiality agreements with manufacturers.

Our advice is to pursue the fault but not arrange for an engineer visit until alternative hardware - without the AR7 chipset - is tested.

**gadgetman** · 27 March 2008, 09:47

Personally I always use Netgear kit and find it very reliable. I have a Rangemax Next and several Netgear gigabit switches.

On the other hand, in the past I've experienced loads of problems with LinkSys kit. YMMV.

**lilelvis2000** · 27 March 2008, 10:03

Why 802.11N? N is the latest (draft) standard ...I haven't heard or seen anything that indicates that it has been adopted. see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/802.11#802.11n

I'd personally stay away from 11N equipment.

**snaw** · 27 March 2008, 11:11

Originally posted by lilelvis2000 View Post

Why 802.11N? N is the latest (draft) standard ...I haven't heard or seen anything that indicates that it has been adopted. see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/802.11#802.11n

I'd personally stay away from 11N equipment.

It'' get adopted this year, and if you always waited for draft standards to get ratified you'd be consistently behind the 8 ball in networks ... anyway the guys who will give it the nod are primarily the ones rolling it out already!

**EvilWeevil** · 27 March 2008, 11:59

I have had a pair of USRobotics 9113 ADSL2 Ndx routers - I got them primarily to bridge. I haven't had them long enough to conclusively say, but they seem to work fine. And their tech support guys very efficiently taught me how to bridge between them.

**ratewhore** · 27 March 2008, 12:54

Originally posted by gadgetman View Post

I have a Rangemax Next and several Netgear gigabit switches.

Is this a home network? Oh dear

**Fred Bloggs** · 27 March 2008, 14:15

Originally posted by gadgetman View Post

Personally I always use Netgear kit and find it very reliable. I have a Rangemax Next and several Netgear gigabit switches.

On the other hand, in the past I've experienced loads of problems with LinkSys kit. YMMV.

I had 2 years of trouble until I found that out about the AR7 chips. I swapped to a BT Voyager Router/Modem and no problems at all since. The folks who bought my Netgear stuff never had any trouble from the kit.

**KevinS** · 27 March 2008, 14:20

The issue with the AR7 chips is it depends on the kit that is installed in your local exchange.. Be don't seem to have an issue with Netgear kit, but only supply Speedtouch units (because, AFAIK, it is the only router that is tested with their exchange kit)..

Broadband/router...?