[WXC/VFX] At last!! RTA1320 + WRT54GS For The Win!!

Forums › One New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › [WXC/VFX] At last!! RTA1320 + WRT54GS For The Win!!

sultanoswing

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#37049 6-Jul-2009 21:24

After much wailing, reflashing and gnashing of teeth (http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=65&topicid=35664&page_no=3) I've finally obtained the following line stats:

Line Rate:                    15735 Kbps     945 Kbps
Attainable Line Rate:     20076 Kbps     945 Kbps
Noise Margin:                12.3 dB     16.2 dB
Line Attenuation: 19.0 dB     8.9 dB

Achieved with a dynalink RTA1320 in half-bridged mode connected through a WRT54GS running tomato 1.25.

(Thanks to: http://www.ben.geek.nz/adsl-routing-solution-in-detail/)

...and yes, the real world on-the-browser experience is much improved.

At last!! :)

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#231841 7-Jul-2009 00:41

Welcome to the club

magu

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#231874 7-Jul-2009 08:27

Very nice rates there.

I can only get about 8000 Kbps down, but I'm 2.6Km from the exchange (roughly).

"Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads." - Doc Emmet Brown

FreddyK

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#231909 7-Jul-2009 09:45

I'm also a recent convert to the dynalink RTA1320. A very much under rated modem (thanks to the half-bridge mode) and cheap as chips. I have it connected to a WRT54GL.

Niel

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#231954 7-Jul-2009 11:32

I've been using an RTA for a long time. Telecom's own testing showed the RTA is one of the best modems for ADSL2+ which the D-Link is one of the worst. It is worth getting a cheap 1-week mains timer to restart the modem weekly, as you will lock up after 2 or 3 weeks anyway.

I'm on my second one. The first had a problem from new whereby it would overheat and lock up within 5 minutes of turning on. It was replaced with a newer hardware version which has no problems apart from the fortnightly lock-up which I'm told has to do with the address tables or whatever (I'm an electronic engineer, don't care for software bugs).

You can never have enough Volvos!

magu

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#231971 7-Jul-2009 12:34

Am on my second one now. First one lasted almost 2 years.

"Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads." - Doc Emmet Brown

FreddyK

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#231984 7-Jul-2009 12:50

The RTA1320 doesnt suffer from the NAT table overflow problem when running in half-bridge mode. Everythings passed through to whatevers behind the modem so doesnt use its own tables.

Ragnor

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#232018 7-Jul-2009 13:31

Linksys AM300 is probably a better choice than the RTA1320 if you care about longevity.. but yeah 1320's are cheap on tradme due to so many having been given out by ISP's aa the free new connection modem when people change ISP.

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sultanoswing

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#232062 7-Jul-2009 14:41

I've also heard the TP Link TD-8840 is good - it's a 4-port ADSL router - same Broadcom ADSL2+ chipset as the 1320. It's larger, so may run cooler. It's about $80. The TD-8810 is a single port like the 1320, but doesn't seem to be available in NZ *sigh*.

If I have locup or disconnection problems with the 1320, I'd certainly try the TD-8840 next.

[EDIT] is there anyway to run this combination with the modem in full bridge mode? I've read that because our ISP's use PPPoA that half-bridge is needed, but I'd prefer to run full-bridge if it's possible.

rattewisday

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#232079 7-Jul-2009 15:03

Not possible unless you get a Draytek modem/router that implements this functionality

magu

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#232081 7-Jul-2009 15:10

A little bit biased, but here we go: the differences between PPPoA and PPPoE.

Basically, PPPoA can't be fully bridged unless you have an expensive ATM card installed on your computer, or a router with PPPoA on it. Most routers don't have PPPoA capabilities, hence why full bridge PPPoA is hard to find.

"Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads." - Doc Emmet Brown

rattewisday

203 posts

Master Geek

#232084 7-Jul-2009 15:17

Note the Draytek router I mentioned above converts PPPoA to PPPoE and then the PPPoE is full bridged to the WRT54GS in your case. :)

sultanoswing

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#232093 7-Jul-2009 15:51

dannyres: Note the Draytek router I mentioned above converts PPPoA to PPPoE and then the PPPoE is full bridged to the WRT54GS in your case. :)

Nice. But those draytek routers ain't cheap, and to therefore use one simply as a ADSL modem PPPoA->PPPoE bridge - I'm not sure the cost-benefit would stack up.

After reading that article, why do NZ providers use PPPoA over PPPoE again?

Ragnor

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#232172 7-Jul-2009 19:14

Half bridge is a hack but it works fine in practice.

PPPoE relies on rfc1483 bridging, it is susceptible to broadcast storms and DoS attacks and is effectively another layer on top on PPPoA so is typically slightly slower.

sultanoswing

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#232237 7-Jul-2009 23:32

magu: Very nice rates there.
I can only get about 8000 Kbps down, but I'm 2.6Km from the exchange (roughly).

Dammit. Spoke / wrote too soon. Connection too unstable at those rates with regular disconnects and bad line stats with lots of upstream errors (interestingly, no downstream errors).

Have had to resort back to ADSL1, and will see how stable it proves. I may have to try to hook up straight to the demarc after all - although I can't for the life of me find where it is in our house.

magu

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#232258 8-Jul-2009 06:47

Turn on Seamless Rate Adaptation and see if it helps.

"Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads." - Doc Emmet Brown

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