Cheap modem router recommendations

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paulchinnz

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#17881 16-Dec-2007 20:13

Hi all looking at getting an el cheapo but reliable wired modem router (future proofing e.g. ADSL2 etc not needed). Thoughts?

cyril7

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#100362 17-Dec-2007 08:04

Dick Smith currently have a $68 special on the XH9949 which appears to be a TP-Link rebadge, a brand I have had very good success with in the past. It has ADSL2+ capable, 4port switch, basic firwrewall, was going to get one for a client today, will report back on what I find.

Cyril

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paulchinnz

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#100363 17-Dec-2007 08:23

Thanks. Look forward to hearing about it. I've had a string of D-link modem routers by default from Xtra, and have not had any real problems (even to the point I voluntarily went out to get the G604t), but D-link's been bagged a bit on some of these forums so I thought I'd ask.

cyril7

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#100459 17-Dec-2007 16:33

Update on the $68 DSE XH9949 modem/router, well it does seem as though its a TP-Link rebadge, the case is the same and the egg carton packaging is the same as TP-Link. Internally it uses a Broadcom BCM6338 Single chip solution (except for SRAM and Flash) with a Marvell 88E6060 6port ethernet switch on the side. The BCM633X chipset is well respected and has a powerfull MIPS32 processor and a hardware routing accelerator so one would assume quite up to the task. This chip supports all flavours of ADSL/2+ aswell as VHDSL if a suitable front end is provided. Internally the workmanship is good.

So far it has worked as advertised, it connects with an identical speed (5696)to my Belkin. My my current Belkin which replaced an earlier generation Belkin that was bricked by a bad firmware release by Belkin (they supplied a new router gratis as they admitted the firmware update should not have been allowed) drops the connection at least once an hour. So far this DSE router has not missed a beat. My old Belkin never dropped the link, or maybe once a month or so. If this one stays on line I will keep it and get the client another DSE Router, will keep you posted.

Cyril

paulchinnz

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#100550 17-Dec-2007 22:37

Thanks Stephen. I wonder if I've posted in the wrong forum or something ... seems surprisingly quiet!

cyril7

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#100587 18-Dec-2007 08:42

Hi Paul, yes this probably should have gone in either the Broadband or Telecom threads. 24hrs latter and the router has still not dropped the link. Had it pull a couple of nix ISO's down overnight, it maintained a steady 3.5Mb/s on both and Im at the end of around 3.5km of cable (46dB of attenuation).

Cyril

cyril7

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#100979 20-Dec-2007 09:33

Final report back on the DSE XH9949, after 4days in service it has not drop the line once, and continues to deliver 4.5Mb/s speed tests on my line which has a 5696 sync rate which is as much you would expect from with TCP overhead.

Conclusion at this point is that this seems a great wee router at a good price.

Cyril

paulchinnz

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#101217 21-Dec-2007 09:57

cyril7: Final report back on the DSE XH9949, after 4days in service it has not drop the line once, and continues to deliver 4.5Mb/s speed tests on my line which has a 5696 sync rate which is as much you would expect from with TCP overhead.

Conclusion at this point is that this seems a great wee router at a good price.

Cyril

Thanks. Off to DSE!