What's a good home-based wireless modem?

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heavenlywild

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#99193 14-Mar-2012 13:35

I think my Telecom Thomson wireless modem is about to die - dodgy wireless connectivity and performance.

So, time to look at upgrading this 3 or so year old hardware.

Can anyone recommend a wireless modem that's proven to be reliable and has the best range for a two story home? Preferably looking for something under $200 retail (and can be acquired in NZ).

Thanks in advance.

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#595064 14-Mar-2012 13:41

I have just replaced mine with a TP-Link (Sorry, can't remember model, but it was only about$130). Been great so far.

Ragnor

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#595065 14-Mar-2012 13:45

Best bang for buck "all in one" is the TP-Link TD-W8960N for $99 from Computer Lounge or Playtech, add a cheap 5 port gigabit switch TL-SG1005D if you want gigabit lan ~$45 ish.

Otherwise if you want more control/power/features and want to geek it up you'll want a separate modem "bridged" to a router.

Modem options:
- Draytek Vigor 120 modem for pppoa to pppoe relay/bridge a separate router
- TP Link TD-8840 (non T version) for pppoa half bridge/ip extension

Router options:
- Asus RT-N16 flashed with Toastmans TomatoUSB firmware
- TP-Link TL-WR1043ND flashed with Gargoyle Router/OpenWRT
- Cisco/Linksys 4xxx or 3xxx range flashed with DD-WRT or Toastman's TomatoUSB
- pfsense on a PC Engines ALIX board, or even just an old PC
- Mikrotek RouterOS on something

garvani

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#595074 14-Mar-2012 14:04

Bridged routers are good options but some are difficult to get setup.. I have no experience with the tplink mentioned but others are recommending it. If you just want simplicity out of the box (with a lot of options if you want to use them) you can't go wrong with a decent Netgear. These have decent range as well.

Netgear DGND3300

gcorgnet

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#595080 14-Mar-2012 14:08

Ragnor: Best bang for buck "all in one" is the TP-Link TD-W8960N for $99 from Computer Lounge or Playtech, add a cheap 5 port gigabit switch TL-SG1005D if you want gigabit lan ~$45 ish.

Hi,

Just to clarify. Would you plug all your Gigabit devices onto the switch and then run 1 ethernet cable between one port of the switch to one port of the TD-W8960N router?
Would that give you gigabit speed across all of your devices?

Thanks,

Guillaume

cyril7

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#595094 14-Mar-2012 14:18

Hi, Guillaume, you are correct but not all devices need GigE nor support it so in the end you get 3 Fast Ethernet and 4 GigE use them as you see fit.

I too give a +1 for Ragnors advise.

Cyril

heavenlywild

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#595104 14-Mar-2012 14:32

Thanks for the feedback so far. I am not looking for anything complicated, just an all in one device.

Will take a look at the TP-Link TD-W8960N option :)

Dyson

Shop now for Dyson appliances (affiliate link).

theEd

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#595108 14-Mar-2012 14:33

+1 for Ragnor's suggestions.

Skolink

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#595125 14-Mar-2012 14:55

This must be my cue to repeat - not any of the Linksys internal antenna models, eg WAG160N, WAG320N. Wireless performance is rubbish.

cyril7

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#595138 14-Mar-2012 15:03

Skolink: This must be my cue to repeat - not any of the Linksys internal antenna models, eg WAG160N, WAG320N. Wireless performance is rubbish.

+1 and there DSL performance is not always as good as other solutions.

Cyril

lucky015

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#595241 14-Mar-2012 18:45

+1 for the TD-W8960N, Also worth noting due to its Removable Antenna's they can be upgraded to something more powerful if needed if it doesn't quite get the signal strength you need.

DrStrangelove

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#595621 15-Mar-2012 14:10

Ragnor:

[extract]

Modem options:
- Draytek Vigor 120 modem for pppoa to pppoe relay/bridge a separate router
- TP Link TD-8840 (non T version) for pppoa half bridge/ip extension

[/extract]

OH! Are we saying ONLY the TP-Link TD-8840 does PPPoA in half bridge???
Are we inferring that the TP-Link TD-8840T (T version) won't do PPPoA.

Looking at the User Guides for the 8840 and 8840T it appears the 8840T uses the one configuration option for both PPPoA and PPPoE where the 'old' 8840 had a separate configuration option for PPPoA and PPPoE.

The TP-Link TD-8840 is all but sold out and only the TD-8840T is now available. If that was the case, and the 8840 didn't support PPPoA, that would suck.

I agree with all the others regarding Linksys ADSL Modems. All you're doing is just buying into different levels of pain and crap with Linksys. If you can get Tomato or DD-WRT fw on a Linksys router(no hope for any Linksys ADSL modem) it can be saved from the tar pit of failed evolution.

Quic Broadband

Move to New Zealand's best fibre broadband service (affiliate link). Free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE. Note that to use Quic Broadband you must be comfortable with configuring your own router.

theEd

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#595700 15-Mar-2012 16:26

DrStrangelove: The TP-Link TD-8840 is all but sold out and only the TD-8840T is now available. If that was the case, and the 8840 didn't support PPPoA, that would suck.

There's still plenty of Vigor120s which support full passthrough ;)

(Actually, no stock right now, Tuesday's shipment is sold out... there'll be more next Tuesday)

DrStrangelove

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#595716 15-Mar-2012 16:49

theEd:
DrStrangelove: The TP-Link TD-8840 is all but sold out and only the TD-8840T is now available. If that was the case, and the 8840 didn't support PPPoA, that would suck.

There's still plenty of Vigor120s which support full passthrough ;)

(Actually, no stock right now, Tuesday's shipment is sold out... there'll be more next Tuesday)

I hear what you're saying, but I 'need' the other three Ethernet ports.

Having only one Ethernet port I can't expand the network out to support preferred and guess/DMZ networks.

Doing a bit of Googling on the TD-8840T, it does indicate that even though PPPoA is supported, the half bridge function isn't... Doh!!!

Just for a minute, it's almost like new technology is worse then the old stuff.

No 'current' marketed Linksys routers are supported by Tomato firmware. (E1200, E1500, E2500, E3200, E4200v2)

The new-'ish' TP-Link TD-8840T can't do half bridge.

What's the world coming to....

So any other difference between the TD-8840 and TD8840T other than chipset?

I'd not known about the PPPoA half bridge 'issue'.

theEd

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#595745 15-Mar-2012 17:32

Putting a modem into half-bridge or passthrough is for when you have a router behind it - so you can't ever use more than one port for anyway. The multiple ports for connecting devices to are on the router.

CutCutCut

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#595752 15-Mar-2012 17:51

+1 for the TP-Link TD-W8960N

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