Problems with Thomson TG585 v7 and FTTC, time for a new router?

[#1]

Hi,
I am on a FTTC service and have a Thomson TG585 v7 router that Plusnet provided when I joined the FTTC trial ages ago.
I've been having lousy connections recently with very poor speed test results - often <0.5Mbs down, sometimes just 30kbps.
When I connected directly to the FTTC modem from my PC tonight, the connection seemed fine, speed tests back up to 37Mbps.
I reset the Thomson to factory settings, reconfigured it and it seemd better - for about 20 minutes. Then the connection went bad again.
So I guess it's time for a new router. I understand the Thomson is running custom firmware to connect to the modem over PPPoE.
But what fibre routers do people recommend? Can I buy an off-the-shelf TG582n and get it to work with fibre?
Or should I choose something from this list?
http://www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/Shop/ShopSearch.asp?CategoryID=710
Thanks for any advice,
Jonathan

[#2]

It really depends on what your own network needs are, which only you can judge. The 582n that Plusnet supply for Fibre has different firmware (which you can download as well) and you use one of the LAN ports as a WAN port, so not ideal if you want 4 LAN ports. I also believe Plusnet's no longer has a USB port. Have a search of the various Fibre threads to see peoples comments about the 582n to form your own opinion.

[#3]

Eeek. They're keen to get you to spend a lot of money with them, aren't they!
Plusnet started supplying the Netgear WNR1000 instead of the doctored TG582, and is what I used to connect to the fibre modem.
For some reason, BB don't include it in their list of fibre routers, but it most certainly is - and cheaper than all the ones they *do* list:
http://www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/Shop/ShopDetail.asp?ProductID=8032
It works "OK", as a basic router, without the thrills of some of the other boxes on that list.
We haven't really used the N wifi to the full extent, because so many of our devices are restricted to G.

[#4]

The fibre one HAS a usb port. 

[#5]

I just got fibre yesterday . Technicolor 582  ... has a USB  which can be used to share content  (but I have a NAS , so of no interest)
Config (on cmd line) is very like thomson 585v8

--
Graeme  ... lapsed (IAM) biker, active Debian user.