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Alternative router?

fester
Grafter
Posts: 43
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎21-02-2014

Alternative router?

Fibre is finally available in my area (thanks BDUK) so I have ordered Unlimited Fibre Extra which comes with the Hub One. I always like to have a backup for troubleshooting etc. so I was planning on buying an HG612 to pair with a Billion 7800DXL I already have. After doing a bit of research it seems this might actually provide better speeds than the Hub One with its ECI chipset as I’m connected to a Huawei cabinet.

 

  1. Does a 7800DXL and HG612 provide better speeds than Hub One on a Huawei cabinet?
  2. Is there another 5 GHz capable router that would be better?
  3. Should I connect the Hub One during training even if I plan to swap to another router later?

 

There is a great list of routers here: http://forum.kitz.co.uk/index.php/topic,14436.0.html but conflicting info on how they perform on PlusNet/Huawei cabinets.

 

PlusNet/BT/Sky estimated between 68 Mbps and 80 Mbps which would be great as the cable run could be around 250m. Zen estimate 54.6Mbps to 80.0Mbps and an actual speed of 68 Mbps which might be more realistic. Either way I would obviously like to get the highest possible speed and when I see people posting up to 8 Mbps variance in sync rate with different kit I would really appreciate your advice.

5 REPLIES 5
markhawkin
Pro
Posts: 552
Thanks: 121
Fixes: 11
Registered: ‎17-07-2016

Re: Alternative router?

@fester

Day 1, you could connect the Plusnet Hub One to the line and your Billion 7800DXL to an Ethernet port on the Plusnet Hub One.

Assuming the IP address ranges are different that will work fine but prevent incoming VPN and make port forwarding etc. more complex.

An Openreach modem and your Billion 7800DXL will also work and the Billion 7800DXL will behave similarly to how it works on the current ADSL line.

I used a Draytek 2820 and an Openreach modem in that way for some while before investing in a 2860 (which directly supports VDSL "fibre").

 

 

 

I am the satisfied customer....
fester
Grafter
Posts: 43
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎21-02-2014

Re: Alternative router?

Thanks for the reply.

 

I don’t mind using the Hub One (will separate 5 / 2.4 GHz broadcasts) and I quite like the idea of a single unit, but it’s the unnecessary loss of speed that I would like to avoid. I’m not sure if the drop in sync equates to real-world throughput, but I’m guessing that using the Hub One as a modem coupled with the 7800DXL will provide the same speed as a standalone Hub One? My reason for going for the HG612 (with 7800DXL) was the superior and more compatible chipset for G.INP etc... is this not the case?

 

I also don’t want to try lots of different kit while in training so that’s why I was wondering if I should go straight to an alternative or would it be OK to use the Hub One initially and change later?

 

My 7800DXL has been a fantastic though and I’m actually using it in conjunction with a 4g Android mobile at the moment and getting 50/20. It was great when I did use it for ADSL too. The SNR tweak got me from 2 to 3 Mbps, but I just couldn’t handle all that speed had to switch to 4g over a year ago Grin

fester
Grafter
Posts: 43
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎21-02-2014

Re: Alternative router?

Well I now also have a BT Hub 5 (type B) which might be a better option?

markhawkin
Pro
Posts: 552
Thanks: 121
Fixes: 11
Registered: ‎17-07-2016

Re: Alternative router?

Hello @fester

If you don't particularly need any of the features of your  7800DXL I would start off with just the Hub One as this will "just work" once the "fibre" is made live (which isn't when you get the e-mail !).

I guess from the speeds you quote you are currently on a long wire from the exchange and the "fibre" cabinet is fairly close to you and thus considerably shortens the length of copper.

The BT Hub 5B will require (modest) settings to work with Plusnet where as the Hub One will be recognised as "yours" and configured accordingly. As far as I know, there are some improvements for the 5B compared with the 5 (which is what the Hub One is a skinned version of). Whether they are of value, only you can decide.

 

I am the satisfied customer....
fester
Grafter
Posts: 43
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎21-02-2014

Re: Alternative router?

Although the 7800DXL is a great router I don’t need any of the extra options. The Hub One has 5GHz wireless and Gbt Ethernet so I just need it to be reliable. It’s the actual connection speed and throughput that will be the decider. If I hook up the Hub One initially, will the line setup a profile that stops a potentially faster router/chipset from seeing any gains? Being a fibre newbie I’m not sure how it works.

Spot on with the long EO line. It was BDUK who provided the infill with a Huawei AiO cabinet. From what I have read the BT Hub 5A was supplied for ECI cabinets and they both have Lantiq chipsets. The 5B for Huawei cabinets and they both use Broadcom chipsets. The Hub One seems to be based on the 5A (Lantiq) and can struggle with G.INP when connected to a Huawei cabinet. Maybe this has been fixed with a firmware upgrade?

 

I know it might seem greedy, but after getting a huge jump by changing from the supplied router I don’t want to miss out on a potential 15% gain.