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Recommend Me a Router

Black Hole

Black Hole

May contain traces of nut
(by which I mean an ADSL modem + Ethernet/WiFi router)

It's official: the BT HomeHub4 is a pile of dung. I've had to reboot it again today: it gets itself into a state where my iPad will connect to the WiFi and access the Internet, but my PC and Android phone (and probably a TP-Link WR702n) won't. This has happened a number of times. And then of course I can't communicate with my WiFi-connected printer either.

Plus it offers the world access to my minuscule sub-3Mbps download rate (the best I have in my area, unless I subscribe to Virgin fibre) - okay, so I can turn that off, but...

And I can't set up a guest WiFi on it either. And it doesn't offer infinite lease times on DHCP-allocated IP addresses.

It seems to me I can either replace it entirely, or keep it for the line interface and turn off everything else, then connect it to the WAN port on another router (which has its attractions - the BT router can be sited by the master phone socket, and the WiFi router can be placed optimally in the house, and the Ethernet connections are run to it by HomePlug anyway...).

I've started to discuss this in another topic, but I'll gather up relevant stuff from there below.
 
Trev said:
My son has all kinds of WiFi and internet connectivity on his HH requiring rebooting it. Not that that is a lot of help to you. But just to let you know you are not alone. My Netgear router (EE VDSL) has not missed a beat either in WiFi or Internet connectivity since I went over to Fibre.
Click to expand...
Black Hole said:
These people look interesting (even if they are trying to gouge grooves in wood): https://www.flashrouters.com/
Click to expand...
MikeSh said:
After a year with BT on FTTC and their 'most powerful wifi' I changed to Zen (FTTC) a few months ago and got a Fritz!Box router (3490) to go with it.
The wifi is better than BT! The aesthetics are, um, an acquired taste I'd say.
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I have got a Netgear D6400 on VDSL, but it does ADSL as well. Good WiFi coverage (2.4 and 5GHz bands) It does ac, has guest SSIDs on both bands. Infinite lease times????? Anything else, just ask. 4 1GB Ethernet ports. (Don't you dare pull me up on my nomenclature)
I have had several Netgear routers in the past and have had good service from all of them. Just that 'must have' technology out-dates them.
And it looks nothing like something out of star wars. A but of neutral density tape over the brightly illuminated Netgear logo is all that's required.

It transpired that a lot of my son's problem was his next door neighbour (also with a bloody home hub) on the same 2.4 channel and nearly as strong as his in various parts of his house.
 
I currently use a Netgear DGND3700 (it's a few years old now but has been reliable). It supports guest Wifi (if you want that) and all Ethernet ports are gigabit (EDITED: originally typed megabit by mistake). It also supports mu wifi printer and TP-Link W702n(s) without problems. I'm sure current models are similar. I have previously used several Linksys/Cisco routers, though these were generally reliable I dropped them when I got annoyed with there apparent apathy when it came to fixing known firmware problems.
Really it comes down to what your budget is. I don't think you will have an issue getting the router to to talk to BT ADSL whatever you choose. It comes down more to what extra function you want from the device.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
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I have an ASUS AC68U running Merlins custom firmware. It's rock solid performance wise. If you're a 'tinkerer' or want more advanced features I would look for routers that can be flashed with ddwrt, openwrt or another custom firmware.
 
Black Hole said:
By the way, I would rather whatever router didn't look like something out of Star Wars!
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Not a FRITZBox! then :)
Shame as they have had good reviews over several years, which is why I picked that option (at extra cost) when I changed ISP.
I'd not thought of Star Wars before, but you're right. But it's more interesting than the usual boring black oblong :cool:
 
beardedwonder said:
I have an ASUS AC68U running Merlins custom firmware. It's rock solid performance wise. If you're a 'tinkerer' or want more advanced features I would look for routers that can be flashed with ddwrt, openwrt or another custom firmware.
Click to expand...
Is this the place to start?: https://www.flashrouters.com/

(My previous jibes re "gouging grooves in wood" relate to the American tendency to pronounce it "rowter" rather than "rooter".)
 
It's a good place to see what new models can be flashed. It's very easy to do yourself and not worth paying the premium to get someone else to do it.
 
What do you get from re-flashing a router?
What new and exciting things can you do with them that you can't do 'out of the box'?
 
I suspect the enthusiast versions of firmware are more actively debugged, and provide access to features the original vendors reserve for premium (expensive) versions.
 
beardedwonder said:
You get OPKG, do adblocking on the router, run minidlna...
Advanced VPN settings (openvpn), better DDNS support.
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How about SMB access to a connected USB HDD? The BT HomeHub4 has a USB port, and registers that there is a drive plugged in, but damned if I can make it work for file sharing and I suspect it only offers media sharing.
 
Black Hole said:
How about SMB access to a connected USB HDD? The BT HomeHub4 has a USB port, and registers that there is a drive plugged in, but damned if I can make it work for file sharing and I suspect it only offers media sharing.
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I'm pretty sure most non ISP routers can do that nowadays. On mine I have used a USB HDD and a USB pen drive successfully as a network share and also a UPNP server.
 
Black Hole said:
It seems to me I can either replace it entirely, or keep it for the line interface and turn off everything else, then connect it to the WAN port on another router (which has its attractions - the BT router can be sited by the master phone socket, and the WiFi router can be placed optimally in the house, and the Ethernet connections are run to it by HomePlug anyway...).
Click to expand...
I've done this sort of thing recently. The ADSL modem/router (Netgear DG834G V4) is now operating in bridge mode, so just performing as a modem. I've plugged in a new (cable) router and that's taken over all other services formerly performed by the Netgear (which also runs a lot cooler now the wireless is off). Works very nicely.
The router in question comes from Latvia, but I wouldn't recommend it for amateurs (no slight intended). You need a lot of knowledge (and patience!) and have to configure everything manually, but it's tremendously flexible.
 
prpr said:
You need a lot of knowledge (and patience!) and have to configure everything manually, but it's tremendously flexible.
Click to expand...
You're right, I don't need a load more complication at this stage. Things need to "just work", and then I might think about refinements as time goes on (as and when time and motivation become available).
 
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