Resolved ASUS or NETGEAR modem/routers?

I have a NETGEAR DG834N Modem/router and using ADSL Broadband. I am only getting 6mbit/sec speed at the moment with Talk Talk. I realise upgrading my modem/router will not change the speed I am getting from my exchange. I am 0.8mile from my exchange and my phone line can only carry 8mbit.sec maximum.

I am thinking of upgrading my modem/router to one that uses dual band and has the benefit of being future proof, having the option on it for cable fibre optics or ASDL 2+. I like the idea of the USB ports too, so it can have a NAS Drive attached.

I have been looking at the ASUS DSL-N55U and the NETGEAR DGND3700.

The ASUS coming with 3 years waaranty and the Netgear 2 years. I have read mixed reviews on each one.

What would be the best buy in your opinion?

What is this BE ADSL Broadband like. I have read they can double your speed by using two cables instead of one? I am in Devon in the UK by the way.

 

Netgear or ASUS Modem/Router?

Thank you for your recommendation TonyT. I have an ASUS motherboard and monitor already and I am pleased with thier products. I have read that they are new to the network market.

My Netgear Modem/Router I am using now has given me many years of good service and no problem with wireless as well as wired connections in our house.

It would be beneficial to find someone on here with either router but any reccomendations are good.

 

Lucky You!!! I can only dream of such luxury... My broadband is around 1.3 Meg and there's not much I can do about it. However its adequate for what I use it for. Do you really need faster than 6 Mb??

Correct. And you won't get any faster with current technology in the UK until the network is upgraded over the next few years unless you can get BT Infinity. Check availability in your exchange. The exceptions to that are using Ethernet First Mile where you bundle two lines together and combine the bandwidth. The problem with this approach is COST!!! The price of this service makes your eyes water

The other option is a satellite service such as tooway but again its expensive.

You don't say whether you can get a cable service such as Virgin or not. If you can, then cable is the way to go.

IMHO, unless you can actually use any of these specific features NOW, I wouldn't bother upgrading as you'll almost certainly get it cheaper when ADSL 2+ comes along over the next few years. What'll be on offer then will also likely have more bells and whistles anyway.

 

ASUS or Netgear Modem/Router?

Thank you for your reply dnmacleod. I am sorry to hear about your slow speed broadband, I realised some people are effected in this way, due to location and distance from exchange.

You mention BT Infinity. I had a phone call from BT last week telling me we can now get Infinity. It was for 30mbit/sec broadband and there was a connection charge of £9, the offer was £9 for first three months and £18 a month after that. You had a download limit of 10Gb a month. Can you enlighten me please? I read that BT were going to have their Infinity cables underground but nobody has dug up our road for this. Are they using the Virgin fibre optics cables for this? Virgin buried their cables underground in our area many years ago and we get adverts of that in our door every week.

The Ethernet First Mile you talk about, where you bundle two cables together, is this still ADSL? I have read about this and a company called BE are doing this. Is this a sidebranch of BT?

I have heard bad things about the cable service in our area, it is very disruptive and they do throttle the speed. Plusnet is a very good internet provider for customer service and satisfaction with their broadband, however like many others there is a downloadable limit.

We have 3 computers on the go in our house with an ipod connected, x-box, ps3, my daughter's boyfriend's phone when he turns up, so all of this makes each device slower. If I was on my own 6 mbit/sec would be plenty.

I think you are right in not buying a top end modem/router though, I think it is better to wait awhile and see what happens next with technology, it is all changing so fast. My Netgear Modem/Router is already ADSL2+ and it is capable of 300 mbit/sec speeds (802.11n). It has a sperate firewall and has WPA2-PSK security, so probably keep this one for awhile longer.

 

I'm about 5 miles from the exchange - so I'm right on the border line of broadband. However, it does what I need. Yes faster would be great but I can live with what I have for now.

You should really phone BT and ask them. However, Infinity is now the way forward if you can get it. You should also check what Virgin offer and compare the two. Broadband deals change frequently - like mobile phone contracts - and whats a good deal today might be beaten tomorrow. You just need to make a decision on the day and run with it.

I just took one look at Ethernet First Mile, saw the jaw-dropping price and moved swiftly on. I don't know anything about BE but I'd assume that prices would be around the same.

I generally would recommend Plusnet to anyone. However, prices for all providers are very similar and I wouldn't recommend choosing a broadband provider on price alone. I've found Plusnet support knowledgeable and helpful any time I've been in contact with them on a client's behalf. Plus they're NOT IN INDIA!!!!!!

Personally though, I'm with BT and have been since the beginning. The reason is that its not a bad deal and if it ain't broke - why fix it? Its also one point of contact for any issues that arise. 10Gb isn't a lot these days though. I'd expect more than that... But again, its best to speak to them. I'm always wary of headline grabbing deals as there's often a sting in the tail - but you never know....

 

ASUS or Netgear Modem/Router?

I quoted the wrong download limit a month, it is 40Gb, not 10Gb. I think Infinity is the way to go at a later date.

I read today that broadband prices have increased by over twice the rate of inflation.
Virgin is just to expensive and has a bad name, Webuser Magazine are saying about their customer service is poor and about the throttling of their service. We know 3 people that are very unhappy with them and £35 a month is a high price to pay for this kind of sevice.

I changed to a different car insurance due to not being able to understand people at the Indian call centre, so know what you mean.

I'll be keeping an eye on prices before I change. Thank you for all of your comments. Shall I'll close this one now?