Little Advice On Which Router/Modem.

hlxbravo · 15 Feb 2016 at 10:32

I had Plusnet fibre installed a little before Christmas and was a little annoyed that I "lost" one of the ports on the back, due to the router needing to plug into the modem. I recently got around to bypassing this problem with the use of a switch.

However I would really like to have an all in one unit and after doing a little research, I am looking at the TP-LINK TD-W9980 N600. Would I be right in thinking this will work, as I am starting to get a little confused after doing some research about what to buy, or is there another alternative that could be recommended

Cheers folks.

Jamesyboyjim · 15 Feb 2016 at 11:40

the modem should plug into the wan port of the router so you'd retain all 4 lan ports, or am I missing something?

As for a router / modem combo, would plusnet allow this? Not all isp's do as there are might be certain config settings on the modem you'd need but wouldn't have access to. Also they like to retain full control over the modem and keep things simple with as little variation in equipment connected to their network as possible. I could be wrong

meandu229 · 15 Feb 2016 at 11:55

Jamesyboyjim said:
the modem should plug into the wan port of the router so you'd retain all 4 lan ports, or am I missing something?

As for a router / modem combo, would plusnet allow this? Not all isp's do as there are might be certain config settings on the modem you'd need but wouldn't have access to. Also they like to retain full control over the modem and keep things simple with as little variation in equipment connected to their network as possible. I could be wrong

It seems plusnets router has 4 ethernet ports 1 of which is both wan and lan port and switches between them. Stupid.

Steve_bullockuk · 15 Feb 2016 at 15:00

meandu229 said:
It seems plusnets router has 4 ethernet ports 1 of which is both wan and lan port and switches between them. Stupid.

That is ridiculous! Do PlusNet have the same authentication methods as BT for VDSL? (I.e None)

Avalon · 15 Feb 2016 at 15:42

Steve_bullockuk said:
That is ridiculous! Do PlusNet have the same authentication methods as BT for VDSL? (I.e None)

The Plusnet 2704n didn't come with a VDSL modem built in, personally i'd prefer this as it makes your upgrade path cheaper and a lot more flexible. If you need to do regular reboots on the router (firmware/significant changes) then DLM won't kick in as the modem stays connected. Also the integrated VDSL modems aren't exactly the most mature of products - take Asus as a good example of a supplier who has still got a long way to go in order to get it's first gen implementations working properly even now.

Personally i'd stick with the dedicated modem and then add a 'dumb' router (no modem), if you switch ISP type in the future you'll not have to buy a new router or rely on your router supporting designated WAN on a LAN port. If you don't then an ECI /r will do £6-15 on ebay and a HG612 unlocked £20-40 so should offset the cost. Nothing wrong with the 9980, but it's not going to do anything other than give you an extra LAN port that you already have via the switch, is that worth £50+?

Steve_bullockuk · 15 Feb 2016 at 16:12

Avalon said:
The Plusnet 2704n didn't come with a VDSL modem built in, personally i'd prefer this as it makes your upgrade path cheaper and a lot more flexible. If you need to do regular reboots on the router (firmware/significant changes) then DLM won't kick in as the modem stays connected. Also the integrated VDSL modems aren't exactly the most mature of products - take Asus as a good example of a supplier who has still got a long way to go in order to get it's first gen implementations working properly even now.

Personally i'd stick with the dedicated modem and then add a 'dumb' router (no modem), if you switch ISP type in the future you'll not have to buy a new router or rely on your router supporting designated WAN on a LAN port. If you don't then an ECI /r will do £6-15 on ebay and a HG612 unlocked £20-40 so should offset the cost. Nothing wrong with the 9980, but it's not going to do anything other than give you an extra LAN port that you already have via the switch, is that worth £50+?

Valid points. I ran an unlocked HG612 for a little while and it was a hell of a lot more stable. Running a standalone Cisco 887vw now.