VDSL Wireless Router Suggestions Please

!bluetonic! · 1 Aug 2016 at 10:29

Please can I have suggestions for a new router please?

Current:
Fibre connection through Zen Internet and BT Openreach Modem
Linksys/Cisco WRT610n v2/E3000 running Tomato
USB Hdd connected on the USB 2.0 port and accessed via Samba on Tomato

Wants:
Integrated VDSL Modem
5.0 and 2.4 GHz wireless network access points
USB 3.0 for file sharing
2.4 GHz Guest network
VPN Server

What do you think?

bledd · 1 Aug 2016 at 10:34

It's a fairly new product, but I would look at..

Synology RT1900AC

It's a wireless router with NAS-like capabilities, you would use it with the Openreach modem.

ChrisD. · 1 Aug 2016 at 10:35

Budget?

Personally I'd get a separate access point and router.

Have a look at the Ubiquiti range.

Depending on your needs, a ERLite-3 and a UBI-UAP-AC-PRO will blow most things out of the water.

Not sure what modem you are using now but you'd need something like the HG612 from Openreach, available for not much on eBay.

!bluetonic! · 1 Aug 2016 at 11:12

Thanks both.

I'll take a look now.

bledd · 1 Aug 2016 at 11:15

Dooksy said:
Have a look at the Ubiquiti range.

Depending on your needs, a ERLite-3 and a UBI-UAP-AC-PRO will blow most things out of the water.

This is what I have at home, yes they are awesome.

But this means buying..

router £70
switch £10-£100
access point £50-120
nas with disks £200+

ChrisD. · 1 Aug 2016 at 11:21

BoatyMcBoatface said:
This is what I have at home, yes they are awesome.

But this means buying..

router £70
switch £10-£100
access point £50-120
nas with disks £200+

Nope, not cheap. But you get what you pay for. Could get a router with more ports, they do one with 8, think the ones with more are no longer fanless rather than separate switch.

Since I set up my access point I haven't ever logged into it except to check on firmware. An absolutely fantastic bit of kit that blows wireless performance of my RT-N66U into the weeds. Will order a router at some point.

!bluetonic! · 1 Aug 2016 at 11:49

I'm all for one thing that does one job well, but...

What about something like the
TP-LINK Archer VR900
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/tp-l...dsl2-modem-router-archer-vr900-nw-167-tp.html

I think it runs Open-WRT too.

Ideally I'm after the best all-in-one solution, although I appreciate this may not be 'the best' solution.

bledd · 1 Aug 2016 at 13:30

Not used one myself, but the Archer range do get a good write up on here..

Steve_bullockuk · 1 Aug 2016 at 14:22

Bought an Archer VR900 a few months ago myself. Faultless so far. Would definitely recommend.

!bluetonic! · 1 Aug 2016 at 15:39

Thanks. I'll look into that one.

Admetos · 1 Aug 2016 at 16:30

Draytek 2860n+, i'm running the 2860n with Plusnet and it's faultless, the 2860n+ adds 5Ghz wifi.

We use them at work also they are very very good for VPN work, you can have upto 16 users logged in with encrypted connection (32 non encrypted). Solid small enterprise bit of kit and I like them.

Method0ne · 1 Aug 2016 at 17:04

While I personally run a Draytek 2860AC, and it's entirely overkill for most home networking setups, I can't recommend you get one if you absolutely need USB3 attached storage since it only has USB2 ports.

Beyond that one drawback, everything else you need, it can do without breaking a sweat.

!bluetonic! · 1 Aug 2016 at 17:22

I have an old Play-On device which connects to the Tomato router to access the Samba shares for movies on an upstairs television.

That works fine.

It's the copying of movies across to the device that's slow from a PC upstairs.

But the the rational side of me says, just move my USB Raid drive to my upstairs computer when you want to copy stuff across. Or set it off overnight.

Plus it would be nice to move 2 boxes (BT Modem and Wireless Router) to one.

lee32uk · 1 Aug 2016 at 20:01

I have just started using the TP-LINK Archer VR900 today. A bit early to rate it, but it seems very good so far.

Mantaray1 · 1 Aug 2016 at 20:14

Hi

In respect of the TP-LINK Archer VR900 can you access the upper 5Ghz channels i.e. 100 plus?

!bluetonic! · 8 Aug 2016 at 14:57

To update my thread and not quite meeting all my requirements,

I picked up a TP-Link Archer c2600 for a 'Ton'.

There's not integrated VDSL modem, but it plays nicely with my BT Openreach one.

If offers a guest network, so I don't have to expose my home network to visitors.

Two USB 3.0 sockets for hard drives or printers. It doesn't support EXT3, only FAT32 and NTFS. I've plugged an external Samsung 1TB drive into it for now.

Over the powerline adapters (TPLink 500Mbps - I think), I was getting 5 MB/s for file transfers.
I then had a minor brainwave use use the old Tomato router as a 5Ghz Wifi Bridge. I now get 10 MB/s transfer rate on copying movies from my PC upstairs to the external hard drive on the router. Which is a big step up from the 2 or so it originally was.

It doesn't support any third party firmware, but the current interface is nice and fluid and gives me most options. WiFi range is good. It plays well with the PlayOn device.

It doesn't have VPN access, but I can get into my PCs via RDP or VNC Server.