[Kumar101]

Originally Posted by R2D2

And then there is the Asus DSL-AC68U which is a premium product with a VDSL modem and Wi-Fi AC router. This model is basically the well known Asus RT-AC68U AC1900 Wi-Fi router but with a VDSL modem built in.

I bought a ASUS RT-AC68U (non-modem version). Been using it for around 6 months now and concur with R2D2 that it's a fantastic product, has been working flawlessly for me.

Might be a bit expensive but well worth it in my opinion.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by Kumar101

I bought a ASUS RT-AC68U (non-modem version). Been using it for around 6 months now and concur with R2D2 that it's a fantastic product, has been working flawlessly for me.

Might be a bit expensive but well worth it in my opinion.

Yes, but the DSL-AC68U is even more expensive @ Rs 18K compared to about Rs 13K of the RT-AC68U i.e. the non-modem version. These prices are from Amazon India. BTW Asus nomenclature: RT means router functions only while DSL means modem+router.

@scuderiamania: The TPLink TD-W9980 is difficult to find. It has good reviews on broadband forums. I had to wait several months before it was listed. It is currently unavailable at Amazon India and one of the customer reviews mention it is NOT compatible with Airtel's VDSL broadband service. So one must always check compatibility before purchase. The Asus DSL-AC68U on the other hand is compatible with Airtel V-Fibre and MTNL VDSL Broadband according to Amazon India.

http://www.amazon.in/dp/B00IOIJ0TM/r...200641_TE_item

Originally Posted by StarScream

What I did was to use the Huawei modem + router that Airtel provides, as a modem only and attached a plain/better wi-fi router to it which supports the AC and 5 Ghz bands. Extra device and cabling, I know, but it was a much cheaper option and works very well.

Yes, I agree switching the Airtel supplied modem router to modem mode and using an better external Wi-Fi router would be a better option.

[scuderiamania]

Originally Posted by R2D2

The cheapest one I can think of (and purchased about 1-2 years ago) is the TPLink TD-W9980 which cost me about 9K back then.

9k is way beyond my budget, so the asus doesnt even come into the picture. Heck even the phone that I use costs only half as much. Also, Airtel has only unofficially confirmed that they a bring vdsl technology to Kolkata. So I am not exactly sure how long they will take to update the technology here. There is no point is a so much on an equipment when the current one is sufficiently capable for the speeds that I get now.

Right now I am using a 16mbps connection with the dlink N300 dsl 2750U router. If I increase the speed of my connection, what is the maximum that this router will be able to provide?

Also, do you expect the prices of vdsl routers to become cheaper now that they technology is becoming more mainstream?

Originally Posted by StarScream

What I did was to use the Huawei modem + router that Airtel provides, as a modem only and attached a plain/better wi-fi router to it which supports the AC and 5 Ghz bands. Extra device and cabling, I know, but it was a much cheaper option and works very well.

Airtel asks for a one time ₹1000 payment for upgrading the broadband connection to vdsl. Do they offer a compatible WiFi router as well?

Why did you choose to connect the modem to a separate router? Did using WiFi over the 5 ghz band make a significant difference?

About updating the WiFi firmware, are there any firmware updates for d-link dsl 2750u which make it vdsl compatible?

[ventoman]

Originally Posted by Kumar101

I bought a ASUS RT-AC68U (non-modem version). Been using it for around 6 months now and concur with R2D2 that it's a fantastic product, has been working flawlessly for me.

Might be a bit expensive but well worth it in my opinion.

+1 to that. Been using RT-AC68U for close to three years now (imported it from Singapore for about 15k as soon as it was launched ).
Brilliant product that's been flawlessly running 24x7 since then at my den. I'm using it for downloads, DLNA, iTunes Server, QOS, Wireless printing, MAC Filtering, FTP and USB network share with 2x2TB discs. No sweat yet!

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by scuderiamania

9k is way beyond my budget, so the asus doesnt even come into the picture. Heck even the phone that I use costs only half as much. Also, Airtel has only unofficially confirmed that they a bring vdsl technology to Kolkata. So I am not exactly sure how long they will take to update the technology here. There is no point is a so much on an equipment when the current one is sufficiently capable for the speeds that I get now.

Right now I am using a 16mbps connection with the dlink N300 dsl 2750U router. If I increase the speed of my connection, what is the maximum that this router will be able to provide?

Also, do you expect the prices of vdsl routers to become cheaper now that they technology is becoming more mainstream?

As I said before, go in for VDSL ONLY if Airtel offers you speeds higher than 24 Mbps which is the max that ADSL2+ can do. VDSL modems are used with fibre optic connections. I purchased my VDSL products 1-2 years ago and I do not see any drop in prices. Of course as with all things electronics a price drop will happen some day but when is hard to predict.

Why did you choose to connect the modem to a separate router? Did using WiFi over the 5 ghz band make a significant difference?

Because you can buy routers that are superior to the ones your ISP has provided. And yes, a better router (whether single, dual or tri-band) DOES make a difference especially when compared with the cheap ones given by an ISP.

5 GHz connectivity is great for speed but signal strength drops off sharply as distance increases. 2.4 GHz has slower speed but better range.

About updating the WiFi firmware, are there any firmware updates for d-link dsl 2750u which make it vdsl compatible?

The D-Link is incapable of being firmware upgraded to VDSL as its chipsets do not support this technology. The max speed this ADSL2+ modem router supports is 24 Mbps.

[Fillmore]

Originally Posted by R2D2

Yes, but the DSL-AC68U is even more expensive @ Rs 18K compared to about Rs 13K of the RT-AC68U ....

Originally Posted by scuderiamania

9k is way beyond my budget, so the asus doesnt even come into the picture. ...

Just to be clear wanted to know what do we gain by upgrading to a VDSL router ?

Currently I am on the Airtel 40mbps v-fiber connection. I do not use the router function of the huawei router they provided instead hooked it to the Asus RTn66u router that I have.

While in theory VDSL may be upto 5 times faster I dont find any difference for normal applications and browsing on my current Asus RTn66u router.

Even have an Amazon fire TV stick that connects to the Asus router through wifi 5gz mode. The streaming is fine no buffering. the only buffering is when you try to fastforward a movie it takes a few seconds to catch up which is understandable.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by Fillmore

Just to be clear wanted to know what do we gain by upgrading to a VDSL router ?

Absolutely nothing unless your ISP either currently provides connectivity with VDSL or plans to provide this connectivity i.e. higher speed connections in the future.

That's why I repeatedly advice anybody NOT to purchase VDSL modems/routers unless you are sure you will need it.

While in theory VDSL may be upto 5 times faster I dont find any difference for normal applications and browsing on my current Asus RTn66u router. Even have an Amazon fire TV stick that connects to the Asus router through wifi 5gz mode. The streaming is fine no buffering. the only buffering is when you try to fastforward a movie it takes a few seconds to catch up which is understandable.

Buffering depends on a variety of factors, not just the link speed. I have a 100 Mbps connection and do experience buffering occasionally.

[scuderiamania]

Originally Posted by R2D2

As I said before, go in for VDSL ONLY if Airtel offers you speeds higher than 24 Mbps which is the max that ADSL2+ can do. VDSL modems are used with fibre optic connections. I purchased my VDSL products 1-2 years ago and I do not see any drop in prices. Of course as with all things electronics a price drop will happen some day but when is hard to predict.

Originally Posted by Fillmore

Currently I am on the Airtel 40mbps v-fiber connection. I do not use the router function of the huawei router they provided instead hooked it to the Asus RTn66u router that I have.

While in theory VDSL may be upto 5 times faster I dont find any difference for normal applications and browsing on my current Asus RTn66u router.

Just wondering, if Airtel provides me with a vdsl modem, can I configure my existing router just to work like a WiFi taking a connection from the vdsl modem the way Fillmore has setup his connection?

Sorry for bothering you with so many stupid questions.


@Fillmore- How has your experience been with Airtel V-fiber? I am currently on a 16 Mbps plan and am fairly satisfied. The only problem is when everyone is on their devices watching videos, the network starts to lag unless everyone reduces the video quality to 360 or 480p. This is why I am considering updating the connection.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by scuderiamania

Just wondering, if Airtel provides me with a vdsl modem, can I configure my existing router just to work like a WiFi taking a connection from the vdsl modem the way Fillmore has setup his connection?

Short answer: Yes you can configure almost any router to work with a separate VDSL modem. But to be absolutely certain please consult Airtel's tech support and give them details of your existing router.

[Fillmore]

Originally Posted by scuderiamania

Just wondering, if Airtel provides me with a vdsl modem, can I configure my existing router just to work like a WiFi taking a connection from the vdsl modem the way Fillmore has setup his connection?

Sorry for bothering you with so many stupid questions.


@Fillmore- How has your experience been with Airtel V-fiber? I am currently on a 16 Mbps plan and am fairly satisfied. The only problem is when everyone is on their devices watching videos, the network starts to lag unless everyone reduces the video quality to 360 or 480p. This is why I am considering updating the connection.

Yes this is how I configured it , from the vdsl modem one ethernet connection taken into the Asus router. I disabled the wifi from the Airtel provided router.

Experience has been good overall. Speeds I get are around 40mbps download and around 2mbps upload (tested from speedtest.net).

I am having an occasional problem with line stability where the internet drops connection for around 20 seconds - 1min.
But it happens only on some days like 2 - 3 times a day. Again I notice this only when I am WFH and the VPN drops.

Opened a ticket with airtel they came changed the junction boxes etc.. but not able to pinpoint the issue. Again this is because we cannot replicate the issue.

But irrespective , I think you should upgrade because the new packs are cheaper than the old 16mbps packs.

[Lobogris]

I switched to Airtel VDSL when it became available a few months back. The experience has been great so far. I was earlier using a dual band Dlink N300 router which has been working great with ADSL. Airtel provided a new Huawei VDSL modem cum WiFi router. I was in a dilemma whether to use the Huawei for the modem and then use my Dlink for WiFi. I decided to try out the Huawei first and I have found it to be as good as my Dlink for all practical purposes. The speeds are fine throughout the home and the range is good as well. Only at the extreme corners of the home, where the Dlink had 4 bars, the Huawei has 3 bars. Still, it works just fine. Hence I haven't connected my Dlink at all as one device is better than two from aesthetics and clutter point of view,.

[scorpian]

Hi Guys,
I request help from networking experts out here to help me with my Router set up.
I stay in ground plus one and at the ground floor i have a tp link 8960(lets call it router A) as a router with dual antenna, however due to proper range on top i decided to use my old tp link router(router B) as a repeater.

Currently my issues are as follows, both wifi are working, but if i want to access my pc on ground floor i have to disconnect the top router(router b),only then can i use my pc,or else it gives a remark saying ip conflict.

Currently two guys came to my house and tried to do the setup,one guy managed to get the wifi working,however the second guy who came to resolve today messed it up and now the router b on top isnt letting me connect it says" network has no internet access".

Am literally pulling my hair at the moment as now i have to sit in one corner where i get net from my ground floor router.

Any expert out here who can help me set it up, i am not to good at all this and i would appreciate someone helping me if possible via teamviewer.

Thanks in advance.

[diyguy]

Originally Posted by scorpian

.now the router b on top isnt letting me connect it says" network has no internet access"

The ip conflict is easily solved by using DHCP but would like to know how Router B is connected to Router A? Is it through a wire or is it wirelessly repeating?

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by scorpian

Currently my issues are as follows, both wifi are working, but if i want to access my pc on ground floor i have to disconnect the top router(router b),only then can i use my pc,or else it gives a remark saying ip conflict.

First, make sure that your routers have different IP addresses. If they are both at a default of 192.168.1.1. then you have a problem.

Second, make sure that you have only one router doing DHCP. Turn off the DHCP service on one of them.

[scorpian]

Hi guys thanks for the response.
@diyguy,Router B is connected with a wire from router A.

@ Thad E Ginathom, i think i will have to try it myself once more.

Can you list out the step by step procedure of possible.Or if you require any details from the existing routers then i could upload the same.

Thanks again.