Need A New Adsl Gateway

[NanLaew]

I have been nursing my old Linksys Wireless ADSL Gateway for a few years now. It's old and getting more dodgy so need new kit.

Any recommendations from experience on a reliable, easily configured replacement? Cost is not a problem; just need a reliable modem, fast and secure wi-fi with good range and the usual 4 LAN ports... all in one box!

Thanks,

NL

[barryw52]

I would stick with a Linksys I always found them better than others I tried. The cisco connection seems to actually mean something. See if you can get one with 1GB ports on the switch if your using it for your local networking and N wireless for speeed on the wifi is much better than G. that is assuming the devices at the other end can do N as well. Sorry don't know model number availble here. This is all based on my Australian ADSL experiences across many many sites. Google is your friend.

[barryw52]

I did a google search and looks like it avaible here it not 1GB port only 100mbps but i used this one easy to configure and fat.

LINKSYS WAG160N Wireless-N ADSL2+ Modem router

[powderpuff]

Linksys is all I use too.

Can tell you where to find if you're in Bangkok.

[NanLaew]

I will be passing through Bangkok next week so let me know where the best selection can be had.

[bkksw]

I've recently went through a few of them and settled on this one. I'm very happy with it. Meanwhile my Linksys, a brand I've used for 10+ years, now quietly sits in a box unused.

[NanLaew]

I've recently went through a few of them and settled on this one. I'm very happy with it. Meanwhile my Linksys, a brand I've used for 10+ years, now quietly sits in a box unused.

Interesting review. I have my mate coming in from the US after Christmas and I see the TP-Link is about 80 bucks on Amazon. I have had experience with deteriorating line quality and drop outs in different locations in Thailand and find that the modem that hangs in longest is the Huawei that I got from TT&T a few years ago in Udon. The same type modem that I had from TT&T in Pattaya is now a paperweight!

I was actually looking for something that is Thai ADSL compatible from the US since the prices are usually better (my mate hand carries in) but the choices seem limited. Most US household internet is via cable so there's lot's of cable modems and separate routers but few 3-in-1 packages for ADSL. Linksys in the US doesn't seem to even look at that market.

The Linksys WAG54G that I am retiring was purchased in the UK for my dad. It worked great on LAN but we only found out about the wi-fi dropping out after the warranty had expired. He never used the wi-fi bit; only me when visiting. We tried flashing the firmware but it still was glitchy so I eventually got him a Belkin unit and I took the Linksys to Thailand. It works fine but the wi-fi still dies and requires a power cycle to restore that at least once a day.

[lomatopo]

There have been quite a few recent threads on this subject, some quite lengthy with a lot of recommendations and experience. I'm too lazy to search for them now.

I would recommend speaking with neighbors who have the same provider to see which units work best for them. Also maybe take a look through some of the Thai forums, with help, to see which units are working well. The new set of D-Link units (in your case DSL-2640BT) seem plagued with connectivity issues (these have the vaunted Broadcom chipset which everyone seems to think is perfect). They have released several firmware revs which still do not solve the problems.

The Linksys WAG120N seems OK. You can find a decent all-in-one unit for 2,000 baht or less. Not sure I'd source a unit in the U.S. to save $10 when you factor in warranty/repair/exchange issues.

I support some Linksys WAG 54G's, v0, v1, v2, v3, great boxes, all still running, in some cases for 5+ years. If you lose the WiFi a tech can reflash the WiFi.

[bkksw]

I've recently went through a few of them and settled on this one. I'm very happy with it. Meanwhile my Linksys, a brand I've used for 10+ years, now quietly sits in a box unused.

Interesting review.

I haven't yet looked to see if the TP-Link brand is available in Thailand.. but I will soon. This operates so well I now doubt I've had any line problems these last few years with the exception of normal outages due to maintenance or weather.

Everything with this unit is a bonus. The modem works without dropping, speed increases, and the wireless range is much more than my Linksys WRT-350n ($300 unit). Better security too. For $72.. Very hard to beat.

What worries me is heat kills electronics.. and once the heat does its damage it's irreversible. To this end I've elevated this unit 2-3 inches and configured a normal 120mm computer fan to blow air over and under it.

Also.. if you look at their firmware updates you'll see they're regularly updating firmware to fix small bugs and support more game platforms and the such. Other companies do well to update their firmware once before introducing a new model and lavishing all their support on it..

Hell.. even the manual is well written and you can download it from their site before buying.

Two weeks ago I was a dedicated Linksys/Cisco supporter. Now they'll have to pry my TD-W8960n from my cold dead fingers.. ;o)

[Phil Conners]

I did a google search and looks like it avaible here it not 1GB port only 100mbps but i used this one easy to configure and fat.

LINKSYS WAG160N Wireless-N ADSL2+ Modem router

+1 vote for this, for convenience and compactness. A friend of mine just got one of these a few months ago and has been very happy with it.

Pretty slick design too.

[barryw52]

My Understanding is the TP-link stuff is a Chinese copy of the Linksys stuff that is the OS/firmware is a copy not sure about the hardware they may have rebuld them with fasted chips. I not used TP-Link but worth a try at the price. I have used Billion after a friend purchased a few for installs. I had nothing but issues with it and a few month latter my friend started replacing all his installed Billion because they also had issues so in my option stay away from Billion.

[NanLaew]

I support some Linksys WAG 54G's, v0, v1, v2, v3, great boxes, all still running, in some cases for 5+ years. If you lose the WiFi a tech can reflash the WiFi.

Can you give me a clue where to find a wi-fi flasher? I am pretty sure going to just any 'puter hardware shop and they will say 'can do' just for the haloy baht but may <deleted> it up even more than it is.

I did toy with the idea of flashing it with tomato firmware but never got around to it and the tomato threads and forums are more confusing than they were a few years ago.

Phil Conners... if I am not mistaken, you are in the Pattaya 'hood. Do you know of such a tech at Tukcom?

Regarding saving a few bucks buying overseas versus warranty claims; big ticket numbers like laptops I agree and only buy if they have an international warranty. But peripherals like this I guess I am more Thai than I thought and see it as a penny saved.... today!

Thanks for all the leads... much appreciated.

Edited December 12, 2010 by NanLaew

[opalhort]

Two questions about the "LINKSYS WAG160N Wireless-N ADSL2+ Modem router"

How easy is it to set up for TRUE ADSL in BKK?

Where can I buy it online here in BKK (For health reasons I'm currently unable to go out shopping around)

I have a Billion BIPAC 5102G supplied by TRUE five years ago and it did a great job, never any problem but just this afternoon the modem part of it has obviously given up. (have to use dial-up now)

What modem does TRUE supply at the moment? Are they any good and should I ask them to come and replace it?

[powderpuff]

When you call into TRUE & press 9 for English & talk to a service rep they will walk you through all the settings. Very simple.

Non - when you go to Pantip Plaza head up to the 4th floor. Near the down esclator is a shop selling network gear. Make it known you want the best adsl gateway they have. You'll get it. Forget what brand at the mo.

[bkksw]

Two questions about the "LINKSYS WAG160N Wireless-N ADSL2+ Modem router"

How easy is it to set up for TRUE ADSL in BKK?

Where can I buy it online here in BKK (For health reasons I'm currently unable to go out shopping around)

I have a Billion BIPAC 5102G supplied by TRUE five years ago and it did a great job, never any problem but just this afternoon the modem part of it has obviously given up. (have to use dial-up now)

What modem does TRUE supply at the moment? Are they any good and should I ask them to come and replace it?

You should be able to call any Linksys dealer and arrange for them to deliver the item via motorsai driver. At least ones with good customer service. I've dealt with the guy who owns this shop at Pantipand if he doesn't have it, he'll get it, and then deliver. It helps to have a Thai speaker put in your request.

As mentioned, True will walk you through the setup if they recognize the device.. and they recognize most sold in Thailand. The four things you'll need to enter for sure are:

1. User name of ADSL account

2. Password of ADSL account

3. VCI value

4. VPI value

Often.. the phone tech won't know what the VCI/VPI is.. if this happens ask for an advanced tech..

True is supplying the Billion Sky modems at the moment.. imo pure junk..

[Phil Conners]

I support some Linksys WAG 54G's, v0, v1, v2, v3, great boxes, all still running, in some cases for 5+ years. If you lose the WiFi a tech can reflash the WiFi.

Can you give me a clue where to find a wi-fi flasher? I am pretty sure going to just any 'puter hardware shop and they will say 'can do' just for the haloy baht but may <deleted> it up even more than it is.

I did toy with the idea of flashing it with tomato firmware but never got around to it and the tomato threads and forums are more confusing than they were a few years ago.

Phil Conners... if I am not mistaken, you are in the Pattaya 'hood. Do you know of such a tech at Tukcom?

Regarding saving a few bucks buying overseas versus warranty claims; big ticket numbers like laptops I agree and only buy if they have an international warranty. But peripherals like this I guess I am more Thai than I thought and see it as a penny saved.... today!

Thanks for all the leads... much appreciated.

I happen to have a Linksys WAG54G. Flashing it with Tomato was the easiest thing in the world. Go to the Tomato website, download the firmware and flash it. Thats's all there is to it. No problems losing Wifi at all.

[lomatopo]

Settings and current status from a Linksys WAG54G2 on True:

Encapsulation RFC 2516 PPPoE

Multiplexing LLC

QoS Type UBR

Virtual Circuit VPI=0, VCI=100

DSL Modulation MultiMode

Username: xxxxxxx@truehisp

Password: nnnnnnnnnnn

Status

Default Gateway: 124.120.120.1

DNS 1: 203.144.207.49

DNS 2: 203.144.207.29

Status: Up

Downstream Rate: 16483 kbps

Upstream Rate: 1024 kbps

PVC Connection

Encapsulation: RFC 2516 PPPoE

Multiplexing: LLC

QoS: UBR

PCR:

SCR:

Autodetect: Disable

VPI: 0

VCI: 100

Enable: 1

PVC Status: Up

--- System Information ---

Vendor: Linksys

ModelName: WAG54G2

Firmware Version: 1.00.19 , 2009-10-20T13:53:34

Boot Version: 1.03

Hardware Version: 0.01

--- DSL Information ---

DSL Driver Version: E.25.41.39

DSL VPI/VCI: 0/100

DSL Status: Showtime

DSL Mode: ADSL2+

DSL Channel: 64

DSL Upstream Rate: 1024000

DSL Downstream Rate: 16483432

Down up

DSL Noise Margin: 34.5 dB 14.05 dB

DSL Attenuation: 9.0 dB 25.5 dB

DSL Transmit Power: 20.3 dBm 12.4 dBm

--- Wireless Information ---

Wireless Driver Version: 2.1.38

Wireless Status: Enabled

Wireless Standard Channel: 5- 2.432GHZ

Wireless SSID:

Edited December 13, 2010 by lomatopo

[lomatopo]

InvadeIT have the Linksys WAG120N and WAG160N, albeit at slightly higher prices than you might find if able to shop around. I've purchased a WAG120N for 1,950 THB.

[NanLaew]

I happen to have a Linksys WAG54G. Flashing it with Tomato was the easiest thing in the world. Go to the Tomato website, download the firmware and flash it. Thats's all there is to it. No problems losing Wifi at all.

I note the WAG isn't listed but assuming it has Broadcomm chipset so that's why yours works. What version did you use? Looking at the polarcloud/tomato site, 1.28 is the latest.

I think I will still get a new one and then flash the old one and see if tomato sorts out the wifi issue.

[NanLaew]

InvadeIT have the Linksys WAG120N and WAG160N, albeit at slightly higher prices than you might find if able to shop around. I've purchased a WAG120N for 1,950 THB.

Ooooo... WAG320N. I will need the ask the wife to increase my allowance!

[Phil Conners]

I happen to have a Linksys WAG54G. Flashing it with Tomato was the easiest thing in the world. Go to the Tomato website, download the firmware and flash it. Thats's all there is to it. No problems losing Wifi at all.

I note the WAG isn't listed but assuming it has Broadcomm chipset so that's why yours works. What version did you use? Looking at the polarcloud/tomato site, 1.28 is the latest.

I think I will still get a new one and then flash the old one and see if tomato sorts out the wifi issue.

Sorry, my mistake, I have a WRT54GL, not a WAG54G (where did I get that from ??? )

I used the latest version available for this model.

[lomatopo]

I happen to have a Linksys WAG54G. Flashing it with Tomato was the easiest thing in the world. Go to the Tomato website, download the firmware and flash it. Thats's all there is to it. No problems losing Wifi at all.

I note the WAG isn't listed but assuming it has Broadcomm chipset so that's why yours works. What version did you use? Looking at the polarcloud/tomato site, 1.28 is the latest.

I think I will still get a new one and then flash the old one and see if tomato sorts out the wifi issue.

Sorry, my mistake, I have a WRT54GL, not a WAG54G (where did I get that from ??? )

I used the latest version available for this model.

Yes, only the routers (the "R" in the model number, WRT) can run these 3rd party firmware offerings like Tomato. WAGs which have lost WiFi need to their WiFi reflashed, not firmware, with factory SW by an experienced tech.

[bkksw]

I happen to have a Linksys WAG54G. Flashing it with Tomato was the easiest thing in the world. Go to the Tomato website, download the firmware and flash it. Thats's all there is to it. No problems losing Wifi at all.

I note the WAG isn't listed but assuming it has Broadcomm chipset so that's why yours works. What version did you use? Looking at the polarcloud/tomato site, 1.28 is the latest.

I think I will still get a new one and then flash the old one and see if tomato sorts out the wifi issue.

Sorry, my mistake, I have a WRT54GL, not a WAG54G (where did I get that from ??? )

I used the latest version available for this model.

Yes, only the routers (the "R" in the model number, WRT) can run these 3rd party firmware offerings like Tomato. WAGs which have lost WiFi need to their WiFi reflashed, not firmware, with factory SW by an experienced tech.

I tried the DRT firmware on my Linksys WRT-350n.. and while it took, and worked, it didn't correct any issues. And the potential for the average guy not following directions or going for a shortcut and bricking the thing is high..

Regarding firmware.. if there is a feature you'll gain such as a VPN tunnel, compatibility with certain games, better security, etc.. then go for it. But I seriously doubt a non-OEM firmware upgrade will actually 'fix' a performance issue. If the product wasn't working as designed the manufacturer would release a proper firmware upgrade. (you'd hope..)

My guess is the issues with the line dropping, etc.. is more related to the chipset being used in the individual product than firmware. There are other things that make a product nice, price, documentation, cogent firmware menus, price, etc.. but if the base chipset is flawed.. or limited.. then nothing else will make it better. I found the TP-Link TD-W8960n superb in every area and it uses more recent chipset.. which might explain why.

I might consider spending another $300 or so for a Linksys/Cisco product if I thought it would perform without issues.. but before I did I'd make sure I knew what chipset it was using and then I'd look at the feedback on other models using that same chipset.. and then decide.

Edited December 13, 2010 by bkksw

[NanLaew]

Yes, only the routers (the "R" in the model number, WRT) can run these 3rd party firmware offerings like Tomato. WAGs which have lost WiFi need to their WiFi reflashed, not firmware, with factory SW by an experienced tech.

So, where does this experienced, wifi flashing tech work?

[lomatopo]

My guess is the issues with the line dropping, etc.. is more related to the chipset being used in the individual product than firmware. There are other things that make a product nice, price, documentation, cogent firmware menus, price, etc.. but if the base chipset is flawed.. or limited.. then nothing else will make it better. I found the TP-Link TD-W8960n superb in every area and it uses more recent chipset.. which might explain why.

How long have you had this modem? Which service provider do you use? How did you decide on this model? And did you purchase it in the U.S.?

It seems like this model must be available here I see some references to it in Thai forums, where there seem to be an average number of connectivity issues mentioned.

[bkksw]

My guess is the issues with the line dropping, etc.. is more related to the chipset being used in the individual product than firmware. There are other things that make a product nice, price, documentation, cogent firmware menus, price, etc.. but if the base chipset is flawed.. or limited.. then nothing else will make it better. I found the TP-Link TD-W8960n superb in every area and it uses more recent chipset.. which might explain why.

How long have you had this modem? Which service provider do you use? How did you decide on this model? And did you purchase it in the U.S.?

It seems like this model must be available here I see some references to it in Thai forums, where there seem to be an average number of connectivity issues mentioned.

All your questions were answered in the provided link.

I'm not sure if it's sold here or not.. it probably is somewhere.

"An average number of connectivity issues" means exactly what? Set up issues? Line dropping issues? Resets? I'd guess all new products have some issues when first setting up.. they get sorted out with settings. Going over a week now with not a single hiccup, burp, etc.. You might think that's not much, but it's about a week longer than anything else I've tried.

I didn't really have much to complain about with my Linksys WRT-350n.. but I notice the new unit performs much better, more range (about 50% more), more speed (a lot), more security options if that's important.. and it's a lot bigger than it needs to be. Think about it, most laptops have wifi built in these days, small cards not even 1x2 inches in size. These cards by local law can only put out as much transmit power as the wireless router can, so besides for four physical ports, a couple small antenna's, and maybe another small card for the switching circuitry.. why is the Linksys device so huge and throws off so much heat? Maybe just another generation.. we keep getting smaller dyes which use less power.. but still a huge difference.

[lomatopo]

dupe post deleted

Edited December 13, 2010 by lomatopo

[lomatopo]

All your questions were answered in the provided link.

Got it. So you have had this unit for 1 week, are on True, and it seems to be better than whatever you had before (a dusty 10 year old Linksys). You bought it somewhere other than Thailand, and decided on it based on the specifications. You had line problems with three modems (Billion, Sterlite, D-Link) before this TP-Link unit, which suggests line problems rather than modem problems. But as long as it is working for you then that is all that matters.

When I say connectivity issues I mean the DSL losing connectivity to the local gateway, DNS servers or PPPoE server.

I still recommend people talk with neighbors who have the same service provider and see which units work for them. Then get one of those.

FWIW, there are a few reports on issues with the Linksys WAG 160N here in Thailand. I've got one WAG120N which has been working well on True for ~ 3 months.

[bkksw]

All your questions were answered in the provided link.

Got it. So you have had this unit for 1 week, are on True, and it seems to be better than whatever you had before (a dusty 10 year old Linksys). You bought it somewhere other than Thailand, and decided on it based on the specifications. You had line problems with three modems (Billion, Sterlite, D-Link) before this TP-Link unit, which suggests line problems rather than modem problems. But as long as it is working for you then that is all that matters.

When I say connectivity issues I mean the DSL losing connectivity to the local gateway, DNS servers or PPPoE server.

I still recommend people talk with neighbors who have the same service provider and see which units work for them. Then get one of those.

FWIW, there are a few reports on issues with the Linksys WAG 160N here in Thailand. I've got one WAG120N which has been working well on True for ~ 3 months.

I don't think you 'got it' very well.

1. The Linksys WRT-350n is only 2 years old and had absolutely nothing to do with the issue. It was also dusted regularly.

2. Who cares where you buy it? I'm sure they're available somewhere here.. but does it really matter?

3. You totally missed that the "line problems" I thought I had were probably not line problems at all. True techs (the guys with real signal analyzers and access to the logs) have always maintained the lines were good, or only temporarily bad, and since they regularly replaced the modems we continued to blame the lines. Now, there are no issues with the new modem/router. Zilch. Zero. If I hook back up the last Billion Sky they gave me (about a month ago), the month old Dlink, the Humack, we now have "line problems." Let's say there are line problems causing the issues with the other modems, that they are no longer problems with the TP-Link unit speaks volumes.

4. You'll have to tell us how a modem/gateway can be an issue with "dropped DNS" servers (you do know what a DNS server is and where it's located and positioned in the grand scheme of things?), or how the ADSL connection loses "connectivity" to the local gateway when the router is what defines the local gateway and is integral to the same box or connected via a patch cord.. even if it was, how would you know? The fact is, most home users don't own a signal analyzer and have no idea why their line is dropping. When you ask most who post on these forums they can't even tell you which front panel lights are doing what.

FWIW.. there will ALWAYS be reports of issues with every electronic device produced. These reports are only meaningful if there is either a strong pattern of the same failure, or someone has actually determined what the problem is and it's a known condition in a significant number of units. Odd/random reports on forums from people asking for help hardly constitutes "issues."

And I ignored it the first time but you said it again. With all due politeness, who cares what the neighbors are using? This is Thailand, they're either using the same old tired POS the ISP provided when they started their service, or the cheapest POS they could find at the local market. Most Thai's also turn them off when not using them. And I'd bet a large sum of money most of my neighbors aren't using their lines for the same uses I'm using mine for (yes, it matters a lot), and most probably aren't paying for the premium service/speed I'm using. Most of my neighbors wouldn't know what a torrent was if it was delivered in a wet newspaper, much less are running their own FTP servers or running a Slingbox in another country. If I was experiencing a major line outage I might ask my neighbor "is your internet out too?" In the same way I'd look across the street during a power outage to see if their lights are out too, or maybe I just flipped a breaker.

[NanLaew]

All your questions were answered in the provided link.

Got it. So you have had this unit for 1 week, are on True, and it seems to be better than whatever you had before (a dusty 10 year old Linksys). You bought it somewhere other than Thailand, and decided on it based on the specifications. You had line problems with three modems (Billion, Sterlite, D-Link) before this TP-Link unit, which suggests line problems rather than modem problems. But as long as it is working for you then that is all that matters.

When I say connectivity issues I mean the DSL losing connectivity to the local gateway, DNS servers or PPPoE server.

I still recommend people talk with neighbors who have the same service provider and see which units work for them. Then get one of those.

FWIW, there are a few reports on issues with the Linksys WAG 160N here in Thailand. I've got one WAG120N which has been working well on True for ~ 3 months.

Hey! lomo! <deleted> is a wifi flashing tech, where can he be found (third request).

And I will argue that neighbours experience and hardware is not a good indicator of what will work since their service plan and usage probably differs. For example, my TT&T connection in Pattaya got worse and worse as more and more subs signed up. The techs fumbled around with test gear that they barely knew how to use and ruled that all my modems were bad and I needed a new one. I told them the line was bad... you could hear really loud static and crackling on the voice line which sometimes rendered voice calls as undecipherable... but they said the line was good. All the 'bad' modems work great in Udon btw... apart from the wifi dropout which is due to that hardware being dodgy.

I have NO neighbours up here on the internet either.

Edited December 14, 2010 by NanLaew