Apparently I’m stupider than I thought – we have had our swanky fibre connection installed today and I assumed I could use my existing router with it. Apparently not.

Anyone got any good not too pricey decent wireless strength recommendations, ideally that I can get Amazon Primed over for tomorrow?!

Ta 🙂

Who is your ISP?

Why have they not provided a router?

BT Homehub 5 off ebay..?

Got it through Zen, there were a few routers available when ordering at different prices and I erroneously opted for none of them as I am a bit behind the times, so thought I was all sorted. 😳

Nevermind ebay, I may have one for sale 😀

But it depends on who his ISP is as the BT box does not work with all of them

Did they send you a BT Openreach modem? A small white rectangular box?

I’m not at home, but according to the discussion I had a while ago with the missus I believe so.

OK, connect your existing router to the BT box with an ethernet cable and you should be good to go.

You may need to login to your router to enter your username and password from Zen.

Wow – that would be fantastic, the guy who attended to do the install insisted that we should have got a different router, which threw me as I am totally out of touch with the setup – as above, assumed it would all just work with the router I already have. I’m fine to setup the router, I did it with our previous broadband and have all the details from Zen, so hopefully it will work!

Thanks very much, fingers crossed for later!

It will all depend if your current router has the ethernet connections.

Email in profile if you need a hand later

That’s really helpful, thanks. According to info I’ve found, though, I don’t think my router does have the right connection – let’s cut to the chase, it’s this one:

http://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/DGND3300_SM_1Jun09.pdf (see page 9!)

I do appreciate this help, by the way 🙂

Typically, an ADSL router is a multifunction device; it’s a router, a switch, a wireless access point and an ADSL modem.

A cable router is the same, but with a regular Ethernet interface instead of the modem. For this reason, most domestic routers (and I’d guess pretty much all ISP-provided ones) will have one or the other. Unless it’s a high-end device I’d hazard that any existing router you have won’t work.

That’s pretty much the conclusion I’ve reached, though I’m well outside my limited understanding…!

So, if we make the not-out-of-the-question leap to me being a simple bumbling idiot, can someone just tell me what I need to buy?! 😀

Netgear R6250

Walked into Currys; was in the same situation as yourself.

£120

You need a cable router as I understand it.

let’s cut to the chase, it’s this one:

I’m fairly certain that that won’t work.

I had fibre installed yesterday and the router that came looked identical to my existing one – even the same model number. It isn’t though, the firmware or something must be different. When I log into the new one it has FTTC after the model name, the old one didn’t and the old one doesn’t work when plugged into the new modem. Make of that what you will!

£120

😯 Did you leave the shop with a sore bottom?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Netgear-Rangemax-Wireless-Router-Cable/dp/B002EN8F8K/

I wanted a gigabit router.

Also 5GHZ wireless is nice.

I also wanted a USB 3.0 port.

Compare apples and apples (at least 3 months ago too.)

I also like to walk into a shop and buy stuff occasionally, business can’t always wait.

Yeah current one wont work as that’s an ADSL only router.

You need a cable router that can do PPPOE as that’s what the VDSL connection requires as the BT openreach Modem is just a bridge modem.

Some of the newer routers don’t even require the BT Openreach VDSL Modem and can cut that out completely but for ease of use and so BT don’t get all shitty with demarcation points then its just easier to get a cable/fibre router.

Basic cheap option to get you running:

Netgear Rangemax N150

The one I have chosen for home based on my fanboy love of all ASUS products but still not spending the earth:
Asus RT-N56U

but you can get any of the current Cable routers and they should be fine…

EDIT; Just seen requirement for USB3:

ASUS RT-N65U

Ring up Zen, tell them you’ve made a mistake and you need a modem.

Chances are they will send you one for nuffin if you pay the postage (BT and Plusnet will)

Super stuff, thanks all for the pointers – you have achieved some slight clarity in my otherwise foggy mind!

ad – that Asus one was exactly the one I was about to ask about, as it seems to be a mid level option but better than basic. I think I may just get that one, can get it Amazon Primed over in time for tomorrow!

I tried both the higher and lower spec Asus routers at home(as work use a few and I ahem ‘borrowed’ it overnight)

Lower spec one resulted in slightly smaller wifi coverage but still for my little abode and garden its more than good enough.

EDIT: I am a BT customer and it blew the awful Homehub 5 out the water with wireless performance.

Smashing, thanks.

All working perfectly now, thanks all!

I’m a very heavy broadband user and have the Asus dark knight router similar to that and run it with the Merlin firmware for a few nice features.