And this. But this is the last resend, promise. -------- Forwarded Message -------- On Fri, 2014-10-24 at 18:38 +1100, Kilburn Abrahams wrote:
We had done a further bit of DSL testing with different ISP providers and manufacturers. In the end we ended up using Billion 7800 series, in our case 7800NXL. [...] We use them on 150+ sites. We have started to pull out onsite PoE switches and replace with Microtik then use the billion in pppoe passthrough bridge mode. So far as good.
OK - but you paid for a device with wireless, FOUR gigabit ethernet ports, and a heap of software features - almost all of which you will now throw away by putting the device into bridge mode and delivering a slow outside link into just one other device. They almost certainly pull more power and they are considerably physically larger. For Mike's application, these units are just overkill, and they cost *at least* four times as much as the TP-Link 8817. Not dissing Billion here - I'm sure the units are great - but I think they are out of place for Mike's application. Do they have a unit with the 7800NXL's relibility, its ADSL interface, 1x 10/100 instead of 4x GE, no wireless and minimal software? That would be the ideal unit - and it would cost $25 instead of $100.
I don't like to loud mouth other manufactures, but tplink, dlink and others business models do not allow enough time for bug hunting or they continue to add features (draytek) and make the firmware unstable.
What on Earth makes you think Billion doesn't do exactly the same?!? This is a $100 unit - every corner that can be cut has been cut. If it's good, it's in spite of everything :-) The same is true of the TP-Link products too, of course. The TD-W89xx range is rubbish - runs hot as hell, reboots for no reason, forgets its config... sound familiar?
Billion also makes a chaep 7700 but I would not touch it.
Indeed. And it STILL costs twice as much as the TP-Link, which has proven itself pretty reliable. When it comes to super-low-end hardware like this, testing and price are king. Every manufacturer has some models that are lovable and some models we learn to hate. If you find a unit that works well in the right price range, you run with it - and watch like a hawk for undocumented component changes, decrease in build quality, shorter deployed life etc etc, and you test test test. That's why forums like this are so good - you can profit from other people's experience, and only test the stuff that is already known not to be crap. Regards, K. -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Karl Auer (kauer@nullarbor.com.au) work +61 2 64957435 http://www.nullarbor.com.au mobile +61 428 957160 GPG fingerprint: 231A B066 CF91 1216 4F0F F2AC CE25 B8AA 46DC CC4F Old fingerprint: 1DB8 0599 13F0 E774 3811 6CA6 D6D0 AFA9 D91A 004C