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Best wireless ADSL2+ modem/routers

By on October 24th, 2011 
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They're the most important part of a connected home, but often bring the most frustration.

The fact of the matter is, most modem/routers aren't very good. They have a tendency to overheat, some features just flat out don't work, and they have user interfaces that are exceptionally hostile to newcomers.

We've tested a whole raft of wireless ADSL2+ modem/routers recently, and here's the pick of the bunch so far — as time goes on and we cover more models, we'll keep the round-up updated.

It seems almost every model router has caused misery at some point. Let us know your experiences in the comments below!

AVM Fritz!Box 7390

Read the full review

See more specifications

Check out the image gallery

Overview

With an industry-leading warranty, excellent UI and a crazy feature set, the Fritz!Box 7390 comes highly recommended — if you can afford the outlay.

Editors' rating:

9.5/10

RRP:

AU$399.00

The good

  • DECT base station
  • Fax capability
  • IPv6
  • Simultaneous dual-band, along with great Wi-Fi performance
  • Almost every USB function you can think of
  • Hugely detailed, yet easy-to-use web UI

The bad

  • Very pricey
  • Quota counter limited to 99GB (fixed with firmware update)
  • No URL filtering (fixed with firmware update)
  • You start wishing it could do even more
Next page »

Talkback

I have one of these and for some reason my iMac always drops the N speed connection through the day but never does with the slower G. Very frustrating!

mwil19mwil19 November 5th, 2010
Report offensive content Reply (+17) (0)

mwil19: Which one do you have your comment is coming up on every page?

mredzmredz November 8th, 2010
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shame on you! no mention of the innate security of any of these routers - as a person who has spent a lot of money on routers (netcomm crap) and found them to be anybodies **** on the internet after a very short time I found the current fawning brochureware spouting from ALL magazines including your own to be sickening. In fact it is bordering on fraudulent - no-one does proper engineered assessments of the routers available from a security point of view. The guff you spout is just a regurgitation of the manufacturers brochures...

SHAME ON YOU!

walkerjianwalkerjian December 10th, 2010
Report offensive content Reply (+39) (-3)

Cisco 857W :) No worries.

jordandalleyjordandalley January 9th, 2011
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Dunno....

Call me old fashioned.. but I am quite happy with plain wired router modems......

Except of course the ones designed by idiots - like Belkin, who put in all sorts of abbreviations and acronyms, with no explaination as to what they actually mean, and they write the 3 or 4 letter codes in spaces that have enough room to write a paragraph, and there is nothing about what they mean in the manual and there are about 58 different bits of code for all the settings - and just as worsera still - no where does anything they have written - tell you want the function is.

(made this up a bit)

"Institute G4-28 A or B Class Protocols"

[ ] A
[ ] B

It's like WTF does this mean? Nothing about it in the manual, no info in the router settings, no help files on line, no explainations.... No random mentions about G4-28 A or B protocols in any forums.....

And there is 58 of these codes and the only reason why you can find out anything about what half of them mean, is not because the manual has anything about them, it's that you have to look up the info on sites that have absolutely NO connection to Belkin.

Just how stupid are these people, .

"Reconfigure your settings" - To what?

I think most modem router manufacturers should be beaten for being complete idiots - they might know what they are doing - but no one who buys or uses the products do - because these idiots never tell you.

Duh.

Jahm MittJahm Mitt July 29th, 2011
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Bought a FritzBox 7270.
Old internet speed not better than 4.5mps. Now consistently get 6.5.
Very easy to setup a USB HD as a Media Server. No need to move it from PC to TV's. Access via FTP from PC. Same with setup of Brother HL-2140 laser printer as a Network printer. Email forwarding of inbuilt telephone answering message works brilliantly and so easy to setup. Great for vacations.
One problem. My home phone is a Uniden DECT system. Incompatible. Would not ring phone. (That is how I know the email forwarding works so well. Missed all calls)
To upgrade to the FritzPhon would cost more than the unit, as I would need two. (large home).
Great to work with a clear and informative PC interface to the unit.
BRILLIANT PRODUCT.

graadleygraadley January 9th, 2012
Report offensive content Reply (0) (0)

billion all the way, 7800N is a great router ..

kranki1kranki1 March 26th, 2012
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