DrayTek's Vigor2820n offers a vast array of features, but you'll pay for them. Make sure you need everything it offers first!
Design and Features
The Vigor2820n from DrayTek is an attractively styled wireless modem router, the waved surface not only looks good, but it also deters people from inappropriately placing other devices on top of it. The 2820 series also includes models which are VoIP and ISDN capable, although with Telstra soon to be shutting down ISDN, the former is definitely more useful than the latter.
The router comes with a USB adaptor for laptops which don’t have built-in wireless support, while a USB port on the router itself allows a printer to be plugged in and shared across your network. Device configuration was straightforward, relying on a browser-based interface with a clear menu structure which is always visible. There are, however, many features to explore, so you may wish to browse the manual before starting.
Apart from the usual range of security features expected in a router, the Vigor includes a simple content filter that supports blocking by keywords, file type, time and IP range. A more advanced Web filter with 40 categories is available by subscription (a trial subscription comes with the device). Also included are denial-of-service defences and an additional WAN port to support load-balancing and network redundancy where network reliability is critical.
Performance
Our performance testing on wireless routers consists of checking wireless throughput speeds over a variety of distances between a notebook and the router. To test the router it is located at one end of a 55-metre long hallway, while the connection to the notebook is tested at five-metre increments by transferring a 1MB file between it and a wired PC, using the application Qcheck.
This is done until either the 55 metre point is hit, or the notebook is unable to reliably connect. At the 25-metre point there is a "dog-leg" in the hallway, and two results are recorded here — the first one is in line-of-sight, the second and all subsequent points after are obstructed.
Each test is performed at least five times, and the result averaged.
While the maximum throughput of 19Mbps was a little lower than other devices tested at the same time, the Vigor2820n displayed great performance at longer ranges, with an average throughput of 8.7Mbps at the 55-metre point. The addition of the supplied USB adaptor brought peak throughput up to 50Mbps, but this fell rapidly, and at the 35-metre mark performance was similar to that without the adaptor.
Verdict
If you intend to connect to ADSL2+ over a wireless router and are one of the lucky ones that can achieve a speed between 21Mbps and 24Mbps, the Vigor2820n won't be able to deliver the full speed to wireless clients. This isn't a show stopper as a large majority of homes are unlikely to hit this speed or even have the option available, but it's something to keep in mind.
The ports are all at the front of the machine which, while maybe not attractive, is certainly functional — the status lights are set into the port mountings as per many enterprise level switches, so the techies will feel at home here.
This router is priced at AU$489.95 (or AU$549.95 with USB adaptor), which seems relatively expensive at first. However, the impressive raft of security and management options, as well as excellent speed with the USB adaptor and good long range performance without justifies the price. Draytek offers a two-year warranty, with a one-year warranty on the USB adaptor.
