PSA: Speed Increase from Changing VDSL Modem

geek001 on 12/06/2018 - 14:54

Hi all,

I just changed over my modem from the Sagemcom F@ST4315 modem, aka the Belong free modem over to TP-LINK VR600 modem from this deal. https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/379738

My speed has increased from 16Mbps to 21Mbps. I contemplated for a long time whether to invest in a better modem and was doubtful whether the speed would increase as I couldn't find anything online about my situation. Now I know and I thought I would share my results. That being said, it probably won't make a difference to you if you are already on like say 80Mbps and gone up to 85Mbps, but 5mbps is like a third faster for me.

The wifi signal hasn't improved much though according to the wifi analyser app on my phone. The wifi signal from both modems are around -60dB where I am sitting now, but I now have 5Ghz band all to myself as none of my neighbours has 5Ghz access points yet.

If you are suffering from really slow FTTN speeds on the free modem from your ISP and wondered if investing in a better modem might help, here is your answer. The consensus online is that modems with the Broadcom chipset is the best, which the VR600 has, so if you are upgrading your modem, make sure you get one with a Broadcom chipset.

Internet

Comments

  • DogGunn on 12/06/2018 - 15:05
    +1

    Both your modems have Broadcom chipsets, so it is unlikely to make that much of a difference. Of course when your sync speed is so low, any difference is great (which is what you said).

    The 4315 has: BCM63381B0
    The VR600 has either: BCM63168U (V1) or BCM63167U (V2)

    That said, in situations like yours, I'd consider investing in getting a sparky to disconnect any possible other phone ports in the house plus redoing any joints that may exist. That is more likely to bring your sync speed up more than a different modem.

    • HighAndDry on 12/06/2018 - 15:31

      Different chipsets though, so there will be a difference. Default settings/other hardware can also make a difference.

      It seems the Sagemcom's 63381 chip is a cheaper entry level chip. The VR600 seems like a good balance between new enough hardware to be better, but old enough that it has stable/decent firmware support.

    • geek001 on 12/06/2018 - 15:40

      Great info. I didn't know what chipset the 4315 had. It actually is quite a good little unit. I probably wouldn't have switched if the unit had better sync speeds. The VR600 I have is the V2 version.

      There are only 2 phone ports in the house. One is being used to connect to the internet, the other is not used at all. I was thinking of going down the route of getting a sparky in, but I didn't find anyone suitable since sparkies have different licenses? I did approach one or two, both said they couldn't do it because I needed to find someone with a proper telecomms license.

  • mskeggs on 13/06/2018 - 10:24

    I found the F@ST4315 had a very slow CPU, so it struggled to deliver adequate wifi speeds in the same room, and couldn't handle multiple devices connected without dropping throughput to miserable levels. But it did register a fast sync speed.
    So perhaps you are finding the replacement snappier in all regards.

    • geek001 on 13/06/2018 - 11:10

      Ok, thanks for the info. I guess my internet is so slow I probably didn't realise my wifi speed is bad too. Lol.

      4 people in the house, maybe around 10 devices connected at any given time.

      I did notice that streaming HD content does seem to have less buffering with the new replacement, not sure if it was due to the 5mbps increase though. :)

      Also, I am loving the Parental Controls in the new router. Is turning off the wifi considered torture nowadays?

  • PTS on 19/06/2018 - 02:42

    35Mbs to 85Mbs. I found the biggest increase in speed came from disconnecting the redundant house telephone lines. Had 4 +sockets in house, kept a single copper line from street to modem.

    • geek001 on 19/06/2018 - 07:56

      Did the cabler have to rerun your wires or just fix up the connections?

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