I think I'm gonna give up on the draytek 2710Vn. It's served me well even though I never made use of all of the features because of complexity. The backup DG834GT is iffy and can't really hold it together if more than one device is connected wirelessly.

I'm looking at a new set up but need some help. I want to maximise the bandwidth I can get and use. I need an adsl router that can:

- run 802.11n
- will run iphone 4s and 5 on n speed
- connect laptop at n speed
- will support desktop at b/g speed (old netgear wireless pci card)
- enable me to connect and tranfer files internally from other computers
- stream video at HD res from NAS (ds213+) [nas is wired; laptop wireless]
- current router has four ethernet ports in use (ps3, nas, roomie ir, wdtv live)

I've looked at adsl routers esp ones that support/have gigabit ethernet. Would this transfer files quicker than over 10/100 if it's to my laptop (802.11n)?

Would I benefit from a separate gigabit switch/wireless router to do the streaming instead?
Would I benefit from a dual-band (2.4 and 5ghz) router?
Would I benefit from a simultaneous dual-band router?

I have a mynet n900 central, which I highly recommend

http://www.wd.com/mynetfinally/uk/?utm_ ... tAodqBwAQw

AVM Fritz!Box gets my vote. I've used others, but the AVM is excellent.

The high end models include DECT telephone facilities and you can connect it to analogue or ISDN telephone lines or go straight out with VOIP.

We got the high-end model (3790) when we signed up with Osnatel and we use it with 3 DECT handsets and VOIP, the ISDN connection isn't used any more.

The signal is very good (the previous Netgear managed around 12kbps on the 802.11n in my office, I now get over 150mbps, with the router located in the same position.

They also release firmware updates quickly and there is a thriving developer community writing plug-ins for it and open source replacement firmware.

AVM - are they available from a well known UK supplier? Can't seem to find one. Ditto the N900.

This is for home, not work, so don't need things like DECT/VOIP/ISDN.

The draytek 2710Vn did VoIP - that's what the V stands for
It can be handy for cheaper calls if you're on a crap package.

The Fritz!Box is a fancy piece of kit. They sell it without DECT on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/AVM-FRITZ-Box-W ... B004PNUG8Y

I'm not recommending it for you, but if you do choose it be very sure to get the "international" version. The Germans use a queer version of ADSL which is not UK compatible. We use AnnexA, they use AnnexB. Or something like that. I've been caught out myself

I think that the time, the Vn was the only one I could get my hands on that supported 802.11n.

Completely wary of buying stuff like that which is why I asked for reputable suppliers eg Amazon (and not Marketplace or similar).

Am after more mainstream stuff as more likely to be supported. Was thinking of moving back to Netgear or even just another Draytek eg 2850

If you want a wd router http://store.westerndigital.com/store/w ... D.59298100

You do need a modem for it, but you can use your existing router, you just put the wan port lead into your existing router and disable the existing router's wireless.

The UK Uses a funny version of ISDN that the rest of Europe doesn't use!

Not for over a decade, although I think Spain still does.

OK, my experience was from BT's ISDN from around 1998 through 2001. At that time, BT used a bastardised version, which did not support very many of the standard features, like call forwarding. Using 'real' ISDN in Europe was a big eye opener.

Glad to hear that they have switched to a more standard implementation since then.

Any thoughts on this one: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Asus-RT-AC66U-D ... B008O56HXC ?

simultaneous dual-band + ac for when it gets released.

Or I could just settle for the n-version.

I think it looks very nice. I have a few further thoughts:

Is ac properly finalised, or are you likely to end up with "pre-n" type compatibility problem? I imagine firmware updates should take care of that though.
It doesn't mention any QoS features. If you're sharing the broadband with a few people, it can really make a difference.
It's quite expensive. Less of an issue if it's future proof for a good few years I guess.
It gets good reviews, which is good.

I have QoS on my current router and I haven't enabled it. Although I did cock up and it's not the Vn model, just the n-model so no DECT sockets or anything on the current one. Since the router's up and running, I'm going to hold back on buying a new one now but if it goes, at least I'd know what to go for next.

WRT draft-ac - as you've said, it's the same as the draft-n issue. Whilst it's nice to have, the reviews show the n-router works better for n-supported devices than the ac-router ie better speeds.

WRT QoS/SSID, I did wonder about guest accounts/passwords/safety. I could run up to 4 SSIDs on the Vigor 2710n. Is it worth me running one SSID as "home" for my own equipment, "family" for mum/dad/siblings, and then "guest" for anyone else (all password protected)? Are there any security implications I need to worry about?

I could also enable QoS but have since read about PS3/gaming issues with QoS. The PS3 is wired (as is the NAS). Everything else that matters is wirelessly connected, so would QoS affect the PS3 even though it's not wirelessly connected? Does QoS affect just online bandwidth? What about ethernet/internal wireless bandwidth (eg me accessing my NAS via iPhone)?

How QoS works depends very much on the router and the connected equipment.

On most home routers that support it, you can limit the internet bandwidth for different devices and prioritise certain applications. It'll work the same for wired and wireless devices. It doesn't usually have any effect on data transferred between devices - just to the internet.

For broadband kit I normally go to Broadband Buyer. The router finder tool is quite helpful.

I have a Draytek Vigor 2820 and I noticed that just having QoS switched on (which was the default behaviour) loped a significant chunk off my internet connection speed (about 20% IIRC) for no apparent reason whatsoever so unless you genuinely need it for something I'd steer clear, certainly if you get another Draytek.

With regards to gigabit ports I'd say go for it if you can. It'll eliminate a potential bottleneck between your NAS and anything your streaming to (assuming the NAS can sustain a high enough transfer rate).