Aftermarket Router for NBN (HFC)

FareEvader on 02/04/2024 - 15:53
Last edited 02/04/2024 - 19:44 by 1 other user

Hi OzTechies,

At my new property, the NBN is Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC). What would you recommend as a good router?
I want fast speeds (as fast as I can get on a 250/25 plan) and strong signal for both upstairs and downstairs.

My options:

  • NetComm NF20 Wifi 6 + Satellite (standard from most ISP)
  • Amazon eero 6+ router
  • Aftermarket (Asus, NetGear, TP-Link, D-Link, etc.)

Open to recommendations for the best router for HFC as well as pros & cons of using an aftermarket router vs ISP-issued devices vs Amazon eero 6+ router.

Poll Options

  • 3
    Standard router from ISP
  • 1
    Amazon eero 6+ router
  • 40
    Aftermarket router
Internet Broadband nbn Wireless Router

Comments

  • AustriaBargain on 02/04/2024 - 16:03
    -1

    You'll probably be able to get FTTH soon. The ALP is probably going to win the next election. You might be able to upgrade for free right now, have you checked? But in any case I'd buy one assuming your needs could be gigabit internet eventually.

    • jv on 02/04/2024 - 16:06
      +4

      You'll probably be able to get FTTH soon

      HFC? Nope… They'll be the last ones done and before then, they'll run out of money.

    • jv on 02/04/2024 - 16:07
      -3

      The ALP is probably going to win the next election.

      and what exactly is the probability of that?

      • AustriaBargain on 02/04/2024 - 16:19

        Dutton is incredibly unlikable. Him being in charge of his party and coalition only harms the party at elections. So I'd say the probability was almost certain that ALP will win. Morrison secretly gave himself ministerial positions and then gave emergency powers to those positions. Dutton is only in charge to keep the seat warm for when it all blows over and News Corpse has reset the narrative.

        • jv on 02/04/2024 - 17:18
          +1

          Dutton is incredibly unlikable.

          So was Howard when he first won the election.

          • AustriaBargain on 03/04/2024 - 01:52

            @jv: Howard is more likeable than Dutton.

            • Murkymerv on 03/04/2024 - 08:23
              +3

              @AustriaBargain: Remember boys and girls , its not about who you like , its about policy that benefits your future .

        • jv on 02/04/2024 - 17:18
          +1

          So I'd say the probability was almost certain that ALP will win.

          So it is based on your subjective opinion then…

          https://www.roymorgan.com/findings?types=%2Cpolitical

        • Gdsamp on 02/04/2024 - 17:21
          -2

          Dutton is incredibly unlikable

          and yet pollbludger bludger track shows alp primary vote has collapsed, as has 2PP.
          personal ratings of both utterly ruined too
          i expect ALP to be returned in minority

      • Agarwal on 02/04/2024 - 16:35
        +1

        The TAB has them at $1.53 or around a 65% chance.

        • jv on 02/04/2024 - 17:23
          +1

          TAB also has GWS at $5.00 to win the Grand Final, and that is never going to happen.

          • AustriaBargain on 03/04/2024 - 02:02
            +1

            @jv: It's based on what most people are actually betting. Honestly I think we should scrap our electoral system and just choose the next government through TAB results.

            • jv on 03/04/2024 - 09:24
              +1

              @AustriaBargain:

              It's based on what most people are actually betting.

              That's only partially true.

    • Morien on 02/04/2024 - 16:31
      +3

      Choice of router won't be affected by HFC vs FTTP. Both require an NTD, which remains the property of NBN Co.

      HFC also (often) allows up to gigabit speeds, so overall it won't make a difference to choice of router.

      Now to answer OP, I voted aftermarket.

      I like Asus. Since you posted asking I'm going to assume the enterprise equipment is a bad choice for you (setting it up can be involved, and getting troubleshooting support from your ISP can be very hit and miss), and I'm not a huge fan of Ubiquiti's residential grade stuff.

      What's your budget? Asus AX86U is a good choice, but a bit long in the tooth.

      • FareEvader on 02/04/2024 - 18:48

        Wow $450?! I was looking at Asus RT-AX92U at $279.

        • Morien on 02/04/2024 - 19:12
          +2

          Which is why we need a budget and other information to make a recommendation.

          For what it is worth though, the RT-AX92U looks to be a good option.

        • duckdodgers245 on 05/04/2024 - 15:30

          AX86U Pro just popped up on the deals for around $350.
          I have the non pro version running merlin firmware and runs like a dream. Able to get full speeds with VPN on through wifi and cover approx. 90% of my house. Also use my old AC68U as a wifi extender and can cover the entire house and outside with no issues.
          Performance wise the AX86U has a quad core cpu to handle that sort of stuff much better then a dual core cpu which struggled from experience.

          Going from your comment below "Heavy users. 3 people WFH and we all stream in ultra HD." You are better off buying something decent now that can handle the type of traffic you expect to be doing instead of buying something cheap now and have issues down the track.

  • jv on 02/04/2024 - 16:05
    -1

    At my new property, the NBN is Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC). What would you recommend as a good router?

    Tenda

  • Cheaplikethebird on 02/04/2024 - 16:07

    How big is your house, how many users and how heavy is your usage?

    If you're single, living in a unit and use the internet for netflix and phone browsing then standard router is fine, if you're in a 5 bedroom double brick sharehouse you probably want a beefier aftermarket router.

    • jv on 02/04/2024 - 16:08
      -1

      How big is your house

      I've been told that size isn't important…

    • FareEvader on 02/04/2024 - 16:20

      Heavy users. 3 people WFH and we all stream in ultra HD.

      Can you reocmmend a good aftermarket router?

      • Cheaplikethebird on 03/04/2024 - 08:10
        +1

        Im using an Ubiquiti edgemax with two wireless APs connected, one on each end of the house connected by flat lay Ethernet cable that runs along the skirting board. It’s a little tricky to set up, you’ll need to follow a YouTube video but I’ve not really had to touch mine in three years. It’s prosumer level stuff for cheap.

  • snapper17 on 02/04/2024 - 16:08
    -1

    I think you would be much better off with a mesh system
    https://au.bestreviews.guide/mesh-wi-fi-systems?origin=google&google_params[matchtype]=&google_params[network]=g&google_params[device]=c&google_params[creative]=688895110922&google_params[keyword]=&google_params[adposition]=&google_params[adgroupid]=161135226667&google_params[campaignid]=20963718894&bs=&google_params[feeditemid]=122270255543&google_params[targetid]=dsa-1456167871416&google_params[loc_interest_ms]=&google_params[loc_physical_ms]=9071425&google_params[devicemodel]=&google_params[target]=&new_api=true&dest=0&sys_id=0|775&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwtqmwBhBVEiwAL-WAYYdm2fmO1AJpW84Q2ElV58FAP04g70Nsw6LO6mAlUVvw6EFNAEYkuhoCCFcQAvD_BwE

  • Duckie2hh on 02/04/2024 - 16:13

    Went with Asus TUF Gaming AX6000

  • Devastator0 on 02/04/2024 - 16:15

    Always aftermarket router. I personally use an Asus RT-AX86U (I think now superseded by the Pro variant). It is one of the best pieces of consumer focused networking hardware I've used and can wholeheartedly recommend it. In my personal experience, the 2.4Ghz range of this thing is insane. To give you an idea, I get network coverage across the road at my neighbors place and both our houses are set back quite a bit from the road. Bloody wild. The 5Ghz range/coverage is good too. Obviously, like most Asus routers, you can flash it with the excellent Asuswrt-Merlin firmware (Pretty much an OEM+ of the Asus firmware) which in itself is a winner for me, but overall, you can't go wrong with one of these.

    • FareEvader on 02/04/2024 - 18:50

      That one does seem popular but cheapest at $450 (sold out) or $550. Pricey! :(

      • Devastator0 on 03/04/2024 - 16:07

        @Fare Evader, I get that it's pricey, but legit mate, it'll be the last one you'll need to buy for a long, long time.

  • timthetoolman on 02/04/2024 - 16:21
    +3

    So you have to pay for your NBN AND you need to buy a router too? RIP OFF

    • FareEvader on 02/04/2024 - 16:28
      +1

      Haha if I had to pay for the nbn modem, that'd be a RIP OFF!

      (didn't neg you btw)

      • Nillionaire on 02/04/2024 - 16:36
        +2

        Can confirm OP didn't neg Tim, I did. 👀

      • timthetoolman on 02/04/2024 - 16:36
        +1

        Haha it's all good. They might have missed the earlier post

    • rumblytangara on 02/04/2024 - 18:50
      +1

      I was about to neg you then I cottoned on to the joke.

      Whichever router the OP buys, he's just going to sue the company anyway.

      • FareEvader on 02/04/2024 - 20:21

        Only if they rip me off!

  • sumyungguy on 02/04/2024 - 17:23

    A provider-supplied gateway will at least get you technical support for any issue with speed, connectivity, etc. My NF20 was included if I stayed connected for 12m and works OK in my dwelling. But if I had to purchase myself I would have chosen something else.

  • ihfree on 02/04/2024 - 17:58

    I've never had an ISP-provided device.

    There are several reasons why they should be avoided:

    • Security as it is a device you do not control
    • Potential lack of updates
    • Restricted access to functionality requiring a second admin password (eg: VOIP on TPG devices)

    As mentioned, tech support may be easier. That said, with the few issues that I have had:

    • With ADSL
      • Most of the time having a second modem/router was sufficient for troubleshooting. My street has dodgy copper lines so issues were reasonably frequent.
      • One tech support person had a bit of a tantrum because I was running in bridge mode. This was the only time I had an issue.
    • With FTTC
      • the NTD was sufficient to diagnose issues
    • With FTTP
      • No issues so far
    • FareEvader on 02/04/2024 - 18:50

      True. Cyber security is important… think I'll go aftermarket.

  • omguleh on 02/04/2024 - 21:02

    Can recommend the AmpliFi mesh system.

  • donga100 on 02/04/2024 - 23:02

    I use Telstra Gen2 Smart Modem on HFC and was getting >900 down when I had a gigabit plan for a month. Cost $10 on FB marketplace.

  • peteru on 03/04/2024 - 12:26

    After a few decades of trying various router solutions, including building my own using a Pentium II and a bunch of PCI cards, my current favourite is

    EdgeRouter X

    Pretty sweet box for the price. Compact, silent, low power and completely adequate for Australian Internet speeds. If I needed to handle symmetrical 2.5GigaBit traffic, it would not be the right tool, but it's perfectly capable of handling the speeds that consumer NBN offers.

    Best part is - it does not have wireless. That means you can keep the router and attach, upgrade, alternate or combine wireless access points as you see fit, all without disrupting your connection.

    Avoid the temptation to go for an all-in-one solution that combines all the functionality. Separate HFC modem, separate router, separate VoIP ATA, separate Wifi access point(s), separate NAS, multiple switches. I'd never go back to the bad old days of the Billion all-in-one box I used to wrestle with.

    • rumblytangara on 03/04/2024 - 12:40
      +1

      iirc EdgeOS had a pretty serious security vulnerability identified recently. There was a real dry spell of updates where people were guessing that Ubiquiti was going to drop the Edgerouter line, but they started releasing firmware again and I think the 2023 firmware fixes the flaw.

      Worth noting that it won't handle gig WAN lines. Can't remember what the limit is but it handled 300 symmetric fine.

      As a little home router, it's a fantastic box. Dirt cheap, tiny, extremely stable. In some ways, it's the total opposite of the Ubiquiti Unifi line.

      It's not rocket science, but also not for the average home user that wants a plug and forget option.

  • Chaddy on 05/04/2024 - 17:20

    If you don't use Voip that much or at all then a Router with either built in Voip or none at all would be fine. You need a mobile for when the NBN craps itself anyway. Or when they decide to do maintenance with no warning.
    A mesh system would be your ideal solution or the Netcomm with a couple of Wifi boosters.
    The TP-Link boosters work ok although this is why I suggested a mesh system as it comes in an all in one package.

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