TP Link Archer VR2800

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[June 2022 Update] It has been a couple of years since I updated this guide. A lot of companies appear to have given up on VDSL routers but there are a few new good options.


There are hundreds of routers on the market covering features and pricing to suit everyone. One specific feature set that doesn’t have a lot of options are routers with a VDSL modem built in. This allows you to use one box for your Openreach/BT connection rather than a modem and router, or the BT HomeHub box.

Most ISP-supplied routers are quite basic, they can provide adequate Wi-Fi in a small home but that’s about it.

Over the years we have become more reliant on the Internet and good Wi-Fi coverage. More and more devices now rely on it. Many people have ditched terrestrial TV and therefore TVs and set-top boxes around the home all require good Wi-Fi. Similarly, smart home gadgets all require half-decent Wi-Fi, this can anything from your Amazon Alexa or Sonos speaker or even your Philips Hue light bulbs or smart central heating thermostat.

A big problem is that ISP-supplied routers lack the range to cover a moderately sized home. You might get a good enough signal to stream audio on your Alexa, but perhaps not when you want to stream 4K HDR content on Netflix.

Most of my original recommendations were just a normal router with a VDSL modem. They offered a good upgrade from the ISP-supplied router but if you live in a large home, they may still struggle with range. There are now some mesh-compatible systems with a VDSL modem, or alternatively, you will have to buy a dedicated VDSL modem and then use any mesh system you want.

Best ISP Supplied Router

The best ISP-supplied router is currently from Zen Internet and is the FRITZ!Box 7530.

The router is starting to show its age, being only Wi-Fi 5, but it should still provide fast enough Wi-Fi to match the Internet speed within your home.

This router is very reliable, far better than anything BT or PlusNet supply and it is possible to turn this into a mesh system using the AVM FRITZ!Repeater 3000. Just be aware most of the AVM products on Amazon come with an EU plug.

Wi-Fi 6 Mesh VDSL Routers

Over the past couple of years, a handful of new routers have come out that use the new superfast Wi-Fi 6 and also support mesh Wi-Fi.

Most high-end phones and new laptops use Wi-Fi 6 and the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max also uses it, so it is very much mainstream now. Wi-Fi 6 can only go as fast as your Internet but it can help ensure you get the best speed possible from your Internet.

Mesh Wi-Fi allows you to connect multiple satellite devices and significantly extend the range of the Wi-Fi, giving you good speeds throughout your home.

TP-Link Mesh VDSL Routers

TP-Link has launched the Deco X73-DSL and Deco X20-DSL, which on paper tick every box you could want and are an affordable price.

The routers have some mixed reviews, some people have complained about getting them to work with the ISP and customer support is reported as being poor. It looks like these negative reviews came shortly after launch and were teething issues or perhaps just users struggling to use the correct settings.

One user has stated that you need to call your ISP and ask them to unbind their router mac address. If they are unable to do this then this means you can not use this as a substitute for your service provider router.

Conversely, another user claims they got Sky to work using the MER (option 61) protocol used by Sky.

Looking at the reviews there are users that have confirmed that they have got the Tp-Link routers to work with BT, TalkTalk.

My recommendation would be to try the TP-Link Deco DSL routers before anything else, purely because they are considerably cheaper than the below options.

AVM Fritz!Box Routers

These are expensive routers but they are excellent. I still use the AVM Fritz!Box 7590 is my router, even though I have ditched PlusNet and use access points for Wi-Fi.

The AVM Fritz!Box 7590 AX is probably overkilled for most users but it is superb. Both these routers can be paired up with the FRITZ!Repeater 6000 to create a Wi-Fi 6 mesh system.

DrayTek 

The DrayTek Vigor 2865ax is another very expensive option that is geared more toward small businesses. DrayTek have always been regarded as one of the most reliable router brands in the business, hence their popularity for SMB and commercial use. You should be able to pair this up with the DrayTek VigorAP 960C to create a mesh Wi-Fi system.

Older Recommendations

The following recommendations were all from 2019. They are still valid and good options but I feel like most people will benefit from a mesh system (if you live in a house) and Wi-Fi 6 is now mainstream too.

Your best alternative option is to get a TP-Link TD-W9970 then switch it to modem-only mode and buy a normal Wi-Fi 6 mesh system.

Mid-Range Routers

Most of the above routers have models below them with similar features but more attractive price points.

Two routers I would highlight for mid-range options are:

DrayTek Vigor 2762ac Wireless Router – £153.99

Price at £142 this has 16 reviews, all but one of them 5 star. From my experience you can’t really go wrong with DrayTek, they tend to be more business orientated, so often reliable but less unnecessary bells and whistles than the links of Asus.

  • Supports VDSL2, ADSL, 3G/4G and Ethernet-based Broadband
  • Ethernet WAN (for cable modems etc.)
  • 3G/4G USB Modem Support as primary or backup/failure
  • IPv4/IPv6 Dual-Stack
  • Four Gigabit LAN Ethernet Ports

AVM Fritz!Box 7530 – £124.99

I reviewed the AVM Fritz!Box 7530 back in January, but at the time there were only the EU models available. You can now pick it up on Amazon for just £111.99 which I think is a great price. While I no longer have VDSL myself I still use their 7590 router as the main router in my house due to its reliability and superb feature set.

There are only 5 reviews for it at the moment, but with a good rating of 4.2 and I can vouch for it personally.

Affordable Routers

Check out the affordable VDSL router recommendations for a more detailed post. I was going to do a table similar to the above, however, Amazon merges all the routers together per brand into one page which makes review comparisons difficult.

The TP-Link appears to be the best choice out of the bunch. The TP-Link Archer VR400 AC1200 is both Wi-Fi 300 Mbps (2.4 GHz) and 867 Mbps (5 GHz) speeds and costs around £63.

You could spend a little extra on the AC1600 model with combined wireless speeds of up to 300 Mbps (over 2.4 GHz) and 1300 Mbps (over 5 GHz). However to get the 1300Mbps speeds can be a challenge and requires a compatible Wi-Fi module such as the Intel 9260, or the new Wi-Fi 6 modules such as the Killer AX1650.

The Billion 8800NL R2 Wireless VDSL/ADSL2+ is well-reviewed and cheap at £64.99, however, the Wi-Fi spec is very poor, so I would be inclined to only use this for the modem/router functions then pair it up with a mesh Wi-Fi system.

Modems

While this is a post about VDSL Wi-Fi routers, it is worth considering getting just a modem and then use something separate for Wi-Fi. This is especially true due to the popularity of mesh Wi-Fi systems and the introduction of the new Wi-Fi 6 routers.

For just a modem I would recommend going with the DrayTek Vigor 130 ADSL/VDSL Ethernet Modem which is just £80 on Amazon.

A more affordable option would be to buy one of the affordable Wi-Fi routers mentioned above, but disable the Wi-Fi features then use whatever mesh Wi-Fi system you want. The TP-Link TD-W9970 is just £32 and can be used in modem-only mode. The Wi-Fi is bordering on useless so I would only ever recommend using this as a modem.

If you then combined it with the Netgear Orbi RBK20 you would have a superior Wi-Fi solution to many of the above options.

Overall

If you want an all-in-one solution I’d strongly recommend trying out the Deco X73-DSL or Deco X20-DSL first. They are not perfect, some people seem to struggle to get them to work and others hate that it is managed via the app only with limited information on your sync speed. But, overall, they provide the best balance of price, features and performance.

The AVM Fritz!Box 7530 AX is an excellent alternative option. The main issue with these is the lack of UK-compatible affordable mesh repeaters. The AVM FRITZ!Repeater 1200 AX is under £100 but it is an EU socket.

Beyond that, your best bet is to try the TP-Link TD-W9970 in modem mode then buy a Wi-Fi mesh system to handle everything else

[Original Post 19th August 2019]

[1st update on 17th November 2019]

[Updated on 24th of June 2022]

Best VDSL Router Overall Recommendation

Product Name: TP-Link Deco X73-DSL

Brand: TP-Link

SKU: Deco X73-DSL

MPN: Deco X73-DSL

Currency: GBP

Availability: InStock

Summary

If you want an all-in-one solution I’d strongly recommend trying out the Deco X73-DSL or Deco X20-DSL first. They are not perfect, some people seem to struggle to get them to work and others hate that it is managed via the app only with limited information on your sync speed. But, overall, they provide the best balance of price, features and performance.

Overall
85%
85%
  • Overall - 85%
    85%

Pros

  • Wi-Fi 6
  • Mesh compatible – pair them up with any Deco device
  • VDLS modem built in 

Cons

  • Possible ISP incompatibilities 

Last update on 2024-10-01 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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