Billion UK Forum

I'm hoping that Forum members may be able to help me:

I am planning to upgrade my existing ADSL wireless router (Netgear DG834N) to a newer model and have seen good reviews of the Billion BiPac 7800N.

My key reasons for purchase are to get a more stable connection and more importantly a wider and better wireless range (as I live in a large house and the signal from my current router does not reach all of the rooms - though this does vary depending on the laptop or smartphone that I use).

(1) Can you add either a range extender or another wireless router (such as my existing DG834N) to the Billion (ideally wirelessly, but wired if there is no other option) to extend the range? Is this relatively straightforward to set up?
(2) Also, I know that some wireless range extenders reduces the overall wireless connection speed of the main router by ca. 50% - does this happen with say Billion's own 3100SN?
(3) Also am I likely to have problems with my Plusnet connection due to the Broadcom chip in the router?
(4) Finally is assigning static IP's for devices on my system and port-forwarding relatively straightforward to do via the 7800N's UI? (I've read differing reports as to how easy/difficult it is to use).


Many thanks in advance for your help.

Here are some of my answers to your questions.

1. Yes you can try WDS but this might not work as they are different brand (only tested Billion with Billion sorry)
2. The 3100SN might reduce the speed (WDS or AP/CLient Mode), if the wireless signal is low in the location where you deploy the 3100SN, then speeds will be slow (As the wireless link has low signal). The other way is to use a wired connection to the 3100SN, so it should work as any N wireless AP.
3. Not sure don't use Plusnet
4. Yes its easy link to a guide found here

http://www.billion.uk.com/esupport/inde ... a-computer

Have you looked at the Bipac P106N that you could use with your Netgear modem/router, it use the electrical circuit to transfer data.

So you would have one wired device connected to the Netgear and the wireless device connected in the location where the signal is weak or low. Here is more information on the product.

http://www.billion.uk.com/product/powerline/P106n.htm

I hope this helps.

billion-fan: thanks for your helpful responses.

I've purchased a 7800N and it is now successfully working since last Saturday. The wireless range is certainly better than my old Netgear DG834N - but still needs improvement, so I'll see if I can gat both routers working together.

Just for info I have the 7800N working happily together with a Hawking 300N range extender (wireless). This feeds a photo printer at the opposite side of a largish old house with thick walls with no problems at all. It's also feeding an internet radio and none of this seems to slow down the download speeds on the main computer (wired) or on a laptop fed from the 7800N. Setup of the extender is easy - via ethernet - just the usual SSID and WPA required. You do have to use a fixed channel though - the extender can't cope with auto channel setting which changes if you reboot.

Good luck.

Ian.

try using the HomePlug devices - the Billion 2071 works like a charm & I've got a small hub attached to the "receiver" through which I stream movies & audio from a Tranquil RS5 to a dedicated (tiny) box running XBMC behind the telly.
One is in the basement the other through a load of 18th century stonework in the front room.
Few wires & no wireless dropout.

I've tried getting the 7800N to work with my old Netgear DG834 without success - they only seem to work with no (or possibly WEP) encryption.

Anyhow I managed to purchase a Billion 7700N as an Amazon Black Friday deal, and want to try connecting it to the 7800 to see if I can use it to extend the range.

Has anybody any experience of doing this successfully?

Cheers

I could not get WDS working between a 7800N and a 7700N, so contacted Billion support and got this reply:

We've check with our head office. Our engineer confirm that the 7700N's WDS will only work with 7700N, and not the 7800N. You may consider return the device to your supplier, and change it over to our Bipac 2073N, this will work with 7800N using WDS mode to extend you wireless. Although the 2073N is a powerline product, but you can use it without the Powerline function.

Not very helpful at all, given that they are both Billion products and are both advertised as supporting WDS!

I've just had the same response from Billion.

It is not a very satisfactory response.

Hi fragamot and plusman

Let me get in touch with Admin, and discuss the issue.

Billion-fan:

Thanks.