New Products Released - 7800DXL AND 7800VDOX

admin
Site Admin
Posts: 92
Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2011 2:53 pm

Re: New Products Released - 7800DXL AND 7800VDOX

Post by admin »

Hi Phil,

Basically there is a development cost associated with the VPN feature, which will be reflected in the price. So do you add that cost to users who don’t need the feature? Or create 2 models one with and one without and add your R&D to just the model(s) where the feature is being used?


Just a judgement call by Billion at the end of the day to go with the latter option. Hope that makes sense.
Philip_L
Posts: 111
Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2012 10:06 am

Re: New Products Released - 7800DXL AND 7800VDOX

Post by Philip_L »

Hi

I do understand what you are saying, but you will also have costs associated with extra packaging and marketing material, development code and source control for different firmware versions adds complexity and that you may find too many VPN models are sitting in warehouses or retailers not being purchased, or vice versa.

Your argument about not including features for those who don't need them (and so why should they pay for them) could be applied to dozens of features on these models. There are pages and pages of features and settings, some much more complicated and involved than the VPN functionality, yet these are included on all models with everyone paying the same price to include features they will most likely never use.

VPN is something that most people looking at these routers will probably want as they are targeting the SOHO market not home users. The majority of home users are quite happy with more features they will ever use already on their ISP bundled routers.

Personally I think it smacks of marketing, in exactly the same way you try and book a cheap flight and get shown an attractive price, only to find that isn't the price you are going to pay in a million years. Billion will be able to advertise SOHO routers using a "from only" price that is lower than the true cost that most will end up paying. Given the concerns regarding unsecured Wi-Fi connections in public hotspots, and the rising use of these for our always connected world, any router claiming to be for an office any size should include VPN End points as standard.

I'll still probably end up buying one, however I think overall this causes more harm to Billion sales due to the added confusion that more models bring and if someone is uncertain of the differences they will likely purchase something else. I see in Australia there are two VoIP models, one with VPN and one without, and presumably another two will be available without VoIP but one with VPN and one without :roll:

HTC are a good example of a company trying to target every price point with a multiple of differing products that essentially do the same thing ending up selling not enough of anything to turn a decent profit.

Less is often more.

I still think your products are the best out there in this area :D

Regards

Phil
admin
Site Admin
Posts: 92
Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2011 2:53 pm

Re: New Products Released - 7800DXL AND 7800VDOX

Post by admin »

Hi,

There are a lot of features on the router, but the VPN functionality has always been what sets apart the consumer offering from the business offering, certainly in Billion’s mind. OK they could have just had 7800VDOX and 7800DX models, and if a customer doesn’t want VPN then tough, 7800DX is your only option.

But as the 7800N (which was actually designed as an SMB device, even though PPTP VPN support wasn’t added until later!) has become a very successful home router, there seems an appetite in the home market for the next version of the 7800N, with 2 new key features – dual band wireless and multiple SSIDs for guest access (both missing from 7800N). Desire for VPN functionality for the home market is quite a small percentage.

So 7800DX will be marketed as an office router with VPN – will this put off many home users who don’t require this feature? I don’t know, but Billion have decided to launch a “lite” version in an effort to get to a more competitive price point, hence the 7800DXL. There is quite a lot of on-going support for office/VPN models as the business market is more demanding and sees VPN as a more “mission critical” feature, and the cost of this support is all built in to

the price point. So again, do you spread the cost over ALL users both home and office and just offer 7800DX, or do you go the 2 model route?

At the end of the day we just offer what Billion supplies, so don’t shoot the messenger, as they say! :-0

What we really try and bring to the UK market is the best support we possibly can.

Thank you for you kind words on our routers anyway. J
stupot99
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2013 12:53 pm

Re: New Products Released - 7800DXL AND 7800VDOX

Post by stupot99 »

Thanks Admin for the update, I was looking around for an alternative but I now know there is something to wait for.

Just to clarify, will the DX be exactly a DXL+VPN, or will it be an updated N?

The other questions this raises are - When? and how much extra?
billion_fan
Posts: 5374
Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2011 4:30 pm

Re: New Products Released - 7800DXL AND 7800VDOX

Post by billion_fan »

stupot99 wrote:Thanks Admin for the update, I was looking around for an alternative but I now know there is something to wait for.

Just to clarify, will the DX be exactly a DXL+VPN, or will it be an updated N?

The other questions this raises are - When? and how much extra?

No ETA yet, we will announce the release once we have more info
billion_fan
Posts: 5374
Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2011 4:30 pm

Re: New Products Released - 7800DXL AND 7800VDOX

Post by billion_fan »

billion_fan wrote:
stupot99 wrote:Thanks Admin for the update, I was looking around for an alternative but I now know there is something to wait for.

Just to clarify, will the DX be exactly a DXL+VPN, or will it be an updated N?

The other questions this raises are - When? and how much extra?

No ETA yet, we will announce the release once we have more info
Just a quick update we expect the Bipac 7800DX to be released in June/July, once we get more info we will post them
stupot99
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2013 12:53 pm

Re: New Products Released - 7800DXL AND 7800VDOX

Post by stupot99 »

Thanks, think I'll probably wait for the DX.
BigDaz
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Jun 09, 2012 2:28 pm

Re: New Products Released - 7800DXL AND 7800VDOX

Post by BigDaz »

Any chance of having the option to turn the LED's off on new models? Ideally I'd like it to turn the lights off automatically when I shut my PC down.
I have to sleep in the same room as mine, the lights are a bit annoying.
Last edited by BigDaz on Mon Nov 18, 2013 10:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Philip_L
Posts: 111
Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2012 10:06 am

Re: New Products Released - 7800DXL AND 7800VDOX

Post by Philip_L »

Hi

That's a good idea. The best way to implement this I would think is using a schedule to turn them on or off.

Related to this, the LED light spills out into box (cheap plastic light guides are used internally with no attempt at stopping the light spilling outside them and so the LEDs have to be brighter than they need to be in order to get around the light guides) and so the whole box glows and flickers in the dark. The open light guides also pick up the neighbouring LED. It always looks rather cheap seeing all the light spill internally and other indicators looking partly lit from a neighbour, so a good job I'm not swayed by the aesthetics and just pleased the 7800N works as well as it does. Some work on the case to stop this might give a more premium feel to the product.

Regards

Phil
TMilles
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 2:26 pm

Re: New Products Released - 7800DXL AND 7800VDOX

Post by TMilles »

Hi All,

I have a 7800N that I use on Sky fibre at home. Although my 7800N is working fine I was thinking of upgrading to the 7800DXL, but the VPN issue has put me off as I find VPN support useful on my current 7800N. Having tried other makes of VOIP routers (unsuccessfully) at home I'm not likely to use the VOIP functionality of the 7800VDOX so can't justify the additional cost. However, like you all I do want VPN support, as well as the other benefits of dual wireless etc on the next Billion router I buy especially when you consider the price of Billion's products compared to cheaper brands. Its good to hear from Admin that Billion have recognised there is a need for for a 7800DXL with the benefits of VPN support (7800DX), but without the VOIP functionality and associated extra costs of the 7800VDOX. I am keen to stick with Billion, as like the quality of their products and their technical support who I have found very helpful over the past year. I too will wait until the 7800DX is launched later this year before deciding which of the Billion's new routers to upgrade too, I just hope the 7800DX will be launched sooner rather than later! Many thanks to you all for posting this on the Billion UK forum.

Bests regards,

Tom.
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