[rescue] DSL Modem question, is it worth getting a Cisco?

[Phil Brutsche]

Peter Porter wrote:
> Somewhat unrelated to the topic of rescue, but I'm hoping someone can
> offer some advice anyway (and these modems seems harder to come by,
> so maybe it is rescue... hmm...)
> 
> I have Qwest ADSL service in Colorado with an Actiontec 701-WG modem
> with a block of static IP's.  I've had pretty reliable issues with 
> needing to hard reset the modem once or twice a week and high enough
> packet loss to make VOIP irritating at times.  I'm wondering if
> anyone has experience with other perhaps more reliable ADSL modems.
> I've seen a few from Cisco that look promising (a consumer 678 and
> higher end 827/837), but don't really want to throw my money away on
> something that may not be particularly better than what I have.
> Also, it seems impossibly difficult to find straightforward
> information on ADSL hardware...
> 
> Does anyone have any experience with these or otherwise helpful 
> knowledge?  I'd greatly appreciate it!

I would avoid the CBOS-based units if at all possible. I haven't used
them in several years, but I had reliability issues - it would work
great one week then not at all the next - and stupid little problems: it
had packet filtering capabilities... but if you used them AT ALL it
would either (depending on exact CBOS version):
* hard lock the unit
* block ALL traffic
* not block any traffic

That was back in 20001 & 2002 with a 675 though, I hear the 678s are
much better.

My preference would be one of the IOS routers - an 827 or 837.

-- 

Phil Brutsche
phil at tux.obix.com