# Help needed to buy wireless Router with Modem



## dikart4 (Jul 3, 2013)

Hello friends,

Currently I am using UT300R2U Modem that was purchased 6 years back along with BSNL bb. My current BSNL bb plan is BB Home Combo ULD 950.

Now I am planning to buy a wireless router or Router with Modem in 1.5 - 2K range.*I live in a 3BHK house with 2 rooms adjacent to each other in ground floor and a single room in 1st floor right above the room in which the router or modem will be kept.I need signal coverage for upto 30 feet in ground floor and also in the room in 1st floor.*

*Initially I was planning to buy just a wireless router and using my old modem.As my old modem was purchased 6 yrs back and the necessity to run both the devices(modem and router), I decided to buy a router with modem.Is it justifiable?*

If you guys say that I can use my old modem without any problems for next 4-5 yrs then I am ready to buy only router and save some money.

I went through few threads here and shortlisted few things

1.D-Link DSL-2730U Wireless N 150 ADSL2 4-Port Router - D-Link: Flipkart.com

2.TP-LINK TD-W8951ND 150Mbps Wireless N ADSL2 Modem Router - TP-LINK: Flipkart.com

3.TP-LINK TD-W8961ND 300Mbps ADSL2+ Wireless with ModemRouter - TP-LINK: Flipkart.com

4.TP-LINK TD-W8968 300 Mbps Wireless N USB ADSL2+ Modem Router - TP-LINK: Flipkart.com

150mbps modems have single antenna and 300mbps modems have 2 antennas.*Since I will be using a PC , 1 Laptop and 2-3 mobile phones, Imo 150mbps modem is sufficient but with the single antenna can the signal strength remain good in the area that I have mentioned above?*

I came to know in this forum that option 4 is more future proof with that USB and EWAN option.Can that USB port used to share media and files among the devices in the home n/w and also to connect 3G/4G Dongle?I may not be changing my ISP in near future as I am very much satisfied with BSNL from past 6 yrs,so will that EWAN option be any usefull?

*Is it necessary to have more than 1 LAN port in the modem for my requiremnts*?coz TP-Link-TD-W8951N with single LAN port was available for around Rs.1450 on flipkart. Can I consider that option as well?

I will buy it locally or online within 2 days as the prices are getting increased recently.So expecting quick replies.

Thank You.

Updated on 3-july-2013 @ 17:37 Guys please reply......I am planning to buy TP-LINK TD-8951ND.....is it good enough for my requirements??

Also I came across few reviews in flipkart reporting some heating issues with that modem ....is it true??Also How is the signal strength of that modem can it be good enough in a 1000sq.ft area with a wall between two adjacent rooms??

How much difference i*n terms of signal strength* would the TP-LINK TD-8961ND (300 mbps, 2 3dbi antennas) modem would make over  TP-LINK TD-8951ND (150 mbps, single 5dbi antenna) modem? Any TDigitians using these modems please comment.


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## sharathn29 (Jul 4, 2013)

Imo TP-LINK TD-8961ND is the best option for you. I dont know much about its after sales service so wait for others reply before buying.


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## krishnandu.sarkar (Jul 4, 2013)

dikart4 said:


> Hello friends,
> 
> Currently I am using UT300R2U Modem that was purchased 6 years back along with BSNL bb. My current BSNL bb plan is BB Home Combo ULD 950.
> 
> ...



Yeah. Because maintaining a router and modem differently is a cumbersome task.



> If you guys say that I can use my old modem without any problems for next 4-5 yrs then I am ready to buy only router and save some money.



You can do that too. But I personally prefer Router + Modem. Easy to setup and everything can be maintained from a single place.



> I went through few threads here and shortlisted few things
> 
> 1.D-Link DSL-2730U Wireless N 150 ADSL2 4-Port Router - D-Link: Flipkart.com
> 
> ...



Well, if you are looking for file transfer then 150Mbps will not be good enough. For File sharing within LAN, go for 300Mbps.

I guess all the router (8951, 8961, 8968) can cover 30 feet distance depending on number of walls in between. Still better wait for some other members to confirm.



> I came to know in this forum that option 4 is more future proof with that USB and EWAN option.Can that USB port used to share media and files among the devices in the home n/w and also to connect 3G/4G Dongle?I may not be changing my ISP in near future as I am very much satisfied with BSNL from past 6 yrs,so will that EWAN option be any usefull?



Yeah, you can use that USB Port to share Media and Files among devices. So it means you can plug in your pen drive on the router and copy the files on any of the connected devices.

You can use it for 3G Dongle too. Don't know whether 4G will work. So it's a future proof. As 2G prices have been slashed down recently, 3G prices too going to be down in near future, so you can use 3G as a backup solution if sometime BSNL gets down.

EWAN can be usefull if you ever think of using Fibre Optics connection. (This doesn't exist much in India for home users).



> *Is it necessary to have more than 1 LAN port in the modem for my requiremnts*?coz TP-Link-TD-W8951N with single LAN port was available for around Rs.1450 on flipkart. Can I consider that option as well?



Depends on your usage if you need more than one LAN Port. But generally nowadays all the routers have 3-4 LAN ports though 1 of them gets used only.

8951 - Low Price, Great Router, but as it's 150Mbps forget file transfer or be ready for a slow like hell speed. Also as it's have one (3 dBi) antenna I don't know whether your requirement will be fulfilled.

8961 - Just Rs. 5/- more than 8951. So it makes more sense to get 8961 for 5/- more. For 5/- more you get 300Mbps router which is good for file sharing and 2 Antenna (3 dBi each) which can cover a good range. If still that doesn't cover your range, you can get 8 dBi antenna's from TP Link which are sold separately.

8968 - 800/- more than 8961 and makes sense if you want to be future proof. And both 8951 and 8961 are old models and this one is the newer one in market. The main things are USB and EWAN. If you can afford keep it a solution which you may use later. As one doesn't change a router frequently. So if within few years 3G prices goes down you can use this. Also you can use this when BSNL is down for days or something.



> I will buy it locally or online within 2 days as the prices are getting increased recently.So expecting quick replies.
> 
> Thank You.
> 
> ...



Well I really don't have idea about the distance between my 1st floor and 2nd floor. I have also test the range of WiFi but can't express in feet. Will update the post later after I get home and ask my dad about the distance thing


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## dikart4 (Jul 4, 2013)

Thank you krishnandu.sarkar 

I was worried about service centers of TP-Link as i saw that one of the forum member had problem to RMA his Gigabit Switch as there is no place to register an RMA in TP-Links site. *www.thinkdigit.com/forum/service-rma-watch/173050-tp-links-after-sales-service.html thats why I asked about A.S.S of D-link and TP-Link.

Anyhow since TP-Link has 3 years warranty I hope if there are any problems it will be handled


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## krishnandu.sarkar (Jul 4, 2013)

Now even I'm scared what to do if something gets wrong. As I'm from Kolkata, the information there helped me. But can't help you in this matter if you are not from Kolkata.

Also, email TP Link Customer Care once about the thing. If they reply let us know the conversation. That'll help us all.


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## shreymittal (Jul 4, 2013)

I got your PM 
Get this eyes closed TP-LINK TD-W8968 300 Mbps
I never had any problems with TP-Link 
And about heating issues update its firmware to the latest as soon as you get that modem it will heal up the issue


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## dikart4 (Jul 4, 2013)

Okay I will send a mail to them ....let us c what will be their response.

I believe there will be atleast one person in this forum who had some problem with any TP-Link network appliance/component that they bought and it will be really helpful if they can tell how it was handled/resolved under warranty period.


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## Tenida (Jul 4, 2013)

To claim your warranty you have to call.
1800 2094 168 
(10.00-18.00)Mon-Saturday.
Email Id: support.in@tp-link.com

  Enjoy


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## dikart4 (Jul 4, 2013)

Okay guys I had sent a mail to TP-Link guys to know about the procedure to R.M.A or claim warranty got this reply from them...



> Dear Sir,
> For Support we had toll free number 18002094168.
> And for replacement you can get the replacement from our Service Partner in your area on the basis of Sr. No.
> 
> ...



I ordered TP-LINK TD-W8961ND 300Mbps ADSL2+ Wireless with ModemRouter - TP-LINK: Flipkart.com from flipkart for Rs.1950 as the local price was around Rs.2300.

Thank you krishnandu.sarkar,shreymittal ,Tenida for your valuable suggestions.

Also plz fwd me to some useful resources for setting up the modem and the security issues that needs to be taken care before using the modem.


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## krishnandu.sarkar (Jul 4, 2013)

Use the CD Provided with it to set up. It's easy as 1-2-3.

For WiFi I recommend WPA2-PSK with a password containing Upper Case + Lower Case + Number + Special Charachter. For Eg. Kr1s|-||\|@|\|du => Krishnandu.

Also, if you are too much concerned about security, enable MAC Filtering and add the MAC Address of the devices that you'll be using.

Remember to change the username and password of the Router used for Login. By default it's admin & admin for almost all the routers. (Some routers use admin & password).

That'd be more than enough for Home Use.


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## dikart4 (Jul 4, 2013)

Hi guys

In Snapdeal TP-Link 300MBPS WIRELESS N USB ADSL2+ MODEM ROUTER(TD-W8968) is available for Rs.2200.....Is it a reliable site can i buy i there...please reply me ASAP


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## krishnandu.sarkar (Jul 4, 2013)

No don't. Don't buy product from Snapdeal. For coupons it's fine. But there are many negative reviews on purchase of products on snapdeal. I myself a snapdeal coupon customer, but never dared to get the product from there.

Google about the reviews on snapdeal.

Don't take risk for INR 300/-, better order from Flipkart.


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## dikart4 (Jul 4, 2013)

Okay It had cash on delivery option and also in flipkart TD-W8968 costs 2.75K 

Here is the snapdeal link TP-Link 300MBPS WIRELESS N USB ADSL2+ MODEM ROUTER(TD-W8968) - Buy @ Rs.2199/- Online | Snapdeal.com

What to do?

I had called a distributor in bangalore region ECAPS Computers India Pvt Ltd and they told me that they give warranty to those tp-link products bought in snapdeal only not flipkart.

If I buy in flipkart he told me to follow the guidelines given by customer care  no i.e, 1800 2094 168 . What is this I am not able to understand.
I was thinking to cancel fk order and place in snapdeal.....confused now what to do?


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## krishnandu.sarkar (Jul 4, 2013)

If it offers COD then it's fine. But be alert that the product can reach you after a month too (if you luck is that bad )


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## dikart4 (Jul 4, 2013)

Really confused now.....huh

Cancelled order in flipkart and placed the order for Td-W8968 in snapdeal.....expected dispatch date is 9th july 2013.


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## shreymittal (Jul 4, 2013)

dikart4 said:


> Really confused now.....huh
> 
> Cancelled order in flipkart and placed the order for Td-W8968 in snapdeal.....expected dispatch date is 9th july 2013.



Its good then only if they can deliver it buy 9th July


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## dikart4 (Jul 5, 2013)

For some unknown reasons they have cancelled my order.....when I contacted them they said its out of stock

How about buying in ebay....Although I have purchased many things from W S retail in flipkart,I haven't purchased anything from ebay till now and td-w8968 is available for 2.5K from a top rated seller in ebay.

I would have bought it from flipkart itself but W S Retail has run out of stock I guess and I dont have trust in other sellers in flipkart also price is around 2.75K.


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## krishnandu.sarkar (Jul 5, 2013)

You can buy from Ebay without any worries. Just make sure the seller is good rating and if it's power seller then you don't have to check anything else.


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## bukaida (Jul 5, 2013)

I have purchased Td-W8968 from e-Bay Power seller @2348 (including shipping ). I stay in kolkata and couldnot find a reliable and better deal either online or offline. I have used a coupon to avail 7.5% discount. If you have the ICICI net banking/debit card, you can avail it.


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## Harsh Pranami (Jul 7, 2013)

dikart4 said:


> Really confused now.....huh
> 
> Cancelled order in flipkart and placed the order for Td-W8968 in snapdeal.....expected dispatch date is 9th july 2013.



That's good. I have purchased multiple products from snapdeal. Never faced any problem.


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## dikart4 (Jul 8, 2013)

Thank you guys for your help and valuable suggestions.

Got my TP-Link TD-W8968 from flipkart today.......Configuring the router was very easy and I configured the router with these settings for my BSNL BB Home Combo ULD 950

WAN Connection Type:		PPPoE
VPI [0-255]:		0
VCI [32-65535]:		35
Network Name (SSID):		*****
Network Security Type:		Most Security (WPA2-PSK)
Network Security Key:		*************

Is these settings Okay?

If there are any other security settings that needs to be done please guide me.

Still not yet checked the signal strength and range....will update those things later  

*How to find current firmware edition?? and how to update it if necessary?*


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## whitestar_999 (Jul 8, 2013)

in device info you will see firmware version something like 2.0.1 Build xxxxxx Rel.xxxxx where build no. is your firmware.also you need to check your router hardware version.for W8968 updates are available for hardware v1.for details see this:
TD-W8968 - Welcome to TP-LINK
latest firmware for W8968 hardware v1 is 130217 so if it is lower than this then upgrade.if your firmware is already 130217 or your hardware version is v2 then no update is required currently.also disable WPS in your wifi settings if it is enabled.


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## dikart4 (Jul 8, 2013)

Okay thanks.....
 My device info says
Firmware Version:0.6.0 1.1 v0005.0 Build 120926 Rel.27100n
Hardware Version:TD-W8968 v1 00000000

*I need to update firmware right*......firmware update guidelines say
*It's recommended that users stop all Internet applications on the computer, or simply disconnect Internet line from the device before upgrade.*
Disconnecting internet line from device means what??

The device is getting heated up a bit....is there anything to worry?

How to disable WPS in Wifi settings?


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## whitestar_999 (Jul 9, 2013)

simply unplug the telephone line coming from splitter & going into rj11 port at the back of your W8968.for WPS go to wireless---WPS setting(beside basic setting,for details check user manual pdf).also make sure that when updating firmware power supply is not interrupted so better connect your router & pc to inverter/ups for the duration of updating(~3-5min).after updating to latest firmware heating issue should be minimized though it is normal for any modem/router to moderately heat up.


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## dikart4 (Jul 9, 2013)

*Unable to update the firmware*

I downloaded the zip file from TP-Link site and extracted it.It was a .bin file so I created a .cue file and tried to mount it using Daemon Tools but the Mounting device msg appears and it gets stuck there.

Is there anything wrong in what I did?

*How to improve signal strength?*
I used *wifi analytics* and *network signal info* apps in my Sony xperia Tipo to chech the wifi signal strength and it is too weak.It drops to 80% just 5 feet from the router and drops to 60% in the living room just 15 feet away and 45-50% 20-25 feet away from the router.My neighbours wifi signal strenght is stronger than mine in living room.But in the 1st floor room signal strength is 90-100% and on an average it stays around 60% outside the room in 1st floor.I hope these things will be sorted once I update firmware.

 I read in a  forum that after firmware update few people had some issues like dropping internet every 1-2 hours while downloading through uTorrent.Is it true?coz I'm a 24x7 downloader.


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## whitestar_999 (Jul 9, 2013)

if i remember correctly that issue with utorrent was not with latest firmware version & people complaining were probably running too many torrents(not advisable on our slow indian connections anyway).as for update you need to go to System Tools---Firmware Upgrade & then browse & select the bin file you extracted earlier.


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## dikart4 (Jul 9, 2013)

Thanks whitestar_999

*Firmware upgraded...*
Firmware Version:0.6.0 0.4 v0005.0 Build 130217 Rel.62075n
Hardware Version:TD-W8968 v1 00000000

But after upgrade I had to run the Quick setup and change VPI/VCI values to 0 and 35.
Now my ADSL WAN Interface in WAN Settings shows 2 entries
1.br_8_35_0	Bridge type with both ipv4 and ipv6 enabled.
2.pppoe_0_35_2_d        PPPoE type with only ipv4 enabled.

The status of both the entries is connected....Is it okay?or should I have to delete br_8_35_0 interface entry??

Also can you please give some suggestions regarding signal strength situation that I am facing......are those values that I am getting proper for TD-W8968? *Can anybody who is having this modem compare and confirm the correctness of these values*.I was expecting 100-75% signal strength in ground floor(1000sq.ft).*Is there any software or app that can check wifi signal strength accurately??*


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## whitestar_999 (Jul 10, 2013)

if it is working no need to modify/delete anything.as for signal info try asking @krishnandu.sarkar & @shreymittal as i believe they both are using same/similar tp-link models.


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## krishnandu.sarkar (Jul 10, 2013)

Regarding the Strength, get 8 dBi Antennas that are sold by TP Link loosely. The router is attached with 3 dBi Antenna's.

Also remember, you just can't compare WiFi signal strength just like that. It depends on many factors like walls in between, thickness of the walls, the location where router is placed, whether it's able to transmit the signal effectively without any obstacle etc.


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## dikart4 (Jul 23, 2013)

Hello guys, 

To disable WPS, I have to enter Modem Router settings and disable WPS in WPS settings thats it right?? Is there anything to be done in modem i.e.,clicking any buttons? There is a small WPS button on modem router .Do I have to do anything to it?


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## whitestar_999 (Jul 24, 2013)

i think WPS button is there for 1 click setup & if this option is disabled in settings then pushing that button will either re-enable it or do nothing.


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