Hi all,

I'm doing some research for a friend who has upgraded to ADSL 2+ and now has no internet access.

ISP is Netspace and he has a 2 year old Netgear modem for which Netgear gave him instructions to upgrade the firmware to make it ADSL 2+ compatible.

Netspace says that it is Netgear's problem. Apple says that it is Netgear's problem. Netgear doesn't know what's going on. All that they are offering is a replacement modem of the same model, though I'm unsure of how that would help.

One other option for him is to buy a new modem, so I'm looking for recommendations for him. One that I have heard about is the NetComm NB6W but I'm not sure if it is Mac compatible. (In saying that, I'm not sure why any ethernet ADSL modem wouldn't be.)

So, recommendations, please?

Cheers,
Andrew

You've told us he has a problem, but not enough detail as to what the problem is -- can he still access the modem via his web-browser? If not, has he pressed the hidden button (a pin-hole on the back near the power connector) that will restore it to factory settings and firmware?


B.

For example, the Speedtouch 536 is an excellent modem, but you MUST be running a Microsoft operating system to upgrade the firmware.

So avoid Speedtouch modems.

Can't comment on the NB6W, but I've been using the NB5Plus4W for the past 14 months or so and have had no problems whatsoever. Every now and then it seems to lose it's port forward settings, don't really know why...but they're easily fixed.

I know others on the forum have stated a dislike for netcomm, don't really know why....maybe they've had some bad experiences or know of somebody that has.

But, as Brains suggests maybe troubleshoot the existing netgear first?

Hi Brains,

Thanks for your response. I wasn't intending this to be a help request for his Netgear modem which is why I didn't go into all the detail. But, yes, he can access the modem via his web-browser.

Fummilla, thanks, I had never heard of that requirement. I presume that the modem works on the Mac, but you just can't update the firmware? Interesting!

Cheers,
Andrew

As I said, Netspace and Apple said that it was a netgear problem and Netgear didn't know what the problem was.

He phoned me after being on the phone to Netgear for an hour with them seemingly having no clue!

Cheers,
Andrew

What model of Netgear does he have, by the way? Normally they're very good and quite robust; my DG834 has been ticking away for nearly four years, currently on TPG's DSL2+ circuit, but is so reliable it has managed to keep a DSL connection going on a copper pair that was so bad the actual telephone service wasn't working on it. Go figure.

Without actually being there, all I can say is, try the factory reset and set the modem up again as per Netspace's instructions -- if it works, he can at least use unthrottled DSL1 (8M/1M maximum) until the replacement from Netgear arrives.

If after a reset he still doesn't have any DSL activity, then the problem could actually be Telstra's fault. I have heard of ISPs swearing black & blue that they have the customer's pair hooked to the right DSLAM, only to find out that whilst the ISP records show this is the case, Telstra's own records show it to have been connected to the wrong pair. And this I've heard not once but several times.


B.

Sorry mate - wasn't very clear. I meant to say troubleshoot it in these forums.

Bugger about netgear being so clueless.

I've been using one for 18 months, and I can't fault it.

However the files that upgrade the firmware are .exe files, and of course, they won't run in a UNIX environment.

I don't know, but have sent him an e-mail which he'll get at work later this morning.

Nothing surprises me with Telstra!

cheers,
Andrew

Thanks for the offer - on behalf of yourself and everyone else

I'll see how we go - him telling me what the problem is and the symptoms and me transferring his words onto the forum. We live a few hundred kms apart!

Cheers,
Andrew

Hi Froggy, all NetComm NB5 Series and NB6 Series work with mac, the latest shipments of the NB5 series come with a Mac USB driver though personally I would go for one of the NB6 Series, I have the NB6Plus4W
http://www.netcomm.com.au/ADSL/NB6plus4W_new.php

but the NB6W is a great choice as well
http://www.netcomm.com.au/ADSL/NB6W_new.php

if you look on http://www.staticice.com.au/ you'll be able to find them at great prices

Cheers

Hi Musky,

Thanks for the information re NetComm.

Regarding staticice, I had a look on there last night and saw some really good prices, but when I clicked on the link as if to buy, the prices were nothing like what staticice was quoting. Have you bought via that site?

Cheers,
Andrew

yeah I've seen the same thing happen as well, sometimes the companies put out false prices to get them to the top of the pile and then that price isn't on the site, you should find that some of them are selling for the advertised prices though

the nb6 is good but the nb9w is the best plus it is future proof you can get it for 190.00 at www.msy.com.au or even harveynorman
cheers darksplat