TekSavvy → [DSL] SmartRG modems are now available.

We preconfigure them to that spec.

Except I had to do a factory reset for it to sync.
I wonder if you preconfigured it for ADSL and that is why it didn't work for my VDSL.

Interestingly I've had SNS with my Speedtouch. Everything that's already connected continues fine but no new connections were able to be made. Also interesting, I could predict that the problem would occur between 3pm and 5 pm on weekdays. My problem was solved when I stopped using TS DNS servers - hasn't happened since.

--
Rob

Odd firmware bug(s). Either way the problem is on your end. That didn't "resolve" anything. It's a workaround.

Any word on when the SR550n will be available and for what price?

It seems like a better modem/router, at least according to the specs. I'd hate to get a 505n now and discover that the 550n becomes available soon.

As far as I know, there are no plans for us to start selling it

Don't forget, the modem firmware MUST be qualified for BELL network (un-standard Stingers, so additional developing and testing cost) and also there is a cost involved in going through Bell qualification process, which the manufacturer has to pay. Don't suppose that all SmartRG modems from now one will work in Canada.

It'll probably be an option when Bell rolls out pair bonding, since its main difference over the SR505n is bonding.

Ah. Then possibly so

Just nothing that I heard of yet!

Bell has been rolling out pair bonding since last year, they're not using a bonding modem to do it, although that may change in the future.

Yeah, i think they've been using the cellpipe of all things... But i think they're only doing it for FibeTV customers who are too far to get 25meg on a single pair. I dont think they're doing it to push the speed envelope past 50meg on VDSL2.

Correct (about only using it for FibeTV customers), but they're not using the modem to do the bonding at all. They connect the phone lines to a small box (which I suppose is technically a bridge-mode only modem), and then hook it up to the modem via Ethernet. They also use the Sagemcom for fibre installs, so they're really trying to standardize the equipment as much as possible. I suppose it would make sense if they move everybody to a modem that can do both bonding and regular.

Oh, so they have a separate device for bonding... I wonder what that gizmo is that they use...

One of the Bell employees might know. I can't find any more information on it, and my parents ended up not getting FibeTV (which would have used pair bonding), although they might in the spring.

I wonder if it's a "dumb device", ie if you have two VDSL2 lines and just stick it in between it will bond them, and plug in a router at the other end you can just authenticate and have faster speed, or does it require special profiles or other configuration on Bell's end.

It's actual pair bonding (not MLPPP) so there is probably different equipment/configurations required on Bell's end. I get the impression that the bonding box is a bridge-only bonding VDSL2 modem. We do know that it uses two 2-pin phone jacks, though, while the SR550n uses a single 4-pin phone jack. So Bell's current installs wouldn't allow you to just swap out the modem, you'd need to rewire or provide an adapter to convert from 2x2 to 1x4.

The feature that interests me more is the higher WiFi power at 950mW. Also the Gigabit Ethernet. Plus black colour coordinates with my ThinkPad collection

I'm looking at something to replace my ancient 2Wire 2700HG-B so I though I might as well get a modem that can do VDSL for when I upgrade my line beyond 15/1.

dupe-delete

The SR550n doesn't support useful gigabit ethernet; it only has a single gigabit port.

Just get a proper router that has good WiFi. Use the modem as a dumb bridge, they work best that way.

useful enough to uplink to another gigabit switch or router gigabit WAN port, if this modem is ever used for bonding and higher than 50meg per line speeds.

That's pretty distant in the future. Unless you're bonding two 75Mbps lines, you won't need a gigabit port. Bell currently neither has 75Mbps lines, or high speed pair bonding.

I've been getting a lot of questions about this.. A few thoughts:

SR505n uses the BCM63168 chip, but according to wikidevi, SR550n uses the BCM63168U. While obviously similar, they are not the same.
(»wikidevi.com/wiki/SmartRG_SR550n)

SR550n supports pair bonding, but that isn't the same as MLPPP. So even those end users who are getting two VDSL lines from an indy-ISP can't currently use the extra capabilities of the SR550n.

By all accounts you need support from Bell to do pair bonding. Bell may insist that existing CRTC speed matching regulations do not apply to pair bonding technology.

So, they are not nearly as interesting as they appear.

On the other hand, putting ML-PPP into them for the benefit of indy-ISPs doesn't seem like an insurmountable problem, if SmartRG was on board...

Does the Smart RG505n include a print server? I'm trying to find information on this and google seems to have none.

It appears from the Bell website that the Sagemcom 2864 seems to have one, but I'm getting the impression from this thread that that modem has a lot of problems.

I'd like to plug a usb hub into the single USB port on the modem and plug a USB printer and a USB external hard drive into the hub. I want to see if anyone else has had success with this before I buy.

As of now, nop. A future firmware update might include the necessary driver and software stack to manage print server and/or a external HDD.

I changed my Sagemcom for a SmartRG last week, and I can assure you that you want a SmartRG. Print server is not there yet, but it could very easily be integrated at a later date. Hardware wise it already has the capability to connect with USB devices.

I agree. It has a USB port but they don't mention anything in the manual. It's running Linux so a printer server could be enabled, but this ads testing and support for it (so either get it running 100% so not at all).

Anyone else having sync no surf issues with the SmartRG? I got the modem three days ago to replace the much-despised Sagemcom which had the sync no surf issue until I bridged it but then it started suffering multiple daily disconnects, in addition to a 20% loss of upload speed.

Tired of renting, I bought the SmartRG from Tek already bridged to use with my Airport Extreme. About 10% of my download speed disappeared but there were no issues for about a day, then the sync no surf started. Last night I used the Tek config files to put it back into routed (don't really want it routed), applied the latest firmware just to be sure and re-bridged it. The speed was the same bridged and routed. All was fine till this afternoon and the same issues are happening again. Modem reboots always fix it but this has to be the slowest booting modem I've ever seen.

I've spent about 2 hours total on the phone with Tek-support and we can't seem to find the issue.

Fortunately I still have my cable modem so if this keeps up, I'm thinking of giving up DSL for good.

Hey all,

Just configuring a SmartRG that I received from Teksavvy and wanted to confirm some of the initial settings. I'm playing around in the web interface and planning to swap it with the Sagencom shortly.

I'm planning to use it with an Asus RT-N16 so running purely in bridge mode; I'm looking at the SmartRG SR505N Setup document provided by Teksavvy:

»/r0/do ··· ETUP.pdf

Page 4-6 tells you how to setup bridge mode for VDSL. First thing I notice is that step 7 says to set the drop down box on the WAN Service Interface Configuration page to ptm0/(4_1_1). But this option is not available, the only one in the drop down is ptm0/(0_1_1). This doesn't appear to affect any of the settings on the subsequent pages, but based on the descriptions the modem is running in DSL Latency PATH0 instead of DSL Latency PATH0&1. Will this cause any ill effects for me?

Only other question is what else should I tweak/disable to get the best out of bridge mode? The pdf doesn't really mention anything else. I was at least going to disable the wireless and it looks like removing the VDSL WAN service took my username and password off the modem.

Appreciate any feedback that you guys have! Time for the switch...

-Blake

I noticed the same thing, but never received an answer about it. It seems to work fine though. here's a screen cap from my Wan setup.

Thanks a ton Bobby!

After doing the switch I couldn't get sync but then after looking at your settings I realized I overlooked something on the guide. Step 8 says "On the WAN Service Configuration page select Bridging and click next". But what it fails to mention is that it seems you're supposed to enter the 802.1P Priority and the 802.1Q VLAN ID which are shown in the picture as 1 and 35 respectively. After entering those, I have sync now.

WAN setup on my modem looks the same as yours except you have your Vlan8021p set to 0. Attached are my line stats from the front page. And just so you guys know, I think you can plug the cable from your router into any port (mine is in port 1) and only the DSL light will be solidly lit when exclusively using bridge mode (Internet light appears to stay off; the documentation that Teksavvy sends along mentions this should be lit, but probably only if you're using the SmartRG in routed mode).

I'll report back with how this is working, but you'll likely only hear from me if it's not great (no news is good news!). Any if anyone has any suggestions as to what other settings to adjust, I'd be happy to hear them (thinking of trying out Zspeed's config here: »SmartRG config (HarvestGold v1.06) [Bridge + PPPoE])

Cheers,
Blake