Buying a 3-in-1 device, am I without choice?

Hardware Questions and Recommendations
1

Hi, since many years I desire to buy a new 3-in-1 device (modem/router/access point device) like those commercial ones that smell, but a privacy respecting one. Big plus if it will have many years of support.
So my goal is avoiding the common commercial devices, that have no privacy and that drop support after very few years. Possibly I'd like to avoid also a 2+1 setup (modem device+router/ap device).
OpenWrt is one of the very few candidates.

So I opened up the hardware table and these are my filters:

I then exclude those who have modem/wifi in "Unsupported Functions", exclude the ADSL in modem column (I need a VDSL2 FTTC).
The remaining candidates are only 3, but considering the BT Home Hub 5 is nowhere to be seen, the candidates are the 2 Fritzbox (they're basically the same device). I read their installation page and looks fairly simple, without any soldering. The only thing I couldn't confirm is if they support VDSL2.

So I was about to buy one, but first I searched "Fritz 7530" here on the forum and sad threads come up, like this and this.

After years, I think I will give up again. Maybe what I'm searching is asking too much? Am I searching a dream? The only real-world possible way is having a 2+1 setup?
Any other suggestions?

2

Other devices using the Lantiq target.

3

Yes, some people have problems with particular 7520s and 7530s, but quite a few of us are using them without those issues. My 7530 is performing noticeably better as a VDSL2 modem than the TD-W8980 (vrx200) I was previously using, though I don't use the radios on mine so can't comment about that aspect of its performance.

VDSL is being phased out in many places in favour of direct fibre connections so the market for modems is contracting. The only significant vendor still producing modem chipsets is Broadcom and they are decidedly open-source unfriendly so OpenWrt can't really do anything to support devices with these chipsets.

4

I wanted to type a very similar reply to @pythonic, but I was too slow :wink: I also owned a TD-W8980 previously and the 7520's VDSL stability is way better. My line uptime is currently 42 days, that was the time I had to reboot the entire box.

Anyway: I had two 7520 in active use, since we switched to cable on one location, I have one 7520 for sale. Drop me a PM (I can't PM you, your profile isn't public) if you are interested.
I also had a 7530 with an unsupported flash chip. Adding support was trivial, but I sold the device in the meantime.

5

@frollic Applying my filters on your search I end up with nothing, so it's a no go for me.

@pythonic Thanks for sharing your experience, maybe I could try buying it and hoping it will be good on my end.

(at) andyboeh Thanks, PMing you. Did you use also its wifi connection? Any issue or instability?

(Lol new users can mention only two other users.)

6

Yes, I have both radios active. I haven't noticed WiFi issues, but it's the only WiFi AP we have in this very small flat. I just noticed that some additional settings for 5GHz are a good idea:

/etc/config/wireless:

	option dtim_period '3'
	option max_inactivity '86400'
	option disassoc_low_ack '0'
7

What's the filter?
DSL and 22.03 ? Those devices match it..

8

Yes but there's Wifi under Unsupported Functions. Then Fritz 7490 is PR pending.

9

Still have many 802.11n devices around?

10

True, they're not many now. I just had a linux laptop with some issues on the driver due to a recent network card.
Well I will keep that list as fallback, thanks!
Btw why Lantiq? Good opensource support?

11

Pretty much the only one.

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