Broadband Internet routers - have I bought the wrong thing?

[Deleted User]

Hello! I have family in Nepal and most technology related to landlines, wired utilities is very expensive over there, (about the same cost or more as here although the usual cost of living is 25% of ours)

I was asked to get a couple of Internet routers to connect to their landlines so the house could get basic broadband Internet access set up. Routers from ISPs there can cost from £80 up on top of the monthly bill.

I looked online and got 2 x N150 Belkin routers: http://www.belkin.com/uk/p/P-F9K1001 - although I only paid £9 each for refurbed.

I am concerned as the box shows an infographic with the telephone socket then a modem, then the router??

Have I just bought the wrong bits of kit?

EDITED TO ADD: The Ebay seller mis-described the item as a "wireless modem router" so yes, I bought & was sent the wrong gear

victor2

Those routers do indeed connect to a modem and not directly to the telephone line. I don't know what technology is used in Nepal or what regulations may apply to connecting equipment to it, but if your relatives can just get a broadband connection supplied for cable only, then you could plug the wireless router you have bought into the modem supplied.
Unless you can find out what modem/router units can be used in Nepal, you could have trouble finding some compatible equipment in the UK.
I guess you already know what socket adapters you'd need too!

[Deleted User]

Thanks for your reply Victor
I thought so but wanted to check. Now off to open an Ebay case & let the seller know he's selling the wrong bit of kit! (described as "Belkin Surf Wireless Modem Router")

paddyrg

A lot of ebay buyers and sellers have no real idea what they're buying or selling, just commodities to them. Personally for the sake of the extra ~£40-odd I'd pay the Nepali rate and be sure it was the exact right thing. There may be other incompatibilities you're not seeing, such as some traffic shaping configuration requirements from the provider's side. It's a one-off cost, may as well get it right and knowing Nepal reasonably well, I'm sure they'll have no problem selling the modem router to an independent retailer if they ever cancel the contract

Lum

What do they have currently. Do they already have an ISP provided modem or router that they're upgrading, or is this all completely new to them.

You can get a dedicated ADSL modem for cheap, a Draytek Vigor 120 for example, however this massively complicates your setup vs getting a combined unit and I would recommend avoiding this option since you were quite clearly sold a misdescribed item.

[Deleted User]

Lum wrote: »

What do they have currently. Do they already have an ISP provided modem or router that they're upgrading, or is this all completely new to them.

You can get a dedicated ADSL modem for cheap, a Draytek Vigor 120 for example, however this massively complicates your setup vs getting a combined unit and I would recommend avoiding this option since you were quite clearly sold a misdescribed item.

Hi Lum, they are getting a Nepali ISP to supply a DSL internet connection through the existing land line for the first time (Nepal & India use UK type phone sockets indoors generally). The cost to buy a router over there is £70-100 from the ISP and the ISP IT guy recommended someone brought one over from UK as the quality is generally better! (we all get Chinese stuff but EU at least gets export quality tech gear)

I have opened a case for 'not as described' and am currently looking for a combined modem + wireless router. Depending on price I could get 2 for when/if the 1st fails or to pass onto another relative.