TP-LINK TD-8817 ADSL2/2+ Ethernet/USB Modem Router 24Mbps Downstream, 3.5Mbps Upstream USB and Ethernet 10/100Base-T

Pros: Works with AT&T ADSL in Northern California (Bay area). Took a chance and am glad, as it is cheap, at half the price of other DSL modems. Hasn't overheated yet.

Cons: Installation is a little confusing, didn't work with the included driver (CD). Also tried USB but I had to install the USB driver, hidden in the CD Rom. The web interface is confusing and very hard to understand, and manual doesn't explain much. I have installed and used many different routers and opensource (openWRT,tomato,ddwrt,etc) firmware, but this was very confusing. Not sure if I still have port forwarding correct. Also the web interface loads very slow. Could be due to slow processor.

Other Thoughts: Installed manually (by going to 192.168.1.1) instead of using the included software, which kept failing. Running ADSL 6Mb/768k. For some reason, the included phone cable didn't work when phone was plugged into the DSL filter. I used the one given by AT&T and it worked fine.

Pros: In a review someone suggested users choose Google's public DNS servers but gave the wrong IP address for the second server. The addresses are:

The Google DNS servers are 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4;

not 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.0.0

Cons: this is not a review so no comments

Pros: Works great, very stable, fast, good web interface. They provide tons of info on how to set-up for which ISP you have.

Cons: Can be a little hard to set-up depending on your ISP, but not the modems fault.

Other Thoughts: Would pick this over most other modems.

Pros: Highly configurable...
Connection was established automatically...

Cons: None...

Other Thoughts: Reviewers writing negative feedback regarding compatibility with Centurylink/Embarq are experiencing other anomalies, i.e. not following guidance on initial setup.

Pros: Fairly easy to set up and good instructions up to a point. Separate instructions for type of connection were clear. Working well with AT&T broadband, tlink wr740n router and magic jack voip.

Cons: Needed some technical expertise to set up without support. Ended up having to go into web manager to change a couple of items in both the modem and the router.

Pros: Cheap, works, nice user interface. Nice udp and firewall exception page. Replaced my netgear router that always dropped my dsl. This system almost never looses signal for more than a few seconds if ever.

Cons: doesn't come with mounting screws so you can put it on a wall, but not a big deal.

Other Thoughts: Use the Google DNS servers rather than your isp. 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.0.0

Pros: Price
Features
Easy setup - Connected to Verizon in less than 5 minutes

Cons: Connection freezes
Have to reboot often
Speedtest slow connection compared to both Westell and Netgear modem
Does not work well with TP-Link router.

Other Thoughts: My Netgear modem/router is getting old and I have to replace the firmware every so often to keep it working. I bought this as a replacement along with a TP-Link Wireless N Router. Setup was a breeze and connected right to Verizon. I set to bridge mode and hooked up the router. I set the PPOE username and password in router and it would not connect. I had to reboot both the modem and router and reset the password and then it took about 4 minutes to connect. It connects to verizon at 4450kbps, but for some reason, when I use the modem with the router, speedtest results in about 2Mbs. I disconnect the router and set the modem back to router and my speedtest is about 3.6Mbps. When hooked up to the TP-Link Router, my connection will freeze every few hours and I have to reboot both the router and modem to get the connection back. Both products are TP-Link, you would think they would work together. Disconnected and hooked my Netgear back up. Ended up with $30 eye piece.

Manufacturer Response:

Dear Customer,

It is unfortunate that you were experiencing slow speeds with your TP-LINK modem (and router) --

Sometimes it's best to check our website to see if there have been any firmware releases since the version that was pre-loaded on your device.

Also, you may want to try lowering the MTU size in the modem, as some ISPs handle packets differently. When your router is in place, if you are connecting via wifi, there are a number of things that may slow down your speed. Most commonly, the Wireless Channel it is on. By default it is set to AUTO, but you are free to switch to a more desirable and less utilized channel to see if it helps your speeds!


Thank you for supporting TP-LINK.

Best Regards!
TP-LINK Support Team
(866)225-8139
http://www.tp-link.com/us/support
http://www.facebook.com/TPLINK

Pros: Newegg,s shipping was eggcelent.

Cons: TP Link customer service was terrible. I contacted my provider and setup the modem with the rep. on the line, never could get the modem to come online. Called TP Link customer rep. and got a person from a foreign country, accent was so bad I could not communicate with her. She continually blamed my provider for their lousy modem. I finally got tired of telling her that I was on the phone with my provider for an hour trying to get TP Link modem online. Gave up with her and returned the modem to Newegg. Newegg is the best customer service, shipping and returns no questions asked.

Manufacturer Response:

Dear Customer,

We are sorry to hear of your difficulties using our product. The TD-8817 modem is a rather popular model, and we hope to provide the best support possible at all times. Unfortunately, the fact that we sell modems, but do not provide internet services, makes troubleshooting a little more complex as it requires information from TP-LINK, ISP, as well as customer. We hope in the future that you have a better experience with our devices!


Thank you for supporting TP-LINK.

Best Regards!
TP-LINK Support Team
(866)225-8139
http://www.tp-link.com/us/support
http://www.facebook.com/TPLINK

Pros: Easy to install, Small

Cons: none yet

Pros: This connected to AT&T very nicely. There was pretty basic configuration and the default settings they suggested for AT&T worked. It reboots quickly as well so it must have decent hardware inside.

Cons: I'm not a big fan of the power push on/push off button. It's easy to accidentally hit.

Other Thoughts: Sort of short, not amazing quality cables included but they worked.