Great lil gadgets!
The best part to me is how plug and play these are. No web GUI, no menu, no worries about IP addressing, and no lengthy setup, and it is very straightforward after reading the directions. All that I had to do for making a connection was set the dip switches to say who was who on the setup. Even to someone who does not know or understand the dip switch values, the directions have a diagram of the default settings needed to make a connection! I did stumble over the fact that these don't seem to work with ordinary DSL modems that you would get from an internet service. I'm unsure why these won't work with other internet provider modems other than maybe these have a login and password to each other that is not mentioned in the directions, maybe the ISP modem needs an active telephone line, or maybe these use an exclusive type of signaling in some sort of way, (Spent a few random evenings tinkering with some modem web browser GUI configurations of the ISP modems, and eventually gave up messing with it.) however I am unsure what the scenario is, and I am mostly uneducated in the matter of DSL networks. Here is some info some may find very good to know though: These things get really hot. They really generate a lot of heat. I've resorted to setting them on concrete floor, or putting a small fan nearby, as these make a concerning amount of heat. Not to the point of being a fire hazard concern, but a concern of: it is so warm that it might be shortening the life of the device. I say that because these gadgets were not cheap to obtain. In 2021 as this is when I wrote this, these things are running around for at least $200 to $250 new right now, and I would like to see these work fine for quite some years to come. All in all, these work great, and I am pleased with their ability and performance so far. The only uncomfortable concern I've found so far is the heat these make, however, the data transmission, and ease of use, is all working fine when using these as intended as described in the directions. I am mildly surprised as to why these are built with an rj-45 port for the DSL plug, and even more so that the directions plainly say it only uses pins 4 and 5 in it too. (AKA. the two middle pins in the plug.) The rest of the pins are just there, and are not used to anything at all other than just being there. (Pins 1 to 3, and 6 to 8). You can shove an rj-11 plug into it, but it will damage pins 1 and 8, however that is not a concern to performance of these devices since those pins are not used in these. Though when purchased new it is said that these come with an rj-45 to rj-11 adapter, but I did not experience that since I had purchased these used, and whomever I got these from did not have the adapters. Another point: the latency between these. When dip switches are set to "Int" I notice about 6ms or 13ms of latency added to the connection. When set to "Fast" I see around 3ms or 6ms over the connection. I am unsure what the meaning of the operation to make the difference is, and what it's advantages/disadvantages are, because the latency Is all I've noticed. Can have one unit set to "Int" and the other set to "Fast" on second dip switch, same for setting one to "Int, and the other "Fast", it works either way. Unsure what that does other than maybe it has to do with upload and download. Mixing them is what makes the variations I mentioned in the latency as-in "3ms or 6ms", and "6ms or 13ms". I usually just set them both the same at "Fast" for the lower latency. (My network and computer influence the latency too, and my numbers might be different than other setups.) "ASYM" appeared to give me better download speeds. Just takes that good old fashioned trial and error.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
