Review: DrayTek Vigor 2710Vn router
All functions sin one box is practical
By: Brynjulf Blix Tuesday 07 September 2010, 4:44 p.m.
DinSide ADSL has been available for Norwegian consumers since the end of 2000, and we got it installed in January 2001. ADSL is found in many variations with different performance, depending on the quality of telephone lines between you and the exchange and is the most prevalent form of Internet access in Norway. The initial protocol had a maximum speed of 6 Mbit down and about 1 Mbit up, provided good cabling. Later on, ADSL2 and ADSL2+ made it possible to increase thease speeds up to about 25 Mbit down under very good conditions and a short distance between the user and the telephone exchange. Previously you had to have an ADSL modem, a router and a wireless access point to establish a modern home network, but there are also solutions where you get all features in a single box. We have tested Vigor 2710Vn.

Inside the box

The package contains the router, a separate power supply, a foot, three antannas and a couple of cables. Moreover, it comes with screws and dowels to assemble it on the wall.
A small publication, a Quick Start Guide, and a CD is also included.

Layout

Connections for ADSL and the local area network are located on the edge of the router. After connection the router to the ADSL splitter and on to your PC, turn on the PC and wait until it has received an IP address from the router. Then open a browser and enter the IP address of the router witch is 192.168.1.1 Then, run a Wizard, the Quick Start Wizard, which detects the ADSL line and should bring you online. It is an advantage to research what parameters the various Internet providers operate with in advance. The dealer should be able to help you, or you can check the website of the distributor. We had to change one ADSL setting for it to successfully connect to Telenor ADSL, we found the correct settings on the web. It was then time to enter PPPoE username and password, we twisted our thumbs for a few minutes while the unit entered into hard negotiations and agreed to be friends and talk to the exchange for the foreseeable future.
The rest of the router setup is quite straight forward, if you have set up one router there is not a big difference between the manufacturers. Only the web interface is more or less fance. DrayTeks menus are of the less fancy kind.

In action

This is one of the more basic ADSL routers from DrayTek, but it still handles the basic needs of home and small office users nicely. We did not notice any peculiarities in the test period, the connection, both internally and externally was very stable at all times. Also the wireless network behaved exemplary. The speed was good and the range was as good as the best from other manufacturers. Throughout the house, from attic to basement, and even in the garden, there where excellent coverage. The USB connector can be used to connect and share a printer, if the printer should happen to be located close to the router. You can also connect a 3G USB modem, as a backup internet line if the main connection is dropped, or as an alternative solution. The unit that we received for testing also supports VoIP (IP telephony), but we did not test this functionality.

Conclusion

DaryTek Vigor 2710Vn is a convenient and elegant router that covers the basic requirements for home users and small businesses. It is straightforward to set up, stable, and has good wireless range. More information is available from the distributor Formosa.

Test results

DrayTek Vigor 2710Vn

Overall grade:

Practical and elegant ADSL router with good basic features. Stable and with good performance.
None, other models in the series has more advanced feature for those that require it.