UPC Compal CH7465 - New 802.11ac modem

bk

Looks like UPC (Virgin Media) have a new 802.11ac router on trial with customers in Ireland:

http://www.boards.ie/ttfpost/97063341

Key features:
- 802.11ac with beamforming
- Dual concurrent 2.4GHz and 5GHz radio
- EuroDOCSIS 3.0 Cable modem supporting 24 downstream channels and 8 upstream channels

I've found a manual for it in Czech:

https://www.upc.cz/pdf/manualy_inet/15258_UPC_Mercury_modem_uzivatelsky_manual_v5.pdf

The manual mentions a modem mode (bridge) in the options, but no guarantee that makes it to Ireland.

This is great news, obviously we need to wait and test it out, but the wifi seems like a vast improvement over their existing modems. The specs seems similar to the Archer C7/8 that I often recommend.

The number of DOCSIS channels is also very interesting. The existing modems only have 8 channels downstream, which allows for 240Mb/s, so with support for upto 3 times as many channels they should easily be able to hit 500Mb/s and maybe even close to 1Gb/s with this new modem *

* Of course a lot more needs to be done in the network and headend to support more channels and bandwidth, but at least the modems is capable of it, which is an important step.

Lets hope they also keep the bridge/modem mode for Ireland.

Very interesting news, this has the potential to fix all the complaints people have about UPC's broadband service and deliver much higher speeds

lotas

each DOCSIS channel is capible of 50mb/s, so even without changing modems, 400mb/s down and 100mb/s up is possible... with this 1.2Gb down and 400mb/s up is possible... would prefer ones with bridge mode... hopefully its possible... i have my own wireless and proper (PFSense) router, so 802.11AC is not required and neither is wireless from UPC... i just want a dumb pipe to the internet... does it include a phone port? would also like to be able to get them to give phones over SIP channels...

pizzahead77

Already been discussed on the following thread in this forum

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057494234

lotas

pizzahead77 wrote: »

Already been discussed on the following thread in this forum

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057494234

yea, was already on there!

bk

lotas wrote: »

each DOCSIS channel is capible of 50mb/s, so even without changing modems, 400mb/s down and 100mb/s up is possible... with this 1.2Gb down and 400mb/s up is possible...

While each channel is capable of that, you have to remember that it is shared with your neighbours, so in the real world 240Mb/s is about the maximum possible with 8 channels.

1Gb/s should be almost possible with 24 channels.

BTW Yes, it has two phone ports.

bk

pizzahead77 wrote: »

Already been discussed on the following thread in this forum

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057494234

Yes, but that thread was purely speculative. I thought it would be a good idea to start a new thread with confirmed details, so that we could discuss it in detail as more information emerges, similar to previous threads on various modems.

PixelTrawler

Maybe people on the trial can mention if they are on ds-lite

maclek

bk wrote: »

While each channel is capable of that, you have to remember that it is shared with your neighbours, so in the real world 240Mb/s is about the maximum possible with 8 channels.

1Gb/s should be almost possible with 24 channels.

BTW Yes, it has two phone ports.

How many broadband channels does UPC provide in Ireland? On my modem status page I've locked on to channels up to 12.

Receiver#|Channel ID|Lock Status|Frequency|Modulation|Symbol Rate|SNR|Power
1|1|Locked|482000000|256QAM|6952000|40.8|4.1
2|2|Locked|490000000|256QAM|6952000|41.4|3.8
3|3|Locked|498000000|256QAM|6952000|41.4|3.8
4|4|Locked|506000000|256QAM|6952000|39.0|3.4
5|9|Locked|682000000|256QAM|6952000|39.1|-0.9
6|10|Locked|690000000|256QAM|6952000|39.0|-1.4
7|11|Locked|698000000|256QAM|6952000|38.6|-1.8
8|12|Locked|706000000|256QAM|6952000|38.0|-2.0

If they have say 20 broadband channels in total then your local loop shared with your neighbours is capable of 1Gb, so if there are 20 UPC broadband customers in a loop all downloading at full speed then each can only get 100Mb, but realistically they're never going to all be going full speed at the same time. It all comes down to the contention I suppose.

Personally I have no problem getting my full 240 during the evening when downloading large distributed files.

bk

maclek wrote: »

If they have say 20 broadband channels in total then your local loop shared with your neighbours is capable of 1Gb, so if there are 20 UPC broadband customers in a loop all downloading at full speed then each can only get 100Mb, but realistically they're never going to all be going full speed at the same time. It all comes down to the contention I suppose.

Personally I have no problem getting my full 240 during the evening when downloading large distributed files.

Yup, that is pretty much how the entire internet works. While you are sharing the bandwidth with your neighbours, there are a couple of assumptions:

- Only 50% of your neighbours actually sign up UPC broadband. (otherwise with Eircom, etc.).
- Even amongst those who do, many will be at work/school/socialising, etc.
- Even amongst those who are using it, most are just surfing. Click on a link, spend a few minutes reading, etc. Very low bandwidth usage.
- The highest average users might be streaming Netflix/Youtube HD, but even then that is only 8Mb/s

- VERY, very few people consistently download at the full 240Mb/s all the time. Only the odd, extreme techies like us. I'd assume there isn't more then one neighbour on a loop trying to actually use 240Mb/s at any one time.

That is pretty much how the entire internet works, managed contention and as long as it is managed well, then it isn't an issue and is actually a good thing.

Like you I get great performance from my UPC connection. I've a samknows box attached to it that speed tests it hourly, my last monthly report gave an average speed of 232.20Mbps, pretty outstanding performance.

lotas

on the front page of UPC, they are now claiming a guaranteed 180mb/s at peak times on their 240mb/s line...

ThisRegard

lotas wrote: »

on the front page of UPC, they are now claiming a guaranteed 180mb/s at peak times on their 240mb/s line...

On a wired connection.

bk

ThisRegard wrote: »

On a wired connection.

Which in fairness is the only thing they can guarantee. Wifi is effected by far too many environmental variables to allow them to make any guarantees about the performance of the wifi.

ThisRegard

Absolutely. They do have the minimum 180 asterisked with the wired connection at the bottom.

But people will still expect to be getting the max even if they don't have the equipment to manage it.

dunworth1

ThisRegard wrote: »

Absolutely. They do have the minimum 180 asterisked with the wired connection at the bottom.

But people will still expect to be getting the max even if they don't have the equipment to manage it.

the talk to forum is evident of this the amount of people who go there complaining about not getting 200mb+ over wifi is crazy

i seen guy was complaining about not getting it on his phone
youd never need 200mb on a phone

TheDoc

I was going to buy a Archer C7 in the coming weeks to try boost my WiFi in the home. We have a black Cisco router and the wireless is dire.

Maybe I'm best holding off to see how this goes? Would probably be able to blag a free one off them when they become available , as usual.

ThisRegard

dunworth1 wrote: »

the talk to forum is evident of this the amount of people who go there complaining about not getting 200mb+ over wifi is crazy

i seen guy was complaining about not getting it on his phone
youd never need 200mb on a phone

You'd need to have the patience of a saint to do any sort of support, but those guys on upc are a step above, particularly with many of the confrontational people.

bk

TheDoc wrote: »

I was going to buy a Archer C7 in the coming weeks to try boost my WiFi in the home. We have a black Cisco router and the wireless is dire.

Maybe I'm best holding off to see how this goes? Would probably be able to blag a free one off them when they become available , as usual.

Well we will have to wait for reviews of it, but from the specs I expect it will perform close to the c7/c8.

Probably not quiet as good in every area, but probably close enough that most people wouldn't notice, so if you could get a free one, then probably worth waiting a little.

TheDoc

bk wrote: »

Well we will have to wait for reviews of it, but from the specs I expect it will perform close to the c7/c8.

Probably not quiet as good in every area, but probably close enough that most people wouldn't notice, so if you could get a free one, then probably worth waiting a little.

Interesting. Might hold off so and see what the craic with it is

The Cush

Liberty press release on the new modem - http://www.libertyglobal.com/pdf/press-release/11-5-G-Enhances-Customers-WiFi-Experience-with-Next-GenWiFi-and-Telephony-Gateway-FINAL.pdf

http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2015/11/05/liberty-brings-in-new-gateway/

The new box was displayed at IBC 2015 back in Sept http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057494234

Dave..M

The Cush wrote: »

Liberty press release on the new modem - http://www.libertyglobal.com/pdf/press-release/11-5-G-Enhances-Customers-WiFi-Experience-with-Next-GenWiFi-and-Telephony-Gateway-FINAL.pdf

http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2015/11/05/liberty-brings-in-new-gateway/

The new box was displayed at IBC 2015 back in Sept http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057494234

WiFi is all well and good but a strong transmitter is only half the battle, I wonder what kind of processor and ram it has; the number of connected devices these days is a critical factor (to me anyway) and resulting network performance and is what drove me to bridge my TWG to a C7 two years ago and has me back out looking for a new piece if kit now. Hopefully they have addressed everything in one go but given the Horizon debacle I lack the faith in Liberty.

dak

Hi All
Got a email from Virgin Media last week asking if I wanted to try out their new modem ( Probably because I was on the Horizon Box Trials) . It arrived yesterday and even though I wasn’t there to hand back the old modem they left the new one .

Connected it up last night .. couldn’t have been easier . Connected it up .. waited about 20 mins for all lights to go green and a browser opens , asked you what language you want .. enter the network password and you are good to go.

First impressions are good …got 249Mbs wired and 47 on my phone.. my connection speed definitely seemed faster than the old cisco. I live in an old bungalow with 2 foot thick walls and wifi has always been an issue . It seems to have 24 channels as far as I can see .

I use TP Link extenders in the rooms further away from the modem which is in one end of the house . Have to say I am very pleased with the wifi range of this new modem . I was getting nearly a full signal all over the house even without the TP Link extenders . Also like the WEP button on the modem for connecting other devices.

Finally a good piece of kit from a service provider …fair dues to Virgin Media.. They have another happy customer and I would have no problem recommending this modem.

Regards
Dak

roast

Sounds promising. Any option for bridging that you could see?

dub45

roast wrote: »

Sounds promising. Any option for bridging that you could see?

Irrespective of the option surely the really important question is will VM allow it?

Cuddlesworth

dub45 wrote: »

Irrespective of the option surely the really important question is will VM allow it?

Well their attitude to the last change would imply they don't seem to be actively trying to stop it anymore.

ThisRegard

roast wrote: »

Sounds promising. Any option for bridging that you could see?

If it's a good router it should negate the need for bridging?

roast

ThisRegard wrote:

If it's a good router it should negate the need for bridging?

Even the best isp-supplied residential routers still wouldn't have some of the features that some of us like to use. Most Mikrotiks or anything running ddwrt would completely slay anything supplied by an isp.

roast

dub45 wrote:

Irrespective of the option surely the really important question is will VM allow it?

True and I assume not, but it's always worth looking for.

yellow_minion

i also got an email about trailing the new Compal modem, i got it yesterday but my experience has been vastly different,
vastly negative.

first off...i could not get the modem to connect to the internet, wired or wireless....it turns out Virgin did not have the CM MAC of the modem registered on my account, the Ubee was still listed as active equipment.

it took 24 hours for tech support to update my account, had no BB...and i had to hand back the Ubee modem.
once it did get registered on the system/my account i had more issues.....the modem was restarting and looping.

once i got that sorted more issues...i could not connect the wireless, eventually uisng ethernet i got into the config and changed the default SSID and password and listed my wirless lan MAC address.

two full days of hassle and calls to virgin, not smooth at all....add to which the actuak midem has no USB port, its just as big as the old Ubee...except it upright instead of horizontal.

the config wizard is alot better and looks modern, has more options.


good new....there is a modem mode!!

Modem mode
Modem mode disables the WiFi feature of the Virgin Media Hub 3.0, so you can use your own wireless router.
Enabled Modem Mode
Enabled Router Mode

at least there is on this firmware version which is:

CH7465LG-NCIP-4.50.18.15-1-NOSH

the modem looks nice enough, but the lack of USB is a big step back....the wireless range and strength is better then the Ubee....the modem gets hotter then the Ubee.

there is a HORRID power brick!!!...wtf?????....its pretty big as well....epic FAIL virgin!
still testing and looking....but my experince thus far based on my issue...survey says: Very negative.

tbf....Virgin did give me 5 Euro off my next bills for the hassle......kudos.

yellow_minion

roast wrote: »

Sounds promising. Any option for bridging that you could see?

yes....there is a modem mode, you can enable modem mode or enable router mode.
router is enabled by default.

it says: Modem mode disables the WiFi feature of the Virgin Media Hub 3.0, so you can use your own wireless router.


but this is a beta firmware and that option might get diabled once the final version firmware is released.

yellow_minion

another thing....the bug that prevented the Ubee from getting proper speed when connected to certain 100mbps ethernet adapters is gone.

i have a Broadcom x440 ethernet adapter, the Ubee bug prevented speeds of anything above 30-35mbps.
with the compal i am getting 68-70mbps.

you never get 100mbps as there is all sorts of overhead etc.....so its right around what realistically what you can get wired from that Broadcom adapter.

degsie

Can this
1) allow ipv4 port forwarding?
2) allow creation of static routes?
3) use dyndns?
4) allow you do define your own dns addresses?
5) create firewall rules to allow/disallow certain devices at certain times?

If so I'd be interested

yellow_minion

degsie wrote: »

Can this
1) allow ipv4 port forwarding?
2) allow creation of static routes?
3) use dyndns?
4) allow you do define your own dns addresses?
5) create firewall rules to allow/disallow certain devices at certain times?

If so I'd be interested

Maximum Number of devices 10


DHCPv4 server
This sections allows you to configure how the Virgin Media Hub 3.0 assigns IPv4 addresses. It is configured to be a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server by default. This provides the TCP/IP configuration for all connected devices.

IPv6 port filtering
This section allows you to configure the traffic policy for your internet service:

IPv6 firewall
Firewall protection
Block fragmented IP packets
Port scan detection
IP flood detection
ICMP flood detection
ICMP flood detect rate


Guest network
This is a secure and separate network which provides
wireless internet access for your guests.
All devices connected to this network will not
be able to access your own WiFi network.

DHCPv6 server
This section allows you to configure how the Virgin Media Hub 3.0 assigns IPv6 addresses.

Reserved IP addresses

there are 20 downstream channels.
Standard specification compliant : DOCSIS 3.0
Hardware version : 4.01
Software version : CH7465LG-NCIP-4.50.18.15-1-NOSH

Remote access
Enabling remote access allows your Virgin Media Hub 3.0 settings to be accessed from a device located outside of your home network. We recommend that you disable remote access when not required, as leaving it enabled could introduce an unnecessary security risk to your network.

yellow_minion

bk wrote: »

Looks like UPC (Virgin Media) have a new 802.11ac router on trial with customers in Ireland:

Key features:
- 802.11ac with beamforming
- Dual concurrent 2.4GHz and 5GHz radio
- EuroDOCSIS 3.0 Cable modem supporting 24 downstream channels and 8 upstream channels

I've found a manual for it in Czech:


The manual mentions a modem mode (bridge) in the options, but no guarantee that makes it to Ireland.

This is great news, obviously we need to wait and test it out, but the wifi seems like a vast improvement over their existing modems. The specs seems similar to the Archer C7/8 that I often recommend.

The number of DOCSIS channels is also very interesting. The existing modems only have 8 channels downstream, which allows for 240Mb/s, so with support for upto 3 times as many channels they should easily be able to hit 500Mb/s and maybe even close to 1Gb/s with this new modem *

* Of course a lot more needs to be done in the network and headend to support more channels and bandwidth, but at least the modems is capable of it, which is an important step.

Lets hope they also keep the bridge/modem mode for Ireland.

Very interesting news, this has the potential to fix all the complaints people have about UPC's broadband service and deliver much higher speeds

in the current firmware there is 20 downstream and 4 upstream channels

yellow_minion

PixelTrawler wrote: »

Maybe people on the trial can mention if they are on ds-lite

yes....it is dslite

dub45

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Well their attitude to the last change would imply they don't seem to be actively trying to stop it anymore.

Unfortunately nothing seems to have changed in that regard:(

sysconp1

I received one of the CH7465LG modems as part of my upgrade to 360Mbps with VM. I fired up the box when it arrived and I was pleased by the range of features, however.... The firmware from VM came down in two tranches and boy did the features disappear. The original firmware had IPv6 support and more firewall features, however after the first tranche these disappeared. I received telephone support after the second tranche, so don't worry you will get the feature after your upgrade.
Why VM have chosen to remove IPv6 and some of the Firewall features is baffling and to be very honest I feel let down after initially seeing them in place prior to the firmware "upgrade". DOCSIS also received a downgrade as part of the "upgrade" moving from DOCSIS 3.1 to DOCSIS 3.0, but I assume this gives a taste for the future. Oh and to add that the box does have a modem feature that provides an exposed external IP ready for your own router. I think this may be the route that I take to provide a little more security than is provided by the current firmware.

ED E

Dont think that makes sense, these arent supposed to support 3.1, just more 3.0 channels.

sysconp1

sysconp1 wrote: »

I received one of the CH7465LG modems as part of my upgrade to 360Mbps with VM. I fired up the box when it arrived and I was pleased by the range of features, however.... The firmware from VM came down in two tranches and boy did the features disappear. The original firmware had IPv6 support and more firewall features, however after the first tranche these disappeared. I received telephone support after the second tranche, so don't worry you will get the feature after your upgrade.
Why VM have chosen to remove IPv6 and some of the Firewall features is baffling and to be very honest I feel let down after initially seeing them in place prior to the firmware "upgrade". DOCSIS also received a downgrade as part of the "upgrade" moving from DOCSIS 3.1 to DOCSIS 3.0, but I assume this gives a taste for the future. Oh and to add that the box does have a modem feature that provides an exposed external IP ready for your own router. I think this may be the route that I take to provide a little more security than is provided by the current firmware.

I doubt that it was a firmware change. More likely, the DOCSIS configuration file was downloaded and disabled whatever Virgin don't want to be used.

I suppose this does show that the device is DOCSIS 3.1 capable though. Good to hear about the bridge mode too.

degsie

Karsini wrote: »

Good to hear about the bridge mode too.

Even if you can bridge, are you still subject to the restrictions of DSLite? I mean in terms port forwarding etc.

degsie

degsie wrote: »

Even if you can bridge, are you still subject to the restrictions of DSLite? I mean in terms port forwarding etc.

You would be, but you can PM the reps here and move back to v4 if you want it.

Karsini

Karsini wrote: »

I doubt that it was a firmware change. More likely, the DOCSIS configuration file was downloaded and disabled whatever Virgin don't want to be used.

I suppose this does show that the device is DOCSIS 3.1 capable though. Good to hear about the bridge mode too.

Well I take that back, there was indeed a firmware change.

Got one of these yesterday. Although mine didn't have any extra features in the original firmware and still displayed DOCSIS 3.0. The phone function was disabled; I figure it was originally a VM UK firmware as they don't use PacketCable VoIP. After the firmware update and reboot, the modem came up with the phone ports enabled.

I like the detailed DOCSIS stats, shows a lot more info than the previous UPC modems.

Dave..M

Hey there, does this have a proper bridge mode i.e. public ip on the LAN?

Dave..M

Dave..M wrote: »

Hey there, does this have a proper bridge mode i.e. public ip on the LAN?

It does indeed. When you log in, there's a modem mode option on the left. After you set it, it reboots into bridge mode and the power LED turns purple.

Dave..M

Karsini wrote: »

It does indeed. When you log in, there's a modem mode option on the left. After you set it, it reboots into bridge mode and the power LED turns purple.

Great, thanks, I may retire my trusty old TWG soon so!

sonofenoch

Do they send this modem out if you upgrade to 360mb? and what happens the Thompson do you need send it back

sonofenoch

sonofenoch wrote: »

Do they send this modem out if you upgrade to 360mb? and what happens the Thompson do you need send it back

Yes, the Compal is the standard issue for the 360Mb service. If they don't send you one, tell them and then they will. I got it automatically.

The new modem comes with a padded envelope to return your old modem. Or, if you have it with you when the courier arrives, they'll take it back on the spot.

chaps

Hi Guys,

I'm not sure I saw the question about Dyndns capabilities answered about the compal modem on this thread.
Anyone could help by any chances?

Thanks,

ChAp's

chaps

chaps wrote: »

Hi Guys,

I'm not sure I saw the question about Dyndns capabilities answered about the compal modem on this thread.
Anyone could help by any chances?

Thanks,

ChAp's

It's a very basic UI. Doesn't have dynamic DNS capability. You'll need to bridge or use PC-based software for it.

chaps

Karsini wrote: »

It's a very basic UI. Doesn't have dynamic DNS capability. You'll need to bridge or use PC-based software for it.

Thanks for your answer.

Cheers

M.J.M.C

****

M.J.M.C

Thought I would post this here rather than creating a new thread.

I just got this Compal router have two questions

1 - How is that it's able to broadcast only one SSID but use both 2.4GHz and 5GHz at the same time
My Archer c8 can only do this with two seperate SSID's
2 - I got an Archer C8 on the advice from here to improve WiFi over the old Horizon UPC Box which worked great.
I have the Archer disconnected at the moment and not having any issues, is it worth keeping?
Since I have it would I be better off using the Compal in mode only mode?

Thanks