Possible F1000 replacement. Opinions needed please.

That's a very nice looking ZyXel with dual band wireless for €92.45. I've no idea how good it actually is.

If I were you, I would unlock the F1000, a ZyXel VMG8324-B10a, and flash the latest OEM firmware. You get the full functionality of the device and the latest VDSL PHY which is gaining a reputation for excellent sync on long lines among the gurus on Kitz forums in the UK. My F1000 has never rebooted since I did this.

peejay1986 wrote: »

Got any instructions on how to do this? May be an option.

Search "Unbranding the ZyXel VMG8324-B10A". Instructions on the kitz.co.uk forums. I cannot post links.

Dermot McDonnell wrote: »

Search "Unbranding the ZyXel VMG8324-B10A". Instructions on the kitz.co.uk forums. I cannot post links.

bad idea

the f1000 has only half the hardware the retail version has, the firmware for the retail version will brick your f1000

eircom had lots of the good bits removed to make it cheaper to mass produce

f1000 is not the same as the retail version zyxel offer

hardware in it is different

trust me i have done extensive testing and bug fixing for the f1000. it is not the same modem as the retail zyxel offering

the only similarity is the casing

f1000 circuit board


note only 1 wireless antenna & chipset (2.4ghz) note the missing large chipset in the top right corner of the board - this is where the retail version has the 5.0ghz chipset - there is also two connector points on the board for the second antenna which is missing here

the ZyXel VMG8324-B10A retail version has two wireless antennae and two chipsets

1x 2.4ghz & 1x 5.0 ghz chipsets

Dermot McDonnell wrote: »

Er, no, what you say is incorrect. The ZyXel VMG8924 has dual band radios, you are confusing the devices.

It seems odd to me, when somebody claims to have done "extensive testing", that they then make such a basic mistake. Perhaps you would disclose what "bug fixing" you have done for the F1000? The device is, after all, locked down by Eircom.

I do know something about it, I published the unbranding method some months ago on the Kitz forums. The retail firmware will *not* brick your router, that's just rubbish. You can get the latest firmware, built July, on a Dutch ISP website. It works perfectly, as this post proves, because I am using it.

the modem is not locked down by eircom.

you can change any setting you like. even had a customer change the default dns server on his modem to use his own linux machine for dns by editing a firmware bin file then uploading it to the modem. not for the faint hearted to go editing bin files but it can be done.

there are many isps using the same modem as the f1000 but just call it different names. the retail full price modem is not the same it also has 2 antennae

the reason why the wifi sucks on the f1000 is down to the single crap antenna. changing the firmware wont change that.

but if you think it does work i have a few f1000's i can try it out on. so link your guide so i can test it out myself

I followed the Unbrading instructions posted on Kitz by dmcdonnell and unlocked my F1000 without any problems. Lots of people have. There is not a single report of a bricked F1000 on kitz, not one.

Bog Standard User wrote: »

.....
trust me i have done extensive testing and bug fixing for the f1000....

Why should I trust you? You have your own agenda clearly. Almost everything you have written here is untrue.

1. You mistake the F1000 for the wrong ZyXel device. The F1000 never had 5Ghz wifi.
2. Three wifi antennae are CLEARLY visible in the F1000 picture you posted, which you lifted from the TJWorld site. Do you know what a wifi antenna looks like?
3. The F1000 is locked by Eircom. You cannot flash any firmware but Eircoms unless you unlock it. Once you install the OEM retail firmware, you get VOIP, a much better sync rate and additional options in maintenance menu.
4. Installing the retail firmware will not brick your F1000. Can you point to a single incident of a bricked F1000 as a result of a firmware flash that can be independently verified?
5. Why would your customer need to hexedit a firmware to change the default DNS server on an unlocked router? He might have to do that on a locked router.
6. F1000 firmwares are both digitally signed and checksummed. Once you edit it in any way, it is rejected as an illegal image by the GUI and bootloader. You can test that yourself - I have.
7. You claim to have made bug fixes which do not exist in any available firmware and for which I can find no bug reports. Why not just read the readily available firmware release notes from ZyXel and claim you fixed those bugs also. Is you name Cj Lai? That person in named as maintainer in the most recent notes I have seen.

You clearly do not know what you are talking about.