Blognoscenti – Official Blog of WebAntics.co.za

For a while now, Billion has had a soft spot in the heart of enthusiasts, as the company that brought us low cost routers that didn’t sacrifice in quality. While typically the haunt of the advanced user, Billion maintains its reputation for stability with the 7800N.

The Billion 7800N 802.11n Dual WAN ADSL2+/Broadband Firewall Router sits above the norm by offering gigabit Ethernet ports and interestingly, a WAN port so you can use it with almost any internet connection available in South Africa. In the default ADSL mode, the EWAN port defaults to being a 5th LAN port, although it’s only 10/100Mbit/s, while the other four LAN ports support Gigabit Ethernet. Unlike many consumer routers, Billion has chosen not to include USB ports for print sharing or storage – perhaps because usually they are rife with compatibility problems and cause more frustration than joy.

The BiPAC 7800N doesn’t come with a configuration CD but has both Basic and Advanced web configuration modes, as well as a quick start mode which takes you through configuring your ADSL settings and securing your wireless connection.

Firewall settings include packet filtering, port redirection and intrusion detection. You can also filter web content by URL or keyword or, block active content like Java applets and ActiveX scripts and set up scheduled hours during which these restrictions apply.

QoS can be configured in a dedicated menu interface, but there are no preset options to make life easier for beginners. Like the site blocking feature, you can set a schedule, which is handy if, for example, you only want to give a high priority to your BitTorrent client during off-peak hours to avoid having your connection speed throttled. Other features include DDNS via numerous free and paid-for providers, remote admin access, a VPN pass-through, wake on LAN and a telnet configuration interface.

The router’s wireless performance is outstanding. The Billion 7800N justifies its price with a wealth of features that make it a stand-out choice for a demanding home office.

You can now purchase the Billion 7800N in South Africa from WebAntics Online for the price of R1403.20 incl VAT (shipping costs may apply).

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