Billion BiPAC 7402NX: support when there is none

If you're running a small business from home and need to have some assurance that you'll almost always have internet access even when the ADSL or cable is on the blink then Billion's BiPAC 7402NX needs to be on your shopping shortlist.

As well as combining a Gigabit switch, 802.11n Wi-Fi at 2.4GHz and ADSL 2+ modem, it throws in a USB port so you can connect a 3G modem, like the Huawei E220 that we used for testing.

Configuring the 7402NX for the first time was reasonably easy. For Windows users, there's Billion's EZ Configuration Utility. This provides a series a set of step-by-step instructions that guide you through establishing a connection. If you're a Mac or Linux user, you can directly access the router using a web browser. However, the IP address, username and password are buried within the User Guide. We couldn't find any reference to this information in the Quick Start Guide.

The EZ Configuration Tool guided us through the process of setting up the ADSL connection, 3G and wireless security. At a couple of points through the process the utility went through some extended diagnostics to make sure everything was OK. This was reassuring but left us waiting for several minutes each time.

Internet connectivity via ADSL 2+ was quick and reliable. We didn't have any problems connecting to an ADSL service. As always, the performance that's achievable over ADSL will vary between premises depending on the distance to the exchange, line quality and other factors. We found that the Billion provided a similar performance level, out of the box, to the cable modem provided by our ISP.

The failover to 3G was seamless. Once we set the appropriate option within the 7402NX's firmware, pulling the ADSL connection triggered automatic failover. There was a delay before full connectivity was up and running but this only took a few seconds. Performance was marginally slower than if we directly connected the 3G modem directly to the computer but then sharing the connection wouldn't be nearly as easy.

Network performance, over wired connections wasn't as fast as we expected. A 350MB file moved between two machines with Gigabit network adaptors in about 20 seconds. While that's not too bad, we've seen other routers do the same task in about half the time. Over an 802.11n connection, the same operation took about 1 minute and 40 seconds making it one of the faster Wi-Fi routers we've tested.

Wireless range was reasonable although we have tested better. We found that wireless range remained at full strength for about 15 metres with a steady decline in signal quality as we moved to about 20 metres from the access point. We ran a continual ping to the router while walking away and dropped 2 out of 350 packets during the 25 metre away-and-back journey.

Just like many of the other Billion routers, there are more features than any one person could possibly use. However, between VPN support, DDNS, QoS and the plethora of other options, it's hard to see who couldn't use this router. That said, what separates it from the pack is its ability to use a 3G connection in case of emergency. Given that you can get 2GB of 3G usage for under $30 per month, it becomes a cheap option for SMBs looking to ensure connectivity.

Any purchase decision is a balance between features and price. The Billion BiPAC 7402NX is at the higher priced end of the modem/router market but it does deliver a killer feature with its 3G support.