ACTIONTEC GS503AD301 Dsl Gw Modem with 4-PORT Switch

List Price: $74.99

Features:

• Really two devices rolled into one
• A full-rate ADSL modem thats upgradeable to the new, faster ADSL 2/2+protocol
• It is also a router, capable of networking up to four computers, via embedded ethernet ports, with a minimum amount of hassle
• Get rid of the clutter of components on your desk and replace them with the Actiontec DSL Gateway

Customer Reviews:

Doesn't Work With All Major DSL Providers [Posted on 2005-09-12]
I would have given this product zero stars, but that wasn't an option. I am a Verizon DSL customer and I assume they can be considered a major DSL provider. Recently, the Fujitsu SpeedPort modem that came with my service went belly-up so I thought I'd try purchasing a replacement myself instead of waiting a week for one from Verizon. The ActionTec box states clearly that the modem works with all major DSL providers. At least in my case, this isn't true. I installed the modem, however, it was unable to recognize a signal from my DSL line.

I contacted ActionTec technical support for assistance and I must say the front-line support guy was very professional. One interesting thing I noticed though is that although I called the general technical support number and chose the proper menu option, the support technician thought I had selected the Quest support line. Makes me wonder if they've only tested their product with Quest and assumed it would work with everything else.

Anyway, the support technician and I performed all of the trouble shooting steps in his script with no luck. I was then transferred to a specialist who told me flat out that if the modem couldn't interpret the signal from my DSL line then I was out of luck and no further tinkering was necessary.

Because of my experience with this product, I don't recommend it. If you are considering purchasing a modem on your own I recommend you check with your DSL provider for a list of compatible modems. Unfortunately, the Verizon support staff couldn't tell me if their service would work with modems other than Fujistu.

In the end I got another Fujitsu from Verizon and am back on the net (writing this review among other things.)

Blah... barely adequate.  [Posted on 2006-09-12]
Setup was pretty quick. It's designed to be a no-brainer. We got it up and running and were able to retire my Microsoft router too because this unit is both a modem and a router. That was good.

However, that's where the good stopped. The admin interface for the router doesn't allow for some of the more desirable features like specific control over the type of NAT used. It supports NAT but only in as much as there's an ON/OFF switch. You have no more control than that. You also can't configure your MTU which I found annoying. Oh, and if you change ANY settings the router needs to be restarted.

I think the most annoying problem we've had is random Ethernet ports on the back of the unit would lose connectivity forcing a restart before they would become active again. That led to a few frustrating hours of troubleshooting on my part thinking some of my cables went bad. Eventually we figured out if something suddenly isnt' working we just have to restart the modem.

As of today I've ordered a new Wirespeed DSL modem from AT&T and I got a D-LINK 4300 gaming router. I'm going to keep this unit as a backup in case I need it or maybe I'll make it a coaster... There are certainly better products to have.

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