Netcomm AC1600 NF18ACV
VerifiedMPN: NF18ACV79 reviews
This router is a POS! – Exactly the same result as all the other 1, 2 star reviews, after 12-18mths you might as well disconnect it and throw it away!! Keeps dropping the WiFi every couple of days and have all sorts of trouble trying to get it going again, even after rebooting it!! Ditch it quick, but better still, don't even go near it in the first place! Supplied by Electrician at retail cost. Show details
Good Router – I have used this router for a number of years with my NBN link. It is a NBN FTTN link. It works well. All MAC addresses on each device, printer and peripheral are entered into the router and locked to an IP address. This stops IP address mismatches and connection errors, the router's Wi Fi allows devices to connect with the same IP each time and… Read more
speeds up the link, fast Wi Fi after returning from sleep. This also depends on Wi Fi cards and their set up, I have found Intel cards give slightly better results in some cases, this varies between models. Some devices, like smartphones use a random MAC & IP addressing and they can cause problems- beware of this, I turn Random Addressing off for devices on my Home Network. It is the easiest router I have found for locking in each IP address on each device and works very well. I also found the Netcomm NF10WV a good router as well at my location, I upgraded from the NF10WV (which was very good) to the NF18ACV AC1600 24 months after getting it. Overall, for 6 years I have used Netcomm Routers from the same provider. I have used other brand routers as well and their MAC & IP address binding and locking is not as easy. Netcomm Technical email support I have found replies back in most situations within 24 to 72 hours, this is based on the 4 times I contacted them. I am told the Router is Wi Fi 6 Certified. I also backup the Router settings to a USB memory drive, so if the device has problems, my NBN provider can re-install my Personal Wi Fi Network and associated settings quickly without fuss if need be. The Router DNS Server settings are locked to use OpenDNS Family Shield servers 208.67.222.123 and 208.67.220.123 to safeguard all home network pcs from inappropriate online content. For OpenDNS Family Shield directions and setup, see this webpage : https://support.opendns.com/hc/en-us/articles/228006487-FamilyShield-Router-Configuration-Instructions. It has two standard telephone ports, one can be used for a fax, the other for a standard telephone or standard wireless telephone.
I also have setup Microsoft Defender Application Guard for all home network pcs on each respective Windows PC by downloading the Microsoft Store App and installing the program within Programs and Features and adding the App extension to Edge and Chrome browsers, the App is available for Edge, Chrome and Firefox, this reduces any malware attack risk greatly for anybody if they accidently click on a malicious website. Within the App Extension Settings, some people may wish to disable the Diagnostics Information to be sent to Microsoft, others may not bother, I have enabled "Clear Trusted Host Cache on window close" as this clears out the old browsing data I am told and works well. New updated firmware Version NC2-R6B024 was recently released to address security issues. The system log also logs intruding IP addresses I am told, trying to pass the router firewall. This enables you to report these IP addresses and kernel intrusions to the national cybercrime agency to improve internet safety if you think this is needed. As an example, I am told the prefix text SRC, followed by the IP address of 000.000.000.000 (this IP address is a fictitious made up IP address for this example) indicates that the IP address 000.000.000.000 is a intrusion and that the IP address 000.000.000.000 (this IP address is a fictitious made up IP address for this example) is the offending originating IP address. In the log, for example, the text in this fictitious example is detailed in a fashion like "kernel: Intrusion -> IN=ptm0.0 OUT= MAC=00:cb:00:2b:00:00:00:00:00:0a:00:6f:07:00:00:00:00:2c:d4:31:00:00:fa:06:79:36:c6:eb:18:c9 SRC=000.000.000.000 DST=000.000.000.000 LEN=45 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=220 ID=00000 PROTO" NetComm support has said these types of intrusion messages could be from a expired session or incorrectly configured web server sometimes as well, they may not be necessarily a malware intruder. For the full story on these systems logs please contact the support team at the manufacturer.
I am told for people with a Realtek 8852BE Wireless LAN Wi Fi 6 Wi Fi card or a Mini PC with Wi Fi problems or another Wi Fi card with connection problems, you may get improvements with this Router if you go to your Windows 11 PC Wi Fi Adaptor settings and change a few Wi Fi Card & Router settings within the Windows Network Settings to get full speed Wi Fi and 866/866 Mbps . The Realtek 8852BE card has some people who knock it, but it works fine in some office environments. Open the Realtek 8852Be (or what ever Wi Fi Card you have on your PC) properties and go to the advanced tab, then change Preamble Mode to "Long", find the Beacon Interval setting and set it to 150 and switch the MAC Randomizing off, if it is not needed, change the Roaming Aggressiveness to "5. Medium High", if the "5. Medium High" setting does not work for you and was not good enough, to move the Roaming Aggressiveness setting to "6. Highest".
If you are getting 5 Ghz Wi Fi band congestion and interference from the residence or office next door and Wi Fi speeds lower than 866/866 Mps on 5 Ghz channel 36/80, you may be able to get better speeds by moving the 5 Ghz channel to 60/80 on your Router and this may improve speeds to 866/866 Mps. This also applies to the 2.4 Ghz Wi Fi Band to get 600/600 Mps, however, some 2.4 Ghz devices operate at a maximum of 300/300 Mps. If you follow these series of adjustments, this may help Wi Fi speed connections immensely.
Fantastic Modem – Fantastic Modem for what it is, Have owned one from my previous ISP back in 2018 when I connected to NBN for the first time Fibre to the curb. Then 2020 switched to AussieBroadband works perfect, Modem is fantastic for reliability wifi is always good. Wifi Speeds are great, Then 2022 upgraded to Fibre to the premises and still using this same… Read more
modem getting a solid 260-270mbps speed using the 5GHZ Wifi Band with this Modem its great and does a good Job.
Reviews with attachments
Completely Rubbish Modem – I got this product from Tangerine NBN provider with my contract. Actually there were 2 options and this was the upgraded one. Speed is ok when you are close to it or connected with Ethernet cable. But the range coverage is bed. honestly i can't use my wi fi internet from rooms in about 6-7 meter range, it s that much slow :( i did contact to… Read more
customer service of Tangerine and asked for advice before i spent on a new modem and you can read the conversation on the screen shot here. So don't waste your money on this and just by your own modem.
Better than expected! – While I had been very happy with the performance of my previous Modem/Router combination, moving from an ADSL connection to a FTTN NBN connection was problematic. This was because of the necessity to maintain my landline telephone which (under NBN) requires a modem with VOIP capability. Having seen very mixed reviews on an adaptor to allow this on… Read more
my current modem, I chose instead to replace it with the same modem/router/VOIP unit that was being supplied by my RSP. However, as they were supplying the Netcomm NF18ACV at a premium price + postage, I elected to source it more cheaply myself from another supplier.
Appearance About the size of a large paperback book, the Netcomm is white plastic (of reasonable quality) and stands vertically on its side. It has no external antennas. While the modem is not "ugly" and thus can be positioned in a variety of locations, it should be mentioned that this modem be not left within constant view...particularly at night. This is due to the array of intense green flashing lights along the top. Even covering these would not stop this as the top of the unit is one big ventilation grille and the light bleeds out through this. All very "disco" like. See the picture below and imagine at lest three of these lights constantly flashing. There are four Gigabit LAN connections at the back along with a Gigabit WAN connecter, DSL connector and two telephone VOIP sockets. Power is supplied via a plug-pack which mounts directly on your wall outlet.
Functionality Set up was surprisingly easy with the only (minor) complication being inserting the VOIP settings. This was only because of the length of numbers/letters needing to be inserted into the various settings for the VOIP connection (not the units fault). Surprisingly, this is the first modem I have seen that allowed alternative connection settings to be added simultaneously. By this, I mean I had it set with ADSL settings set up along with ADSL settings. This meant on the day I was switched to the NBN, I left in the morning with ADSL but during the day, the NBN was connected and the modem automatically switched itself across presenting me with a fully functional NBN connection upon my return. Netcomm's configuration screen is fairly basic but advanced users are able to drill down into a variety of settings to tweak the modem to their own specific requirements. I'm on a 50/20 FTTN NBN plan and the unit consistently syncs at 44000+ Mbps. Not bad when the estimated distance to the node is 600m+. Surprisingly, my (displaced) much more expensive D-Link Taipan router could only achieve a sync speed of around 39000 Mbps? Connectivity on the Netcomm has been rock solid with no connection or drop out issues noted. Wifi connectivity is not a strong area for this router and I have seen many reviews complaining about this. However, everyone needs to be aware that this is a somewhat "cheapish" router rated as being AC1600. Complaining that it is not as good a router as one rated as AC3200 (and costing three or four times more) is not fair. It can be likened to buying a small sized suitcase and then complaining in your review that it is rubbish as it does not hold as much as your other suitcase which is twice the size. If you need a large WiFi range, buy a router with an array of multiple external antennas. The Netcomm's three internal antennas will only provide a fairly basic coverage. In my experience ...only a couple of rooms away. It does, however, have both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz radios along with Guest networks on each.
What could be better? * The ability to dim or turn off the flashing light display...particularly if the unit needs to be left in plain sight. Yes, you could put it in a (ventilated) cupboard but be aware, these devices do generate heat and have an upper limit they can work to. Having said that, this particular modem, is not as bad as some I have experienced for heat generation and I would place it in the lower third of this category. * WiFi performance is not its strong suit. If you need coverage across a large area, turn off its WiFi capability and connect it to a mesh WiFi system...which is exactly what I have done. * Comes with only a one year warranty (with many other manufacturers offering three years by default). However, in the fine print you will see Netcomm will double this to two years if you register online with them in the first thirty days of ownership. Pity they done make this more obvious as the thirty days were almost up when I discovered this on the packing box.
All up, this modem/router combo impressed me for the price. If you don't have high expectations in wireless range, this makes a good general purpose device for the novice who just wants to connect and go as wells the more advanced user.
***Update*** A recent firmware update has introduced the ability to turn off the multiple flashing LED display. If you go into the settings, you can switch these to off leaving a device with no external lighting.
I brought with NBN Mate package – I always blamed it on Mate for poor speed and the gov for bad NBN. But I did speed tests today.. yes right next to the router it goes extremely fast. But as soon as you go to the next room or step 6 metres away the speed decreases dramatically. After a year I am over it and going to replace it with a Modem...that has antennas! I am not… Read more
talking bad. If you are working closely to the modem then this may be the one for you!
But definitely consider your RANGE before purchasing.
In-depth reviews
Unstable, requires factory reset after 1-2 weeks – Initially this modem worked well, running on Aussie Broadband. However, running as the only device in my network, it would 'fall over' after 2-3 days, probably from a build-up of connections. We don't have a huge number of devices, not much IOT, etc. I eventually bought a Unifi UDM for my Wifi/Router, and used the NF18ACV purely in VDSL bridge… Read more
mode. Again - every 1-2 weeks, DSL says it's connected, but no internet from my devices. Weird stuff all over the modem, such as date reset to 1/1/1970 (epoch time), despite having NTP configured. Eventually I would give up and factory-reset it by holding the reset pin for 30s, and that would give me another 1-2 weeks before it started falling over again.
Other weirdness as well; it displays you the new password when you initially set it up, but then responded to the old password when logging in, or sometimes it wouldn't let you log in with any password - needing another factory reset!
Sync speeds are good, but otherwise, it sucks pretty bad.
Good quality budget modem – This a good budget modem and works as advertised. Able to maintain a fast stable NBN / Wi-Fi connection with Aussie Broadband. Also has a quite a few features for a standard home user. On 50Mbps connection I am getting 47.4 down and 18.6 up. The modem makes efficient use of an NBN FTTN connection and I am located just over 400 meters from my… Read more
node.
The Wi-Fi works quite well for my house, I do live in a smaller 3 bedroom house and I have good 5Ghz coverage throughout and outside the house, although the range suits my needs it could be a just a tad bit stronger for those with a bigger house.
The 2.4Ghz is quite strong and goes well beyond my block's boundary, in fact I had to tune the signal strength down to the lowest setting because I do not want it travelling beyond my boundary.
The other thing is Netcomm seem to be supporting this particular model with a number of firmware updates. The most recent of which was released in December 2018 containing a new user interface and Wi-Fi improvements.
If there was one thing I'd like to see improved it would be to make the setting up Quality of Service functionality a whole lot easier. The setting up of this functionality is a little tedious for less technically savvy users.
Reliable NBN router – I have had this router for around 15 months since NBN connection and I have found it to be a good reliable device. The boot up time is nice and quick and the web interface for administrative and management functions is quite intuitive and easy to follow. It has a dedicated WAN port and 4 ethernet ports plus two phone ports for built in VOIP. It… Read more
was delivered pre-configured for my NBN ISP provider so the set up was easy. Also it has a USB port and DSL port for ADSL. It has a power on/off switch not always available on cheaper routers. As others said the indicator lights are bright but as it is in a living room that is not an issue for me, any router that does not provide a dim switch will have this issue, not uncommon. Originally I encountered poor VOIP quality over NBN and with assistance of my ISP had to disable some codecs and reboot after which VOIP quality was probably better than my replaced PSTN analog phone service. The VOIP issue must have been known as they were right onto it with no investigation required. The major problem and disappointment for me was the poor wireless coverage. My previous D-Link DSL2890AL covered the entire house, but the NF18ACV is deficient in this area and does not reach the other end of the house (it is installed at the rear and not centrally). I had to purchase a TP-Link wireless repeater to bridge the dead spots and that has solved the problem but it is another device consuming power. Very occasionally I have had to reboot it due to loss of connectivity on some devices in the house or internet but I think that is expected for any home router, there will be issues from time to time. Overall I have been happy with it until it got fried in a recent electrical storm which wiped out the WAN port. Now I am back using the D-Link again, lucky I had a spare. NF18ACV is a good reliable modem with good security features and won't disappoint.
Positive reviews
My preferred modem router – This Netcomm works extremely well on my AussieBB FTTN connection. The attainable rate is around 75 on a 50Mbps connection. I'm about 500m from the node. Also the WiFi range is fine. Here are my laptops Wifi connection performance stats from this morning on the 2.4GHz band using iPerf3: 1 metre from router: 48.9 MB/s, 10 metre from router: 31.2… Read more
Mb/s. The 5GHz band is extremely good but I don't have a PC on it at the moment to measure. Recently it started regular rebooting, and I thought it was broken. Switched it off for a few days, while I used a spare, did a factory reset, - and it has been rock solid. That was a month ago. Would buy again.
Great modem (if you avoid its WiFi) – Very good internet speeds (Fibre to the node)... my main reason to get the NF18ACV Syncs about 10Mbps faster than my previous modem (49mbps instead of 39), & doesn't drop out However: I made sure I upgraded the firmware as soon as I got the unit (old firmware can be problematic in any device) Plus I disabled its WiFi, as I connected it to a… Read more
different WiFi access point (& other reviews complain about the WiFi in this unit anyway)
setup is pretty similar to most other modems
(Non technical review) it just works – It was the up-market one of the few models on offer by my NBN supplier. I'm a belt-and-braces person so I chose it as probably being more capable into the future. Installation was fairly simple and it hasn't missed a beat in 9 months. Both 2.4 and 5GH signals have been excellent anywhere inside the two storey house, although it did prove… Read more
incapable of punching a signal through a steel garage door (fixed by adding a TP-Link RE450 range extender).
My supplier is also Tangerine so, having read the very negative review by Yash, I pulled the extender and did a walk around of the house. This confirmed that the signal is 100% throughout both floors of a 36 square house - and barely detectable on the far side of the steel garage door.
Negative reviews
Failed router – This router is an absolute fail. It's user interface is confusing, the router itself is unstable and unusable for 24g applications even via a WAP device. The menu doesn't come up after a reboot. Stay away.
Find out how Netcomm AC1600 NF18ACV compares to other Modems
Know better, choose better.
Good VDSL, lousy WiFi eventually died – Syncs well on FTTN VDSL. WiFi was always pretty rubbish but after 20 months the WiFi would crash the router every day or 2. Runs ok with WiFi off but my car is nice and smooth with the engine off too. Bridge it or chuck it. Show details
Died after 20 months – Very disappointed - completely stopped working after 20 months operation. Only a 12 month warranty so bad luck it seems. Would expect a product of this type to last much longer than this. As other reviews have stated Wi-Fi is poor. I installed a Mesh System as a result. Show details
Recent reviews
Ok-ish – Very Stable router. You can leave it alone and it will keep on going and won’t lose a beat . But the wifi lets it down big time . Wifi is horrible. No matter what you do, the wifi is the weakest part of this router Show details
Perfect router/modem 5/5 – Excellent product. 5/5. Works perfectly with Aussie broadband ISP. Just need to update the firmware to the latest version. Also this an Australian company, so this is tuned to Australian internet standards. Bought it used an new from Aussie broadband. Show details
Modem is a POS – This modem is an absolute POS The Web Interface just stops responding after a while, and the only way to get it working is to restart the POS, but it still works for the Internet (mostly). If you add entry's to say block Microsoft, it uses all available memory until it crashes. If you push it too hard, it crashes. Try to update it, it crashes.… Read more
When you restart it, sometimes you only get 2 menu options and it's as if it's never been setup before. Had similar problems with other Netcomm rubbish, never seen a model that doesn't have more problems than what it's worth. The best thing you can do, is run over it with a car. At least that will give some satisfaction.
I would never buy one – WE were suppled this wifi device by out service provider. It drops out two or three times most evenings, and no one has offered any advice or support apart from re-boot. Will try another router. Show details
Buggy router – This router has a major bug in the DNS settings. It will cause slow internet. I speet ages to do the research myself and fix the issue. Their customer support is a joke. Show details
Great speed – I bought this modem through tangerine nbn provider. They call it upgraded modem. This modem is working great so far. The speed is good and reliable. The price is okay Show details
Very stable router – Previously used Ubiquiti router and a unifi link about 400 metres to our network. It would dropout and lose the connection very often. I thought that dropping down to a budget router would make it worse. I was setup to expect failure and to have to find another solution. I have been shocked that this router has been working for about 3 months and… Read more
to date the dropouts have only been when the ISP has had a problem and emailed an outage notice. I am unable to explain why this budget modem performs better than the premium product did.
Find out how Netcomm AC1600 NF18ACV compares to other Modems
Know better, choose better.
Easy setup – Bought this modem as we were changing internet providers. Easy to use. Easy to configure and so far no drop outs or connectivity problems. Works perfectly with NBN. Happy with purchase. We don't need to boost the internet in our house - great coverage. We usually watch lots of youtube and netflix and a bit of gaming. Show details
Very frustrated with this product – Bought this when my old faithful Netgear modem died as it was the nominally "supported" option for my planned eventual NBN provider Aussie Broadband. Big mistake. Couldn't even get past the first step of logging into the web interface set up and spent frustrating hours trying to troubleshoot the issue without success in what should been a very… Read more
simple process. Only online tech support is offered which is pretty difficult to access when you have no internet! I plan to return this unit and ask for a refund. Will never buy a Netcomm modem again after this experience.
It just works – Easy setup. Intuituve. Netcomm reliability. 2 year warranty. A brand that has stood the test of time (from the days of the dial-up modems). Web interface easy to navigate. Parental controls. Don't waste your time buying anything else to save a buck. Show details
No problem - easy to set up & works great! – I purchased this modem from Aussie Broadband when I changed to their services a few months ago. They recommended this $149 model. It arrived within 48 hours of ordering, well packed in a solid box. There was a detailed instruction book included & for me - that is essential! I am hopeless with technology! I found it easy to install. The set up… Read more
was instant & it has worked perfectly from the first connection.
I have not been experiencing drop-outs or any other issues.
I use a desktop computer most of the time. My mobile phone also picks up the wi-fi & the range throughout my home & in my yard is perfect.
When ever my computer restarts, the modem automatically connects instantly.
When there has been a NBN outage, after approx 5 mins while it restarts everything works perfectly again.
I'm happy with & would recommend this modem.
worst crappy router – dropouts dropouts dropouts! i can't even keep a constant connection!!!! absolute garbage DO NOT BUY!!! cheap garbage sitting in the garbage right now!!!! NBN stands for national botched network!!! got to love the LNP! Show details
Useless router with a bug that prevents it routing for anything but its local subnet – I bought this router on a business plan with aussie broadband. Whilst at first it appears capable it became apparent it had issues the moment I tried setting it up with my lab network. I run an internal router and switch for my vmware lab environment and this provides vlan segregation to traffic on my network. Unfortunately the routing from this… Read more
lab failed. After much hair tearing out I came to the conclusion it must be the netcomm modem-router. I logged into the router and lo and behold it is crippled when it comes to routing: Evidence is the iptables masquerade line which is hard coded to only masquerade the local subnet the router is on which makes it useless for anyone running anything but a basic flat network.
# iptables -t nat -l postrouting Chain postrouting (policy accept) Target prot opt source destination Masquerade all -- 192.168.20.0/24 anywhere
This should be: # iptables -t nat -l postrouting Chain postrouting (policy accept) Target prot opt source destination Masquerade all -- anywhere anywhere
It's only the above because every time I reboot my modem I have to hack the damn thing to get it to actually be a god damned router! It's job should be routing but it can't actually do it because the idiots at netcomm admitted in writing to me that they have a bug - and have not fixed it even after two firmware releases.
So even though I had set up static routes on the modem for all my internal subnets it was pointless because none of them would be masqueraded! Whats the point?!?
So to cut to the chase - this is a router that is great if you run a simple flat vanilla network but if, like me, you run a business that requires some kind of internet networking then hey you're screwed if you bought this pile of crap.
worst modem – i brought for my NBN last year, and wait whole year for connction, finally got connect last month, when I start use this one, it keep drop out the connectinon, everytime I turn on my PC, all lights are green from modem but i can not get any internet. call the customer service and they tell me there is two years warranty, when i return the item,… Read more
they tell me only one year (13 month after warranty) and refuse the exchange! i just waste 150 dollars and purchase another one.....
Perfect modem so far – It’s the fastest modem I’ve used so far DVD the internet is never dropping out. I’ve been watching on so many devices at the same time and not a problem. Show details
Adequate – Like most routers, this performs pretty well over 5GHz, but if you need to use 2.4GHz band due to its superior range, performance is a bit lacklustre. As with all Netcomm routers I've used, the software is not at all user-friendly. Show details
Unfinished and flakey wifi – New firmware is missing so much. No ability to enable/disable VOIP. No ability to enable/disable or change priority of VOIP codecs. 2,4 wifi is very low range and drops out on some devices. Extremely bad with dell laptops and samsung phones. USB storage option is a joke. Very slow and cannot be accessed from the web. Netcomm confirmed it is insecure and they block it from the internet. LEDs are too bright and no way to dim them. Show details
Really fast connection – Love the fact that it has dual bands, the 2.4 GHz and 5 ghz, really needed a good router and tangerine offer this router for only $100, lowest price tbh Show details
Does the job - no complaints – This modem was provided by our ISP. Since plugging it in, I haven't has to think about it much at all. Being dual band helps with managing older and newer devices. The browser-based settings page is easy to navigate. Compared to our previous ADSL router, this device has a slight small signal range - but really we have it on a low stand behind the… Read more
TV, yet it reaches most parts of our medium sized house/yard fine.
The VOIP is a nice feature to have, although in practice it rarely gets used.
It’s rubbish – This modem is made of lemon. The 2.4ghz keeps dropping down to 1 mbits. Reboot it and it backs up 50mbts till after hour or so then it goes down again. I’m sending it back to netcomm for a refund. Show details
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