Following my previous article, let me note upfront that this is not a sponsored post.
There are no sign-up links at the end of this article, so rest assured.
With that out of the way, let us dive in.
As covered in my previous article about the challenges of getting NURO Fiber installed in a VDSL apartment, I have finally upgraded from the legacy VDSL standard to fiber (NURO)!
The rental ONU (GPON router) from NURO turned out to be the latest Sercomm FG4023B model, so I decided to put it through some tests.
If you are using an older model or experiencing issues with your current unit, you can apparently request a replacement by contacting support.
What is Sercomm?
Even as a gadget enthusiast, I was not familiar with the name.
Founded in Taiwan in 1992, Sercomm is a leading ODM manufacturer specializing in broadband and wireless network equipment development and deployment.
Being ODM-focused, this is likely a cost-conscious router design.
For those unfamiliar: ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) is a system where a company commissions an ODM firm to handle product development, design, and manufacturing, then delivers the finished product back to the commissioning company.
In the smartphone world, the Trinity NuAns NEO is a well-known ODM example. Trinity, originally a smartphone accessories company, used Microsoft’s CTE (China Technology Ecosystem) to coordinate ODM vendors for smartphone manufacturing.
ODM is a great system since the commissioning company does not need to build its own manufacturing division or acquire patents. However, misalignment between the two parties or poor ODM vendor quality can lead to products that fall short of expectations.
Specifications
LAN Ports: 3+1 (TA)
Wi-Fi Standard: IEEE802.11ac compatible
NAS Function: None
Exterior
It looks very much like an ODM product. The design is, to put it gently, generic.
Wi-Fi Performance
As mentioned, it supports 802.11ac. The latest Huawei and ZTE routers also support this standard.
I was hoping for 802.11ax support, but it appears the cost-focused design means no dice.
Speed test results:
Plan: NURO Fiber for Apartments 2G
Test device: iPhone 11 Pro Max (802.11ac capable)
Excellent results. I suspect this is better than the F660A and HG8045Q (I do not own those, so this is based on data gathered online).
Signal strength does not travel far in my reinforced concrete apartment. Like my previous WXR-1750DHP2, it cannot cover all rooms.
LAN Performance
Being the latest model, I hoped for 802.11ad support, but no luck. LAG (Link Aggregation) to combine two LAN ports into 2GbE is also unavailable.
Speed test results:
Plan: NURO Fiber for Apartments 2G
Cable: CAT7 (15m)
PC: Xeon E5-2690/40GB RAM/GTX1060 6GB/NVMe SSD
NIC: Intel 82579LM/PRO 1000PT Dual Port
Browser: Google Chrome
Speeds exceeded expectations. I never imagined breaking 900Mbps.
Compared to the previous VDSL setup at 90Mbps, this is a 10x improvement.
Simultaneous Connection Test
With a 2GbE plan, a single 1000BASE LAN port cannot fully utilize the bandwidth. So I ran simultaneous speed tests from two wired ports and Wi-Fi to see what the ONU can really deliver.
Using the same devices as before, plus a ThinkPad X240 on a wired connection:
1. Main PC (CAT6)
Down: 919.79Mbps / Up: 627.77Mbps
2. ThinkPad X240 (CAT5e)
Down: 543.22Mbps / Up: 650.90Mbps
3. iPhone 11 Pro Max (802.11ac)
Down: 301Mbps / Up: 88.9Mbps
Total:
Down: 1,764.01Mbps
Up: 1,367.57Mbps
1.7Gbps down and 1.4Gbps up… That is frighteningly fast.
I was expecting maybe 500Mbps, so this far exceeded expectations.
Stability
I uploaded nearly 300GB continuously to Google Drive (G-Suite unlimited plan) without a single disconnect or hiccup.
As of the fourth day since installation, everything has been rock solid. I will update if anything changes.
Final Thoughts
After testing the Sercomm FG4023B in various ways, I think it is a solid performer.
I hope this article is helpful for anyone considering a unit swap.
Feel free to reach out via Twitter or the comments section if you have any questions.
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