Billion 7800 guide
This page presents information on the Billion BiPAC 7800 modem/router. This is a cost-effective alternative to the BiPAC 7800N for those not requiring WiFi wireless capability. As with the Billion 7800N, this modem is perfect for challenging or long ADSL lines, and gives the highest speeds possible on high-quality lines. You can purchase the Billion 7800 modem at a fantastic price.
Would you like to buy the Billion 7800?
If you have found this page useful and would like to buy the Billion 7800 at a competitive price, then please consider doing so through the Amazon UK link to the left.
The small commission that we receive from Amazon will contribute towards the costs of running this information site, while you will pay exactly the same Amazon price!
Billion 7800 manual
The manual for the Billion BiPAC 7800 (which is in PDF format and is the same manual as for the Billion 7800N) can be viewed or downloaded by clicking on the link below:
Latest firmware for the Billion 7800
New! The latest firmware version for the Billion 7800 in the UK is 1.06h (which was released in March 2013). You can download this firmware by clicking on the following link:
Latest Billion 7800 firmware (1.06h) (UK)
Review of the Billion BiPAC 7800
All independent reviewers have reviewed the Billion 7800N router/modem instead of the Billion 7800. The only difference between the models is the presence of WiFi with the Billion 7800N. Apart from the wireless functionality, all features and capabilities are identical, which makes the Billion 7800 better value for money if you do not require wireless capability.
Here are the links to reviews of the Billion BiPAC 7800N router/modem:
CNET Billion BiPAC 7800N review
Expert Reviews Billion BiPAC 7800N review
The Billion 7800 is a great modem for challenging ADSL lines
As discussed in our recent blog post, many broadband users fail to achieve high download speeds. This is due to a number of factors, including high impulse noise, poor phone wiring in houses and the BT exchange imposing a high target SNR margin on the broadband connection.
The Billion 7800 router/modem is very suited to long or challenging lines, with two important features. Firstly, the Billion 7800 incorporates sophisticated impulse noise protection. However, this is not enabled by default. Secondly, the Billion 7800 allows you to adjust the target SNR margin (set by equipment in the BT exchange). As we will show, the SNR target margin can be tweaked to increase broadband speed.
Switch on impulse noise protection on the Billion 7800
The Billion 7800 incorporates a Broadcom chipset that includes Broadcom’s specially-developed PhyR (which is pronounced ‘Fire’) technology. When supported at the exchange, this can substantially improve resilience against impulse noise.
While this feature was first made available in the early 1.06b firmware, it is not enabled by default. So, to turn on impulse noise protection, you should go to the “Advanced” menu, and then “Configuration”. Select “WAN” and then “ADSL Mode”. You can tick both boxes for PhyR (i.e. for upstream and downstream). Remember to press “Apply”.
Tweak the SNR target margin with the Billion 7800
As discussed in our Broadband SNR Margin Tweaking page, BT exchanges use Digital Line Management to manage broadband connections. As part of this line control, the BT equipment sets a target SNR margin, aimed at keeping the line stable. However, in many cases, the target SNR margin can be reduced, to substantially increase download speeds.
The Billion 7800 has the capability to adjust the target SNR target margin, through a ‘hidden’ menu. The SNR target margin adjustment menu can be easily accessed by adding “snr.cgi” to the end of the URL that you use to access the Billion 7800. For example, if you access the Billion 7800 by entering “http://192.168.1.254″, then you should enter “http://192.168.1.254/snr.cgi”. You will be greeted with the menu shown below:
Depending on the existing target SNR margin that BT has set for your line, you should enter the number shown in the table below for the target SNR margin you would like to use. Once this number has been entered, please remember to press the “Apply” button. You do not have to reboot the modem for this change to take place. As soon as you press the “Apply” button, the modem will resynchronise with the BT exchange. Then, your connection should come back up, with a higher broadband speed.
| Current target SNR margin set by BT |
Desired target SNR margin |
Number that you should enter |
| 6dB | 4.5dB | 75 |
| 6dB | 3dB | 50 |
| 9dB | 6dB | 50 |
| 9dB | 4.5dB | 25 |
| 9dB | 3.5dB | 1 |
| 12dB | 9dB | 50 |
| 12dB | 6.5dB | 1 |
| 12dB | 6dB | 65550 |
| 12dB | 4.5dB | 65525 |
| 12dB | 3dB | 65500 |
| 15dB | 12dB | 50 |
| 15dB | 9dB | 65550 |
| 15dB | 6dB | 65500 |
| 15dB | 4.5dB | 65475 |
| 15dB | 3dB | 65450 |
| 18dB | 15dB | 50 |
| 18dB | 12dB | 65550 |
| 18dB | 9dB | 65500 |
| 18dB | 6dB | 65450 |
| 18dB | 4.5dB | 65425 |
| 18dB | 3dB | 65400 |
If the table above is rather confusing, the table below presents the information in a different way. You start off with whatever your default SNR value is, and work your way down the table (to increase speed) until you find the optimum setting for your line. You can always reset back to the default value by using the number 100. Note that you can use values between those shown, but we wanted to avoid displaying a huge table!
| Change you want in SNR | The number you should enter |
| No change/reset to default value | 100 |
| Lower by 1.5 dB | 75 |
| Lower by 3 dB | 50 |
| Lower by 4.5 dB | 25 |
| Lower by 6 dB | 65550 |
| Lower by 7.5 dB | 65525 |
| Lower by 9 dB | 65500 |
| Lower by 10.5 dB | 65475 |
| Lower by 12 dB | 65450 |
| Lower by 13.5 dB | 65425 |
| Lower by 15 dB | 65400 |
We recommend that you experiment with different values over several days to find the optimum settings. We have found that many broadband users have been able to achieve a robust connection with a target SNR margin of about 3 dB.
Bear in mind that all lines are different. Lowering the SNR target margin will make your line more prone to errors but you will benefit from faster speeds. The good news is that, if you experience poor performance, it’s easy to increase the target SNR margin.
It is likely that you will be able to operate with lower SNR target margins if you have interleaving switched on. If this is not switched on, you can request your ISP to do this.
We really like the Billion 7800 as the SNR target margin adjustment settings are not lost when the modem is rebooted.
Do bear in mind that SNR tweaking is only one of a number of techniques that you can use to increase your broadband speeds, so please read our Increase Broadband Speed Guide for further information.
Don’t forget you can buy the Billion 7800 through Amazon UK here
We would love to hear from you!
If this information has helped you substantially improve your broadband speeds, we would love to hear from you. You can email us at info@increasebroadbandspeed.co.uk.
