Hi Tux, I never tried with another router, I said that I made sure that I had the same DNS routers assigned as per the ISP. Definitely, my ISP (Bigpond) has shrunk available bandwidth, not at my exchange, but at the next node. I live 600 meters from the exchange and have noticed a gradual response decline over the last two years. Where I live there have only been a few (less than 10) new additions to the exchange. But at the next node (Warrnambool) there would have been a major increase in subscribers. I really do not know how our services compare to the country USA or Canada? There is no cable service in most of Australia outside of major cities. Foxtel and Optus (cable packages) are by satellite dish reception.
However said that, yesterday I achieved a 3MB connection. Usually I achieve a 1.0 - 1.3 connection. Apart from all that I am consistently experiencing good connections and no drop out or time outs with the new router. Most subscribers around here (Western Victoria) use a wireless line of sight connection and achieve around .8 -1.2 MB connections. Six years ago, there was no copper connection at all!