It's a modem+router+switch+AP that technically does everything you need, but does all of it badly - really just getting in my way. E.g. it obviously has a builtin DHCP server, but it won't let me set custom DNS. I want to use custom DNS, to block at least some of the ads/tracking on all of the devices on my network; so I have to disable that DHCP and use my own. But the modem resets that setting back to enabled every reboot! (Took me a while first time around to notice there's two DHCP servers on the network, argh). So I've disabled the internal AP, brought my own, and I'm connecting the rest of the network through a managed switch that blocks DHCP to the router.

So I've got one device that tries to do the job of four... but instead I need three devices to do the job of one. I try not to think about it.

This is typical of ISPs in France: you get a crappy device that does router + switch + wifi but none of them are done right.

There is a whole community around replacing these devices with other devices (owned by the users) but ISPs make it difficult despite a European law that forces them to allow this.

I used to have an Orange box that was hanging on a regular basis when there was too much traffic. Had to reboot it nightly.

I know have a high-end box from another provider that is OK, but I still do my own DHCP.

It’s been a long time since I’ve used my ISP’s supplied modem/router. The only hardware from my ISP that I’m using now is their GPON SFP module, which is installed in the NIC of my router machine.