Broadband users who have a Linksys, Netgear  or many other routers may have to think before they call BT to report line dropouts.

Zen Internet has uncovered problem with the Texas Instruments AR7 chip which can cause the line to be come unstable and then drop, the problem is that around a third of broadband routers have this chip.
When a customer reports a line problem a BT engineers would test the line using Hardware by Speedtouch, which don't have the AR7 inside, and then as there is no fline fault the customer would have to stump up a £169 unnecessary call-out charge.

As a result Zen have told customers to check before buying broadband equipment and steer clear of AR7 based routers, they also noted not calling BT on a line problem "until alternative hardware - without the AR7 chipset - is tested."

The list of AR7 routers can be found here.