topic Re: Router upgrade for FTTP in My Router

Router upgrade for FTTP

TheJayBee — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 14:51:11 GMT

I currently have FTTC and use a Hub One. I don’t use the WiFi in the router as I have BT Whole Home.

I’m about to upgrade to FTTP and I am being sent a Hub Two.

The Hub Two only has 3 Ethernet ports (the One has 4) so I’d need to buy an Ethernet switch. Rather than do that (more expense, another powered device) I was thinking of using the Hub One for FTTP.

Is there any disadvantage of me staying with the Hub One as I don’t use the router’s WiFi?

Re: Router upgrade for FTTP

jab1 — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 15:05:22 GMT

I'm not 100% certain on this, but you would still only have three ethernet ports - one of the four would need to be used to connect the ONT.

Maybe someone with more knowledge will confirm this - although the Hub Two is a better device overall.

Re: Router upgrade for FTTP

MisterW — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 15:15:14 GMT

@TheJayBee to answer @jab1 's uncertainty.

The Hub 1 does have a separate WAN port , so you would still have 4 LAN ports.

However, if you are going for one of the higher speed (500Mb or higher) products then I'm not sure the Hub 1 is capable of handling the throughput. You'd have to 'suck it and see' and if not then you could always revert to the Hub 2 with a switch.

Re: Router upgrade for FTTP

TheJayBee — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 15:15:17 GMT

John

The Hub One has a WAN port in addition to the 4 Ethernet ports. I’m assuming the WAN is for the ONT.

I need to understand what “better” means.

Re: Router upgrade for FTTP

jab1 — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 15:26:37 GMT

@TheJayBee @MisterW Teach me to shoot my mouth off, but thanks for the clarification.

The 'better' I was referring to was the Wi-Fi range, and more modern circuitry - the H1 is a bit 'long in the tooth' now.

Re: Router upgrade for FTTP

Baldrick1 — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 15:33:20 GMT

@TheJayBee

I think that by 'better' @jab1 is thinking wireless, which you are not using. However the limitation comes, as has been said, with the maximum upload and download speeds with which it can cope. It was designed for use on an 80/20 service, not ultra fast upload and download FTTP performance.

Re: Router upgrade for FTTP

TheJayBee — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 16:23:49 GMT

Thank you all for your input. I assume there isn’t a throughput benchmark that compares the Hub One with the Hub Two (excluding WiFi)?

Re: Router upgrade for FTTP

MisterW — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 16:40:04 GMT

I've not seen a WAN throughput figure for the Hub 1. I know that the Hub 2 can handle the WAN throughput on a 900Mb FTTP connection.

Re: Router upgrade for FTTP

TheJayBee — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 17:49:59 GMT

I think I’m just going to have to try both hubs and see if there is a difference in my environment. I found an old forum post which said a big file transfer was faster on the Hub Two.

If I find any differences between the two hubs, I’ll report back.

Thanks everyone.

Re: Router upgrade for FTTP

bobpullen — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 18:04:03 GMT

The WAN port on the Hub One has an upstream shaping limit of ~30mbps. If you have opted for an FTTP product with upload speeds higher than this then it's going to cause a bottleneck. Other than that, it should be fine though.

If you were to go the switch route, you could probably power something small like this from the USB port of the Hub Two to save you having to plug a second device into the mains.