topic Re: Do I need to change my router? in My Router

Do I need to change my router?

bobw1943 — Sat, 16 Dec 2023 09:22:56 GMT

I've just re-signed for a 2yr contract at £23.99 pm. The product name is "Fibre" and the estimated speed is 38-40 MBps. It seems nothing faster is available at my address currently. My current router is a Hub One and this appears to be working fine with the new product. I've been sent a Hub Two but given I'm always disinclined to mess with anything that's working fine I'm wondering if I really need to change routers.

Re: Do I need to change my router?

MisterW — Sat, 16 Dec 2023 09:38:18 GMT

@bobw1943 there's no real need to change your router if its working to your satisfaction.

Re: Do I need to change my router?

jab1 — Sat, 16 Dec 2023 09:38:41 GMT

@bobw1943 You don't NEED to use the Hub2, but it is a newer product, and to honest, I always prefer to use the latest available when it comes to electronics - it should last longer and for most 'home' users, it 'future proofs' them.

Your choice.

Re: Do I need to change my router?

Anonymous — Sat, 16 Dec 2023 09:48:31 GMT

@bobw1943

I don't know if the Hub2 is "better" than the Hub1, but often, (my previous experience was with BT Broadband routers), the newer equipment had a faster processor etc - I don't know if that applies here?

One difference that might be relevant to you: I think that with the Hub1 it is possible to split the 2.4GHz and 5GHz WiFi bands, (different SSIDs), but this facility was removed on the Hub2?

Re: Do I need to change my router?

bobw1943 — Sat, 16 Dec 2023 10:19:44 GMT

Thanks for the responses. Perhaps I'm just being lazy here. Am I right in thinking that if I change my router I'll have to go round all the "smart" things in my house and change the 10 digit "key" to the network?

Re: Do I need to change my router?

Anonymous — Sat, 16 Dec 2023 10:27:46 GMT

@bobw1943

"Am I right in thinking that if I change my router I'll have to go round all the "smart" things in my house and change the 10 digit "key" to the network?"

Not necessarily:

What I do when changing routers etc is to copy the SSID and WiFi password from the "old" router' admin page to a text document, then paste that in to the admin page of the new router.

Saves a lot of hassle! (Though some client devices might need their WiFi to be disabled then re-enabled to pick up the new kit - or in extreme cases, rebooting).

Re: Do I need to change my router?

d8smt — Sat, 16 Dec 2023 10:49:02 GMT

1st rule of engineering - if it ain't broken, don't fix it.

The Hub 2 will probably give you better reach & possibly throughput on the 2.4 & 5GHz channels, but tbh I've just installed my Hub2 and it's really bad (but then again so were the 4 Hub1s I've currently got stacked up in my cupboard). - It can't stream video/music without constantly dropping/breaking the stream. The PlusNet routers have always been pretty grim tbh, which is why I normally swap them straight out for DLINK or similar.

What you might want to do if you're curious is to just swap out the Hub 1 for the Hub 2, use the same settings, see if it improves at all & doesn't cause additional problems. you can always swap them back very easily.

If you want to try, make sure you copy the following settings over to the new Hub2 (you can do this by logging into it as admin), it will also mean you don't have to reconfigure all your devices:

- the names of the wireless SSIDs (ideally keep the 2.4GHz, 5GHz bands separate if you have old devices working on the routers, like IP cameras)

- the passwords for them

- any firewall/DMZ/port settings (needed if you're gaming in some cases)

- obviously the plusnet login ID & password.

- if you have a static IP, copy this over as well.

Re: Do I need to change my router?

Baldrick1 — Sat, 16 Dec 2023 10:58:50 GMT

Moderator's note:
Thread moved from Broadband to My Router

Re: Do I need to change my router?

bobw1943 — Sat, 16 Dec 2023 12:10:24 GMT

Once again, thanks for the responses.

I'm going to stick with the Hub One for now. Everything is functioning as it should. The change of product hasn't made any obvious differences, positive or negative. My old product, the name of which I've forgotten gave me up to 36 MBps and this was OK for the odd occasion we resort to the iPlayer. The only difficulties we have had are due to the domestic geography of brick walls here and there. The house has been extended a couple of times and while the router is in a room in the original house, two of the places we use for browsing on tablets are in what was once the back garden!

Re: Do I need to change my router?

bmc — Sat, 16 Dec 2023 12:40:11 GMT

@bobw1943

The Hub2 is generally considered to have better WiFi than the Hub1. Apart from that there's no need to change. Keep the Hub2 as a backup.

Have you checked recently as to what's available to you. You can use

https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL

https://checker.ofcom.org.uk/

FTTC shows as WBC VDSL and will give high / low speeds for your line. FTTP is WBC FTTP.

Brian