Apologies if the answer is obvious

[#1]

but what router is PN issuing to update existing customers, both ADSL and VDSL? Does anyone know what chipset is installed?

[#2]

I believe ADSL customers get the Sagemcom 2704n wireless router.  Single band wifi with fast ethernet ports.  Broadcom SoC.

VDSL customers get a Sagemcom Hub One (rebadged BT Home Hub 5 type A). Dual band AC wifi with gigabit ethernet ports.  Lantiq SoC, with Atheros wifi.

Both routers usually offered for free if customers agree to re-contract for say another 12 to 24 months etc.

[#3]

Sounds about right, not quite free as you have to pay a £7 delivery charge and sadly they're locked to BT and PlusNet. If you're under contract it doesn't matter, once you're out it may as well go in the bin for something else if you change ISP, unless you can be bothered to hack it.

I wish BT (and PlusNet) wouldn't do this as it is your equipment and provided you have paid up your contract, it should be up to you what do with it.

Rather like mobile phone locking, except you can't unlock it unless you do it yourself (and are good at soildering, which I'm not).

[#4]

@Alex@bill888 Thanks guys; not impressed, but cheapo might be useful for a problem I have. Alex, out of curiosity, what soldering?

[#5]

LEDE is available for Home Hub 5A/Hub One but requires soldering:

https://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/bt/homehub_v5a

https://openwrt.ebilan.co.uk/viewforum.php?f=3

[#6]

There is a post on here from someone who did it, looked like a bit of a mission to be. But no point bothering with while I am under contract with PN and is the only VDSL router we have. No point messing with it as the family are not complaining.

I threw out two old Thomson routers, one was locked to Be There. The other I couldn't gain access to the control panel and it tested my patience (for me that's about 10 seconds!). That was on PN and was going to be useless when Fibre went active anyway.