Router faulty

[#1]

Hi, I am using Plusnet from past 3-4 years but recently I am facing a lot of problem in connecting wifi devices to router and unable to connect new devices to router. Restart helps few times but not all the time. Looks like router is getting faulty. We can also hear hissing sound from router. May be some serious issue and it need change. What is process of getting replacement router?? Do you supply any better version as well?? Please advice. Thanks.

[#2]

Moderator's note(s):

Thread moved from Tech Help to My Router.

[#3]

@mitrecyclers  Welcome to the forum.

If you have a Hub One then it's probably the latest firmware that's causing the drops. Some Hub Ones hiss especially on the 5GHz band. Plusnet consider this to be acceptable and will only advise you switch off this band.

You can get another Hub One for the P&P charge if you take out a new contract.

If you want a better router that does not drop connections or hiss go onto EBay and get a BT Smarthub 6. They go for around £20 or less. Setting instructions will be found here  https://community.plus.net/t5/My-Router/Using-the-BT-Smarthub-6-on-a-Plusnet-Account/m-p/1587673#M85...

If you buy a Hub One from Plusnet they charge around £100 and it probably won't be any different.

[#4]

Okay thanks. I will look out for BT Hub. While I am buying another router, I would rather buy best one out there. Any more suggestions for even better router? Belkin? D-Link etc?

[#5]

What do you mean by better? More expensive, more options such as QoS control, monitoring functions, capability to set own DNS server etc.? You just need to list what you want from a router then look at available devices. You will probably get nearly as many different recommendations as people who respond. This is a good place to start.  https://forum.kitz.co.uk/index.php/topic,14436.0.html

My recommendation is a cheap and better alternative to Plusnet hubs that covers the same functions only does it better. If you want more bells and whistles then that's a different matter.

[#6]

Better mean better speed / range and reliability. I will check that forum page as well. Thanks.

[#7]

@mitrecyclers 

If you buy a second hand BT Smarthub 6 and decide you want something better you can always sell it again and you won't have lost much.

In therms of "improvement per pound" the BT Smarthub is probably the best you will get.

TP Link make some routers that are well thought of at around the £100 mark.

Otherwise something decent from Draytek with business style features will be more than £200.

There is no single step up from the Plusnet supplied unit which suits all.

[#8]

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@mitrecyclers wrote:
Better mean better speed / range and reliability. I will check that forum page as well. Thanks.

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If you have read Smarthub 6 reviews suggesting reliability issues then also look at the review date. In the early days there were firmware issues, long since resolved. Despite being used with Plusnet these hubs still get automatic firmware updates from BT. Also consider that there are possibly millions of these in service.