Yet another "I am buying my own router, what I need to do"

[#1]

Hello,

Yes, I've searched here first but there are several discordant opinions and/old the topics are old and I can't be sure that the responses are correct anymore.

I'm going to buy a router, most probably an ASUS RT-AC86U and I was wondering what that entails in terms of other operations needed.

Seems that the regular Plusnet router that I received via mail when the service got activated, 2 weeks ago, won't have a bridge mode, according to the results I've read on this forum's search. Is that still the case? Hopefully not... it's 2021 after all, come on.

If it is, which is a modem/router with a good price/quality I should consider? What information I would need and where to get them, to be able to connect to Plusnet from a non-plusnet router/modem?

Thank you

[#2 · Accepted solution]

@thecrius 

If this was 2021 in telecom years we would all be on FTTP and would not need a modem. But it’s not and the Plusnet hubs do not have a bridge modem mode.

So with your router choice you need to buy a bridge modem or a combined modem/router with a bridge mode. The settings to get this combo to connect to Plusnet are here https://www.plus.net/help/broadband/broadband-connection-settings/

The budget option is to get a BT Smarthub 6 from an auction site and use this to replace your Plusnet hub. Settings are linked from here. https://community.plus.net/t5/My-Router/Using-A-BT-Smarthub-An-Update/m-p/1795292#M24601

[#3]

Sorry to bring this back up. While checking around I found this one and the reviews are, as usual, pretty much useless on Amazon (they mix up different model variations)

has anyone had experience with this model? Or enough knowledge to understand if, on paper, it could be a good substitution for the Hub One?

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06XW26XZ3/