Is there any Broadband Standard WiFi router better than BT Smart Hub-2 ?

sujsuj

I was with BT Broadband for over four years, and the Smart Hub-2 WiFi performance was excellent in all rooms, as was the service (My 24 months contract nearing end in December). However, I have noticed many offers from companies like Vodafone and TalkTalk that provide better pricing . I’m wondering if there are any WiFi routers available that are superior to those provided by BT. I can't see any update in BT's smart Hub,  its technology seems to be same as 2 years ago!

I live in a Part-Fibre area where the maximum speed I can get is around 35 Mbps, and my home has solid walls throughout. I have even been able to connect my gate systems to the BT WiFi, even though the gate is 150 meters away from my home. Since I work from home, it’s essential for me to have reliable broadband.

Are there any standard WiFi routers you have seen that outperform BT's offerings? I have noticed some premium WiFi systems that cost over £30 per month. I’m looking for options that are better than the BT router, especially considering the serious contenders I’m considering, such as EE, Vodafone, Sky, TalkTalk, and Plusnet. Thank you.

housebuyer143

Plusnet router is bad, but you can buy your own router so it's a good as you want and go with any company, which is what I did. 

400ixl

Plusnet router is the exact one the OP is praising from BT, a Smart-Hub 2, and got to say, they are pretty reasonable.

The next gen Wifi 7 routers from the BT Group are starting to come to EE customers first, as Smart Hub Pro and will then go to the other parts like BT and Plusnet.

Talk Talk and Vodafone may be cheap, but they are bottom dwellers when it comes to their tech and service. Sky routers are OK and comparable to the old BT Smart Hubs you are used to.

Personally I have always used my own routers as i want the additional control. There are plenty of good mesh solutions out there that will beat anything that comes from the ISP's you list but will come with a cost.

sujsuj

Thanks very much. looks like I need to lookout for WiFi6 or WiFi7 hub. Currently EE got that and costs are high. Hopefully closer to Christmas BT also will offer these hubs. Thanks.

sujsuj

I can see EE Smart Hub is the only WiFi7 device in the market but not sure EE started selling them. All other Pro WiFi routers are WiFi6 devices.

moneysaver1978

Just curious what benefits are you looking for from Wifi 6?

I have heard that one of its common problems is the short range of connectivity.

By the way, I have a 3 or 4 year old Vodafone Wi-Fi Hub router (I think THG3000) giving me speeds of around 63Mb and the connectivity is good. We have Blink cameras outside and they have reported no connectivity issues despite the router being inside a drawer and we have solid walls.

So if it works for us, I am not in a rush to upgrade the router but if I was shopping around and I need to improve signal, I would place more weight on having a mesh system rather than expect a single router to do everything.

iniltous

It’s a bit of an weird ( in my opinion ) outlook, your current WiFi performance from your BT SH2 apparently satisfies your current requirements but as you are close to the end of your minimum term, you  are considering a ‘cheaper’ alternative provider….cheap providers are cheap for a reason or reasons  , one of those reasons is the ‘kit’ they supply isn’t going to be anything other than adequate, to expect a superior router ( and therefore a superior WiFi performance ) from a budget ISP is probably naive to say the least …..if you are looking to buy a router yourself and in part finance it by saving a few ££ per month , have in mind that may interfere with any telephony you take ( obviously not an issue if you have broadband only ) but a decent router you supply yourself will not be paid for by saving £2 a month over 24 months , 

jbrassy

I can personally recommend the eero 6 wifi hub with extender. It will work a lot better than the standard routers supplied by broadband providers.

https://amzn.eu/d/2osYdbG

Works really well on my opinion and uses WiFi 6. You can add more than one extender if necessary. 

Clive_Woody

I WFH too and I got a set of MESH routers to boost the signal around my home and they are brilliant. Mine are TP Link Deco routers (can't remember the model) but we have 3 around a large(ish) house. I do a lot of video calls and have no issues. There are a lot to choose from, but I got a fairly basic set and the TP Link App is great too.

https://uk.pcmag.com/wireless-networking/87178/the-best-wi-fi-mesh-network-systems

housebuyer143

Clive_Woody said:

I WFH too and I got a set of MESH routers to boost the signal around my home and they are brilliant. Mine are TP Link Deco routers (can't remember the model) but we have 3 around a large(ish) house. I do a lot of video calls and have no issues. There are a lot to choose from, but I got a fairly basic set and the TP Link App is great too.

https://uk.pcmag.com/wireless-networking/87178/the-best-wi-fi-mesh-network-systems

I second the TP link deco mesh systems. Get great speeds throughout the house, although the kit did cost around £350. We needed it because we had to run our house on 5g for a few years so it did the job for that, but now is equally good at FTTP.