UPD TalkTalk Launch Fibre Broadband Super Router with “Britain’s fastest Wi-Fi”

Budget ISP TalkTalk has today unveiled its new “Super Router“, which as we first revealed last year will be based off the latest Huawei HG635 hardware and features a built-in VDSL modem and the most recent Gigabit (1000Mbps+) capable wifi wireless networking spec (802.11ac) that the provider says “offers Britain’s fastest Wi-Fi technology“.

The new kit is now being included alongside all new, upgrade and re-contracting orders for TalkTalk’s Superpowered Fibre Broadband (FTTC) service, which costs from +£10 extra per month as an add-on to your existing service. For example, if you take the unlimited SimplyBroadband package with the current offer of £1.75 a month + £15.95 line rental then you can add £10 on top to get download speeds of up to 38Mbps from the FTTC upgrade.

SuperRouter Specifications

• ADSL2+ & VDSL2 (Fibre ready) modem
• 3×3 MiMo; Simultaneous 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz dual-band
• 5Ghz with Wi-Fi AC, backwards compatible with Wi-Fi b/g/n
• 2.4Ghz with Wi-Fi N, backwards compatible with Wi-Fi b/g
• One touch Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS)
• WEP & WPA2 Wi-Fi security
• 4 x RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports
• 1 x RJ11 xDSL port; 1 x RJ45 WAN port
• Integrated firewall; Integrated Self-Help pages
• 1 x USB 2.0 host for external storage and printers
• UPNP with port forwarding and mapping
• DLNA

So what about the claim to offer “Britain’s fastest Wi-Fi technology“? TalkTalk commissioned IOT & Approval Solutions Ltd (IOTAS) to “independently benchmark” their Super Router against rivals from the four other major ISPs, which included BT’s HomeHub 5, the latest Sky Hub (SR102), EE’s BrightBox2 and Virgin Media’s latest Super Hub (v2). It’s important to point out that BT and EE’s kit both feature similar 802.11ac wifi technology.

The results, which sadly do not say which ISP achieved which result (Virgin’s own testing was brave enough to do this), appear to support TalkTalk’s claim (note: Competitor 3 is probably Sky as their kit is the only one with no 5GHz). However it’s perhaps more accurate for TalkTalk to say that their router delivers the best wifi performance of all major pre-configured UK ISP routers, as opposed to Britain as a whole because there are many 802.11ac supporting third-party routers on the market that could be better and haven’t been tested.

Never the less this is still a good result, although TalkTalk’s testing doesn’t say much about comparable performance at different distances or through walls.

Tristia Harrison, TalkTalk’s MD for Consumer, said:

“We’re watching more online TV, connecting more devices and in the last six months alone TalkTalk homes have doubled the amount they download. Our new Super Router is our most advanced yet and it’s optimised to meet our customers’ ever increasing needs. Coupled with our Superpowered Fibre broadband, the Super Router allows busy families to do more online at the same time, safe in the knowledge that they have a super quick, reliable connection with an unbeatable range.”

In addition the new kit also comes with integrated Self-Help and Diagnostic pages, which are designed to get customers back online more quickly and efficiently. The good news is that these two features will also be rolled out across the existing router base, although no firm timescale is given.

The Super Router will also be available to all new TalkTalk Business direct fibre customers “soon” and we hope to add some pictures of the final device shortly.

UPDATE 3:16pm

Added a picture of the front (note: nothing but the usual ports, as listed above, on the back and the device is fairly thin too).