{"id":7926,"date":"2018-12-28T00:01:38","date_gmt":"2018-12-28T00:01:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/?p=7926"},"modified":"2024-02-23T15:02:23","modified_gmt":"2024-02-23T15:02:23","slug":"comparison-bundled-broadband-routers-biggest-uk-isps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ispreview.co.uk\/index.php\/2018\/12\/comparison-bundled-broadband-routers-biggest-uk-isps.html","title":{"rendered":"A Comparison of Home Broadband Router Specs from the Big UK ISPs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Which of the UK’s largest home broadband ISPs give you the best wireless router hardware for your internet and home connectivity needs? We take a brief look at the options and specification sheets from BT<\/a>, Virgin Media<\/a>, TalkTalk<\/a>, Sky Broadband<\/a>, Zen Internet<\/a>, Hyperoptic<\/a>, Vodafone<\/a> and KCOM<\/a> to compare key features.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Sadly very few providers in the market today will publish a detailed feature set for the router(s) they bundle and at best you’ll only ever get a fairly basic summary, which often won’t tell you nearly enough about its actual capabilities. Instead ISPs are far more likely to speak in vague generalisations (e.g. “powerful and reliable wifi<\/a><\/em>“, “superfast router<\/em>“, “3x faster<\/em>“), which are largely useless for any practical comparison.<\/p>\n

Another crafty trick is when ISPs attempt to positively highlight otherwise common features by expressing them as being somehow unique or advanced, even though such aspects may in fact merely be part of a standard specification that is likely to be shared by nearly all of their competitors.<\/p>\n

On the upside many of the routers that come bundled today tend to be fairly capable pieces of kit, which are often significantly better than the rubbish that first generation broadband providers use to dish out a decade ago. Back then it wasn’t uncommon to have problems with WiFi<\/a> compatibility, crashing and an inability to handle connections from more than a handful of devices at once.<\/p>\n

As a result consumers are now much more likely to stick with what their ISP gives them than to go hunting around for a more advanced third-party router, although there’s still a strong market for those who seek cutting-edge hardware. But all this merely makes it even more important to know what you’re getting for your money.<\/p>\n

Who Cares About the Router?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

At this point some of our readers might be raising their hands to ask an obvious question: “What difference does the router actually make?<\/em>”<\/p>\n

Certainly it’s true that a router with the right modem \/ chipset could improve your broadband connection ever so slightly, although in the grander scheme of things the ISP will usually aim to supply a device that can cope with the best possible speed of your connection type. Instead the real difference tends to be in what that device can do for your home network.<\/p>\n

Naturally there are some fairly self-explanatory things to look out for here, such as the significant factor of wireless network speed and coverage. On this point we recommend looking to identify what WiFi<\/a> specification is being used (e.g. 802.11n, 802.11ac or the latest 802.11ax), as well as the peak theoretical wireless speed of the device and the number of antennas (note: bundled routers tend to only offer internal antennas).<\/p>\n

In addition, you’d definitely want a router that can support both the 2.4GHz<\/strong> and the 5GHz<\/strong> radio spectrum bands for maximum performance. Both should be common today and if the kit that an ISP supplies doesn’t support both then it may be best avoided (2.4GHz alone is slow and congested). We recommend reading our ‘Top WiFi Boosting Tips<\/strong><\/a>‘ for more info. on wireless performance as it’s quite an extensive subject.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere you should also consider whether the router includes USB<\/strong> ports (i.e. how many, what version (v3.0+ is fastest) and what devices can it connect – storage, printers, 4G<\/a> mobile adapters etc.), as well as the speed of any Ethernet LAN<\/strong> (wired network) ports on the back (100Mb vs 1000Mb etc.). We’d also look out for a WAN<\/strong> port as this will enable you to connect another router (e.g. when opting to use the ISP’s router as just a modem).<\/p>\n

Now on to the hardware comparison..<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Obviously the desired feature selection is somewhat a matter of personal preference, since we all place different demands or expectations upon the device that ISPs supply to our homes. For example, most ordinary consumers might never use the WAN or USB ports but others may see those as being vital.<\/p>\n

On top of that our own comparison is somewhat restricted by the limited information that ISPs are willing to provide, as well as what details we’ve been able to uncover online or from end-users who have them installed. As such the following table will only focus on the key hardware features (providers rarely ever list their software features).<\/p>\n

We’ve also only looked at the latest devices from each ISP and it’s worth noting that some providers still supply weaker routers on slower packages (e.g. don’t expect the top kit if you sign-up to a slow ADSL<\/a> service). We would of course also welcome any feedback from consumers to help us identify any locked or missing features etc.<\/p>\n

NOTE:<\/strong> We’ve only looked at routers from the largest providers with their own network (i.e. not resellers or vISPs), primarily also those where it’s also possible to identify how many broadband customers they have.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nBT<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\nSky Broadband<\/a> \/ NOW TV<\/a>
\n<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Name (Base Model)<\/strong><\/td>\nSmartHub \/ SmartHub X<\/td>\nSky Q Hub<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Release Year<\/strong><\/td>\n2016 (X = 2017\/18)<\/td>\n2015<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2.4GHz Band<\/strong><\/td>\nYes<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5GHz Band<\/strong><\/td>\nYes<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
WiFi Antennas<\/strong><\/td>\n7 (Internal)<\/td>\n5 (Internal)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Peak WiFi Speed<\/strong><\/td>\n1917Mbps<\/td>\n1600Mbps<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Best WiFi Spec<\/strong><\/td>\n802.11ac<\/td>\n802.11ac<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
LAN Ports (Speed)<\/strong><\/td>\n4 (1000Mbps)<\/td>\n2 (1000Mbps)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
WAN Port<\/strong><\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Avg. Estimated Power<\/strong><\/td>\n7w Idle, 11w Load<\/td>\n8.5w Idle, 11w Load<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
USB Ports (version)<\/strong><\/td>\n1 (v2.0)<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
USB Device Support<\/strong><\/td>\nStorage<\/td>\nn\/a<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Other Ports<\/strong><\/td>\n1 x RJ11 (ADSL<\/a> \/ VDSL2<\/a> \/ G.fast<\/a>)<\/td>\n1 x RJ11 (ADSL<\/a> \/ VDSL2<\/a>)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dimensions (mm)<\/strong><\/td>\n241.9 x 156.6 x 32<\/td>\n211 x 141 x 34<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
<\/div>\n
BT<\/a> Smart Hub Notes:<\/strong> Some models swap LAN Port 4 for a WAN port (e.g. those shipped to FTTP<\/a> customers). The SmartHub X adds an internal G.fast<\/a> modem and an additional port for telephone connections (next to the RJ11 port). The original Smart Hub is based off the capable Broadcom 63137, 4366 and 43602 chipset(s). A new Smart Hub 2 has just been released, but its specs are VERY similar (here<\/a>).<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Sky Q Hub Notes:<\/strong> The Q Hub also includes support for the Powerline AV1.1 Ethernet standard via its power adapter, although this is only designed to work with other Sky Q devices. Subscribers of Sky’s NOW TV<\/a> sibling will receive a re-branded version of the Q Hub. A new Sky router is due to be launched very soon.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nVirgin Media<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\nTalkTalk<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Router (Base Model)<\/strong><\/td>\nHub 3.0 \/\u00a0VMDG505 (ARRIS TG2492S\/CE)<\/td>\nWi-Fi Hub (Sagemcom F@st 5364)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Release Year<\/strong><\/td>\n2015<\/td>\n2018<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2.4GHz Band<\/strong><\/td>\nYes<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5GHz Band<\/strong><\/td>\nYes<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
WiFi Antennas<\/strong><\/td>\n5<\/td>\n7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Peak WiFi Speed<\/strong><\/td>\n1600Mbps<\/td>\n1950Mbps<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Best WiFi Spec<\/strong><\/td>\n802.11ac<\/td>\n802.11ac Wave 2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
LAN Ports (Speed)<\/strong><\/td>\n4 (1000Mbps)<\/td>\n4 (1000Mbps)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
WAN Port<\/strong><\/td>\n1 (LAN Port 4)<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Avg. Estimated Power<\/strong><\/td>\n12w Idle, 15.3w Load<\/td>\n11w Idle (??w Load)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
USB Ports (Version)<\/strong><\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
USB Device Support<\/strong><\/td>\nn\/a<\/td>\nn\/a<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Other Ports<\/strong><\/td>\n2 x RJ11 (Phone)<\/td>\n1 x RJ11 (ADSL \/ VDSL2<\/a>)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dimensions (mm)<\/strong><\/td>\n?<\/td>\n170 x 260 x 50<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
<\/div>\n
Virgin Media<\/a> Notes:<\/strong> The Hub 3.0 has become somewhat notorious due to a well-publicised flaw in its Intel Puma 6 chipset, which has been mitigated with a recent firmware update (here<\/a>). As a result this router is best used in modem-only mode, which means using a second router to manage your home network. A new Virgin router is due to launch in 2019 (Gigabit Connect Box?<\/a>).<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nZen Internet<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\nHyperoptic<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Router (Base Model)<\/strong><\/td>\nAVM FRITZ!Box 3490<\/td>\nHyperHub (ZTE H298A)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Release Year<\/strong><\/td>\n2015<\/td>\n?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2.4GHz Band<\/strong><\/td>\nYes<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5GHz Band<\/strong><\/td>\nYes<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
WiFi Antennas<\/strong><\/td>\n6 (Internal)<\/td>\n2 (Internal)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Peak WiFi Speed<\/strong><\/td>\n1750Mbps<\/td>\n1200Mbps<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Best WiFi Spec<\/strong><\/td>\n802.11ac<\/td>\n802.11ac<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
LAN Ports (Speed)<\/strong><\/td>\n4 (1000Mbps)<\/td>\n4 (1000Mbps)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
WAN Port<\/strong><\/td>\n1 (LAN Port 1)<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Avg. Estimated Power<\/strong><\/td>\nAppox. 8-20w<\/td>\n?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
USB Ports (Version)<\/strong><\/td>\n2 (v3.0)<\/td>\n?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
USB Device Support<\/strong><\/td>\nStorage, Printers, 3G<\/a>\/4G<\/a> Dongle<\/td>\n?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Other Ports<\/strong><\/td>\n1 x RJ11 (ADSL \/ VDSL2)<\/td>\n2 x RJ11 (Phone)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dimensions (mm)<\/strong><\/td>\n245 x 55 x 175<\/td>\n140 \u00d7 32 \u00d7 210<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
<\/div>\n
HyperHub Notes:<\/strong> The spec sheet suggests that a USB port does exist on the router, although it’s not shown in any of the pictures and we’ve also struggled to locate any solid detail on its device support. Hyperoptic<\/a> also distributes a Tilgin HG2301 (or later model) router but we haven’t been able to find any solid specifications for it. Sadly the ISP seemed reluctant to help fill in the blanks.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Zen Notes:<\/strong> Zen seems to have quietly changed their bundled router to the FRITZ!Box 7530<\/strong><\/a>, which sadly came after our article was written. This adds some useful WiFi features (MU-MIMO, Mesh Wi-Fi etc.) and an integrated DECT phone system for IP \/ VoIP setups etc. But its max combined WiFi speed is only 1266Mbps.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nVodafone<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\nKCOM<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Router (Base Model)<\/strong><\/td>\nHuawei HHG2500<\/td>\nZyXEL VMG3925-B10B<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Release Year<\/strong><\/td>\n2015<\/td>\n2015\/16<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2.4GHz Band<\/strong><\/td>\nYes<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5GHz Band<\/strong><\/td>\nYes<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
WiFi Antennas<\/strong><\/td>\n5 (Internal)<\/td>\n5 (Internal)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Peak WiFi Speed<\/strong><\/td>\nc.1600Mbps<\/td>\n1600Mbps<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Best WiFi Spec<\/strong><\/td>\n802.11ac<\/td>\n802.11ac<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
LAN Ports (Speed)<\/strong><\/td>\n4 (1000Mbps)<\/td>\n4 (1000Mbps)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
WAN Port<\/strong><\/td>\n1 (1000Mbps) – Disabled<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Avg. Estimated Power<\/strong><\/td>\n?<\/td>\n?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
USB Ports (Version)<\/strong><\/td>\n2 (v2.0)<\/td>\n1 (v2.0)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
USB Device Support<\/strong><\/td>\n?<\/td>\nStorage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Other Ports<\/strong><\/td>\n1 x RJ11 (ADSL \/ VDSL2), 2 x RJ11 (Phone – Disabled)<\/td>\n1 x RJ11 (ADSL \/ VDSL2)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dimensions (mm)<\/strong><\/td>\n210 x 108 x 38<\/td>\n183 x 150 x 25<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
<\/div>\n
Vodafone<\/a> NOTES:<\/strong> The HHG2500 router specs include one RJ45 WAN port and two RJ11 phone ports, but these appear to be disabled on the models received by UK customers. The new FTTH<\/a> service (Cityfibre<\/a>’s network) offers a far better router than listed above (details<\/a>), but at the time of writing that service has only just entered the market (i.e. most people will be taking their superfast FTTC<\/a> \/ VDSL2 packages).<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
KCOM<\/a> NOTES:<\/strong> The Hull focused provider also appears to distribute a Technicolor TG589vac v2 router, which is very similar to their primary ZyXEL VMG3925-B10B above except for a slower peak WiFi speed of 1300Mbps. KCOM are currently testing a new router for launch in 2019 but we don’t yet have the final details.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

Conclusions<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Fixed line broadband connections are becoming increasingly fast and thus consumers will tend to place the greatest importance on WiFi performance to help keep pace. We haven’t been able to conduct real-world tests for most of the aforementioned hardware, although\u00a0TalkTalk<\/a>’s Wi-Fi Hub and BT’s Smart Hub (inc. X and SH2 with similar specs) seem to have an edge in terms of their specification.<\/p>\n

On the flip side Hyperoptic, which is a Gigabit capable “full fibre<\/em>” ISP, oddly seems to have the slowest router of all and this may explain why they were the only provider that seemed reluctant to engage during the research phase for our article. Despite several promises, we were never provided with the requested details and eventually gave up asking.<\/p>\n

One caveat to Hyperoptic’s otherwise weak hardware is that they tend to focus on connecting individual apartments, which won’t strain the router’s wireless signal as much as it might in a multi-floored house. On the other hand you’d expect more congestion in the airwaves around apartment blocks, which might still benefit from a more capable piece of kit.<\/p>\n

Despite this it’s important to remember that the market is constantly evolving and so what is available today will undoubtedly change in the coming months or years. For example, we’re already expecting new routers to surface from both Sky Broadband<\/a> and Virgin Media in the very near future.<\/p>\n

Likewise 2019 will see the introduction of the next generation 802.11ax<\/strong> WiFi specification (here<\/a>) and the new WPA3<\/strong> security standard (here<\/a>), which is something that ISPs will no doubt be looking to adopt a little further down the road. Until then the only place to get the latest technology will be via third-party devices, provided they allow you to use such kit.<\/p>\n

Finally, for a bit of extra fun, check out our 2017 comparison of router electricity costs (here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

NOTE:<\/strong> BT’s sibling Plusnet<\/a> tends to use a re-branded HomeHub 5A<\/strong> router (aka – HUB ONE), which is a fairly old piece of kit by modern standards. Meanwhile BT’s other sibling, EE<\/a>, tends to sell a re-branded Smart Hub router to new customers of their fastest packages (others get the older Bright Box 2 device).<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Which of the UK’s largest home broadband ISPs give you the best wireless router hardware for your internet and home connectivity needs? We take a brief look at the options and specification sheets from BT, Virgin Media, TalkTalk, Sky Broadband, Zen Internet, Hyperoptic, Vodafone and KCOM to compare key features.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":37205,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,1,2715],"tags":[474,405,66,74,475],"class_list":["post-7926","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorial_article","category-uk_isp_news","category-tips-and-guides","tag-bt","tag-ee","tag-sky-broadband","tag-talktalk","tag-virgin-media"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"yoast_head":"\nA Comparison of Home Broadband Router Specs from the Big UK ISPs - ISPreview UK<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Which of the UK's largest home broadband ISPs give you the best wireless router hardware for your internet and home connectivity needs? 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