currently I’m putting up with plusnet and the rebranded BT home hub 5 pushing out 38meg. the contract is up in 2 months and the price is going up so I’m off…

I can get a killer deal with sky but the Q hub is poor I want to disable the wifi and use a different wifi hub.

I would like usb3 for a media drive

4 ports for patch cables is enough as I have a switch for slower stuff printers ect

some app support and maybe VPN set up

we are sending a far bit of media round the house  and some of the devices are only 2.4 not 5

i see a few netgear nighthawk in people’s’ homes and they aper to work but my god its fugly.

Google home?

so oh great hive mind what’s available

thanks

I have a Nighthawk and you’re quite right, it is fugly! Does work well though.

have you attached a hardrive to it for streaming as I’ve been told it’s a high priority by the boss

thanks

If your wireless takes heavy load look at s Ubiquiti access point.

They make commercial kit but there home use stuff is head and shoulders above the usual brands. There are other alternatives now too if none of their stuff takes your fancy.

Edit: don’t know if they offer anything with usb actually but then I’d just get a NAS enclosure if they didn’t.

we use Ubiquiti at work sometimes I completely forgot about them.

it’ a shame isp providers give you naff routers I’m looking at you SKY

I have a netgear nighthawk on virgin,using the virgin hub as a modem.I think you have a first world problem if the looks put you off,so sad.

We use a Ubiquiti access point plus one of their little Edgerouter X boxes (handily it can be powered by, and pass through POE so both only need one mains plug) along with one of the older Openreach VDSL modems. Works well and easy to add more access points if you need them in a bigger house.

Won’t do the USB sharing/streaming thing but I’ve not seen a router that does that particularly well.

I’ve just showed it to the boss do you want to tell her its the pinnacle of home furnishings. the thing looks like tron and Optimus prime got drunk in at Legoland

Well,stuff the wifi,just get the prettiest machine ,and you’ll both be happy..

OK

Using an older Netgear Nighthawk with the original Openreach VDSL modem. Pretty much faultless, does all the stuff you want and fuglyness fixed by hiding it in the loft.

I’ve just showed it to the boss do you want to tell her its the pinnacle of home furnishings. the thing looks like tron and Optimus prime got drunk in at Legoland

Seeing as how a router can send a signal through a building’s walls, it really shouldn’t be too difficult to find somewhere to hide the thing, shirley? My BT HomeHub sits right behind my tv, I can tell it’s working by the blue light reflected in the glass top of the stand it’s on, but otherwise it’s invisible, near as dammit.

thank you very helpful 🙂 I’ve got cat 6 ran to the loft as I had an old hd over cat 6 for a tv link up in the bedroom . my camera setup is up there too

I have an idea

Got a TP Link TD-9980 router here. Has VDSL modem built in, works fine with Plusnet FTTC.

It has a USB port for a hard drive, though not tried that myself. I have a separate NAS drive connected anyway. Pretty good for wifi, usually quick enough. Though sometimes weaker signal at the far end of the house.

Though I am looking at BT Whole Home Wifi as well. It lets you set up multiple access point, so could cover the whole house. You still need a router/modem to connect that to, it just replaces the wifi part.

Though I am looking at BT Whole Home Wifi as well. It lets you set up multiple access point, so could cover the whole house. You still need a router/modem to connect that to, it just replaces the wifi part.

I would steer clear of BT kit as they managed to brick/disable many people’s set-up with their last whole home firmware update.

We have a D-link AC3200 and it’s been great even with 6 of us in the house.

I got fed up with BT HHs so treated myself to a Nighthawk router modem. Ugly as sin, but you can almost feel the WiFi.

Far more stable, powerful and reliable. Married to an equally gopping netgear extender for the darkest corners of the barn and I’ve not had to swear at my network for ages.

I have the Netgear Orbi (AC3000 version).

It’s ace, same SSID throughout the house, and even down the end of the garden in the garage.

It also doesn’t look ugly as sin…

Got a nighthawk too and I wouldn’t say it’s been faultless. We have very thick stone walls and signal doesn’t make it to the extremities of the house. Had to set up separate 2.4GHZ and 5GHZ networks too as devices kept trying to constantly switch and dropping signal – not sure if this is some problem with having a SKYQ network and having to have a TP powerlink network to get signal in the shed running too but I’ve tried all sorts of channel configurations and not managed to fix it for good.

We have a draytek router / firewall unit in the shop and that is bang on although it hasn’t got to deal with massively thick walls.

a few more choices thanks all

the nighthawk is aimed at gamers so it fits in with the gaming towers and keyboards I suppose all ugly as sin and straight out of blade runner for blinking lights.

so plan of attack is

fiber router in master socket (probably sky as its cheap)

cat 6 to the loft as its already in place connect the new wifi box to that along with a solid state hard drive I’ve got already.

put skyQ  on the 2.4 alongside the old ipad 2

everything else split across the two 5 gig channels

have guest account for well guests I suppose

Smokey jo the Q will only connect via 2.4 if you don’ have sky bb