Latest wireless routers from UK broadband providers
Wireless routers are now an essential part of your broadband kit, giving you wireless access to broadband in your home or office.
By turning on the WiFi router, multiple users can share a broadband connection and surf the Internet on any WiFi-enabled device, such as laptops, tablets, smartphones, and game consoles.
The latest wireless routers now feature fibre broadband compatibility and other advanced security features to ensure data speed, reliability, wireless range, and online safety.
All the latest WiFi routers can operate on two different frequencies (2.4GHz and 5GHz) to minimize wireless interference from other devices and ensure faster data speeds.
All the major internet service providers in the UK offer their WiFi routers which are customised and designed to meet customer needs. As ISPs’ networks receive technological upgrades for increased capacity and faster speeds, ISPs are also releasing new, upgraded versions of wireless routers that can help users get the most out of their broadband connections.
New customers will receive a WiFi router worth hundreds of pounds for free when they sign up for a broadband package with a minimum contract period of 12 or 18 months.
BT
BT offers its ADSL customers the Home Hub 4 and Home Hub 5 wireless routers. Both are compatible with fibre speeds, but the Hub 5 has 4 gigabit ports for fibre connections and also features advanced 802.11ac WiFi technology.
The Home Hub 4 is an 802.11n wireless router with only one Gigabit port. It works on dual-band (5GHz and 2.4GHz) just like the Hub 5. It has 3 ADSL ports and 1 USB 2.0 port. The Home Hub 4 comes free with BT’s standard broadband plan (up to 17Mbps), and also features key security features like WPS and WPA or WPA2.
BT Hub 5 comes with 802.11ac and dual-band WiFi. It has built-in ADSL and VDSL modems and is compatible with previous 802.11a/b/g/n wireless standards. It has a USB 2.0 port.
BT fibre broadband customers get the award-winning Smart Hub WiFi router with 7 antennas that improves performance and greater WiFi range (up to 500m) by providing a very strong WiFi signal compared to similar routers from the competitors.
BT also hasthe new SmartHub X wireless router which is designed for 330Mbps G.fast fibre broadband connections. G.fast broadband which BT plans to deliver to 10m UK premises by 2020 is currently under trial. The participants / homes get the new router to test WiFi performance.
SmartHub X, dubbed as Home Hub 7 in the series, comes with built-in G.fast modem , 4 x gigabit ethernet ports , 1 x USB slot and additional ports for telephone.
Virgin Media
Virgin Media Super Hub 3.0 wireless router is designed to handle ultrafast WiFi speeds when connected to its fibre broadband plans at speeds up to 600Mbps.
It features an integrated dual-band (5GHz and 2.4GHz) DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem and Intelligent WiFi technology for powerful performance, allowing multiple users to easily share broadband across the home. It features 4 gigabit ports, 5 built-in antennas and strong online protection, supported by F Secure SAFE and WEP/WPA/WPA2 wireless technology.
Sky
The Sky Hub is a Wireless N router with 4 ADSL ports (100Mbps), with average performance compared to the BT Home Hub 4 or the Virgin Media Super Hub. It features single-band WiFi and operates at 2.4 GHz.
Sky Hub 2 has an integrated VDSL modem for fibre broadband connection. Like its predecessors, the Hub 2 is single-band (2.4 GHz), has no USB ports, and doesn’t support the latest 802.11ac wireless standard.
EE
EE offers its customers Bright Box 1 and Bright Box 2 wireless routers as free hardware when they sign up for a minimum contract plan.
The EE Bright Box 1 comes with the provider’s ADSL 2+ package (up to 17 Mbit/s). It is an 802.11b/g/n wireless router with 4 ADSL ports (100Mbps) and a USB 2.0 port. It supports WiFi Protected Setup (WPS) and Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA2) for better online security.
The EE Brigh Box 2, which was later released for fibre broadband users, had 1 Gigabit port and 3 ADSL (100Mbps) ports. It is a dual-band WiFi router with advanced 802.11ac technology and is also 802.11a/b/g compatible. The Bright Box 2 also has a new feature – Smart Wireless, which minimizes wireless interference from other devices. It has the best security features – WEP/WPA/WPA2 and Wireless Access Control (MAC).
TalkTalk
TalkTalk offers a Super Router (Huawei HG635) with fibre broadband package. This is an 802.11ac capable router with 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports. It’s also dual-band router and can run at 2.4GHz and 5GHz for better performance. It features a USB 2.0 port and WPS, WPA/WPA2 security features.
TalkTalk Plus Fibre Router (Huawei HG633) was available with Plus TV subscription. This upgraded router has four 100Mbps ADSL ports, but no gigabit connections. It features USB 2.0 and WPS, WPA/WPA2 security features.
TalkTalk WiFi Hub (Sagemcom Fast 5364) is the latest, superfast, wireless router launched by the provider in mid 2018.
This dual band (2.4GHz or 5GHz) wireless router which supports 802.11ac, comes with 7 antennas, 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports, an Ethernet WAN and a VDSL connector. It can support 500Mbps+ download speed and 375Mbps upload speed.
According to TalkTalk, up to 50 users can connect to WiFi Hub at the same time. The new router is bundled with new fibre packages
Plusnet
Plusnet was one of the UK suppliers to launch new routers (Hub Zero and Hub One) in 2015. An earlier router was the Technicolor TG582n, which did not support fibre speeds.
Plusnet Hub Zero is available in two versions for ADSL and fibre broadband subscribers. However, this Sagemcom 2704n model does not have an integrated VDSL modem. This is also a single-band (2.4GHz) router that doesn’t support 802.11ac. So in terms of WiFi speed, it can’t be said to perform as well as the BT Home Hub 5 or the Virgin Media Super Hub. However, this router has a power saving feature that keeps power consumption to a minimum.
However, in November 2015, Plusnet launched the Hub One router for its new fibre broadband customers. This WiFi router offers the latest features such as 802.11ac, integrated VDSL modem, dual-band WiFi, 4 Gigabit ports, WPS and WPA2 security. It also comes with 1 ADSL port and 1 USB 2.0 port. It also provides users with a self-installation option.
Plusnet Hub One is currently only available to new fibre customers.