topic BT Fibre 100 Halo 3 v EE Fibre Max 100 in Archived Posts

BT Fibre 100 Halo 3 v EE Fibre Max 100

Aphid — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 12:25:54 GMT

My existing BT Fibre 2 contract ends soon (typically 70mbps download with SmartHub 2) and I’m considering upgrading to a faster Fibre 100 service. Although BT has always worked well for me I’m considering the EE variation which would be about £5 cheaper per month as an existing EE mobile customer.

Any thoughts on the wisdom of changing, or am i better off staying put? Oddly, average BT speeds quote 145mbps whereas EE say typically 100mbps...and I thought all providers were much the same on that score.

Re: BT Fibre 100 Halo 3 v EE Fibre Max 100

pip11 — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 13:33:14 GMT

No matter if you are with BT or EE the speed your line will support will be the same. It is exactly the same equipment that will be used just that the hubs will have different branding on them.

Speeds quoted are just estimates no one will know what you will get unti it goes live but both will guarantee 100Mbps.

Will your 100Mbps be via G.FAST or FTTP? If you don't know enter your phone number HERE and post the result. Just remove your number, leave the rest of the table intact.

Re: BT Fibre 100 Halo 3 v EE Fibre Max 100

Aphid — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 14:03:55 GMT

Thanks for the reply. Screen shot kept being rejected as having HTML issues (?) of the BT broadband availability report

===================

Telephone Number 01502****** on Exchange LOWESTOFT is served by Cabinet 83

Featured Products Downstream Line Rate(Mbps) Upstream Line Rate (Mbps) Downstream HandbackThreshold(Mbps) WBC FTTC Availability Date WBC SOGEA Availability Date Left in JumperHigh Low High Low VDSL Range A (Clean)

VDSL Range B (Impacted)

77.4	55	20	13.9	49	Available	Available	--
75.9	52.5	20	12.4	44	Available	Available	--

Featured Products Downstream Line Rate(Mbps) Upstream Line Rate (Mbps) Downstream Range (Mbps) Availability Date FTTP Install ProcessWBC FTTP

Upto 1000

Upto 220

Available

KCI2 Assure

ADSL Products Downstream Line Rate (Mbps) Upstream Line Rate (Mbps) Downstream Range(Mbps) ADSL Availability Date WBC SOADSL Availability Date Left in JumperWBC ADSL 2+ADSL MaxWBC Fixed RateFixed RateBET

Up to 1	--	1 to 3.5	Available	Available	Yes
Up to 1	--	0.75 to 2.5	Available	Available	--
0.5	--	--	Available	Available	Yes
0.5	--	--	Available	--	--
Up to 2	--	--	Available	--	--

Observed Speeds VDSLMax Observed Downstream SpeedMax Observed Upstream SpeedObserved Date

78.25

2021-04-07

Other Offerings Availability DateVDSL MulticastADSL Multicast

Available

Premise Environment StatusBridge TapVRINTE FacePlateLast Test Date

20-04-2021

Exchange Product Restrictions StatusFTTP Priority ExchangeWLR WithdrawalSOADSL Restriction

The premise/line is associated with exchange which is NOT part of current fibre priority programme.

===================

I raise the speed issue because BT estimates have always been quite accurate over many years so I would expect to get the 145mbps estimate they quote, rather than the 100 mbps average suggested by the EE system. After all, there is an almost 50mbps difference.

I also wondered about the hardware. I have a BT SmartHub 2 currently and get excellent WiFi throughout my townhouse. You are suggesting that the EE hardware is basically a SmartHub 2 with an EE badge on it?

One final thing about landline. EE is without landline I believe...something I haven’t used to make a call for well over a year. So not sure if having the facility actually matters or not.

Re: BT Fibre 100 Halo 3 v EE Fibre Max 100

pip11 — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 15:00:24 GMT

You'll be getting FTTP so I wouldn't worry. Speeds will be the same from either provider.

Re: BT Fibre 100 Halo 3 v EE Fibre Max 100

Aphid — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 15:03:05 GMT

Good to know. Thanks.

Do you know how the EE SmartHub and BT’s SmartHub 2 compare?

Re: BT Fibre 100 Halo 3 v EE Fibre Max 100

pip11 — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 16:58:53 GMT

They are exactly the same just different company stamp on them. Only slight difference in firmware. EE is a BT Group company so using the same hub makes sense.

Re: BT Fibre 100 Halo 3 v EE Fibre Max 100

Aphid — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 17:11:24 GMT

Thanks for clarifying.

There are subtle but significant differences between BT SmartHub 1 and SmartHub 2. The fact that EE refer to their router as a “SmartHub” doesn’t, however, clarify if their SmartHub is built to the BT 1 or 2 specifications. Clearly you are saying the EE SmartHub is the same as the BT SmartHub 2.

So with EE, same speeds, same router, lower price for an 18 month Fibre 100 contract as opposed to a BT 24 month contract

Re: BT Fibre 100 Halo 3 v EE Fibre Max 100

pip11 — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 18:05:39 GMT

Correct.

Re: BT Fibre 100 Halo 3 v EE Fibre Max 100

Aphid — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 19:15:20 GMT

Thanks for your time and help with this. Much appreciated.

Re: BT Fibre 100 Halo 3 v EE Fibre Max 100

pip11 — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 20:29:04 GMT

No problem, glad I was able to help.

Re: BT Fibre 100 Halo 3 v EE Fibre Max 100

XRaySpeX — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 22:10:19 GMT

EE Smart Hub = BT Smart Hub 1
EE Smart Router = BT Smart Hub 2

You might be given either for FTTP as G.Fast is not available there.

Re: BT Fibre 100 Halo 3 v EE Fibre Max 100

Aphid — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 06:17:56 GMT

Understood, although this presents more confusion...?

pip11 suggested yesterday that the EE SmartHub they provide is the same as the BT SmartHub 2. You are suggesting that is wrong, that it is only the same as the older lower spec BT SmartHub 1...that I dispensed with 18 months ago in favour of my current BT SmartHub 2?

Ive read no mention on the EE site of an EE Smart Router?

Re: BT Fibre 100 Halo 3 v EE Fibre Max 100

XRaySpeX — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 12:02:10 GMT

The EE Smart Router is of much the same spec as the EE Smart Hub except:

It includes a G.Fast modem intended for the G.Fast version of EE Fibre Max packages. This has no relevance to you on FTTP.
You can't split the combined WiFi Bands/SSIDs as you can on the EE Smart Hub. This applies equally to BT Smart Hubs 2 v. 1.
It is white rather than black.

Other than the above the specs are identical.

Either will work on FTTP as you don't need its modem, this being supplied by the ONT. However I would expect as you are ordering the FTTP variant of EE Fibre Max you would get the same EE Smart Router as has to be supplied with the G.Fast variant. BTW: For EE Fibre Max 100 EE does give an average speed estimate of 145 Meg not the 100 Meg you quote in your OP.

You can see the EE Smart Router as part of EE Smart WiFi Bundle

The lower spec BT Smart Hub 1 you have experience with, is that the original BT Home Hub 6A w/out any Ethernet WAN port? The EE SH is a rebadged BT Home Hub 6B, the one designed for FTTP customers. Unlike the Home Hub 6A, it has one of its yellow LAN connectors converted to a WAN port. This is identified with a Red sticker over port 4. However this does not prevent it being used just for FTTC.

Re: BT Fibre 100 Halo 3 v EE Fibre Max 100

Aphid — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 12:58:07 GMT

Thanks for the explanatory reply. Very helpful.

”For EE Fibre Max 100 EE does give an average speed estimate of 145 Meg not the 100 Meg you quote”.

I did come across the same clarification from subsequent searches but I appreciate you pointing this out. The estimated/average download speeds I initially quoted was from comparison sites, which obviously could be clearer.

I am not sure about the specifics of my first BT SmartHub - now BT SmartHub 1. I believe it was referred to as Hub 6 or something along those lines. What it had at the back i just can’t remember. Enough though for me to connect other devices, like a HomePlug and Philips Hue Bridge to control lighting. It worked very well but I pushed for BT SmartHub 2 out of principle when I negotiated a new 18 month deal, soon to come to an end....hence considering my options.

Touch and go between the BT Fibre 100 Halo 3 and the EE Fibre Max 100 but EE is about £5 cheaper a month and is an 18 month contract rather than BTs 24 months.

The EE £25 set up is a bit of a sting (free set up with BT) so that adds about £1.35 a month to the overall cost.

The jury is out...