New router

[Gibbs1500]

Hi I go live for new EE broadband ultrafast 500 this friday and wondering what are the thoughts on the router seems like the latest model ee smart hub plus sh32b and wondering if this would suffice for wireless as heard issues that it is quite poor and there are dropouts often. I am wondering if anyone has any comments on there thoughts of the router. Thanks 

[Gibbs1500]

Looking to drop sky in general and go the apple tv /freesat route and I have everything with EE currently and more benefits compared to sky 

[jon_1103]

My personal experience with the SH+ has been very poor, to the point that I recently purchased a 3rd party router, however, everyone's set up is different and I would push to get your ONT modem and router installed as centrally in your house possible. I'm in an end terrace and have a school next to me so the open-reach engineer would not fit my ONT modem where I wanted it without permission, and that would take sometime!

I moved from Virgin Media in March and had a Hub 5 with a WiFi pod and the coverage was fine in my house. My router was in my dining room (front of the house) and the WiFi pod was in my lounge (next room), and in my 3 bedroom terraced house and garden it had a decent coverage.

I moved to EE in April and had a FTTC connection fitted, FTTP was due to be installed within 3 months, so I took a punt and VM lost me as a customer. EE shipped out a Smart Hub 2 (by mistake), WiFi coverage was good for a single WiFi 5 router.

I then upgraded to Fibre500 and swapped to the SH+ and that's when my coverage took a hit. I had issues with WiFi calling, where 1 floor below in my kitchen it would drop out, I also had no coverage in my garden.
I purchased a Smart WiFi device off eBay (I didn't want to commit to the £10 per month contract deal) and fitted it in the same location the VM pod was and it made things worse.

Last week I purchased a TP Link WiFi 6E router and it's covering all my house, probably better than the VM Hub 5 + pod setup I previously had. I have the option to manage my devices better now and I will most likely add a WiFi extender to my set up and create a mesh network. Granted it's at a cost but its come to the point and realisation that ISP routers are naff.

I will be keeping an eye out for reviews on the new WiFi 7 hub that EE are supplying but it'll run off the EE app, which is awful and very limited. I have 2 young children so parental controls is a must for me.

[JimM11]

@Gibbs1500 What i found in comparison with moving from SKY to EE back in March, the EE router is a little bit weaker in the 2.4Ghz band, and a little bit better in the 5Ghz band, the router is very locked down for ISP ease not for the user, the app has some problems, constantly being updated and i am not a fan of app control in any way, DV if you have a landline MAY be up in the land of the god's, but in general router is really not that bad for an ISP supplied device. It's the same rules if a device struggles to connect as you would have had with the sky max. Hope this all helps when you go live, the HELP above is good if you need to search for anything....👍

[JimM11]

@jon_1103 You are/will find that a NON isp supplied router is generally always way better and finer tuned. Its all about getting the best from any device, and no 2 routers are the same. Open verdict at present on the smartwifi, do not use as totally Asus and AI mesh, mesh is difficult and takes some patience to get it just right and especially if trying to do wireless mesh.  

[Gibbs1500]

@JimM11 @jon_1103  

I am hoping I dont need to upgrade router I was going for the Gl flint 2 router for the wifi strength and where it can reach but im going to give the EE router a chance to see how it copes sure it will be fine im guessing the hub controls with changing password are through the app or through browser for the router as well. 

[JimM11]

@Gibbs1500 When EE send you the correct Smarthub+, you can set it up offline as much as possible and makes the changeover quick and easy with minimum disruption, needed SSID, password's how you want to set the wpa, and mode of the router, AX/AC etc. Once you have it as expected, then swap over, let the router do it's FW upgrades as it required, just be patient an give it some time to settle, NOW know this last statement is the hardest, but you should not expect to see any issue's. And if you have landline/DV now or getting, then the EE router HAS to be used.... If not doing so then be pre-paired to setup and connect all devices required. 

Do your homework regarding GI flint, and check out any forums that they have!

[Gibbs1500]

When you say correct router is this the SH32B one thats one I was sent seems to be latest one currently 

[JimM11]

@Gibbs1500 Will work good for your requirement its fttp fibre only version, 31B does both fttc/fttp.

[jon_1103]

@JimM11oh yes I totally agree!

In my case I cannot set up a mesh network using wired back haul as I cannot run cables, that's why I went for a tri band router. Mesh networks are great when they work. I had an old TP Link Deco twin node set up which worked well, devices seamlessly handed off etc. I went with TP Link again, mainly because they are pushing the WiFi standard, EasyMesh, to allow different manufactures to work together.

[JimM11]

@jon_1103 Tp-Link make good gear, use both in my setup, but will ALWAYS take the you can mix/match for any manufacturer with a BIG pinch of salt. Best to stick with the same if possible.... Cuts out the blame game when something is just not right and hard to pin down!