Replacement router instead of new 2026 EE hub

[topbrewer]

Hi all, first post here. I have full fibre 1 gbs to router, this has been verified and tested hardwired. But even at  2 m away from the home hub 6 I only get 300mb maybe very rarely 450. Been on the phone to BT yes they sent me an EE hub and had an engineer around, pointed it to the limitations of the router, which I can accept.

advised to buy this TP-Link Archer AX55 WiFi 6 Router, AX3000 Mbps wifi Booster, Dual Band Gigabit Ports, Internet Booster, Wi-Fi Extender, Ultra-Low Latency, 160MHZ Bandwidth, EasyMesh Compatible, Works with Alexa 

by the engineer. But do I simply unplug the home hub and plug this one in?

if there’s already a thread for this, please post link into here.

thank you for your help people

Mod note: Removed link

[Kimberlin]

@topbrewer  TP-Link routers are easy enough to set up, well, I would say that as I have one, albeit a beast compared to that, but all the same should you purchase it, setting it up out of the box is a fairly simple affair when you know what you are doing.

https://www.tp-link.com/uk/support/faq/3841/

I would advise you to download the TP-Link Tether App on your smartphone (if you have one), that will give you an element of control over the router once it is set up. Effectively, with the App, you can do certain things with your router no matter where you are in the world should you have the need to, reboot it etc. Fully access to the router management page can be done via logging into it via a PC/Laptop/iPad etc.

In order to connect it to your BT fibre, all you need to do, is put in your username and the BT password and you should be good to go as long as you have selected the correct settings. There are plenty of tutorials available on the web. There is also a TP-Link Community forum.

There are a whole list of settings I would advise you to change during setup but until you have actually purchased one, there's little point.

[topbrewer]

Hi Kimberlin, just gone ahead and bought one, should be here later today, I hope it’s as easy as you say.

thanks for your response 

[Kimberlin]

I've used my own TP-Link router (I've had my current one 4.5 years) on both BT and Plusnet without any issues whatsoever. Indeed being on FTTP, I have not had a dropped connection once. Some may find that hard to believe, but it is true, it just never drops, but that is the model I have, I cannot speak for other TP-Link models. I'm on 500mbps and it is a consistent 500mbps at the router.

As you have now purchased one, when you are setting it up, I would absolutely change the default DNS resolver for something different. You can set it at router level, once done, it will only change again if you change it.

Make sure you update the router to the latest firmware. If there is a firmware update it will let you know anyway. You can update it directly either from the Tether App or by logging in to the router management web access page. Obviously, make sure the update isn't interrupted, otherwise you may brick the router.

Use a good quality Ethernet cable for connecting the router to the ONT. I'd personally recommend a quality Cat6 cable. You never know, the supplied Ethernet cable in the box may well be decent, I just prefer Cat6 or Cat7 cables.

I would also advise that you change the default router password as soon as possible and your router SSID for something that doesn't identify it as a TP-Link router.

Set up correctly, it should serve you well.

[imjolly]

@topbrewer 

The BT username to enter in new router is

[email protected].  and password can be anything your router will accept many Just use BT

[Edinburgh-wg]

There are much better replacement routers than TP-Link. TP-Link is a Chinese make and also classed as budget. I suggest UniFi, Fritz!box etc. which are much better in terms of quality and offer a long support period with new firmware, especially the latter.

[Kimberlin]

@Edinburgh-wg  So what if TP-Link routers are made in China? Tesla cars are also made in China along with a good deal of other electrical products and components. My upright fridge/freezer was made in China and it’s still going strong after 5 years.

[TimCurtis]

@Edinburgh-wg 

Whilst there are many better than TP-Link - I use Asus - TP-Link products do seem to be reliable and perform quite well and for most home users would be more than adequate and far better (in terms of performance & functionality) than any ISP supplied devices..

[topbrewer]

Many thanks for all your help all the people who have took the time to reply. I’m looking forward to the route to arriving and I hope it is as simple as just put the username and password in. Unplugging the old router plugging the new one in and let’s see what it can do. 

I must Admit I am surprised I’m getting nearly one gig at the router wired but just stood 3 m away . Only 300 MB It’s a fantastic drop in speed for such a short distance

[gg30340]

@topbrewer 

You have not mentioned which type of device you are using to test the speed.

Have you checked what Wifi standards your devices network card can use? 

See link

Wi-Fi Standards: IEEE 802.11ac, 802.11ax, and Wireless Internet Standards | Dell UK

Have you checked that your device's network card's drivers are up to date using the card's manufacturers drivers and not those supplied by Windows if you are using a Windows operating system?

Is your devices network card capable of using Wifi 6. If not you will most likely not notice any difference in speed.