Smart Hub Plus or Asus AX11000 router?

[MDE500]

Hi,

We’ve been a BT broadband customer for years with the 76Mbps FTTC Halo 1 package. A few months ago, after a lot of Openreach work around the town, FTTP became available for our postcode. We’ve been planning to upgrade our package to 900Mbps but were holding off for BT to offer the Smart Hub Plus instead of the SH2.

Now that we know this is unlikely to happen and we’ll need to move to EE for the new router, we looked at their broadband packages and found that a week ago, they’re offering the 1.6Gbps ‘Busiest Home Bundle’ for our postcode. This would be great and still works out cheaper per month than our existing FTTC package with BT, (we’ve been out of contract for years).

We’ve read about a number of issues on the BT and EE forums where people have been trying to get this package and then finding out that, despite it being offered on the website for their postcode, it’s actually not available to them yet, problems with migrating from BT to EE, issues with migrating to DV with EE etc.

We’ve got a lot to think about in terms of whether it’s worth all the hassle trying to get the 1.6Gbps package as we’ve tried speaking to both BT and EE and neither seemed aware that the package even existed for anyone to order.

We have one question that we’d be really grateful to get some advice or recommendations on and that’s with the Smart Hub Plus router. At the end of last year, we’d had lots of problems with our old router losing connection and bad WiFi throughout the house so we bought an Asus AX11000 router and the RT-AX92U to create an AiMesh. This was quite an investment at around £600 but has given us great WiFi strength around the house and has been really reliable. The problem is, if we are able to go for the 1.6Gbps package, we’d be also paying for EE’s Smart WiFi device in that price so to take advantage of that, we’d have to use the Smart Hub Plus and not our own router.

We’d also have to use the Smart Hub Plus if we want DV/EE Digital Home Phone otherwise we’d have to change to a 3rd party VOIP provider. EE’s website also shows that we can’t order DV/HP at the time of ordering the 1.6Gbps bundle and says to either order later or choose a different package. Again, both the BT and EE helpdesks don’t know why this is although we’re guessing it’s to do with the ONT required for 1.6Gbps as the 900Mbps package lets us choose a calling plan.

So our question is, how does the Smart Hub Plus and Smart WiFi compare with a dedicated setup like we have with the Asus routers and AiMesh? We really wanted to keep a landline/home phone service, preferably with our old number but is it worth us just changing to a VOIP service for that and using our own router for the 1.6Gbps broadband or is the Smart Hub Plus and Smart WiFi option just as good in which case we can have DV/HP, (if we can get it with the 1.6Gbps without losing our number)?

Sorry for the long post but we’re wary committing to a 24 month contract when there seems to be so many obstacles and nobody we’ve spoken to at BT or EE seem to know anything about the new 1.6Gbps service or why the website shows we can’t order DV/HP with it. We’re tempted to take the easier and cheaper route of the 900Mbps package but it seems a shame when we could future proof with the faster option.

We’d be really grateful if anyone has any advice or recommendations, thanks!

[imjolly]

If you are on a rolling monthly contract with BT then I would take advantage of no cancellation fees and move phone to separate VOIP provider. You can then decide to move to EE and be able to use your existing setup instead of BT\EE router without any problems

[MDE500]

Thanks very much for the feedback @imjolly. We did think about doing that but we read that as we're not on FTTP yet, if we transfer to a separate VOIP provider, it'll cancel our existing landline, (copper/FTTC) and we'd lose our broadband too.

If that's true, the only way we can think of doing this would be to set up a new account with a separate VOIP provider with a new number and then change our existing BT 76Mbps FTTC broadband to the new EE 1.6Gbps broadband without the DV/HP service.

The only problem with that is that we'll lose the number we've had for 20 years which would be a shame although I've heard that, sometimes, VOIP providers can transfer your old cancelled number if it's within 30 days of termination.

The other possibility is to move to EE's 1.6Gbps package with DV/HP, (if we can) on the basis that in the small print on EE's website for their digital home phone service, underneath the 24 month broadband packages, it says it would be on a monthly rolling contract. This would allow us to move at any point to a 3rd party VOIP provider if we want to go back to our router setup. This differs to what the person told me at BT, they said that transferring to EE with a new broadband and DV/HP package would put both on a 24 month contract. We're going to go back to them with the information on EE's website to see which is true.

At this rate, we're thinking it might be easier to lose our number as it all seems more complicated than it needs to be because nobody at BT and EE are quite sure what's happening with this new 1.6Gbps package when you ask them. The two people we spoke to didn't even know that 1.6Gbps existed and couldn't understand why the EE website says we couldn't have their home phone service ordered at the same time as the 1.6Gbps package but it was fine on the 900Mbps.

[imjolly]

You don't have to be on FTTP to have DV or VOIP

with all the current confusion with transferring BT\EE and the 1.6gb  new broadband it probably better sticking where you are until more information about BT\EE transfer anda system set up for smooth transfer

[MDE500]

Sorry, I didn't word that very well. What I meant was, if we change our existing PSTN/copper telephone number to a new 3rd party VOIP service, it'll obviously cancel our existing line which will also cancel our current FTTC broadband connection as both are with BT.

What we'll need to do is start a new phone service with a separate VOIP provider and accept having a new number rather than our existing one. When that's up and running, we can then change our current package with BT from a copper based phone and FTTC broadband package to an FTTP broadband only package with EE.

As you say though, it's probably worth holding off for now until the BT and EE call centres know more about migrating over to the 1.6Gbps service.

Thanks again for your help and advice @imjolly .

[Cliffycliff]

You need to first move to digital voice with BT / EE I dont think there is a minimum term contract with digital vocie,. Once you have done this you can move over to VOIP service with ouit losing your broadband connection. I am in teh middle of moving to a VOIP provider and will then move my number once the VOIP is set up with a temp number. Main reason for me is the BT / EE hardware is a pile of p[ants and not fit for purpose.

As all 3 desktops in my house have WiFi 7 capabilities i will then move to a WIFI 7 router. Real world bandwitdth is over 3Gbps with WiFi 7 so will have more then enough capacity to each machine

[licquorice]

---

@Cliffycliff wrote:

Once you have done this you can move over to VOIP service with ouit losing your broadband connection.

---

As things stand currently, ceasing Digital Voice will cease your broadband as well.

[Cliffycliff]

Not true, if your using digital voice your broadband will stay active. Only if you are using a copper line for your phone service will it ceases your line. I have checked and triple checked this fact

[licquorice]

I think you might be disappointed.

Copper line or fibre line has nothing to do with DV, you can have DV on both.

[Cliffycliff]

@licquorice  I know you are very pro all things BT but you are wrong on this, BT themselves have confirmed to me that i can port my number to a real VOIP service with a different provider with zero effect on my broadband connection. As for Digital Voice on Copper and Fiber, the difference is the Copper line is associated with the phone number so when the number is moved this ends the service, with fiber the number is just an add on to the Internet access and can be deactivated just like any other service