BT Hub

[Belfast_NI]

Just wondering if there are any plans by BT to release a new BT Hub for residential customers?

The current hub is now a few years old!

Thanks

[Kimberlin]

@Belfast_NI 

I suspect not, it would cost far too much money in the short term. If you join EE as a brand new customer, you’ll likely get their latest all singing all dancing hub, but not if you’re a voluntary or ‘forced’ migration, from BT to EE. Even Plusnet are still shoving out the white version of the BT SH2.

Honestly, if you’re staying with BT and you really want a decent bang up to date router that YOU have control over, I’d suggest buying a third party router that you can control the settings on, such as DNS and also have access to a more advanced security protocol. You can get a decent WiFi 6 router for between £100 and £150 that will be far more capable than BT’s ancient tech offering.

[WSH]

Don't forget the SH2 is required if you have Digital Voice.  It will not work through a third party router, even if it has VoIP capability.

[Kimberlin]

@WSH 

Yup, sorry, my bad! Not having used a domestic landline for the best part of a decade, I keep forgetting that there are people that still do 😂

[Kodikid]

Few things in  life are certain but BT keeping the smart hub 2 is.

They really don't want domestic customers at BT.

At every opportunity they'll try to get you to migrate to EE.

They could easily rebrand the EE router's to BT but the fact this isn't happening just reinforces the above.

Also traditionally BT subscribers are a loyal bunch who are quite happy with BT no matter what

[Kimberlin]

@Kodikid 

I’d hazard a guess that loyalty to BT is very much a demographic issue. I doubt anyone under the age of 45 gives a fig about loyalty, that being said, I’m almost 60 and I couldn’t care less about loyalty to any company taking my money, as long as I’m getting a decent service. But I’ll leave at the drop of a hat if the renewal price isn’t right either!

But back to the hub. An ISP will provide equipment that manages the bare minimum. The equipment is built to a price for a mass market, as long as it delivers, they’ve achieved the aim. I have my own router, I won’t use an ISP router and in the almost 5 years I’ve lived at my current property with 2 ISP’s, admittedly within the BT group, I’ve not once had a single moment loss of service, it’s been absolutely fantastic.

[WSH]

I can say the same for the Home Hub 5, (8 years), followed by the Smart Hub 2, (4 years).  Never had a problem with either.

This obsession with “better” routers is usually the perception of the wireless capability rather than the routing as such.

Then again, any techie of my generation will tell you if you want a real network, you put wires in.

(The only time we used to use wireless was when we couldn’t drill holes, such as a listed building.  Mind you, our head office was listed.  Never stopped us making holes in that).

A better solution would be to buy a separate WAP and run a cable to it.  (If you insist on using wireless).

[Kimberlin]

@WSH 

To be honest, I’ve got almost 30 wireless devices continually connected to my router and I just don’t get any issues.

Also, for me, it’s about keeping up with security and whilst the Hub 2 provides a level of security, it doesn’t provide the latest incarnation of WPA3. I appreciate that won’t mean much to some out there, but a large number of my devices now use the upgraded protocol and I use it without issues.

[Kodikid]

WSH

In the past I had a Nokia 3310

Brilliant phone

Would I want one today?

By your rationale we would all still be driving around in Cortina's 

[WSH]

@Kimberlin   Fair point.  Actually, I only the SH2 for the DV.  A Draytek manages access to my network.

@Kodikid   Oh, come on now.  Surely you mean a Capri.  Brilliant car.  Should never have been retired.  (As you seemed the obsessing about grammar in your last post, that's Cortinas, by the way).