Very, very OT - worth changing router?

[Feltwell]

One for all you PC techies.....

Mrs F changed our broadband package with BT recently, so that we now have unlimited usage - the kids are using it more and more and were putting us over the limit each month, which we were being charged for. As part of the deal, without asking, we've been sent a new router - a BT Home Hub 3.

Our old wireless router is a Belkin model, put in about 4 years ago by my ex-employer - and I think it was secondhand then. It's a Belkin F5D8630-4 "ADSL modem with wireless pre-N router" according to the label. It works OK, apart from if we get a power cut when it sulks and refuses to initialise properly if it's not left completely without power for at least 30 minutes. The wireless connection can sometimes be a little iffy in the the furthest reaches of the house, but we are asking quite a lot of it.

I can't find the spec for it online, but here's the user manual:-

http://cache-www.belkin.com/support/dl/p74911uk_f5d8630_man.pdf

The question is, is it worth changing to the Home Hub? Has wireless technology moved in during the last 5 years or so? I do remember our resident work PC techie muttering dark satanic comments about the original BT Home Hub whenever he was asked to set one up in someone's house, but that was a few years ago and I'm sure they've developed it since then. We're on copper BT phone wiring, no fancy fibre optic here.

I tried online reviews but as I feared they are written in techno-babble! All advice from those with an understanding of the techno-babble will be greatly appreciated....

 

[LadyArowana]

Ooooooh I think another seance is called for :lol: Sorry, can't help with a sensible answer to the real question. I have fried a variety of modems in my time ( it's all the thunderstorms ) but of course never had the BT homehub thingy*

*simplified technobabble for magic box

 

[Lime]

I've had some experience with routers.
Changing your router is unlikely to make any improvement if nothing is wrong!
Unless you suffered drop-out, where the wireless signal regularly fails and disconnects you from the internet, I'd keep using the old one.
The modern hub is better in someways and is supposed to be able to deal with outside interference (from radio phone etc) but if you have no problems I wouldn't change it unless you want to.

Having said that, the new router should be very easy to connect as the disc supplied with it does all the hard work for you.

Another aspect is security.
The new router will probably be more secure when using the wireless connection.

 

[MdB]

Old Belkin - 802.11g & 100Mb Ethernet

New BT 3 - 802.11n & Gigabit Ethernet

If you have laptops with 802.11n or want to plug in anything to take advantage of the Gigabit Ethernet then switch to the BT hub. Otherwise I would stick with what you've got. (I would probably set both of them up though so if one fails you can switch to the other without any issues. I would probably also run a few speed tests just to see if there are any differences seen between the two.)

 

[MdB]

The new router will probably be more secure when using the wireless connection.

BT hub 2 supports WPA2 where as the Belkin doesn't. WPA2 is the current recommended standard but WPA isn't broken enough to really worry yet. This may change in the future as hacks improve.

Nobody should be using WEP now as it is completely broken.

 

[Flyfisher]

I'd probably upgrade to the new router, but only because I like playing with new toys and I've also been thinking of upgrading to gigabit ethernet for a while and this would be a convenient prompt.

However, I wouldn't be expecting the new router to perform any better and the gigbit thing is only useful if you've a few PCs and copy large files around a lot, which I do. As mentioned, having a properly configured spare router is handy in case of router failure, though in my experience they are pretty reliable items. All in all, there doesn't seem to be a strong case either way, so just do whatever you feel comfortable with.

But I certainly empathise with the reasons for the upgrade. I resisted increasing our basic limit hoping it would drop when FF junior went off to uni and sure enough it did. Now I only have to pay a surcharge after he has been home for the holidays.

 

[Lime]

......... As mentioned, having a properly configured spare router is handy in case of router failure, though in my experience they are pretty reliable items. All in all, there doesn't seem to be a strong case either way, so just do whatever you feel comfortable with.

I not only have a spare router but also have a spare usb dial-up modem too.
If the broadband connection failed for some reason (but the telephone line didn't) I could still access the internet using my ISP's emergency number.
(or many of the charge-for-use but no sign-up ISPs)

 

[Nigel Watts]

My first router was this one:

It was light and therefore easy to use, but it lacked power. When I upgraded to this I got better results:

 

[Nigel Watts]

Whoops! wrong sort of router.

I'm a bit distracted this morning as I have a key job interview in about 2 hours.

 

[LadyArowana]

Whoops! wrong sort of router.

I'm a bit distracted this morning as I have a key job interview in about 2 hours.

Good luck Nigel.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Good luck Nigel.... hope the result is what you want!

 

[AMc]

If you don't have any N wireless kit or Gigabit ethernet devices to connect to it with cables then I wouldn't bother - other than to set it up as a spare if you like.
IIRC My folks use BT and my Dad was less than impressed that their router sets up a public WiFi hotspot on "their" connection which he can't disable in addition to his own secure wireless network. That alone would put me off but YMMV.

 

[Feltwell]

Yes, good luck Nigel - hope it works out.

Thanks to everyone for the replies on routers (of the computer variety!) - even if some of the acronyms mean nothing to me! For someone who is generally very practical I am unbeliveably hopeless with PC's - lack of interest to learn more is the honest answer. I'm rather like those people who can drive but have no idea or interest in what goes on under the car bonnet - I can work with a PC with no problem, but have no patience when they go wrong or need upgrading.

For routers of the woodworking variety, Nigel's Trend model will be excellent but expensive, it's a premium brand. I bought myself a SIP model a while ago and have been very pleasantly surprised - it's an excellent tool for the money, really good value for a 1/2" router, most in that price range seem to only be 1/4". I doubt it's quite as good as the Trend but it costs about a third of the price and I've found it to be very nice to use, much better than my old B&Q model or a low-end Bosch model that I had. SIP are best known for air tools but their electric power tools seem to be very good value.

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p47165

 

[Feltwell]

If you don't have any N wireless kit or Gigabit ethernet devices to connect to it with cables then I wouldn't bother - other than to set it up as a spare if you like.
IIRC My folks use BT and my Dad was less than impressed that their router sets up a public WiFi hotspot on "their" connection which he can't disable in addition to his own secure wireless network. That alone would put me off but YMMV.

That's a bit sneaky, to put it mildly! I wonder how many people know about the WiFi hotspot thing?

I have the router plugged directly into my desktop PC, with up to 3 laptops + a Nintendo Wii running off it wirelessly, although it's rare that any more than 2 laptops will be in use at any one time and the kids Wii is very rarely connected. Not sure if that makes any difference to how worthwhile it is changing to the Home Hub.

 

[AMc]

IIRC My folks use BT and my Dad was less than impressed that their router sets up a public WiFi hotspot on "their" connection which he can't disable in addition to his own secure wireless network. That alone would put me off but YMMV.

That's a bit sneaky, to put it mildly! I wonder how many people know about the WiFi hotspot thing?

I have the router plugged directly into my desktop PC, with up to 3 laptops + a Nintendo Wii running off it wirelessly, although it's rare that any more than 2 laptops will be in use at any one time and the kids Wii is very rarely connected. Not sure if that makes any difference to how worthwhile it is changing to the Home Hub.

If you look at the BT site they boast "2.8 million free WiFi hotspots".
http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayTopic.do?topicId=25812
If you zoom in on the map you'll almost certainly find your neighbours are offering BTOpenzone or Fon hotspots - the upside being you can use them too, the downside being you are providing the power and connectivity which might under extreme circumstances make your network more likely to be intruded upon.
I'd guess that the Homehub is a prime target for hackers as it is probably the most common wireless device in the UK.

If you're primary use of the router is internet access as opposed to file transfer from device to device then your current 'g' wireless router is likely to provide a faster link than your incoming internet connection and the wired connection will be many times faster. 'n' can provide improvements in coverage though.

You won't see any speed benefit from the gigabit switch unless you have more than one wired gigabit device connected through it - given normal 100mbit ethernet is enough to stream HD video from one PC to another the need for gigabit is pretty small in domestic installations.

 

[skier-hughes]

If you opt in to using bt fon or the wireless hotspots for free you have to allow yours to be used.
You can opt out quite easily, with a click of the mouse on the appropriate page, which I could search for if you can't find.
As to how many know about it, millions I should think, as most people will have seen teh advert of people using their wireless equipment in a field of cows.
How many really know about it and use it, quite a few million less than the last answer!

I have a bt home hub 2 here and it works better than my last netgear router.

I have a bt business hub for fibre optic at the new work cafe I've organised. Last week it just kept dropping out, telling me I needed to add more info to connect.
Which reminds me I must contact BT to find out why before this friday!!

I'd go for the new hub.

 

[Feltwell]

As to how many know about it, millions I should think, as most people will have seen teh advert of people using their wireless equipment in a field of cows.

Well, yes, people know there are wireless hotspots around - I was quite surprised to find one where I live. In my naivety I was wondering where BT had put the transmitter, now I know! I bet not too many people realise that it's the BT routers in private houses they are connecting to.

 

[skier-hughes]

My point millions know about, less care and fewer understand... damn useful though if you happen to be out and about sometimes. Somebody would need to walk down my drive to use mine, might be a bit obvious