Horses for courses isn't it?- it's not every user who wants, or is able, to configure their own network. Yes, I know it's simple but over the years I've supported large numbers of intelligent people who were able to do things to IT equipment in wrong ways that defied any logic.

Personally I opted for a 'free' router just as a back up. If ever I need to I can just put the spare router on in a matter of seconds.

The Sky router is shocking used as anything except for a DSL connection forwarding to another router in the DMZ to carry out all firewall, wireless and routing duties.

Admittedly I have no knowledge of PN's router, but either the article is untrustworthy for rating the Sky router as average or the PN router is truly terrible!

I tend to agree with you!

A very large percentage of Users simply want a "box-that-works" & nothing more.

My own suggestion would be that ISPs offer the "box-that-works" solution, as the "free-offering", but they should also consider providing (& supporting) an "up-market/enhanced" Router, albeit as a costed extra.

Hopefully, with bulk-buying, this would provide the enhanced Router at a "good-value" price but, in the event of problems/faults, would mean it is fully supported by the ISP.

That would be my suggestion too. If BT can hand out HH5s to their customers a similar offering at "cost" would be a good marketing initiative. I still regret giving mt Netgear DG385 to my sister.......

Perhaps my description is at fault here. The Sky router has integrated ADSL/VDSL and performs better than the PN one. Both lack features such as dual band and even a USB connection. Best to read the full article.

I think the Sky Hub is probably one of the best free routers I've come across... the new BT Home Hubs are a bit temperamental... I think it would be stupid to even consider Plusnet's option...

The best performing ISP supplied hardware I've got experience with is Virgin Super Hub 2 (N), I found WiFi performed really well and could deliver a full 152mbps over the wifi (3x3 40Mhz 5Ghz) shame Virgin restricts it a little as its capable of much more including USB and some more advanced settings being unlocked would of been awesome.

I've not had much of a play with the AC version but seemed to be OK for the short period I used one.

The Sky hub isn't great latency wise, then they have restrictive T&Cs meaning the only "supported" way of using another router is to piggy back through Sky's using either double NAT or the DMZ....

Performance is "okay" for a freebie - if you're wired. They've capped the wireless throughput down to 20Mb/s, which is ridiculous with a 40Mb/s product let alone 80Mb/s product....!

It's also been known to drop out when you get into a number of devices in the mid-teens - the majority of households will be okay, but I'm guessing a significant number of families these days (especially as multiple kids become teenagers) are hitting those kind of figures (phones, tablets, consoles, smart TVs, laptops/computers...).

What they have got right is the user interface - making it understandable and usable for most consumers... But overall I would say an average rating is a tad on the generous side...

In reply to a post by MrBukey:

They've capped the wireless throughput down to 20Mb/s, which is ridiculous with a 40Mb/s product let alone 80Mb/s product....!

They havn't capped wireless to 20Mbps!

I've used it to transfer from WLAN to a LAN device and hit 60+mbps and that was with some distance between Hub and Notebook (WiFi)

I've also run a speedtest on a Sky Hub using WiFi and connection at 40/10 Fibre... that was fine... can't say I notice any latency issues... during the time I was using one recently.

I can understand it getting bumpy if wireless devices are in the teens... and anything that requires more than 20mbps IMO should be wired directly....

If you find WiFi sucks than maybe by an Access Point and connect it to the hub and then it don't have the issues with double NAT (not a router)

In reply to a post by mlmclaren:

If you find WiFi sucks than maybe by an Access Point and connect it to the hub and then it don't have the issues withdouble NAT (not a router)

That's what I did for a friend who needed 5GHz due to the congestion on 2.4 with his older Sky Sagem router.

In reply to a post by johnjburness:

My own suggestion would be that ISPs offer the "box-that-works" solution, as the "free-offering", but they should also consider providing (& supporting) an "up-market/enhanced" Router, albeit as a costed extra.

I think the reality is that for the few people that would be prepared to pay it simply is not worth it for the ISP's. It would just cost them in terms of support aggro plus changing their systems accounting and procedures to cater for sorting out different units and they would be unlikely to get any bulk/volume discounts on the things.
Then there is the problem of which high spec unit to choose. Whatever the ISP did choose there would be the usual lot on their forums who want to argue over everything moaning that the ISP had gone for the "Wrong one" and why could not they offer two high spec units and so on.