Solving wi-fi not spots can be fun, i.e. what works for one person may not work for you in terms of routers.

The Mesh and WiFi disc options are the best path to solve things.

If you accept using a VDSL2 modem in bridge mode, then your choice of router is much wider. The TP-Link W9970 may be old but it is cheap (turn off wireless) but in bridge mode its stable and runs with G.INP and vectoring for VDSL2 and will happily feed the wide choice of routers with Ethernet WAN ports.

Had my W9970 for 4 years now and would replace with same if it died, and if buying a router something like ASUS RT-AX56U Wifi 6 AX1800 Dual-Band Mesh where WiFi speeds will far exceed VDSL2 speeds and can mesh with other Asus AIMesh routers if I needed to fill in coverage gaps in the wifi. Though as I know FTTP is on the way I might consider spending more on the main WiFi router to find something that should deliver 500 Mbps over WiFi easily

Thanks for the reply, but two devices isn't an option - needs to be an all in one solution.

In reply to a post by sobeitjedi:

Tempted by the AVM FRITZ!Box 7590, just concerned about it's range. One of the issues I wish to overcome over my existing Technicolor is some black spots in the house (it's only a small house, so I should be able to get away without any boosters/repeaters). I have managed this with other routers.

I can recommend the cheaper 7530 Fritz!box.
I got it to replace a Billion BiPac 8900AX-2400 which my other half took exception to. I must admit it was an ugly beast, not helped by the 4 huge aerials and the sloping base to help cooling.
The Fritz!box is much more to her liking and performs at least as well as the Billion if not better.
Wireless reception in a well (all brick) built house is better than the Billion despite that beast's fancy aerials. The Fritz!box aerials are tiny PCB tracks but it out performs the Billion over one storey and along one room.
The Billion achieves -60 dBm to my laptop and the Fritz!Box -50dBm.
The GUI is very good and the indicated distance to the VDSL cabinet is very accurate at 253 metres.
I can recommend it as being the best router I've bought.

towdgeezer

That's made my mind up for me. I was looking for recommendations in another thread and have spent too much time 'umming and 'ahhing Have ordered one.

Edited by longedge (Fri 26-Jun-20 16:50:16)

Thanks for all the replies.

Have ordered the AVM FRITZ!Box 7590 UK Version and now I have to patiently wait for it to arrive in mid-July.

Still disappointed that the BT Smart Hub 2 is locked down. Hopefully someone can find a workaround one day.

For now, I hope the Fritz box lives up to the hype.