SR102 or HG612

hi, as it looks like my cabinet will be AO in the next week or so I'm wondering whether the SR102 i'll get if I go with Sky is worth using or should I get an HG612 instead. as a fibre virgin (or soon to be ) I'm completely in the dark as to what to expect from either

In my experience the SR102 is rubbish on ADSL and wouldn't be much better for fibre, Getting a HG612 is a very good idea though setting up with sky is supposed to be somewhat tricky compared to other ISP's.

Unless your getting TV with sky or a better deal, I would opt for Plusnet Fibre as its a penny cheaper than sky's and has faster speeds than sky's £20 package.

Also Plusnet currently supply a modem (HG612 / ECI) and allows you to use your own routers with much more ease.

If you want any more info please ask.

I've just realised your signature says your already a Sky Broadband subscriber....

Edited by mlmclaren (Fri 16-May-14 14:51:59)

Thanks for the reply
Yes I've been with sky for years. Very happy with the adsl as I consistently get the max speed my line allows. Not so happy with the complete lack of knowledge from their sales people regarding fibre though lol. They all seem to think they have a contract with BT which means they have to wait 3 weeks after a cabinet goes live before they can accept orders (even bt told me the same though) it took several calls to retentions who rang provisioning this week before someone senior told them that they were wrong and I could order as soon as it goes live. I'm in 2 minds ATM as to which provider to go with, my only concerns are the download limits, I wNt one that is truly unlimited and doesn't use a FUP or traffic management, in the same way I get now with sky
If I go with sky I'll order an HG612 I think

That's fair enough, I can assure you though Plusnet use a traffic management policy its only to prioritise other activities over others (streaming over p2p).

and Plusnet are known for good support and there online ticket system has always been rated well.

if you are to go with sky (as I'm sure you will get a better deal) and get a HG612 then you will need to lookup on getting it unlocked possibly and a MER compatible router to use with it..

I find the SR102 to be somewhat weak compare to others and the specs are not quite boasting fibre optic connections

(lack of gigabit Ethernet, 2.4ghz only and also only a max wireless rate of 144mbps which in most cases wouldn't be able to give more than around 40-50mbps, and that's in a good area where there's not too much congestion on the wifi channels)

I'm also a fan of Plusnet static IP service as they provide one at only a one off £5 charge.

Are you going for the upto 38 or 76 package with sky..... (Fibre / Fibre Pro)

While the wireless on the SR102 is not the best, it is holding the line very well and syncing well compared to an ECI modem on my other line.

Are you suggesting that he uses another router with the sr102?

I already use the sr102 for my adsl (picked one up from ebay)
As you say it's wireless is pants( but still better than the sr101 ) I have a triple setup with old routers setup so I use channels 1, 6 & 11 so have universal coverage around the house and garden. Most of my connections are wired
I'm toying with the idea of plusnet for the extra speed if my connection will go that high, but really don't like the idea of any forms of traffic management on the line

Sounds like you've got it set up well then.

Sky may be OK for you then, as you said you need to find out what your line can do.

Providers may depend on your situation, requirements are different for everyone and so are the line requirements too.

Also your transfer to FTTC should be pretty straight forward as your already set up with the SR102 and from what i understand an engineer visit isn't required for them though I would always recommend a engineer visit

Edited by mlmclaren (Fri 16-May-14 17:10:11)

If the wireless is not up to spec, then I would suggest turning off SR102 wireless and fiting a wireless access point of suitable spec

If this reply is directed at me,

I would just replace their SR102 with another router as there only using ADSL but since I did a bit off tweaking and got the WiFi analyser out they are ok, only basic use on the line I mentioned so need to go over the top... They opted for the 10meg adsl line over the 70meg FTTC.