Wi-fi 6 - to be or not to be?

It seems to me that UK ISPs that supply a router with new broadband contracts are being very slow to update the one supplied to models supporting Wi-fi 6. Most new computers and phone support this standard but I am not aware of any ISP supplying a router that transmits this technology. There have long been rumours of a new BT Smarthub and I have been hoping the Zen would start supplying the FritzBox 7530 AX model that their manufacturers have been promoting for a long time now. Is it a cost issue, chip supply problem or the need to get rid of old stocks?
Various suppliers of mesh systems are offering wi-fi 6 at exorbitant cost. Can these transmit wi-fi 6 if the initial router does not support this standard?

In reply to a post by chriswillsher:

Can these transmit wi-fi 6 if the initial router does not support this standard?

Yes, they are not connected. In many cases when you install a mesh, you disable WiFi on an ISP router (e.g. BT Hub, or Plusnet Hub).

WiFi 6 is more complex than earlier versions, the electronics are more costly. The free routers provided by ISPs are typically made to a price. Only those with broadband faster than 300 Mbps or are moving files around the network at home will need WiFi 6 today.

WiFi 5 is very good for the majority of users, even those on Virgin Media 350 Mbps services, unless upgrading to a gigabit service.

Thanks for your helpful advice. The new home I will be moving to will have an Openreach ONT installed as standard and I might not be able to resist the lure of the full 900Mbps service whether I can justify it or not.
Regrettably the property developers building the house will neither install ethernet wiring nor allow me or a contractor access to install same before completion. I shall try to install some myself without doing too much damage but in all our past new houses of which have been several, I have managed to get in and at least spread some Cat 5 cable around in key locations linked back to a common point. Sadly I see no prospect this time as they are treating the building site like Fort Knox.

I suppose I should at least be grateful for the standard FTTP installation even if they are putting the ONT in a cupboard under the stairs!

In reply to a post by chriswillsher:

It seems to me that UK ISPs that supply a router with new broadband contracts are being very slow to update the one supplied to models supporting Wi-fi 6.

Really? The free model they give away to customers is not cutting edge, top of the line equipment? You do surprise me.

Of course it's not actually free since the cost is factored into the subs but still you can hardly expect something given away with a service to be anything other than the cheapest bit of tat they think they can get away with.

I use Ubiquiti Flex HD WAPs - 802.11AC Wave2 and they are capable of 1.733 Gbps, I have only managed to test at over 800Mbps, as the AP has only a 1 Gbps Ethernet.

How many people have devices that use this Wi-fi 6?
I don't see the point in replacing routers all the time for no reason.
I am at the moment usingf a old TP-link cable router, 2.5Ghz only
this is what it supports according to the specs.

11n：up to 300Mbps (Automatic)
11g：54/48/36/24/18/12/9/6M (Automatic)
11b：11/5.5/2/1M (Automatic)

The only 5Ghz devices I have is my phone and my TV and my TV is connected via ethernet.

Not saying it will stay that way, but I just wonder how many people do have Wi-fi 6 devices.

We need to stop chucking out Routers as if they were old newspapers, been doing it for years, and the same with mobile phones. Majority of people would not even notice the difference between an older router and newer one, they just want the latest thing.

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

The only 5Ghz devices I have is my phone and my TV and my TV is connected via ethernet.Not saying it will stay that way, but I just wonder how many people do have Wi-fi 6 devices.

I fully agree on the e-waste problem, disagree that we should stay using WiFi from 2008 or earlier. Unless you live in a very rural area, which you might.

B is equivalent to WiFi 1 and G would be WiFi 3, and they were replaced by WiFi 4 (N) which launched in 2008. For the last 4 years nobody is making hardware to the specifications of 2008. WiFi 5 (AC) launched in 2014, so we are already talking 8 years ago.

Don't look at the "speed" numbers as the way WiFi works these are not related to a fixed line (ethernet, or broadband) speed.

My TV/amp/bluray etc are all on ethernet, but they claim to be WiFi 4 and 5 capable. The rest of my IT hardware (laptop, Fire Stick, phone, work phone, work laptop) are all WiFi 6 capable.

Living in the congested south east, in a block of flats, I need 5 GHz, and the move from N (WiFi 4) to 5 and 6 increases the efficiency over the WiFi. I have 200 Mbps broadband from VM, and I can copy files across my WiFi to my NAS and hard wired desktop at 600 Mbps without problem. With 2.4 GHz I wouldn't be able to use WiFi, the neighbours kids have saturated that band. The obsession with home working now means that even during the business day the radio spectrum is 'busy'.

Using WiFi 6 means that I can also use WPA 3 the latest attempt to secure our radio networks

Edited by jchamier (Sat 21-May-22 09:57:26)

In reply to a post by jchamier:

I fully agree on the e-waste problem, disagree that we should stay using WiFi from 2008 or earlier. Unless you live in a very rural area, which you might.

B is equivalent to WiFi 1 and G would be WiFi 3, and they were replaced by WiFi 4 (N) which launched in 2008. For the last 4 years nobody is making hardware to the specifications of 2008. WiFi 5 (AC) launched in 2014, so we are already talking 8 years ago.

Don't look at the "speed" numbers as the way WiFi works these are not related to a fixed line (ethernet, or broadband) speed.

My TV/amp/bluray etc are all on ethernet, but they claim to be WiFi 4 and 5 capable. The rest of my IT hardware (laptop, Fire Stick, phone, work phone, work laptop) are all WiFi 6 capable.

Living in the congested south east, in a block of flats, I need 5 GHz, and the move from N (WiFi 4) to 5 and 6 increases the efficiency over the WiFi. I have 200 Mbps broadband from VM, and I can copy files across my WiFi to my NAS and hard wired desktop at 600 Mbps without problem. With 2.4 GHz I wouldn't be able to use WiFi, the neighbours kids have saturated that band. The obsession with home working now means that even during the business day the radio spectrum is 'busy'.

Using WiFi 6 means that I can also use WPA 3 the latest attempt to secure our radio networks

I live in a road of around 50 houses, in the middle of a housing estate, with houses in front of me, beside me and behind me, my phone is picking up around 7 Wi-fi networks, plus a couple of direct printer connections from next door, not including my own printer and wi-fi. so pretty busy here Wi-fi wise.
I have got a Zyxel router, which plus net gave to me, but I found the Wi-fi iffy, certainly the 5Ghz part, my phone would lose signal going upstairs. But in the last few months of use I had other problems with it on 2.4Ghz, my outdoor cameras disconnecting, then for some reason the router Wi-fi stoppped working.
the Zyxel was sent to try and sort out an issue with the broadband connection.

Anyway, when the Zyxel went belly up, I decided to try my old open reach Huawei modem and my old TP link cable router and it works fine, considering the age of the router i was shocked.

I know wi-fi speed is not related to fixed line or Ethernet, I do try and wire up as much as I can, but my cameras, echo dots, wi-fi plugs and phone is Wi-fi only.
Apart from my phone they all only use 2.4Mhz anyway.

I have over the years found 5Ghz and a bit iffy in many places due to walls or other stuff blocking the signal. I know a few people who have had problems with 5Ghz and yet knocked the 5Ghz of the router and everything connects fine.

Are you in a place where someone is going to use your Wi-fi and can hack WPA2? I don't think my neighbour have the skills to hack into my Wi-Fi, even if they wanted to, and i would surly notice if someone was outside trying to do it. As they would have to get onto my drive. My wi-fi signal fails just outside my gate.


The only thing I can find out about my Blue-ray player is it is 2.4GHz / MIMO.

I am not saying don't update at some point, but I think some people are updating for no reason at all.

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

I live in a road of around 50 houses, in the middle of a housing estate, with houses in front of me, beside me and behind me, my phone is picking up around 7 Wi-fi networks, plus a couple of direct printer connections from next door, not including my own printer and wi-fi. so pretty busy here Wi-fi wise.

7 is not busy, I can see 10 on a good day, and 15/20 on a bad day. I have friends whom live in other blocks whom can see 40+ networks. That is busy. (And a friend whom lived in a high rise in New York City was unable to use WiFi, used to have a 40ft ethernet cable into her laptop. This was back in 2012. There were more than 100 networks, and WiFi G technology collapsed).

I have got a Zyxel router, which plus net gave to me, but I found the Wi-fi iffy, certainly the 5Ghz part, my phone would lose signal going upstairs. But in the last few months of use I had other problems with it on 2.4Ghz, my outdoor cameras disconnecting, then for some reason the router Wi-fi stoppped working.
the Zyxel was sent to try and sort out an issue with the broadband connection.

I had a Zyxel for a while on VDSL/FTTC but it was a thin flat box, with no visible antenna. Pretty much useless for WiFi. I assumed Zyxel was not a brand for WiFi, and turned it off. I'm now on VM cable due to crosstalk on VDSL, and I use my WiFi 6 ASUS router which is 2.5 years old now.

I know wi-fi speed is not related to fixed line or Ethernet, I do try and wire up as much as I can, but my cameras, echo dots, wi-fi plugs and phone is Wi-fi only.
Apart from my phone they all only use 2.4Mhz anyway.

Older low bandwidth devices (e.g. echo dot, wifi plugs) did this, but all the latest versions (2018/19 onwards) include the 5GHz band because of congestion.

I have over the years found 5 GHz and a bit iffy in many places due to walls or other stuff blocking the signal. I know a few people who have had problems with 5Ghz and yet knocked the 5 GHz of the router and everything connects fine.

You have to plan how to use it, doesn't mean the technology is useless. It is significantly less range and is stopped by metalwork in some walls, but due to this the increases in capacity are significant. You can already buy hardware that uses the 6 GHz band using WiFi 6 (AX) protocol, this is known as WiFi 6E. You ask why? Becuase people want to get gigabit speeds to their laptops and desktops across homes and offices without wires.

My corporate has essentially removed Ethernet everywhere, we no longer have desk phones. Everything is WiFi, and we have mobiles or use phone features on laptops (e.g. MS Teams). We used to have 100 Mbps Ethernet each, now most people get 200+ Mbps on WiFi using WiFi 5, and they are hoping to upgrade the infrastructure to WiFi 6 / 6E soon. We keep our laptops for 4 to 5 years, and I've just had my WiFi 5 laptop replaced with a new one that supports WiFi 6.

Are you in a place where someone is going to use your Wi-fi and can hack WPA2?

My WiFi reaches into my neighbours flats, so er, yes. I can pick up the bluetooth of my neighbours Samsung and OnePlus phones when pairing my headphones. And I live in a 1970s built block, we don't have the late 1980s "paper walls", so I can only assume things are worse for many others.

I am not saying don't update at some point, but I think some people are updating for no reason at all.

Yes, no need to upgrade if everything is working. I think we made a mistake in the UK in not having the domestic hardware supplied by the network operator (e.g. Openreach, CityFibre) but being supplied by the ISP, which means we are creating a lot of e-waste.

Edited by jchamier (Sat 21-May-22 11:21:55)

In reply to a post by chriswillsher:

I suppose I should at least be grateful for the standard FTTP installation even if they are putting the ONT in a cupboard under the stairs!

That sounds nice for visual reasons, but isn't great for WiFi coverage or connectivity!

In reply to a post by MHC:

I use Ubiquiti Flex HD WAPs - 802.11AC Wave2 and they are capable of 1.733 Gbps, I have only managed to test at over 800Mbps, as the AP has only a 1 Gbps Ethernet.

I have two TP-Link EAP660 HD Ceiling Mounted WiFi 6 Access Point (3550Mbps AX) w/ 3-Year Omada Hosted Cloud Controller Service
2.5 gig backhaul

I did upgrade from WiFi 5 (802.11AC, but the reason for me for doing so was simple, the existing coverage and WiFi system was unreliable and would cut out when moving between zones.
I have gone from three AP's to two and get better performance all round.
Outdoor coverage is now so strong I get around 200Mbps outside a good two detached houses away. (not that that was the intension)

Being on a half a gig connection I obviously want to increase performance to the max, as I want to be able to obtain it on mobile devices.

WiFi distribution on the cloud controller

Retried / dropped rate office 1

retried / dropped rate office 2

dropped rate office 1

dropped rate office 2

I have used the signal strength simulator with wall placements, while I have used the default map I have accurately placed the AP's and scaled

Band usage

traffic usage chart

traffic usage chart daily view

The extra range has nothing to do with it being WiFi6 but te quality and power of the AP.

I can run well over 200Mbps on my current APs when 50metres away - that is probably 3-4 detached houses away.

In reply to a post by MHC:

The extra range has nothing to do with it being WiFi6 but te quality and power of the AP.

I can run well over 200Mbps on my current APs when 50metres away - that is probably 3-4 detached houses away.

That is a good point, but at the same time you couldn't do that on old WiFi 4 kit. On some of my old 802.11n devices I max out between 200 and 300Mbps in the same room as the AP, outside it doesn't get past 100.

Obviously lots of factors need to be considered, I know between 802.11AC and 802.11AX the difference is marginal, it is more factor and kit being connected dependant.

Since I was upgrading the WiFI system I obviously went for 802.11AX access points as it just made more sense, especially since long term that's the logical way to go.

This year is the first time since 2018 that the network has and is still having a overhaul from cables to switches.

It was all gigabit links, switch to switch, cables are still being run, but once I finish, it will be link aggregation with failover to the main switch, currently its only one temporary 10 Gig cat5e cable between two multigig switches. All the POE for the VOIP phones and access points is run from the switch furthest away from the core (due to cable run locations)

Basic network design (not including cable links)

In reply to a post by jchamier:

7 is not busy, I can see 10 on a good day, and 15/20 on a bad day. I have friends whom live in other blocks whom can see 40+ networks. That is busy. (And a friend whom lived in a high rise in New York City was unable to use WiFi, used to have a 40ft ethernet cable into her laptop. This was back in 2012. There were more than 100 networks, and WiFi G technology collapsed).

If I counted everything, there would be more than 7, but some comes from the same router, like Bt ones have their BTwi-fi. Saying that I have just looked again and there is something called BThomespot, never seen it before, had a quick search, and it is a Wi-fi extender. If I count everything my phone is picking up, then there is 18, but as I said, some of them would be from the same routers.

I expect in parts of New York City and even in places like Birmingham and high rise flats, no high rise flats here, there are some maisonettes about a 2-minute walk from here, but that is it. We don't have any high rise flats in the city, I think the tallest is around 4 floors.

Oh, this is the tallest and this is student accommodation, for some unknown reason. 40 foot Ethernet cable, wow, that is a long cable, surly there must be some loss in that, even with modern higher quality ones there would be a fair bit of loss in that length.

I had a Zyxel for a while on VDSL/FTTC but it was a thin flat box, with no visible antenna. Pretty much useless for WiFi. I assumed Zyxel was not a brand for WiFi, and turned it off. I'm now on VM cable due to crosstalk on VDSL, and I use my WiFi 6 ASUS router which is 2.5 years old now.

My zyxel is a flat box that stands up. I did think about Asus, before I tried the combination I have now, but I really did not want to spend money on something that would be replaced if I did go for FTTP as I was pretty sure at the time I would go that direction.
I could ask plusnet for a new one, but again, I did not think it was worth it for 18 months.
To be honest, I am surprised this TP link is working so well, I got it when I went for a Wireless broadband service a few years ago, over 9 years ago i started to use that. But to be fair it has been sat in it's box for a good 5-6 years.
No updates for it now, there is a newer version of it, mine is Version 1, I think they are on version 3 now. The antennas do annoy me a little, they don't make the router much good for wall mounting
at least the Zyxel could wall mount fine.

Older low bandwidth devices (e.g. echo dot, wifi plugs) did this, but all the latest versions (2018/19 onwards) include the 5GHz band because of congestion.

A lot of smart home devices still use 2.4Mhz for some reason, I just had a look to see what the Echo dots use and yes mine does use 5Ghz as well as 2Ghz, I wonder if that is why they used to play up with the Zyxel router in place, I had a lot of the can't connect to the internet errors, I have not had any since I changed to the TP-link.
I did change the name of the SSID to something I can use if I changed routers, trying to connect all the plugs and stuff when I changed router was a pain in the neck.
My Philips Hue and my thermostat thankfully use Ethernet.
a lot of smart plugs still use 2.4Ghz.

You have to plan how to use it, doesn't mean the technology is useless. It is significantly less range and is stopped by metalwork in some walls, but due to this the increases in capacity are significant. You can already buy hardware that uses the 6 GHz band using WiFi 6 (AX) protocol, this is known as WiFi 6E. You ask why? Becuase people want to get gigabit speeds to their laptops and desktops across homes and offices without wires.

But it is no good if the signal can't get through a wall. This house is pretty solid with brick walls, built around 80 years ago or more.
5Ghz signal is much weaker.

My corporate has essentially removed Ethernet everywhere, we no longer have desk phones. Everything is WiFi, and we have mobiles or use phone features on laptops (e.g. MS Teams). We used to have 100 Mbps Ethernet each, now most people get 200+ Mbps on WiFi using WiFi 5, and they are hoping to upgrade the infrastructure to WiFi 6 / 6E soon. We keep our laptops for 4 to 5 years, and I've just had my WiFi 5 laptop replaced with a new one that supports WiFi 6.

Where I work, most is wi-fi and have been for years as we use hand scanners, it was around 4 years ago that it was updated and also a public Wi-fi system added, i don't know what it uses as I don't use the Public wi-fi myself, it is run by O2 and to be honest is not that good. The network that the handset uses is not o2, that is a corparate system. the computers are printers are still Ethernet.

My WiFi reaches into my neighbours flats, so er, yes. I can pick up the bluetooth of my neighbours Samsung and OnePlus phones when pairing my headphones. And I live in a 1970s built block, we don't have the late 1980s "paper walls", so I can only assume things are worse for many others.

It takes a bit of doing to hack WPA2 surly. I can pick up something called LG-PL2 on my bluetooth and my next door neighbour's Samsung TV. We have thick walls as well.

Yes, no need to upgrade if everything is working. I think we made a mistake in the UK in not having the domestic hardware supplied by the network operator (e.g. Openreach, CityFibre) but being supplied by the ISP, which means we are creating a lot of e-waste.

When FTC started, we had a standard modem supplied by Open reach, it is a pity they did not do the router either, but I suppose different providers want to add their own services. It is providers like BT that seems to give out routers like sweets, oh you signed up for another 18 month, lets give you another router.

If I changed to zzoomm, they will give me two router type things, l plus the thing on the outside of the wall, not that I am likely to change to zzoomm.

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

40 foot Ethernet cable, wow, that is a long cable, surly there must be some loss in that, even with modern higher quality ones there would be a fair bit of loss in that length.

All Ethernet cables from 5e onwards are capable of a gigabit up to 100 meters. They can actually handle 2.5 Gbit up to that range.

The 'modern higher quality' ones will manage 40 Gbit/s over a 40 foot span with over 50 feet of range to spare.

In reply to a post by XGS_Is_On:

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

40 foot Ethernet cable, wow, that is a long cable, surly there must be some loss in that, even with modern higher quality ones there would be a fair bit of loss in that length.

All Ethernet cables from 5e onwards are capable of a gigabit up to 100 meters. They can actually handle 2.5 Gbit up to that range.

The 'modern higher quality' ones will manage 40 Gbit/s over a 40 foot span with over 50 feet of range to spare.

I like this graphic in an old Art Technica article when 802.3bz was ratified in 2016, which nearly summarises the various twisted-pair ethernet standards; cabling categories, spectral bandwidth, channels and bits/Hz from 10BaseT on Cat3 up to 10GbaseT on Cat6a.

Diagram: Properties of Twisted-Pair Ethernet Standards

NBASE-T Alliance (now Ethernet Alliance) White Paper from 2016 is that much more in depth...

In reply to a post by XGS_Is_On:

All Ethernet cables from 5e onwards are capable of a gigabit up to 100 meters. They can actually handle 2.5 Gbit up to that range.

The 'modern higher quality' ones will manage 40 Gbit/s over a 40 foot span with over 50 feet of range to spare.

And there was me worried about my 20 meter cat 5E not being suitable. it runs from the switch up here to the router downstairs. The switch have this computer, my Brother printer, Philips Hue hub and the hub for my thermostat connected. But the NAs is connected at the other end, via the router.

But it seems ok.

The cable i have is a rinocable, they are based in Ledbury, Herefordshire.

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

The cable i have is a rinocable, they are based in Ledbury, Herefordshire.

As you would imagine the cables themselves are made in China.

Just install Cat6 in the house , im genuinely thinking about it the next time we redecorate.

In reply to a post by jchamier:

In reply to a post by chriswillsher:

I suppose I should at least be grateful for the standard FTTP installation even if they are putting the ONT in a cupboard under the stairs!

That sounds nice for visual reasons, but isn't great for WiFi coverage or connectivity!

where the ont is situated has nothing to do with wi fi coverage as WI fi comes from the router. Nice to have the ont in cupboard out the way though, simply run a cat5/6 cable to the router position that gives best coverage or is the handiest position to plug the computer into and get a better more stable connection

In reply to a post by XGS_Is_On:

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

The cable i have is a rinocable, they are based in Ledbury, Herefordshire.

As you would imagine the cables themselves are made in China.

Everything is these days.
i did not buy them because they were based here, The price was good, and they got good reviews, in fact I did not know where they were based until I got the cable delivered.

I would love to run it either outside against the wall or down a channel, but I doubt that is going to happen, at the moment, it runs down the stairs.

If I went for zzoomm, they have two routers type things, so one would be up here and one downstairs, they run the cable outside.

In reply to a post by threelegs:

where the ont is situated has nothing to do with wi fi coverage as WI fi comes from the router. Nice to have the ont in cupboard out the way though, simply run a cat5/6 cable to the router position that gives best coverage or is the handiest position to plug the computer into and get a better more stable connection

Not knowing a lot about FTTP as I have never seen one, from reading stuff the ONT is just like a modem is it not? The router then connects to the ONT. As far as I know, the ONT for zzoomm is stuck on the outside of the house as reading about the installation, it requires power.

As far as I know, the ONT for zzoomm is stuck on the outside of the house as reading about the installation, it requires power.

Zzoomm Installation Promo Video...looks very much internal to me Adrian. I'd be very surprised if they put a typical non IP-rated ONT into an outside space.

Perhaps its a splice enclosure / CSP-style box that you were thinking of?

The only UK provider that I know of (not to say there isn't any) that installs any sort of "active" FTTP customer premises equipment on the outside of a property is...Virgin Media with their RFoG (Vector Technologies, Boostral 610 and 711) units. But these are effectively weather sealed and used the coax lead-in for DC powering. See piccie here

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

Zzoomm Installation Promo Video...looks very much internal to me Adrian. I'd be very surprised if they put a typical non IP-rated ONT into an outside space.

Perhaps its a splice enclosure / CSP-style box that you were thinking of?

The only UK provider that I know of (not to say there isn't any) that installs any sort of "active" FTTP customer premises equipment on the outside of a property is...Virgin Media with their RFoG (Vector Technologies, Boostral 610 and 711) units. But these are effectively weather sealed and used the coax lead-in for DC powering. See piccie here

I found thisPDF on zzoomm's website. and by the look of it, there is a box on the outside wall, which as you say could be the splice enclosure and then there is another box on the inside wall, I presume that is the ONT and the two routers.

It is all interesting it how it all works, even if I doubt I will be going for FTTP, I won't say never, but I have no plans at the moment.

That's the typical way its done. The drop cable is transitioned to an internal or dual "inside/out" type cable with either a connector to connector (SC/APC style usually) setup housed the box or a fusion spliced connection.

Openreach were at one time doing their connections without such a CSP. Mine is one of those installs. the external cable is stripped to an indoor-friendly internal grade inner sheath once it comes through the wall, and usually a mechanically spliced connector (again SC/APC) is put on by the engineer (field termination) before its plugged into the ONT.

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

Zzoomm Installation Promo Video...looks very much internal to me Adrian. I'd be very surprised if they put a typical non IP-rated ONT into an outside space.

Perhaps its a splice enclosure / CSP-style box that you were thinking of?

The only UK provider that I know of (not to say there isn't any) that installs any sort of "active" FTTP customer premises equipment on the outside of a property is...Virgin Media with their RFoG (Vector Technologies, Boostral 610 and 711) units. But these are effectively weather sealed and used the coax lead-in for DC powering. See piccie here

I found thisPDF on zzoomm's website. and by the look of it, there is a box on the outside wall, which as you say could be the splice enclosure and then there is another box on the inside wall, I presume that is the ONT and the two routers.

It is all interesting it how it all works, even if I doubt I will be going for FTTP, I won't say never, but I have no plans at the moment.

I’ve got Zzoomm installed, the grey box outside is just the splice enclosure, they then feed the cable inside the property to the ONT.

Zzoomm only give you one router these days unless you pay extra for the extender add on.

The ONT is 10Gbps with the ethernet port supporting 100mb 1/2.5/5/10G so is pretty much future proof.

What make/model of ONT do they supply?

[thought it was Adtran originally, but probably now a Zyxel if its all-in-one]

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

What make/model of ONT do they supply?

[thought it was Adtran originally, but probably now a Zyxel if its all-in-one]

The ONT is Adtran SDX622v

From what I got from support when I upgraded to Home2000 is that the Zyxel (ax7501-b0) still connects to the Adtran so I’m assuming they use an ethernet SFP+ to connect the two.

I’m using a Netgear Orbi with a 2.5GbE WAN.

Edited by Intoxicating20 (Thu 26-May-22 12:06:41)

The ONT is Adtran SDX22v..

Thanks. Perhaps a digit missing, i.e. the SDX 622V?

https://www.adtran.com/amfile/file/download/file/221...

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

The ONT is Adtran SDX22v..

Thanks. Perhaps a digit missing, i.e. the SDX 622V?

https://www.adtran.com/amfile/file/download/file/221...

Yes that’s the one. Sorry about that.

No worries. There's a fair few AltNet providers that use Adtran SDX 600 series boxes (e.g. Community Fibre, Swish, Trooli etc).

In reply to a post by Intoxicating20:

I’ve got Zzoomm installed, the grey box outside is just the splice enclosure, they then feed the cable inside the property to the ONT.

Zzoomm only give you one router these days unless you pay extra for the extender add on.

The ONT is 10Gbps with the ethernet port supporting 100mb 1/2.5/5/10G so is pretty much future proof.

When I saw your post I went to have a look and yes, only one router, something called a icotera, never heard of them.
That is a bit of a shame, if I went for zzoomm, I would have got them to run the cable up the outside of the wall between the two routers, save having a cable running down the stairs.
I suppose they have to make cutbacks to pay for the free 6 months they are giving people.

I saw a zzoomm van a couple of roads away yesterday, I thought maybe they were starting up here, but I think they may live there, I don't think they will start around for months yet, the map says spring/summer, but I would not hold my breath.

I still go by what I have said before, about staying as I am if plusnet offers me a good price when the contract ends next year.

I don't think I can cope with the hassle of them digging here to bury the cable in my driveway.

How did you find their installation service? There are a few complaints about them here, someone took a photo of the way zzoomm left their inside wall after installation, it was not good, plaster cracked and falling. Surly, it is best to drill from the inside and not the outside of the wall. Also, how is it working now it is up and running?

"zoomm left their inside wall after installation, it was not good, plaster cracked and falling. Surly, it is best to drill from the inside and not the outside of the wall"

Probably easier to repair a bit of plaster than to replace a broken brick if done your way.

If a small hole could be drilled from out to in and then enlarged from either side, it would be neater but far more time consuming therefore costlier.

In reply to a post by broadband66:

"zoomm left their inside wall after installation, it was not good, plaster cracked and falling. Surly, it is best to drill from the inside and not the outside of the wall"

Probably easier to repair a bit of plaster than to replace a broken brick if done your way.

If a small hole could be drilled from out to in and then enlarged from either side, it would be neater but far more time consuming therefore costlier.

I already have two holes in the wall, one which Sky drilled for the dish many years ago and one where all pay drilled for my wireless broadband, again many years ago. They are painted over, but easy enough to see. From what I remember, they were drilled from the inside. It is only a small hole, should not break a brick and if it just fix it.

If plaster break and there is wall paper there, the wall paper will rip.

If a brick is broken or it spalls then how easy is it to replace?

In reply to a post by broadband66:

If a brick is broken or it spalls then how easy is it to replace?

Very, just knock the house down and rebuild!

Saw one recently where half teh face had come off almost 1/3 deep and broke the mortar bond on both that brick and the next one too!

In reply to a post by broadband66:

If a brick is broken or it spalls then how easy is it to replace?

Pretty easy if you know what you are doing. I have seen my Dad do it a couple of times in walls, not the house wall as our house was built from huge slabs as it was a Cornish house.

Finding a decent matching brick, if there are no old spares lying around, is often more difficult than keying it into the brickwork.

Exorbitant cost did you say… Linus reviews a *very* fancy WiFi 6E solution from ASUS…

ZenWiFi Pro ET12 AXE11000 WiFi 6E Whole Home Mesh WiFi (2-Pack)

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

Finding a decent matching brick, if there are no old spares lying around, is often more difficult than keying it into the brickwork.

That is the problem, My Dad made his own bricks, must have been ok, when I went past my old house a couple of months ago the walls were still standing, and they have been there since I was a child and i am 57 now.


Still easier than trying to replace a patch of wallpaper that you may never be able to get again. Sure some people will keep some paper back, but then it will look a different shade because of dirt and light and normal living.
Makes no difference to me, I have Anaglypta, so i just paint over,, ok some cheap copy of Anaglypta


Anyway, In no rush to get Wi-Fi 6 since i have nothing that works with it and to be honest, I doubt I will for a long time. But they really need to stop giving routers out like sweets.

Wow, that looks some bit of kit. Needless to say, $ translates almost straight into the same number of £ in the UK. I note that it is Wi-fi 6E which is not a standard on any devices I currently own but no doubt it will become more widely available as time goes by.

I have asked Zen whether they would supply me with the Fritz!Box 7530AX instead of the standard 7530 and let me pay any extra cost but I have yet to receive a reply.

In the first instance I shall probably try to bribe the sparky installing the wiring in my new house to drape a few lengths of Cat 6 cable in some strategic locations for me to "find" behind the plasterboard once we move in. If I can just get my main computer connected via ethernet then I shall be happy plus a couple of wi-fi access points ethernet connected to the router,

It's not that I am likely to need very high speeds. It's just that I have been using and building my own computers ever since I first tried to fix a RAM pack on to the back of my Sinclair ZX81. I have always wanted to have the latest standard just because it is there!

In the first instance I shall probably try to bribe the sparky installing the wiring in my new house to drape a few lengths of Cat 6 cable in some strategic locations for me to "find" behind the plasterboard once we move in. If I can just get my main computer connected via ethernet then I shall be happy plus a couple of wi-fi access points ethernet connected to the router,

Categorically, hands-down the best thing that you can do (data networking wise) when you renovate your house or otherwise have the walls and/or ceilings opened up. Best time to do it and don't skimp, definitely put it where you need it. You will be thankful later.

WiFi 6E should be welcome, whatever kit you choose AP wise should be grandfathered to support 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and in time 6 GHz operation. Kit that uses 2.4 Ghz especially IoT stuff in appliances etc will be with us for a very, very long time so its important the AP seamlessly support all bands in operation.

Good luck.

Oh yeah i am sure that Wi-fi 6 will become a standard as it is built into more devices, but I still think it will take a while.

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

Oh yeah i am sure that Wi-fi 6 will become a standard as it is built into more devices, but I still think it will take a while.

It is a standard. Be a while before it's in everything. A reminder that some IoS devices being sold right now don't even have WiFi 5 or WiFi 4 in them.

6 and 6e will take over. They handle the congested 2.4GHz and 5GHz spectrum better, and for high end devices 6e is the reduced range, higher bandwidth solution.

In reply to a post by XGS_Is_On:

It is a standard. Be a while before it's in everything. A reminder that some IoS devices being sold right now don't even have WiFi 5 or WiFi 4 in them.

6 and 6e will take over. They handle the congested 2.4GHz and 5GHz spectrum better, and for high end devices 6e is the reduced range, higher bandwidth solution.

I can't see it being in my house for a few years, my phone have the most advance Wi-fi in the house and that is 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band. The router I am using don't even go past the older 2.4Ghz.

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

I can't see it being in my house for a few years, my phone have the most advance Wi-fi in the house and that is 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band. The router I am using don't even go past the older 2.4Ghz.

WiFi 6 is (802.11ax) and WiFi 5 is (802.11ac). The iPhone 11 from 2019 was the first iPhone to support WiFi 6, and Android may have been the year before. The benefits of 5 (ac) and 6 (ax) are useful.

Your router is quite old if it doesn't support dual band with 5 GHz (typically N, as the older A is obsolete, as is B, and actually G).

The majority of my friends homes are WiFi 5 (AC) which is a big improvement on N on the 5 GHz band; many are on cable with 200 Mbps or faster services. For those large families, kids doing school work and adults trying to work from home, the WiFi 5 (AC) improvements made a dramatic difference. Especially during the lockdowns.

WiFi 6 (AX) is the next step on from 5, and 6E is the use of the 6 GHz channel which does not have to co-exist with legacy.

The sooner the old a/b/g routers are decommissioned, the spectrum will be usable by those with WiFi 5 routers on both 2.4 and 5 GHz bands

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

I can't see it being in my house for a few years, my phone have the most advance Wi-fi in the house and that is 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band. The router I am using don't even go past the older 2.4Ghz.

All good. It isn't compulsory and doesn't need to be in every home to be the de facto standard. Shouldn't be long before big ISPs are handing out ax routers and it'll replace ac same way ac replaced n.

In reply to a post by jchamier:

WiFi 6 is (802.11ax) and WiFi 5 is (802.11ac). The iPhone 11 from 2019 was the first iPhone to support WiFi 6, and Android may have been the year before. The benefits of 5 (ac) and 6 (ax) are useful.

Your router is quite old if it doesn't support dual band with 5 GHz (typically N, as the older A is obsolete, as is B, and actually G).

The majority of my friends homes are WiFi 5 (AC) which is a big improvement on N on the 5 GHz band; many are on cable with 200 Mbps or faster services. For those large families, kids doing school work and adults trying to work from home, the WiFi 5 (AC) improvements made a dramatic difference. Especially during the lockdowns.

WiFi 6 (AX) is the next step on from 5, and 6E is the use of the 6 GHz channel which does not have to co-exist with legacy.

The sooner the old a/b/g routers are decommissioned, the spectrum will be usable by those with WiFi 5 routers on both 2.4 and 5 GHz bands

My router is very old as far as routers go, it is a TP-link cable router connected to an open reach FTTC modem. I got it when I went for a wireless internet providers around 9 years ago. But it is one of the most reliable routers I have had. Everything that is suppose to connect to it wirelessly does so without problems, with the zyxel, My echo dots would lose connection and my cameras would go off line.
the router I had before that, which was the Plusnet one hub, would not even connect to broadband, I had to use a Huawei modem. Saying that there was a problem with the open reach network, but it was strange that the only thing that would connect was a Huawei modem. I know that have nothing to do with wi-fi, but even then the Wi-fi on the hub one was not great.


This old TP-link have not hiccuped once. I was going to get Plusnet to send me another router, but since I am not sure what I am doing at the end of the contract, it is not really worth it and as I said, the Tp-link is working fine, the only problem I have with it is the UI, it is awful, but how often do you go into the UI? Oh yeah and the aerials stick out, not the best thing for wall mounting.

I think you will be waiting a long time before a/b/g routers are decommissioned, I bet there are still a fair few of them out there, also how many other devices still use these old standards?

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

I think you will be waiting a long time before a/b/g routers are decommissioned, I bet there are still a fair few of them out there, also how many other devices still use these old standards?

Using the free WiFi scanners for Windows/Mac or Android, you can see the tech standard in use. Majority are now N (dual band) or higher. The old B and G routers need to go, the transmissions they create slow down other networks nearby on overlapping channels. As is normal in computing, the newer protocols are more robust and enable better throughput. (Not an issue if you are using a 5Mbps ADSL of course).

I had a B WiFi setup in around 2003, and then G in 2005, but moved to N by 2010, and dual-band N by 2013. Then quite a few years on AC (WiFi 5), and only in 2020 did I move to AX (WiFi 6), and I passed my WiFi 5 (AC) router to a family member.

In reply to a post by jchamier:

Using the free WiFi scanners for Windows/Mac or Android, you can see the tech standard in use. Majority are now N (dual band) or higher. The old B and G routers need to go, the transmissions they create slow down other networks nearby on overlapping channels. As is normal in computing, the newer protocols are more robust and enable better throughput. (Not an issue if you are using a 5Mbps ADSL of course).

I had a B WiFi setup in around 2003, and then G in 2005, but moved to N by 2010, and dual-band N by 2013. Then quite a few years on AC (WiFi 5), and only in 2020 did I move to AX (WiFi 6), and I passed my WiFi 5 (AC) router to a family member.

It is not just the routers, a lot of the smart home products uses 2.4ghz and how many of them still use 802.11a or G. I have a fair few smart plugs in the house, I have no idea what protocol they use, all I know is that they use 2.4Ghz, My cameras, all use 2.4Ghz, i presume they will use 802.11G, but I don't know that.

I wonder what all the older printers use? My brother Hl-3150CDW uses 802.11b/g/n according to the manual, I use Ethernet on it, but I do have the direct printing turned on, which is 802.11g/n, but I wonder what some older Wi-fi printers use.

I think it will be years before we get rid of the older systems with so much still relying on it.

New routers still support all the older standards, so I think you will be waiting for many years.

At some point I will get another router, but I am in no rush as this one is working fine, better than the newer standards that seems to come to a stop as soon as a wall is in its way,

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

It is not just the routers, a lot of the smart home products uses 2.4ghz and how many of them still use 802.11a or G. I have a fair few smart plugs in the house, I have no idea what protocol they use, all I know is that they use 2.4Ghz, My cameras, all use 2.4Ghz, i presume they will use 802.11G, but I don't know that.

Cameras probably use WiFi but other smart gadgets may use Zigbee or Thread, and these are not 802.11 protocols but completely different. They don't talk through your router, but to their own hub, e.g. Philips Hue lighting.

wonder what some older Wi-fi printers use.
I think it will be years before we get rid of the older systems with so much still relying on it.
New routers still support all the older standards, so I think you will be waiting for many years.

Pretty much WiFi N is the lowest standard I would see for a WiFi built in printer. Before that any WiFi printer would have been very expensive and not many sold.

At some point I will get another router, but I am in no rush as this one is working fine, better than the newer standards that seems to come to a stop as soon as a wall is in its way,

Understood, just worth being aware of the downsides of running a lot of B and G devices on an N or AC network.

In reply to a post by jchamier:

Cameras probably use WiFi but other smart gadgets may use Zigbee or Thread, and these are not 802.11 protocols but completely different. They don't talk through your router, but to their own hub, e.g. Philips Hue lighting.

You may need to have a look at what is available, while Philips Hue uses it own hub, it does use a modified version of Zigbee to connect to it devices, a lot of smart bulbs don't. My brother have a couple of smart bulbs, and they use Wi-Fi, all the smart plugs i have use Wi-Fi, have a look at Teckin. There are others sold under different names, that looks the same. They all use the smart life app and use Wi-Fi. Even big names like TP-link smart plugs, all use Wi-Fi, TP-link uses a modified version of smart life app.

Anyway, even if devices use a hub, that hub still have to connect to a router and again, most uses 2.4Ghz, my blink cameras have a hub, but that hub still have to connect to my router.
Philips Hue hub is Ethernet only, but to be honest if i knew what I know now when I got it, I would never have got a Philips Hue, far too expensive and the bulbs are not great compared to cheaper ones. £15 for a bulb, I can get two Wi-Fi ones for less than that, A motion sensor for Philips Hue is £40, thankfully there are others that work with them and are a lot cheaper, like the ones from Ikea,

but many, many smart home products, don't use a hub.

Pretty much WiFi N is the lowest standard I would see for a WiFi built in printer. Before that any WiFi printer would have been very expensive and not many sold.

Apart from the Brother LED printer i have, I only ever had one other Wi-fi printer. Ok and my Canon Selphy photo printer, but that is only made for photos and can't really print anything else, so it is made to print direct from a phone.

Understood, just worth being aware of the downsides of running a lot of B and G devices on an N or AC network.

Like what? As i have said before, this router Wi-fi have the most reliable Wi-fi i have ever had , maybe old tech, but it works better than the newer tech and the signal don't vanish when it hits a wall.

Just drop my two penneth here; had a look on my Ubiquiti dashboard at WiFi devices... scattered across the APs at home....

18 (32%) are using WiFi 5 / 802.11ac
36 (64%) are using WiFi 4 802.11n
2 (4%) are using WiFi 3 802.11g

The majority of devices using WiFi 4 are IoT things - Nest smoke detectors, kitchen and laundry smart appliances, Ring doorbell and chimes, smart plugs, aircon & boiler controls, underfloor heating thermostats, B-Hyve gear. Most of this stuff will still be here in 5 to 10 years, so 802.11n aint going anywhere fast...

The gear using WiFi 5 are all pretty much laptops, phones, watches etc. I've also got phones/laoptops connecting using WiFi 6 (ax) but on a sole non-UI access point.

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

Like what? As i have said before, this router Wi-fi have the most reliable Wi-fi i have ever had , maybe old tech, but it works better than the newer tech and the signal don't vanish when it hits a wall.

I suggest reading up on how N and AC were created and why the frames (yes, even at 2.4 GHz) transmitted through the air are more efficient than those created by G, and especially B. Actually removing active B or G devices from an N or later network can improve throughput.

WiFi bulbs have the pain of having to enter the WiFi key, and when you change ISP/get new router, they fell out of favour on the mass market because of this. Ethernet attached bridges to Zigbee, or the later Thread (almost Zigbee v2) are preferred by most home automation companies as they get significantly less support calls.

(Yes, Philips Hue isn't cheap, it was an example, not a recommendation).

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

Just drop my two penneth here; had a look on my Ubiquiti dashboard at WiFi devices... scattered across the APs at home....

18 (32%) are using WiFi 5 / 802.11ac
36 (64%) are using WiFi 4 802.11n
2 (4%) are using WiFi 3 802.11g

The majority of devices using WiFi 4 are IoT things - Nest smoke detectors, kitchen and laundry smart appliances, Ring doorbell and chimes, smart plugs, aircon & boiler controls, underfloor heating thermostats, B-Hyve gear. Most of this stuff will still be here in 5 to 10 years, so 802.11n aint going anywhere fast...

The gear using WiFi 5 are all pretty much laptops, phones, watches etc. I've also got phones/laoptops connecting using WiFi 6 (ax) but on a sole non-UI access point.

You are correct, 802.11n is not going to go anywhere for a very long time, no matter hos hard jchamier wants it to.
My laptop is very old, i just looked up at what it uses and it is 802.11b/g, but i don't really use the laptop that often.

My router don't say what is using what, it just tells me what is connected and what IP address they use, the Zyzel would give me more info.

In reply to a post by jchamier:

I suggest reading up on how N and AC were created and why the frames (yes, even at 2.4 GHz) transmitted through the air are more efficient than those created by G, and especially B. Actually removing active B or G devices from an N or later network can improve throughput.

How or why?

Most of these standards are no doubt created to make more money, just to make people buy more products they don't need at the time. I am not saying there is no improvement with new specs, but the advertising makes out that people need it RIGHT NOW. They do the same with mobile phones and used to do it with computers, no doubt still do.

WiFi bulbs have the pain of having to enter the WiFi key, and when you change ISP/get new router, they fell out of favour on the mass market because of this. Ethernet attached bridges to Zigbee, or the later Thread (almost Zigbee v2) are preferred by most home automation companies as they get significantly less support calls.

(Yes, Philips Hue isn't cheap, it was an example, not a recommendation).

I have set up Wi-fi bulbs and never have to enter any key as it gets it from your phone and the app. The same with my Wi-fi plugs.
Just put them into pairing mode and away you go. I did have a problem with one at my brother's place and had to disable the 5Ghz on his router for a while.
There is a new thing coming called matter that is supposed to replace Zigbee and this is the problem, at least with Wi-fi it will stay, the only problem wi the companies that produce the apps and network to keep the devices working.

oh yeah as for changing routers, when i do change i am going to use the same SSID as i have now, then hopefully all my devices will just connect, it was a pain in the neck having to go around paring everything when the zyxel went belly up.

I am not saying wi-fi is always the best way for smart home devices, hubs normally mean you can do more with the devices, the Hue hub means I have more control of the bulbs and can do more things, for a start if my internet goes down, I can still use my phone to turn the lights on and off, I do have Hue dimmers on most of them.

The thing is, devices that use Wi-fi is cheap.

I looked more into this wi-fi 6 thing, just to get ahead a little, I did not realise it has been around since 2019 or that it worked on 2.4Ghz.
one day I will no doubt get a router with it built in, I am just in no rush to do so as the router I am using is doing the job I need. I did have a peak at prices, just for the fun of it, the cheapest one is around £40. I expect at some point, my provider which ever i go to next year will provide me with a new router.

A mate have been looking at my old Zyxel to see what have happened to it, he found a burnt out cap on it, he replaced that, but it still seems to be having a problem with keeping a wi-fi signal

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

How or why?

An article from 2007:
https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wireless/wireless-fe...

and a similar one:
https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/basics/wireless-basi...

Most of the advice above is still relevant if you have B or G devices. If your devices are N then they can co-exist with the newer AC and AX systems without as much impact.

Most of these standards are no doubt created to make more money, just to make people buy more products they don't need at the time.

you can believe that if you want, but there are also technology advances that people pay for. Each person has to make their own decision how to spend their money, but it is worth being aware of the technology changes. Especially the speed of progression, a 5 year change in technology can provide significantly useful improvements.

As an example my friends have children in their 20s whom were not born when 802.11b was invented in 1999. 802.11g dates from 2003, so is 19 years old. Not many people have regularly used electronics that are that old.

(Although I have a CRT monitor in the cupboard from 1998 if anyone wants to take it off my hands)

Edited by jchamier (Thu 02-Jun-22 08:42:09)

thanks for the info, yes i do understand that technology have to change and I understand that mixing is not always good, my mate the one that is trying to sort out my Zyxel have told me a few times about the problems with the older Wi-fi systems, but he knows that it will be years before they vanish.


I did not realise that 802.11b/g was that old, i suppose because Wi-fi was not something people had then, or most of us anyway. I was still using co-ax network around then,

My Hi-fi that I use as an Amp for this desktop computer is over 35 years old, but I get what you mean about people not using old stuff, but I do try and keep things for as long as I can.


My mate phoned me this morning and asked me what other routers I have, I told him I have my old hub one, i got from plusnet, the one they replaced with the zyxel as it would not sync.
He said to try it as it may now that openreach seems to have sorted out the problem and may be better than the old TP-link.
so i have just put it in, and I am so glad I used a SSID I can use with any router, I use The_matrix as a SSID.
Once i got the router up and running, changed the SSID and password, eventually everything in the house that is on wi-fi connected.

So at the moment I am using my old Hub one and it is working, so far but we will wait and see. My mate said he will have another look at the zyxel when he has time.

i will keep the other stuff where it is at the moment, just in case. i just don't want to pay out for something that may be replaced in a few months time.


As for your CRT monitor, stick it on Ebay, if it is in good nick, there are a lot of people that collects and use vintage computer stuff.

oh yeah that bit about people wanting to make money, it was partly a joke, but sometimes they do update just for the sake of it.

Now i am going to go out for a couple of pints with some mates.

Edited by zyborg47 (Thu 02-Jun-22 12:04:38)

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

Now i am going to go out for a couple of pints with some mates.

Enjoy!

If the advertising works then you have fallen foul of it by purchasing an Echo Dot and wifi bulbs and plugs. I'm sure your previous plugs and bulbs worked perfectly well.

You can't have a go at people wanting newer, usually better, technology and then buying stuff that is not really needed.

In reply to a post by broadband66:

If the advertising works then you have fallen foul of it by purchasing an Echo Dot and wifi bulbs and plugs. I'm sure your previous plugs and bulbs worked perfectly well.

You can't have a go at people wanting newer, usually better, technology and then buying stuff that is not really needed.

To be completely honest I went down the echo with smart bulb route for two reasons (none of which related to adverts from my perspective.)

Two of my smart bulbs are LIFX WiFi the rest are Philips hue through alexa.

Firstly we wanted a surround sound system with additional options which the echo would do.

The second reason the echo's were chosen was around the time we removed old lighting fixtures and we didn't have any light bulbs, this meant we had a choice of either smart or normal, as time passed we got more echo's with lightbulb's kits as the remaining lights were those old rubbish ecos that took ages to "warm up" and as time passed we also had bulbs die so it was sort of a staggered process.

I will happily say that there are lots of rooms on normal light switches, and some that are smart for the reasons I said.

I don't see the point in replacing LED's when they are perfectly fine however replacing dead bulbs or rubbish ones, with ones that are more suitable, that makes sense to me.

In reply to a post by chriswillsher:

There have long been rumours of a new BT Smarthub and I have been hoping the Zen would start supplying the FritzBox 7530 AX model that their manufacturers have been promoting for a long time now. Is it a cost issue, chip supply problem or the need to get rid of old stocks?

It will mainly be cost and chips. The lack of sufficient chips pushing up the cost. Added to which there are still considerable availability and cost issues with shipping stuff globally.

Finally, there is a lack of consumer demand from the customers who tend to go with the big residential ISPs like BT/Sky/Vodafone/Talktalk etc

In reply to a post by jchamier:

Enjoy!

Thanks, I did, but I think I had a couple too many

In reply to a post by broadband66:

If the advertising works then you have fallen foul of it by purchasing an Echo Dot and wifi bulbs and plugs. I'm sure your previous plugs and bulbs worked perfectly well.

You can't have a go at people wanting newer, usually better, technology and then buying stuff that is not really needed.

First, I am not having a go at anyone for wanting newer as long as newer does something different from what they had before, all they are going to make use of it. In the past I know people who want the fastest newest computer to replace a machine that is working fine, and then they just do the same thing as they did before, Office stuff and browsing. Nothing taxing at all. The same with mobile phones, they want the fastest greatest latest phone and yet they do nothing different with it than their old phone and they do this even if there is nothing wrong with the phone, why? Because they have been told they need it and believe they do.
The same with routers, people want a new router just because they think they do.

Second, i did not get a Echo because of adverts, in fact I never wanted one, I never trusted them, a mate of mine lent me one and it stayed in the bag in my hall for months until I gave it to him it back.

I had a smart thermostat fitted by my energy supplier in 2017, and it was that which started me off on the smart home journey. I thought maybe an Alexa would be useful to turn the heating on and off by voice.

I agree that the previous plugs and bulbs worked fine and for the most part the new ones are a gimmick, but the one on the coffee machine is useful since the machine takes a while to warm up, so having it turn on when I wake up is great as it is ready by the time I have had my shower and breakfast.

We all buy stuff we don't really need, I have been thinking about getting a counter top dishwasher over the last few months, do I really need one since I here alone most of the time. Probably not.

Al;l the bulbs i replaced were normal bulbs, not LED. i still have a normal bulb in my reading light, as I still hate reading with LED.

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

In reply to a post by jchamier:

Enjoy!

Thanks, I did, but I think I had a couple too many

Posting some more on here after noting that probably not a good plan

In reply to a post by XGS_Is_On:

Posting some more on here after noting that probably not a good plan

LOL.

Well the old plusnet hub one is still working at the moment.

In reply to a post by zyborg47:

In reply to a post by Intoxicating20:

I’ve got Zzoomm installed, the grey box outside is just the splice enclosure, they then feed the cable inside the property to the ONT.

Zzoomm only give you one router these days unless you pay extra for the extender add on.

The ONT is 10Gbps with the ethernet port supporting 100mb 1/2.5/5/10G so is pretty much future proof.

When I saw your post I went to have a look and yes, only one router, something called a icotera, never heard of them.
That is a bit of a shame, if I went for zzoomm, I would have got them to run the cable up the outside of the wall between the two routers, save having a cable running down the stairs.
I suppose they have to make cutbacks to pay for the free 6 months they are giving people.

I saw a zzoomm van a couple of roads away yesterday, I thought maybe they were starting up here, but I think they may live there, I don't think they will start around for months yet, the map says spring/summer, but I would not hold my breath.

I still go by what I have said before, about staying as I am if plusnet offers me a good price when the contract ends next year.

I don't think I can cope with the hassle of them digging here to bury the cable in my driveway.

How did you find their installation service? There are a few complaints about them here, someone took a photo of the way zzoomm left their inside wall after installation, it was not good, plaster cracked and falling. Surly, it is best to drill from the inside and not the outside of the wall. Also, how is it working now it is up and running?

The Icotera was ok to use, it’s locked down so advanced settings can’t be changed such as adding a VoIP provider which is a shame.

The install was pretty painless, they ask if you have an idea where you want things and then offer their suggestion but are pretty open to doing anything the customer wants which is refreshing. Drill work also no issues and even gave a choice of colours for both internal and external cable entry covers.

The service is great and although I have no real need for 2Gbps symmetrical it is pretty much future proof.

After Netgear borked the Orbi with a dodgy update I got on to Zzoomm for the Zyxel and I’m actually surprised that it performs much better and even more positive is Zzoomm haven’t locked it down so you can change any setting along with adding VoIP.

The Zyxel is the ax7501-b0 and does come with a 10G SFP+ ethernet, you still have to connect to the ONT with ethernet but that is a 10G connection as well, the Zyxel also has one 10G ethernet for the LAN. WiFi 6 wise I can get 1.1Gbps on a Note20 Ultra.