SuperHub2

Many of us with Virgin Media have been trialling the new super hub, the Superhub2. After the underwhelming SH1, SH2 is a revelation. Even without the final trial firmware upgrade it ticks all the boxes.

Like the SH1 it has 4 gigabit ethernet ports. This time they all work smoothly even in full router mode. The super hub offers you the choice of keeping it as just a modem, so you can use your own router, or in full router mode. Its throughput when streaming, transferring files and gaming seems excellent. It did just as well as my Asus RT-N66U, and that is the best router on the market. In tests I got low ping, below 10ms and jitter at 0 or at the most 1. Gaming is a dream. None of this was possible with SH1. Throughout my time on the trial there have been no reboots or disconnects.

The best bit is the wireless. It offers dual band concurrently. I have a large house but the signal is strong in every corner and even in my shed at the bottom of the garden, (50M) , my android picks it up well. I have achieved the full download speed of 104Mb using wireless in all parts of the house. Even my Xperia U android achieves a consistent 25Mb. In tests it did as well as my N66U.

The retail version will also give you, I understand, a USB port to attach a hard drive. Apparently VM are so pleased with the SH2 they are now retailing it.

Edited by deleted (Fri 17-May-13 22:32:26)

So VM supply substandard tat to one and all with no option to fit your own equipment originally without double NAT. Eventually they provide modem mode so everybody who gave up on the thing as a wireless router went out and bought their own routers. Now they want folks to buy something to replace the junk they originally provided. How wonderful.

In reply to a post by kwikbreaks:

So VM supply substandard tat to one and all with no option to fit your own equipment originally without double NAT. Eventually they provide modem mode so everybody who gave up on the thing as a wireless router went out and bought their own routers. Now they want folks to buy something to replace the junk they originally provided. How wonderful.

Point taken, but of course SH2 is also meant for new customers as much as existing ones.

True - existing customers are of little interest to VM unless they call in to cancel.

Out of interest, can you add static routes on the SH2? This feature seems to be locked down on the SH1

I wonder whether businesses will now get a better deal than 10 / 0.75 Mbps with a "fixed" IP address, and 20 / 1.5 Mbps without a fixed IP address?

A 50 / 5 Mbps service was introduced briefly two or three years ago, but quickly withdrawn following the dire experience with early firmware versions of the "SuperHub".

Hurry up, Virgin Media! It's only the incomplete availability of BT Infinity 2 that is preventing businesses transferring across - and this situation won't last for long.

I heard that it will be available in the consumer version. I'm just checking that. Meanwhile here is the spec for the trial firmware.

Chipset

The next generation Super Hub comes fitted with an Intel Puma 5 chipset powering the DOCSIS aspects of the cable modem and an Atheros chip dedicated to wireless functionality. Compared to the Super Hub which currently runs on a Broadcom chipset the advantages of moving to the Puma 5 are:

Flexible and scalable platform for compelling video, data, and voice applications
Full European DOCSIS 3.0 data rates starting at a minimum of 160 Mbps
Multimedia processing architecture
DOCSIS 3.0 subsystem complete with channel bonding on both upstream and downstream
Packet accelerator reduces latencies
Four upstream and eight downstream channels (8 x 4)
High-quality VoIP
Versatile home networking

Wireless
The next generation Super Hub comes equipped with two frequency levels ideal for streaming High Definition video and audio, VoIP and download applications. Full advantage can be taken of this dual-band function by using the less crowded 5 GHz frequency for time-sensitive traffic without any audio or video interference.



It is possible for the next generation Super Hub to use both frequencies 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz simultaneously, with throughput up to 300 Mbps each. With the WPS button functionality, it is easy to establish a secure wireless network connection with just the push of a button.



No more socks...

After feedback from our customers on the Super Hub we've added an option to the GUI so customers can choose from 3 predefined brightness levels for the LEDs on the front of the unit.



General specifications

Interface type : 4x 10/100/1000 Mb LAN Ports
802.11a/b/g/n Wireless Standard Protocol
Wireless speeds up to 300 Mbps
Simultaneous Dual-band - 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz - operation up 3x 300 Mbps
Multiple SSID up to 3 unique network names for each frequency band
Multiple Security Options
Softbutton WPS
4x Internal antennas

Thank you for the information!

But it's sad that the unit no longer has sox appeal...

In reply to a post by John_Gray:

I wonder whether businesses will now get a better deal than 10 / 0.75 Mbps with a "fixed" IP address, and 20 / 1.5 Mbps without a fixed IP address?

A 50 / 5 Mbps service was introduced briefly two or three years ago, but quickly withdrawn following the dire experience with early firmware versions of the "SuperHub".

Hurry up, Virgin Media! It's only the incomplete availability of BT Infinity 2 that is preventing businesses transferring across - and this situation won't last for long.

Indeed. What on earth the problem is, I'll never know. We had 20/1.5 for 4 years at our office and have just moved premises. With still no sign of anything quicker on the horizon, we're now with Infinity 2. It's a massive shame to see a company throwing away business for no reason whatsoever.

I've asked around about static routes. SH2 is not enabled in the trial version. Given that VM have not enabled it in previous customer modem/routers folk are assuming that it won't be in the SH2 either.

As for business users the view is that VM may provide static routing via business grade firmware. Having said that businesses often require router / smart switch combinations that make anything but modem-only mode pointless.

It beats me why they cannot provide static routing universally. It isn't difficult or costly to write it in to firmware, is it?

Edited by deleted (Sun 19-May-13 21:17:32)