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Best 3rd Party Router for Virgin Media?

ALI15D
Joining in

Hi all, hope everyone is staying well and safe!

Quick question please if I may; 

What is the best router I can buy (i don't care about costs*) to use for a stable wifi connection using the Virgin Media service? 
*Within reason under £1000, preferably up to £500.

I am totally sick and tired of feeling sick and tired due to the unstable and poor wifi connection at home using the router supplied (Hub 3).

Legally VirginMedia can get away with this, as the terms clearly state download speed delivered to the property and not wifi. So whilst the actual speeds are getting delivered I am somewhat unable to utilize this. 

When I spoke to VirginMedia they even offered me to sign up (extra costs) to this white booster hub or something just like a powerline. This does nothing! Absolutely utter garbage. Just an extra £3 a month or whatever! For something that does nothing argh!

I have had several engineers visit my premises (most young lads who look clueless) do the same old standard checks.... they could not find anything. I have had my hub replaced like for like. Config changed. 2/5ghz split.  

I have been having these dropouts and wifi issues for more than a year with no compensation applied to my account. 

I'm not asking for much - Just to get supplied with what I pay for that is usable.

I live in a flat with reinforced concentrate if this could be taken into account with router suggestions. I just want to get this annoying problem resolved as I have had enough now. 

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

sophist
Trouble shooter

If you are absolutely certain that the issue is just wifi and not anything else, then you have options - particularly within that budget..

The gold standard would be to run ethernet cables from where your router is situated to a couple of other areas in the property and connect wireless access points to those cables.

If you don't like the idea of running cables then the next, and probably most common, solution would be to buy a mesh system.  Tri-band is the best (and most expensive) as it uses a dedicated radio to backhaul traffic from the satellite access points back to the main one connected to the router, but you pay a premium for it. 

In terms of brands, ASUS, TP-Link, Zyxel and Netgear are all fine consumer brands.. 

For under £500, you could look at this from ASUS or this from TP-Link - these both support the latest "wifi-6" standards.. you could reduce your costs by going with "regular" AC - like this from TP-Link or this from ASUS..

 

See where this Helpful Answer was posted

13 REPLIES 13

gary_dexter
Alessandro Volta

Depends if you want a router or mesh system.

Along with coverage, number of devices, types of devices etc etc etc 


*****
If you think my answer has helped - please provide me with a Kudos rating and mark as Helpful Answer!!
I do not work for Virgin Media - all opinions expressed are of my own and all answers are provided from my own and past experiences.
Office 365, Dynamics CRM and Cloud Computing Jedi

I think router, as my knowledge of mesh systems, is very limited.

I was looking at these at the moment. 

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing-accessories/networking/network-routers-and-switches/routers/...

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing-accessories/networking/network-routers-and-switches/routers/...

My flat is a smart home (3 bedroom, 1 Living Room, 1 Kitchen - all same level)

Devices include: CCTV, SmartMeters, Kitchen Appliances, Alexa all rooms, 5 iPads, 2 Laptops, 2 Desktops, SmartTv's in all rooms

sophist
Trouble shooter

If you are absolutely certain that the issue is just wifi and not anything else, then you have options - particularly within that budget..

The gold standard would be to run ethernet cables from where your router is situated to a couple of other areas in the property and connect wireless access points to those cables.

If you don't like the idea of running cables then the next, and probably most common, solution would be to buy a mesh system.  Tri-band is the best (and most expensive) as it uses a dedicated radio to backhaul traffic from the satellite access points back to the main one connected to the router, but you pay a premium for it. 

In terms of brands, ASUS, TP-Link, Zyxel and Netgear are all fine consumer brands.. 

For under £500, you could look at this from ASUS or this from TP-Link - these both support the latest "wifi-6" standards.. you could reduce your costs by going with "regular" AC - like this from TP-Link or this from ASUS..

 

jbrennand
Very Insightful Person
Very Insightful Person
At that price get a wifi 6 router with mesh capabilities - I think the Asus range has them (others may too) which gives the flexibility to add extra units should you ever need them in the future.

--------------------
John
--------------------

I do not work for VM. My services: HD TV on VIP (+ Sky Sports & Movies & BT sport), x3 V6 boxes (1 wired, 2 on WiFi) Hub5 in modem mode with Apple Airport Extreme Router +2 Airport Express's & TP-Link Archer C64 WAP. On Volt 350Mbps, Talk Anytime Phone, x2 Mobile SIM only iPhones.

ALI15D
Joining in

Thanks Guys,

I've ordered this due to arrive today (Just liked the way it looked like a Beast lol and the tech specs helped). Fingers Crossed!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07GG4FY6K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

 


@ALI15D wrote:

Thanks Guys,

I've ordered this due to arrive today (Just liked the way it looked like a Beast lol and the tech specs helped). Fingers Crossed!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07GG4FY6K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

 


Massively overpriced considering it's not WiFi-6 (AX) and it's 3 year old tech.

 


*****
If you think my answer has helped - please provide me with a Kudos rating and mark as Helpful Answer!!
I do not work for Virgin Media - all opinions expressed are of my own and all answers are provided from my own and past experiences.
Office 365, Dynamics CRM and Cloud Computing Jedi

Oh blimey. I can always cancel. Gutted thought I found something with new tech etc that looked alrite. Your right would want wifi 6 defo.

When I saw this on Curry's website, I used the video web chat thing they have and the guy was saying this was new and wifi 6 obviously I didn't take time to read or do my own research. Probs was not a computer guy more likely a washing machine salesperson or something. 

Maybe I will just try this as it's due to be delivered this evening and then return for something better if it's no good?

Argh, don't know what to do lol.

Sid70
On our wavelength

Currys sold my 92 year old Mother a smart tv. She doesn't have internet! Wish I'd been with her.