Superhub 2 vs Superhub 3

[Rudis]

Hi everyone, I'd like to pick your collective brains on something, I have a Superhub 2, its worked great for a few years, only having to unplug it and reset a couple of times during this time, however this weekend I've had to reboot it 4 times in 2 days, I think Virgin will offer me a new Superhub 3, should I trade up because I've read some horrible things about the SH3 on these forums, however I can't keep using this hub if it requires rebooting a few times a day, any advice would be greatly appreciated..thanks

[Andrew-G]

The Hub 3 problems of before (latency that affected gaming, and some streaming or conferencing uses) are sorted.  As a cable modem it is far better than a SH2, so if they offer one, have it.

Two things to keep in mind:

1) Having to restart or reset a hub to regain a cable connection is far more commonly a fault with the connection rather than the hub.  So there's a good chance you'll need a technician to attend and fix that.  Feel free to post the Downstream, Upstream and Network logs from your hub if you want somebody to have a gander for likely problems, and potentially provide evidence that will enable the forum staff to book you a technician.  

2) As supplied the default wireless settings of the Hub 3 are poor.  You might be OK, equally you might want to scour the forums for recommendations on getting the optimal wifi performance from a Hub 3 - or just post a request for recommended settings.

[jbrennand · Accepted solution]

I have a SH2 too but have always used it in modem mode with my own router. Is yours in modem or router mode? Is the issue just on wifi connected devices? If in router mode can you put it into modem mode and connect a computer/laptop by Cat5e/6 ethernet cable and see if its nice and stable. If it is, I would keep it and get your own router and wireless equipment
The Hub3 has a few problems. The puma6 chipset issue has been fixed by firmware updates. It just is a poor basic router and its wifi can be problematic - particularly if you have lots of devices connecting and you are in a "challenging" wifi environment.
You can upgrade for free and see if works for you and can always use it in modem mode if it doesnt.

[Craig100]

I've been with VM for many years for TV and internet. As a web dev I need good connections. Got a Hub 3 when it came out. Immediately reverted to the Hub 2 because of sluggish response (I'm not a gamer). The Hub 2 has been faultless. I'm not tempted to downgrade to a dodgy Hub 3. In fact I'm VERY suspicious of why they switched the whole Tivo/Hub hardware round. Having to feed an internet connection to the Tivo from the Hub is utter madness. Still, while it all works they get my business. When it goes flakey, I'll be off.

[blooperfish]

Hi,

I'm in a similar position to the original poster. I have a Superhub 2 which sometimes has intermittent WiFi and needs to be rebooted more frequently, which is a problem for working from home or the kids doing their homework. I see a possible fix is to put the Superhub 2 into modem mode and purchase another router. I've not bought a router for many years, which brands or specs are recommended?

Many thanks in advance

[legacy1]

What budget was you thinking of?
you could go as low as this
https://www.alza.co.uk/zyxel-nbg6615-d5481208.htm?o=1&layoutAutoChange=1
to
https://www.amazon.co.uk/MU-MIMO-Wireless-StreamBoost-Beamforming-Antennas/dp/B01GHAWAFY/ref=sr_1_6?...

or something in-between other bands like TP-link, D-link, NETGEAR or Asus are good to look at.

[blooperfish]

Thanks for these. Think I might go for NETGEAR as I've had one of their routers before. Hopefully it may have been a connection issue as I noticed the white cable needed a little tightening and it's been fine since then (past 4 hours or so). Let's see how it goes!

[simplynotsimon]

Went from a SH2 to SH3 a few years ago, after 2 weeks of soul destroying unreliable network issues I went back to the SH2 and been really reliable since. Last week upgraded to 350MB connection and VM sent me 3 SH3 (I don't know why they sent so many) but I thought must be better now right ! so plugged in the SH3. After a week of constant drops and frustration I went back to the SH2 and all is good with the world again. Lesson learnt for me at least is treat my SH2 with extreme care as I am dead in the water if it breaks unless the SH4 proves to be more reliable for my set up.

[legacy1]

Its not but you can get a better wireless router and use the hub in modem mode.