Virgin Media announces its first Wi-Fi 6 router

Date:
Wed, 20 Oct 2021 11:46:47 +0000

Description:
The Virgin Media Hub 5 will bring Wi-Fi 6 speeds to homes in the UK
throughout 2022.

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Virgin Media has just announced its new Hub 5 broadband router, which is the Internet Service Provider (ISP)s first to come with Wi-Fi 6 , the latest generation of wireless technology that brings faster and more reliable
speeds.

An increasing number of devices, including almost all modern laptops and smartphones, now support Wi-Fi 6, so its good to see a popular ISP embrace
the tech. According to Virgin Media, the Hub 5 will come with more antennae than the Hub 4, which should help your Wi-Fi network reach further parts of your home, while also allowing for more simultaneous connections. These are the best Wi-Fi extenders How about the best powerline adapters ? We show you how to speed up your internet

This last part is pretty important, as our homes are filling up with an ever increasing amount of smart devices all vying to connect to our Wi-Fi
networks, and that can lead to older, or cheaper, routers struggling to
manage all the traffic.

The Hub 5 will also come with a 2.5Gbps Ethernet port alongside three additional 1Gbps ports. This will ensure that any wired devices have access
to super-fast network speeds, and if youre lucky enough to have gigabit internet (thats over 1GBps), then youll be able to make full use of that speed.

Virgin Media is aiming to deliver gigabit speeds to its entire network of
15.5 million homes by the end of the year, and its also launched next-generation 2,200Mbps broadband speeds in Edinburgh and Birmingham.

The Hub 5 will also be built from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic as part of the companys commitment to reaching net-zero carbon operations by the end of 2025.

Were not sure how much any Virgin Media plans that include the Hub 5 will cost, but there will be a phased roll-out with existing customers being offered the new router for no extra cost, according to Virgin Media, and a wider launch is planned for 2022. (Image credit: Virgin Media) Analysis: Finally an ISP router worth keeping?

When you sign up for a broadband connection, your ISP throws in a modem and router to get you going, but these are often budget or outdated models that lack many modern features.

For people with big demands on their wireless network, which these days is most of us thanks to our homes filling up with smart devices, these free routers just arent good enough.

Instead, investing in one of the best routers , or even best Mesh Wi-Fi systems , made by the likes of Netgear, Asus and Linksys, are a great move,
as they bring advanced features such as Wi-Fi 6, and offer wider, more reliable wireless, than the ISP freebies.

However, with the Hub 5, Virgin Media might have made a router worth keeping. As more Wi-Fi 6 devices come out, Virgin Media customers will start seeing
the benefit of having a Wi-Fi 6 router . Itll also save you money (as routers can be pricey), and sticking with the router your ISP installs is a lot less fiddly for many people.

Hopefully well get a chance to try the new router out soon. These are the
best gaming routers



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/virgin-media-announces-its-first-wi-fi-6-router /


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