8 Port Router/Modem Superhub Replacement?

Dead Cell

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Hi folks

Can someone please tell me if I can buy a Router with built in Modem (like the Superhub that I currently have) but with 8 ports instead of the standard 4?

I know I can just add an 8 port switch but the WiFi is terrible on the Superhub and there are so many complaints on the Virgin Support Forums.

The WiFi works fine when it does work but there are a lot of drop outs and connection issues from time to time.

I've had many routers over the years including Virgins old router and separate modem a couple of years ago and never had WiFi issues until the Superhub.

Also I have so many plugs connected to my extension socket I would prefer not to add another one by connecting a Switch.

Many thanks in advance. :thumbsup:
 
There are none with in-built cable modems. However you can switch the SuperHub from router mode into modem mode and then hook it up to an ordinary Cable Router.

I am not aware of any consumer 8port routers, only 4 port ones.

My suggestion for a well priced one would be:
- WHR-G300N - £20.99 +delivery (versatily entry level router/accesspoint/network bridge/repeater box)
- WHR-HP-G300N - £39.99 +deliverey (The Buffalo Nfniti have a better wireless range)
 
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Thanks mate, so now I'm going to need to use the superhub as a modem, buy a new router and use as a router and also buy a switch.

Just when I thought it couldn't get worse lol. Damn Virgin.

I'm definitely going for the Nfiniti.

Cheers Summoner appreciate your help mate.
 
I got my superhub today and after reading up had to try wireless for my self to see if it was as bad and it was, straight in to modem mode and I hooked up my linksys (sorry not got the model number to hand) and now it works like a charm, it does make me wonder how the general public who are not tech savy get on, anyway just a thought, if you just turned the wireless off instead of going to modem mode, connect from one of the superhub ports to a four port router wan port... would you not get 7 ports you could use?

Curly
 
...instead of going to modem mode, connect from one of the superhub ports to a four port router wan port... would you not get 7 ports you could use?

You want to avid double-NATing, it causes problems with Bittorrent, file transfers in instant messaging applications and online games.

Instead turn off the DHCP server on the 2nd router, bring it's IP in line with the SuperHub (so you can still talk to it later on) and then connect 1 of the LAN ports of the SuperHub to 1 of the LAN port on the 2nd router.
One of the reasons to utilise the SuperHub this way is the fact it has a 4 port Gigabit switch built in, which will allow your computers/media streamers/networked hard drives better speeds when talking to one another.

If you are going to buy an extra switch, so you can connect more Ethernet devices, spend the extra money and get a Gigabit one. Connect it directly to the back of the Superhub, so everyone can make use of the full speed.
 
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I just wondered weather it would work that way really... I tried it earlier today but only to connect the router to the hub and didn't utilise the other port, so going by what you posted it can be done, I might be interested in doing some like that at a later date.

Curly
 
Thanks Summoner and Curly for your input but I'm afraid I'm a little confused.

Curly suggests a good idea which is to buy another router, connect it up to the superhub and instead of turning off the Router function on the superhub, leave it on and have 6 ports free to use (3 from the superhub and 3 from the new router as 1 from each will already be used for connecting to each other).

But Summoner you are saying this won't work?

Also you are suggesting that I buy a fast Switch? I have picked up this one from PCWorld, but I thought I was going to connect this up to the Buffalo Nfinite Router and not the superhub,

Simply put if the Superhub's WiFi was working properly then all I would be buying is an 8 Port switch so that I could connect more devices but because the WiFi is troublesome I am now having to buy a new router and also a Switch to add more ports.

I'm really sorry for sounding daft but you guys seem to know what you are talking about so please can you explain further? I'd be very grateful. :thumbsup:

Cheers chaps.


You want to avid double-NATing, it causes problems with Bittorrent, file transfers in instant messaging applications and online games.

Instead turn off the DHCP server on the 2nd router, bring it's IP in line with the SuperHub (so you can still talk to it later on) and then connect 1 of the LAN ports of the SuperHub to 1 of the LAN port on the 2nd router.
One of the reasons to utilise the SuperHub this way is the fact it has a 4 port Gigabit switch built in, which will allow your computers/media streamers/networked hard drives better speeds when talking to one another.

If you are going to buy an extra switch, so you can connect more Ethernet devices, spend the extra money and get a Gigabit one. Connect it directly to the back of the Superhub, so everyone can make use of the full speed.
 
That's a quality switch you have bought there, also it is not a bargain. Here is a 8-port Zyxel one that is equivalent and here is a Zyxel Gigabit one.

What broadband package are you actually on please?

Multiple ways to set-up:

1. SuperHub as router, Buffalo as Accesspoint, Netgear connected to either one.
- connect to Buffalo box, change it's IP to 192.168.0.2 and turn off it's DHCP server, change wirelesss SSID/pass phrase to what you want it to be
- connect LAN port of Buffalo to LAN port on SuperHub
- turn off Wireless on SuperHub (Wireless Settings in the menu)
- change DHCP scope's Starting/Ending IP Address to 192.168.0.101/192.168.0.200 (LAN IP in the menu)
- connect Netgear to a LAN port on Buffalo,

2. Use SuperHub as simple CableModem and Buffalo as router with wireless, Netgear must connect to Buffalo box.
- connect to SuperHub and switch to Modem Mode (Modem Mode in the menu)
- connect SuperHub to WAN port of Buffalo, connect Netgear to LAN port of Buffalo
- setup Wireless on Buffalo

You can see that option 2 is more simple to setup, but you loose the Gigabit ports that the SuperHub offers, which are generally nice to have if you copy large files between computer/media streamers/networked hard drives.
 
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Summoner thanks mate for getting back to me, I'm dissapointed to find out that the Switch I got isn't a Gigabit one! I'll get rid of it and will buy a Gigabit one possibly even the one you linked which looks to be pretty good so thanks for that.

What broadband package are you actually on please?

I'm on 30 meg and getting exactly that speed when doing speed tests and downloading files which is the reason why I'm sticking with it even though it's very expensive.

You can see that option 2 is more simple to setup, but you loose the Gigabit ports that the SuperHub offers, which are generally nice to have if you copy large files between computer/media streamers/networked hard drives.

Regarding what you said above, I guess if I buy an 8 port Gigabit Switch then losing the ports on the Superhub doesn't really matter, provided that I can make do with 8 ports on the switch of course and dont need anymore?

Having said that, I'm going to go for option 1 as it seems like more of a challenge :D

Will let you know how I get on. Cheers mate.
 
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Before you run off and spend more money investigate what devices in your house support Gigabit. These days there are no computers any more that do not support it, but if you have equipment that is a few years old then there may be some that will not have it. They will still work with the Gigabit switch, just not at the faster speeds. Also remember that this has no effect on Internet speeds, the Gigabit switch is purely to make local file transfers faster.

If you are concerned about value for money, return it for a refund saying that you picked up the wrong thing and they normaly don't give you any hassle when it comes to network equipment.

Then buy either the cheap Zyxel 10/100 switch or the more expensive Zyxel Gigabit switch, dependant on whether your equipment can actually make use of the extra speed or not.
 
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Mate at work at the moment and it looks like I can get myself a Netgear ProSafe 5 Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch for nothing and will take the 8 port one back to PCWorld as I still have the receipt, can't thank you enough for your help here.

Everything in my house is Gigabit except the Dune TV-101 Media Player that I'm planning on buying which I think isn't!

Can you please answer the following Summoner just so I can understand exactly what you mean?

Quote:
You can see that option 2 is more simple to setup, but you loose the Gigabit ports that the SuperHub offers, which are generally nice to have if you copy large files between computer/media streamers/networked hard drives.

Regarding what you said above, I guess if I buy an 8 port Gigabit Switch then losing the ports on the Superhub doesn't really matter, provided that I can make do with 8 ports on the switch of course and dont need anymore?

Cheers
 
Thanks Summoner and Curly for your input but I'm afraid I'm a little confused.

Curly suggests a good idea which is to buy another router, connect it up to the superhub and instead of turning off the Router function on the superhub,

I'm really sorry for sounding daft but you guys seem to know what you are talking about so please can you explain further? I'd be very grateful. :thumbsup:

Cheers chaps.
Thanks for the vote of confidence...but when it comes to networking, I only know what I can read up on, follow off the internet, I only went to 30mb and a superhub this week so it's a learning curve for me also.

@ SUMMONER ; an excellent guide/post there which I have bookmarked as I will be upgrading to a gb router while utilising the superhubs ports, currently set up in Modem mode+ 10/100 router which makes copying to to my WD Live drive very slow.

Curly
 
I have mine in router mode, as using my old Buffalo router reduces the downstream speed oh so slightly.

directly connected to SuperHub (Gigabit switch):
1665176654.png


connected to old Buffalo router (100Mbit switch) :
1601494899.png


The SuperHub can be a bit of a pain. Mine randomly stalls for 2-3min at a time (no Internet, can't log into it's web interface, can't even ping it either), it also drops it's connection several times a week for up to 10minutes. But I am not blaming the SuperHub for later, since a reboot doesn't fix that. You just have to be patient and wait, service returns on it's own after a few minutes.
I am actually quite happy with the Wireless, but then all it has to cover is the kitchen/living room on the 1st floor. The 2nd /3rd floors and roof terrace are covered by a Buffalo WHR-G300N in access point mode.
 
Hey again Summoner, Curly (Happy New Year chaps)

Been a little busy lately so had to put this whole project on hold although I managed to get my Dune and QNAP NAS up and running bar a few problems with the NAS which is widespread.

Anyway back to this little project, after re-reading your messages again on this thread I suddenly realised that I only need 5 Ports so therefore I don't even need a Switch!

So if I follow Option 1 as you mentioned above then that means I should have available to me 6 Gigabit ports in total (3 from the Superhub and 3 from the Buffalo) right?

I have also decided to go for the N300 ( Buffalo Wireless-N300 Cable Router / Access Point | Ebuyer.com) which should be more than enough as I only have a small flat.

Can I expect this to work for me or would you still prefer a Gigabit switch for better speeds? I imagine adding a Gigabit switch wouldn't make my network any faster than using the Gigabit ports on the Buffallo and Superfub anyway except giving me a few extra ports to play with right?

If the above will work then all I need to do is just buy the Buffallo Router for £25 or so including delivery and I should be good to go!

Sorry to drag you guys back in to this again!

Cheers

That's a quality switch you have bought there, also it is not a bargain. Here is a 8-port Zyxel one that is equivalent and here is a Zyxel Gigabit one.

What broadband package are you actually on please?

Multiple ways to set-up:

1. SuperHub as router, Buffalo as Accesspoint, Netgear connected to either one.
- connect to Buffalo box, change it's IP to 192.168.0.2 and turn off it's DHCP server, change wirelesss SSID/pass phrase to what you want it to be
- connect LAN port of Buffalo to LAN port on SuperHub
- turn off Wireless on SuperHub (Wireless Settings in the menu)
- change DHCP scope's Starting/Ending IP Address to 192.168.0.101/192.168.0.200 (LAN IP in the menu)
- connect Netgear to a LAN port on Buffalo,

2. Use SuperHub as simple CableModem and Buffalo as router with wireless, Netgear must connect to Buffalo box.
- connect to SuperHub and switch to Modem Mode (Modem Mode in the menu)
- connect SuperHub to WAN port of Buffalo, connect Netgear to LAN port of Buffalo
- setup Wireless on Buffalo

You can see that option 2 is more simple to setup, but you loose the Gigabit ports that the SuperHub offers, which are generally nice to have if you copy large files between computer/media streamers/networked hard drives.
 
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The Buffalo has 10/100 LAN ports, not Gigabit. Gigabit is an optional luxury to make sure you can copy files from one computer to another at best possible speed. You can live perfectly fine without it.
 
Thanks for the quick response Summoner, in that case can you please recommend a decent gigabit router?
 
There are 3 that I like...

- Edimax BR-6574N 2.4GHz router/access point - £50 delivered
- Buffalo WZR-HP-G300NH2 2.4GHz AirStation Nfiniti High Power router/access point - £65.49 delivered
- Buffalo WZR-HP-AG300H Dual Band 2.4/5.0GHz AirStation Nfiniti High Power router/access point - £83.57 delivered

The Edimax router is equivalent to the cheaper Buffalo WHR-G300N but with the addition of a Gigabit switch.

The mid-range Buffalo Nfiniti router uses a signal booster/amplifier to supposedly give you a better signal. It also sports a USB port and support for the DD-WRT firmware.

The Dual Band Nfiniti model is a different kettle of fish all together, allowing you to create multiple wireless networks across different wireless frequencies. It is designed for multimedia set-ups where you dedicate the 5GHz spectrum for video/audio streaming and 2.4GHz for every day Internet access. It is only worth the money if you extensively rely on wireless technology and buy into Buffalo range of wireless dual band cards and media adapters for your appliances/devices
 
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I went for keeping the superhub in modem mode and bought a NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router WNDR3700 @ £101.25 (Amazon) though I paid slightly more as I got it from PC World, too impatient to wait over the Xmas period and paired it with a Netgear RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N USB 2.0 Adaptor £36.99 (Amazon) which I can use with the Laptop and also the Panasonic Plasma, 4 ports is enough for me at the moment but figure if I need any more ports I can set it up as option 1 SUMMONER posted in post #8.

Curly
 
That's awesome Summoner thanks a lot mate. I'm going for the Buffalo WZR-HP-G300NH2, I think it will be worth it over the Edimax for an extra £15-20.

Curly, that Rangemax Router looks like a beast but at that price I'm not surprised! I would've splashed out a bit more for something similar but I've really over done it these last few weeks!

Have fun chaps.
 
There are none with in-built cable modems. However you can switch the SuperHub from router mode into modem mode and then hook it up to an ordinary Cable Router.

I am not aware of any consumer 8port routers, only 4 port ones.

My suggestion for a well priced one would be:
- WHR-G300N - £20.99 +delivery (versatily entry level router/accesspoint/network bridge/repeater box)
- WHR-HP-G300N - £39.99 +deliverey (The Buffalo Nfniti have a better wireless range)

Have they added this feature now, where abouts is it located ?
 
Have they added this feature now, where abouts is it located ?
if you mean modem mode, log in to the superhub and under the 3 settings/icons
on the home page click on the advanced settings hyper link, in the left hand column you will see the modem mode link click this and it takes you to the page where you can enable it.

Curly
 

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