# Replacing Virgin Superhub with a new router



## johnnyguitar (Mar 24, 2010)

Folks I need a new router - I'm having some major interference issues with my Superhub and my iMac (not with my laptop or phones) and would like to get a dual band router to be able to use 5GHz wifi with the Mac to try and reduce/eliminate the inteference.

I've looked at a few cable routers today, none of which appear to have a socket on the back to take the cable input - am I supposed to use the Superhub as a modem and connect up to a new router? Any brand/model recommendations?

Cheers


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## allan1888 (Aug 29, 2009)

I switched my superhub to modem only and connected it to a Cisco ea4500 router. Works perfectly and it's dual band too.

http://homestore.cisco.eu/store/ciscoeu/en_IE/pd/productID.247932600


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## johnnyguitar (Mar 24, 2010)

Thanks. Looks like a nice, if pricey, bit of kit. Will investigate further.


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## jamest (Apr 8, 2008)

Find any router you like the look of then use a patch cable to connect to the SuperHub. 

If you connect to the Superhub and login, you can set it to "Modem only".


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## Fish (Nov 16, 2011)

I've got my crappyhub install scheduled for the 19th. The first thing that will be done is to configure it into Modem mode as there are way too many complaints about how poor it is. It will be connected to my Netgear WNDR3700.

Fish


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## allan1888 (Aug 29, 2009)

I was surprised how bad the superhub actually was.


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## Pricy (Jun 18, 2012)

My "super"hub used to drop its wireless connection at least once a week, the wired network still worked but the hub had to be reset to get anything wireless to work again. 

Never thought about hooking it up to an external router but its currently sat waiting for the box to arrive from Virgin to send it back, fortunately my contract has ended!! :thumb:


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## jamest (Apr 8, 2008)

Pricy said:


> My "super"hub used to drop its wireless connection at least once a week, the wired network still worked but the hub had to be reset to get anything wireless to work again.


My normal Netgear WNR854T router does that. Quite rare though so not too bothered.


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## Fish (Nov 16, 2011)

I'm currently still on the modem with 20mb, which is them connected to the Netgear. The superhub has had any remotely decent security settings blanked out. The whole thing is a shame from such a company, but in fairness over the 20ish years I've been with Cable&Wireless/Virgin I've only had a couple of outages.

Fish


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## johnnyguitar (Mar 24, 2010)

The only real complaint is that no matter what channel I choose, the Mac suffers interference and is virtually unusable. I've come to the conclusion that if I run 5GHz it may solve or reduce the problem. Apart from that, the Superhub's not been that bad really and it's only fairly recently that it's been an issue.


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## Pezza4u (Jun 7, 2007)

The superhub can be run at 5Ghz, have you tried that?

I've never really had an issue with mine, had to reset it once but after what I had read I was expecting alot of issues. I connect my Mac with CAT5 though as the signal was terrible from the bedroom to the lounge, which is only 1 wall to go through.


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## johnnyguitar (Mar 24, 2010)

Should've said I need a dual band router as I have other equipment that will only operate on 2.4 (and seems to be unaffected by the interference problem).


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## johnnyguitar (Mar 24, 2010)

If I use my Superhub in modem only mode and buy a new router I can run in two bands, can I buy any dual band router or do I have to specifically buy a cable router?


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## OvlovMike (Jul 19, 2011)

johnnyguitar said:


> If I use my Superhub in modem only mode and buy a new router I can run in two bands, can I buy any dual band router or do I have to specifically buy a cable router?


Technically speaking you can run just Wireless Access Points, leaving the routing to the Superhub - if you've had no issues, and it does what you want it to, this would be my suggestion.


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## SteveyG (Apr 1, 2007)

OvlovMike said:


> Technically speaking you can run just Wireless Access Points, leaving the routing to the Superhub - if you've had no issues, and it does what you want it to, this would be my suggestion.


I don't think you can if the Superhub is in modem only mode as this disables the DHCP server. You need a combined router/WAP if you want to be rid of the problems with the Superhub.


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## OvlovMike (Jul 19, 2011)

SteveyG said:


> I don't think you can if the Superhub is in modem only mode as this disables the DHCP server. You need a combined router/WAP if you want to be rid of the problems with the Superhub.


My point is, if the OP hasn't got any issues WRT the routing, just the wireless, that would be my recommendation.


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## SteveyG (Apr 1, 2007)

Fair enough


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## johnnyguitar (Mar 24, 2010)

SteveyG said:


> I don't think you can if the Superhub is in modem only mode as this disables the DHCP server. You need a combined router/WAP if you want to be rid of the problems with the Superhub.





OvlovMike said:


> My point is, if the OP hasn't got any issues WRT the routing, just the wireless, that would be my recommendation.


Genuinely grateful for your help guys, but I don't know what either of these two posts mean.

If I am going down the shops (or on the internet shop) to buy a router, access point, whatever, do I need to specifically buy a cable router?

Sorry for my ignorance.


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## allan1888 (Aug 29, 2009)

as far as i know you have to buy a cable router.


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## johnnyguitar (Mar 24, 2010)

Cool

It did occur to me that the cable routers don't have a cable input, which presumably means they don't have a built in modem hence require connection to the superhub.


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## SteveyG (Apr 1, 2007)

johnnyguitar said:


> Genuinely grateful for your help guys, but I don't know what either of these two posts mean.
> 
> If I am going down the shops (or on the internet shop) to buy a router, access point, whatever, do I need to specifically buy a cable router?
> 
> Sorry for my ignorance.


The superhub is a combined cable modem, router, wireless access point and switch, but there is now an option to just use the superhub as a modem.

The options are to either turn off wireless on your superhub and plug in a wireless access point or to set the superhub to modem only mode and plug in a wireless router.

To keep things simple, I'd just recommend you get something like a D-Link DIR-655 and setting the superhub to modem mode then plug the superhub into the 'internet' port on the wireless router.

Most wireless routers can be act as a wireless access point though if you want the other configuration.


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## johnnyguitar (Mar 24, 2010)

Thanks

The D-Link DIR-655 was no good for me as it (or so I read in the description of its features) seems to not offer 5GHz support. I really need simultaneous dual band so I can run our iPhones, laptop and Squeezebox on 2.4 and the Mac on 5 as I am getting so much interference on 2.4 when using the Mac.

I bought a Netgear N600 router yesterday for the princely sum of £90. I nearly fell off my chair, but tbh that seemed to be _about_ the going rate for a dual band router of that spec. I may have saved about £15 - £20 by doing a bit more shopping around, I may have had to pay some postage, I would have had to wait and for the convenience it wasn't a huge sum to try and sort out a problem. There may be slightly higher spec routers but the benefits are likely to be lost on me anyway.

It was surprisingly easy to set up, my laptop is running fine connected to the 2.4GHz network and I have not had a single problem with the Mac since I connected it to 5GHz, so problem solved. I had also planned to buy a pair of powerline adapters so I could leave the Superhub in the front room working as the modem and sit the new router upstairs on a high shelf, but it seems to be working OK as is. Next thing is to add an external HDD.


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## Grizzle (Jul 12, 2006)

Does the super hub support a hdd?


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## OvlovMike (Jul 19, 2011)

Think he means the N600. Not sat in front of mine but I really don't recall a USB socket!


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## OvlovMike (Jul 19, 2011)

http://www.netgear.com/home/products/wirelessrouters/high-performance/WNDR3700.aspx#

Yeah, N600 supports a HDD.

Still would sooner have a NAS, but I'm sure it does what it says on the tin!


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## Grizzle (Jul 12, 2006)

Ah it doesn't. I was going to say I guess a NAS would be better? I want to get a hdd setup for the machines on my home network. 


Cheers for that


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## OvlovMike (Jul 19, 2011)

One of the ones I would look at is:

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/thec...-econa-cpu-256mb-ddrii-inc-gigabit-lan-2x-usb

Decent money, good feature set and offers RAID for data protection.


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## swompdonkey (Jul 10, 2008)

Hi Guys, had issues with my Virgin super hub i guess just moved house and the super hub just wasn't up to the job. Very poor wireless coverage etc (and a bit flaky), so got a TP Link AP TL-WA901ND. Now have no issues at all full house coverage at a decent speed. Just to add I disabled the wireless on the super hub, not modem mode though as this disables all but one of the switch ports on the hub.


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## OvlovMike (Jul 19, 2011)

God that's cheap and nasty. That that is better than the Not-So-SuperHub amazes me.

Switching the SuperHub into Modem mode doesn't in itself disable all the 'switch' ports, it disables all routing functionality and as a by-product you can only connect one device (only one IP address for you - never tried to get more but I suspect it's a no!).


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