Replacement for the BT Smarthub (wifi not needed)

[neonplanet40]

Hi Folks,

I have BT Fibre 900 being installed next week. Obviously, the full fibre connection with go to the ONT. And then from there to a router - in this case its the new BT Smarthub. And from there, to my switch and the rest of my wired network.

Personally, I'm not keen on ISP supplied routers, they tend to be buggy and lack safety features and regularly drop connections etc. My home has an Asus MeshAI setup (2x ASUS RT-AX86U - these have a wired backhaul). I just need a device to take the connection from the ONT and supply it to my network. I will not be using the wifi on this device.

I had thought about getting another ASUS RT-AX86U (and then just using the wifi on it as well) but I really don't need it (overkill and expensive for my needs), and wondered if there were any other good Asus devices (I like their operating system and they have good safety features etc) which could take the place of the Smarthub.

Does any of that make sense?! It does in my head . I know, because I am not using wifi that I could just use the smarthub, but as I said, I want something that is rock stable and 'just works' to keep my connection stable and ensure it mainstains proper control of my wired network.

Any recommendations? It doesn't NEED to be Asus. It's just that i'm used to working with these routers and having another model would make it easier for me.

[spacein_vader]

If you're essentially using it as just a modem, it may be worth trying the provided router.

They do tend to be a it flaky when using advanced features but it's rare to find one that isn't reliable doing something that some. Even the Virgin routers with the infamous Puma chipset can manage that.

If it works, great. You save some cash. If it doesn't then you're no worse off.

[smargh]

Dunno what you mean by "safety features."

Firebrick FB2900. Takes a bit of getting used to the UI though.

https://www.firebrick.co.uk/fb2900/

Expensive. Fully UK made, including the OS. Don't expect it to support anything which doesn't have an RFC, e.g. no Dyndns, web browsing block categories etc. Similarly, no UPnP because that's terrible and nobody should have that enabled.

[DanceswithUnix]

There is the whole thing of BT thinking it is fine to scan the devices on your home network, so I can see why you would want an alternative.

The ASUS looks fine.

You could always build your own: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016...-from-scratch/
That's dated for the hardware, but just means it should be easier to do these days. If you can find any hardware ofc.

[spacein_vader]

BT scanning your network? Must have missed that story. What's the world coming too when you can't trust a large monopolistic telco?

[neonplanet40]

My worry with the smart hub is that those with FTTP have reported that it isn't stable, crashes a lot and doesn't offer features that I am used to.

Someone asked above what I mean by safety - "Dunno what you mean by "safety features."". I should have specified that I meant using a VPN, better restricting adult content etc for family. The asus routers are quote open like this, and many also offer Merlin. I could try it the BT one to begin with as mentioned. But I would like a few ideas on a replacement for my needs tso I can track prices over the next while. In case a bargain (ha!) pops up. Ideally, an idea of which Asus router would work. The only one I know which has a port bigger that 1Gb is the Ax86u. I'll need to have a look to see if there are any others. While 1Gb should be enough, future proofing makes me want to go a little higher if I can.

Thanks.