Aaron Howdle | November 1st, 2021

TalkTalk Hub Wi-Fi routers

Whether you’re a TalkTalk customer or thinking of becoming one, it’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with the equipment the provider offers. Here we cover the important details of TalkTalk routers old and new.

TalkTalk is well known for providing broadband and other services at an affordable price. But how does its pricing affect the routers supplied with its broadband? TalkTalk routers have traditionally been at the lower end in terms of features and wifi range, but it has recently introduced two new routers, which might just help change impressions of the kit the provider supplies.

Your router is the gateway through which the internet enters your home. As such, it is an important piece of equipment. A sub-standard router can throw away some of the advantages of a high speed internet connection. Sub-par wifi can cause a bottleneck between your internet connection and your devices, which begs the question: how do TalkTalk routers shape up?

How to get a TalkTalk router

There are two ways to get a TalkTalk Wi-Fi Hub or Wi-Fi Hub Black. The router you get will depend on the broadband package you choose. You can also buy a router from the TalkTalk online store if you fancy an upgrade. It may be worth asking TalkTalk for an upgrade first, but it is not guaranteed that you will get one. If you are getting a poor wifi signal around your home, it could improve things however.

TalkTalk’s two entry-level broadband packages come with a Wi-Fi Hub Black, which should provide the speed and wifi strength you need for the 35Mbps and 65Mbps packages.

If you want the TalkTalk Wi-Fi Hub you will need to sign up for one of TalkTalk’s ultrafast services. These include Fibre 150, Fibre 500 and Ultra Fibre Optic. You will need to check availability of these faster packages in your area, as these ultrafast speeds are not yet widely available across the UK.

In most cases, you can expect your new TalkTalk router to arrive in the post within a couple of weeks of either signing up to a new package or upgrading your existing package if you're already a TalkTalk customer. If required, an engineer is usually dispatched to connect you after about 14 days, otherwise you will receive your new router in the post and can set it up yourself. If you have a pre-existing Openreach connection, then this isn’t a problem. Either way, TalkTalk will advise you whether you need an engineer visit or not when you sign up.

TalkTalk Wi-Fi Hub Black and Wi-Fi Hub features

Although these routers look nearly identical, and feature more or less the same ports on the back, there are differences below the surface. This is due to the wildly different broadband speeds on offer across TalkTalk’s range of packages. A different breed of router is required to deliver superfast or ultrafast broadband at high speed to multiple devices.

Currently, the WiFi Hub Black is a Huawei DG8041W and the WiFi Hub is a Sagemcom FAST 5364. In this section we will take a look at the similarities and differences between the two routers.

Wi-Fi Hub Black

• Comes with the three cheapest TalkTalk broadband deals – You will get a Wi-Fi Hub Black if you sign up for Fibre 35 or Fibre 65. You will also get this router if fibre broadband is not available in your area yet and you have an ADSL connection
• Traductor chipset – The chipset controls the communications and traffic going through the router
• Next generation wifi – The Wi-Fi Hub Black uses the latest wireless standard (802.11ac) to deliver the fastest wifi speeds possible. Devices using older wifi standards such as 802.11n are also able to connect
• ADSL2+ & VDSL2 modem – The ADSL2+ allows for connections over the Openreach telephone network, while the VDSL2 means the modem is ready for fibre broadband
• Smart channel selection – The Wi-Fi Hub Black automatically connects your devices to the fastest wifi channel and frequency available
• Smart wifi tech – The router continually checks your network connection as well as its own performance and automatically downloads and installs firmware updates
• Dual band – Like many modern routers, the Wi-Fi Hub Black uses both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands
• Four gigabit ethernet ports – The Wi-Fi Hub Black has four gigabit ethernet ports, so you can use a wired connection for up to four devices, There is also one WAN port
• Seven antennae – The Wi-Fi Hub Black has seven antennae, to provide good wifi coverage around the home
• Stylish appearance – The Wi-Fi Hub Black is designed to be out on display. This is a nice touch because wifi performance is improved by positioning your router in a prominent raised position in your home. If your router is ugly and you hide it away, it can interfere with your wifi reception

TalkTalk Wi-Fi Hub

• Required for The fastest TalkTalk broadband – The Wi-Fi Hub is supplied with the TalkTalk’s Ultra Fibre Optic (900 Mbps+), Fibre 500 and Fibre 150 packages
• Broadcom chipset – Responsible for controlling the router’s communications and traffic, the Broadcom chipset is more efficient than the Traductor chipset featured in the WiFi Hub Black
• Next generation wifi – The Wi-Fi Hub uses the latest wireless standard (802.11ac) to deliver the fastest wifi speeds possible. Devices using older wifi standards such as 802.11n are also able to connect
• ADSL2+ & VDSL2 modem – The ADSL2+ allows for connections over the Openreach telephone network, while the VDSL2 means the modem is ready for fibre broadband
• Smart channel selection – The Wi-Fi Hub automatically connects your devices to the fastest wifi channel and frequency available
• Smart wifi tech – The router continually checks your network connection as well as its own performance and automatically downloads and installs firmware updates
• Dual band – Like many modern routers, the Wi-Fi Hub uses both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands
• Four gigabit ethernet ports – The Wi-Fi Hub has four gigabit ethernet ports, so you can use a wired connection for up to four devices, There is also one WAN port.
• Seven antennae – The Wi-Fi Hub has seven antennae, to provide good wifi coverage around the home
• Stylish appearance – Featuring the same aesthetic as the Wi-Fi Hub Black, the Wi-Fi Hub is designed to be out on display. This is a nice touch because wifi performance is improved by positioning your router in a prominent raised position in your home. If your router is ugly and you hide it away, this can interfere with your wifi reception.

If there are any unfamiliar terms you'd like a more in-depth explanation of, check out our jargon-busting guide.

Setting up your TalkTalk router

If an engineer is required to set up your TalkTalk broadband, they will also set up your router. If not, then you will need to do it yourself. Luckily it is a simple process.

The first step is to unplug your existing router, micro-switches and phones from your wall mounted telephone socket. Once you have done this you can plug the supplied micro-filter into your phone socket. Then plug the grey cable into the micro-filter and push the other end into the grey port on the back of the router.

Now you are ready to connect the power supply. Switch off the mains plug socket, then plug the power supply into the router. Now plug into the mains power socket. Once this is done, switch on the power socket and press the power button on the back of your router.

There is a small removable card inserted into the back of your Wi-Fi Hub or Wi-Fi Hub Black. This card has all your wifi log in details printed on it.

Once your router is up and running, we'd suggest you start making it as secure as possible. Our guide to securing your wifi router can help.

Legacy TalkTalk routers

The Wi-fi Hub Black and the Wi-Fi Hub are both relatively new routers, but how do they compare to some of TalkTalk’s previous routers? There are plenty of older TalkTalk routers in use around the country. The last iteration was the Super Router.

It was well reviewed at the time of its release, and had some good features. After an initial roll out with faster packages, this router was later supplied to all new TalkTalk broadband customers. It featured Dual 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz bands and was compatible with 802.11ac and earlier wifi standards. It worked as both an ADSL2+ (Broadband via telephone line) and a VDSL (Fibre broadband) modem. It even had a single USB port, allowing the connection of networked devices such as printers.

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