Vodafone Broadband Pro and WiFi Hub

With an Alexa-powered range extender and 4G backup bundling, Vodafone Broadband Pro offers a lot for the right customer. I noticed that the router was stable and gave good coverage in my home, though not the fastest speed. My broadband connection was also fast. How good this service is where you live plays a big role If you live in an area with poor Vodafone 4G coverage, the backup option may not be very effective.

Introduction

Very few of us can do without broadband for long periods of time, especially when working at home at this level. With a combination of fast broadband speeds, automatic 4G backups and a super WiFi booster designed to give you a strong and reliable connection, Vodafone Broadband Pro feels like it has this nail in the coffin.

I have no complaints about physical broadband speeds, but 4G backup speeds will vary greatly depending on the quality of the Vodafone signal depending on where you live. Like the competitors, the router is quite basic, though the simple app at least makes it easy to use.

Broadband features

• Available speeds vary depending on where you live
• Choice of VDSL and fiber connection

Vodafone Broadband Pro is available for both VDSL and full-fiber depending on where you live. For those lucky enough to live in a full-fiber area, that means speeds up to 900Mbps are available, while those of us (including me) who don’t have this option are limited to more healing speeds. My address is limited to speeds of around 70Mbps, which is the plan I went for.

While you can get bug-standard Vodafone broadband, the Pro version of the package includes 4GB backup with 50GB of data and a Wi-Fi booster. For my package, it’s £ 33.50 per month, but I also have an additional add-on (আরও 3 more per month) that bundles an Alexa-powered Wi-Fi booster. It combines a smart speaker with an extender, much like an Orbit Voice package satellite.

Fast broadband speeds are more expensive, although they are generally quite competitive compared to equivalent BT plans.

Router

• Works with Fiber and VDSL connections
• 4G backup via dongle
• Wi-Fi booster available with Alexa-powered model

With any package, you get Vodafone WiFi Hub. This is a rather standard router and is typical of what you get from other manufacturers. On the back of the router, you’ll find four Gigabit Ethernet ports and two WAN ports: a Gigabit Ethernet and a VDSL. Which one you use will depend on the broadband package you have signed up for.

Vodafone prints the default Wi-Fi name and password below, along with the default administrator password. If you log in to the web interface you will be asked to change these two settings, although you can ignore this suggestion.

For most people, the way to configure a router would be through the Vodafone Broadband app. If you have Wi-Fi on your router, all you have to do is tap on the WPS button to get access.

From the app, you can see what’s connected to your home network and block devices you don’t want to access.

Vodafone offers parental control on a connection-wide basis. This is limited compared to more powerful routers, such as the Netgear Orbi RBK852, which offers profiles. For each profile, you can set which devices belong to one person, and then set the filtering level for them: more restricted for young children and free access for adults, for example.

The app lets you toggle guest mode and change Wi-Fi names and passwords. This is fairly basic but the app covers the main features that most people will use.

If you want to use the main web interface, you will find a few more advanced features, including port forwarding. Most people will not need to touch them and the app gives them enough control every day.

Along with the Pro packages, Vodafone provides a data SIM and USB modem. The SIM is preloaded with 50GB of data, although Vodafone will upgrade this amount if your broadband is off for an extended period of time.

To use your 4G backup, you plug the dongle into the USB port of the router and it will be recognized automatically. The router automatically switches to 4G when it detects that there is no main connection; This setting cannot be changed (you do not want that).

With Super WiFi Plus, you’ll get a range extender with built-in Amazon Alexa like Orbi Voice. If the main router uses Wi-Fi 5, the booster uses Wi-Fi 6. However, since the satellite has to communicate with the router via Wi-Fi 5, you will not see the same benefits as full Wi-Fi. 6 systems.

This booster is a smart speaker that you can link to your Alexa account. In the Alexa app, you can add a booster to a cell, which simplifies voice control: if you ask Alexa to turn on the lights, for example, you will know exactly which lighting set you are talking about without giving your name. Them

All third party Alexa speakers have some restrictions, including a drop-in or voice calling feature.

The speakers on the Super WiFi Plus aren’t very good either and I’d say it doesn’t sound as good as the Echo Dot. This speaker is fine for voice replies and a little talk radio, but the music sounds muted and muted.

An Alexa skill available, dinnertime. Ask Alexa to activate it and turn off Wi-Fi for 30 minutes for the routers and booster devices you choose, so you can enjoy eating and prevent your kids (or adults) from using their devices.

Performance

Performance will largely depend on where you live, the quality of the cable in your home and much more. All I can tell you is that my average on my broadband connection was about 70Mbps, which is equal to the speed I get from my BT line. Running along the copper line in the distribution box about 25 meters away, it is a connection as fast as possible without a fiber connection.

I checked the 4G connection by pulling the data cable on the back of the router. The router takes a while to switch to a new connection: enough time has passed that my laptop won’t load websites for a while, but it takes less than a minute.

Once the mobile connection is established, your connected devices will work as expected, just at a slower pace. How slow Vodafone coverage is in your home will depend. For me, 4G coverage is not very good, and I was getting below 3Mbps from my connection; I took the dongle to a few different places and got a maximum speed of about 20Mbps.

If you are thinking about this broadband, it is worth checking the speed of Vodafone in your home before you buy or before the kit arrives. If it is too slow, a different vendor, such as EE, may mean BT. Or, you can buy a router that offers it and add your own SIM, such as Orbi LTE, to upgrade any broadband connection.

Wherever those who have good Vodafone 4G live, you can maintain at least one internet connection and continue working. Although I recommend turning off some devices while on 4G. For example, security cameras can suck up bandwidth and you won’t want too many people streaming 4K video in your home.

Router performance is generally good. With the help of a router alone, I can get a signal in most parts of my house, although the signal from the router (in front of the house) to the back of the kitchen did not reach well.

Adding Alexa WiFi booster has helped improve the signal throughout the house. Checking the network I saw a throughput of 188.47Mbps in close range, 198.9Mbps on the first floor and 202.7Mbps on the second floor. I’ve tested faster routers, but it’s good to see stability here, there’s just no difference in speed across my house.

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