EE BROADBAND ROUTERS AND EQUIPMENT REVIEW
EE Broadband routers review: How good are they?
We’re putting EE Broadband’s two Full Fibre routers under the microscope – the punchy Smart Hub 7 Plus and the monstrously capable Smart Hub 7 Pro – to see how they do against each other, and against every other provider router.
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EE Broadband routers and equipment scorecard
Six key areas. One overall score. All calculated using our transparent methodology.
Wi-Fi quality
How good the standard routers’ Wi-Fi is in everyday use, looking at specifications, Wi-Fi bands/type, and how many devices they can support.
Wi-Fi range
How far the router’s Wi-Fi should reach around the home, with consideration given to local factors like large homes or thick walls.
Whole-home Wi-Fi
Whether the provider offers a mesh router system or extra help for larger homes, whether it’s good, and whether it’ll cost you extra.
Wired connectivity
How well the router supports Ethernet and wired devices, looking at number of ports, their speeds, and how accessible they are.
Router controls
How much control you get through the app, admin page and any controls you might have on the router itself.
Using your own router
How easily you can use your own third-party router or mesh hardware – whether you can use anything you like or if it’s limited in any way.
Fibredog Router Comparison Tool
Compare this provider's routers with each other, or with any other national provider.
Fibredog Router Range Estimator
Provides a visual mock-up of how Wi-Fi is likely to behave in your home with this provider's routers.
Fibredog Whole Home Wi-Fi Calculator
Calculates whether you need additional mesh routers, how many, and even where you should put them.
Wi-Fi quality
In this section we're looking at EE's current Full Fibre routers: the Smart Hub 7 Plus on most packages, and the Smart Hub 7 Pro with Full Fibre 1.6Gbps or as an upgrade. Both are Wi-Fi 7 routers, but the Pro is the one built for EE's fastest speeds and for more demanding homes.
Key differences
The Pro adds 6GHz Wi-Fi
Both routers use 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi, but the Smart Hub 7 Pro adds 6GHz too. That gives newer Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 devices a faster, cleaner frequency band to use (much less interference from other networks), although older phones, laptops and TVs won't benefit from that part because only the latest models can receive it.
The Pro is going to be too much for slow to mid-speed packages
The Smart Hub 7 Plus is already a fantastic router, with Wi-Fi 7, six antennas and support for up to 100 connected devices. The Smart Hub 7 Pro steps that up to eight antennas, up to 190 devices, and the 6GHz channel really can throw close to that much speed over Wi-Fi. We know. We tested it. So it only makes any sense at all on EE's 900Mbps-plus packages, and is properly suited to Full Fibre 1.6Gbps.
The wired ports are different
The Smart Hub 7 Plus gives you three Gigabit Ethernet ports and two 2.5Gbps ports. The Smart Hub 7 Pro gives you five 2.5Gbps ports instead. Do bear in mind, though, that one of those ports on each router is going to be the ONT – the part that plugs into the wall. That won't matter to everyone, but it's better if you've got faster wired kit, a desktop PC or a NAS.
The extender setup changes too
The Smart Hub 7 Plus pairs with EE's WiFi Extender 7 Plus, while the Smart Hub 7 Pro pairs with the Smart Hub Extender Pro. The Pro setup is the one tied to EE's 100Mbps-in-every-room Wi-Fi guarantee, which matters more if your home is awkward to cover.
Sources: EE Broadband
INTERACTIVE TOOL
Compare routers from any provider
This provider’s routers are pre-selected for comparison with one another. However, you can use this tool to compare any router from any major provider using the dropdown menus below.
| Feature | Choose router | Choose router |
|---|---|---|
| Fibredog rating | — | — |
| Router included as standard | — | — |
| Router manufacturer | — | — |
| Router model | — | — |
| Wi-Fi standard | — | — |
| Wi-Fi bands | — | — |
| 2.4GHz supported | — | — |
| 5GHz supported | — | — |
| 6GHz supported | — | — |
| Beamforming | — | — |
| Antenna count | — | — |
| Maximum connected devices | — | — |
| Stated coverage | — | — |
| Total Ethernet ports | — | — |
| MU-MIMO | — | — |
| OFDMA | — | — |
| WPA3 security | — | — |
| Guest network | — | — |
| Antenna type | — | — |
| Gigabit Ethernet ports | — | — |
| 2.5Gb Ethernet ports | — | — |
| 5Gb Ethernet ports | — | — |
| 10Gb Ethernet ports | — | — |
| WAN port speed | — | — |
| USB ports | — | — |
| Telephone ports | — | — |
| ONT Ethernet input | — | — |
| Coaxial input | — | — |
| Power connection | — | — |
| Mesh support | — | — |
| Provider mesh product | — | — |
| Third-party router use | — | — |
| Modem mode | — | — |
| Compatible broadband technology | — | — |
| App management | — | — |
| Parental controls | — | — |
| QoS | — | — |
| Automated QoS | — | — |
| Device prioritisation | — | — |
| Anti-bufferbloat controls | — | — |
| Manual queue management (SQM/CAKE) | — | — |
| Smart channel selection | — | — |
| Security features | — | — |
| Gamer mode | — | — |
| Game traffic prioritisation | — | — |
| Gaming QoS profiles | — | — |
| Server ping routing tools | — | — |
| Latency dashboards | — | — |
| Per-device gaming presets | — | — |
| Gaming VPN routing features | — | — |
| Work from home mode | — | — |
| Automatic firmware updates | — | — |
| Firmware update notes | — | — |
| Router height | — | — |
| Router width | — | — |
| Router depth | — | — |
| Router weight | — | — |
| Power consumption | — | — |
| Router orientation | — | — |
| Wall mountable | — | — |
| Router colour | — | — |
| Self-installation | — | — |
| Browser admin interface | — | — |
| WPS | — | — |
| Status light control | — | — |
| Reset button | — | — |
| Wi-Fi on/off button | — | — |
| Where would you like to go next? | See all tools | See all tools |
How to choose between EE's routers
Smart Hub 7 Plus
This is already a very good router.
It has Wi-Fi 7, plenty of wired ports and enough capacity for most homes, so you shouldn't assume you need to pay more.
Smart Hub 7 Pro
You only really need it for 1.6Gbps.
The Pro adds 6GHz Wi-Fi, tri-band support and beefier whole-home kit, but below gigabit speeds it's mostly overkill.
The simple rule
Upgrade only if the speed justifies it.
If you're taking Full Fibre 1.6Gbps, the Pro comes included anyway. Otherwise, the Plus is usually the sensible choice.
Wi-Fi quality on the Smart Hub 7 Plus
The Smart Hub 7 Plus is a lot better than a 'standard' router has any right to be. It supports the latest Wi-Fi 7 protocol, has dual-band Wi-Fi, includes 2.5Gb Ethernet ports, and can handle up to 100 connected devices at once. For most homes, that’s already more than enough.
It means the paid upgrade to the Smart Hub 7 Pro isn’t something you should regard as necessary in the vast majority of cases. If you’re on a mid-range Full Fibre package such as Full Fibre 500, or even Full Fibre 900, and where most of your devices are phones, tablets, TVs and laptops, the Smart Hub 7 Plus will do the job perfectly well.
The key difference is that the Plus doesn’t have a 6GHz Wi-Fi channel. That means newer Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 devices won’t get access to the cleanest, fastest Wi-Fi band. But unless you’ve got a tonne of newer devices that support 6GHz, you won't notice any difference, since they will all default to the 5GHz band.
It's a very capable router, not a cheap bung. So for most people, the sensible starting point is to stick with the Smart Hub 7 Plus and only think about upgrading if your speed, devices or home layout genuinely justify it.
Wi-Fi quality on the Smart Hub 7 Plus
The Smart Hub 7 Pro is a monster. It adds tri-band Wi-Fi, 6GHz support, more antennas, more device capacity and five 2.5Gbps Ethernet ports. In plain English, it’s built for the future – for newer devices, and for homes where the broadband is doing one heck of a lot at once.
Only a tiny proportion of homes will actually need it – we're talking a fraction of one per cent. If you’re on a 150Mbps, 300Mbps or 500Mbps package, the Pro is beyond overkill. You might want it just because it’s excellent kit, but unless your home is teched up the wazoo with all the latest stuff, you won't notice any difference.
Heck, we have a workstation PC here at the fibredog office that's a year old and has some of the most powerful hardware money can buy inside of it. Building websites is taxing! But even that can't make use of 6GHz Wi-Fi 7. So do think about that before deciding that better is always better.
Where it starts to make sense is at 900Mbps and above, and where you’ve got both Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 devices that can use the 6GHz band, and perhaps more importantly, realistically need or can use Wi-Fi running at 1.2 to 1.5Gbps. This is why we praise this router very highly, but are also cautious to point out it's literally too good for most homes.
INTERACTIVE TOOL
Router range estimator
See how wall materials and router choice affect the quality of Wi-Fi around a typical home.
Where would you like to go next?
How to use the Router Range Estimator
It’s pretty straightforward. Select the router from this provider, and the main construction materials of your internal walls. It’s important to remember, though, that this is just an estimator.
It can give you a rough idea, but local factors like neighbouring network interference or mixed material wall set-ups can mean the results vary considerably from the estimate. It’s meant to give you a rule of thumb and only that.
How to maximise your EE router's range
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Start with placement
Put your EE router near the middle of your home if you can, out in the open and away from thick walls or cupboards.
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Test every room
Run a speed test where you actually use Wi-Fi. Our Whole Home Wi-Fi Calculator further down this page is built for exactly that.
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Use the EE app
Check your router and connected devices in the EE app. It can help spot weak spots before you start moving stuff around blindly.
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Move obvious blockers
Keep the router away from TVs, mirrors, metal objects, appliances and anything that boxes it in. Small changes can help.
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Add an extender if needed
If some rooms still struggle, look at EE's WiFi Extender options. The right extender can matter more than swapping router position again.
Faster Wi-Fi has shorter legs
Wi-Fi behaves exactly like sound. Ever notice how you hear the bass (the low frequencies) a few rooms away, but can't hear the treble (the high frequencies)? It's the same here. The higher the frequency, the more detail there is in the signal, but the lower frequencies make it through far more walls.
That's the exact difference between Wi-Fi bands. 2.4GHz is the slow old workhorse: not glamorous, not especially quick, but better at reaching the awkward room at the back. 5GHz is faster and better for streaming, gaming and newer devices, but it gives up sooner as you move away from the router.
EE's current routers are Wi-Fi 7: that's great news, but it doesn't mean every band behaves the same. The Smart Hub 7 Plus uses 2.4GHz and 5GHz, while the Smart Hub 7 Pro adds 6GHz. That 6GHz band can be blisteringly quick nearby, but it's the shortest-legged of the lot once walls and distance get involved.
Having trouble choosing a broadband provider?
No single best provider or package exists – only the best pick for you personally. Fibredog's YourMatch™ system uses thousands of provider metrics and a lot of maths to find you your perfect match.
Wired connectivity
Most people won’t spend much time thinking about the sockets on the back of their router, and fair enough. Wi-Fi is what most of us use day to day. But if you’re buying very fast Full Fibre, wired connections do start to matter more, because all but the latest 6GHz Wi-Fi channel can't quite push enough speed over the airwaves to deliver every last megabit you're paying for.
Both EE routers are good for wired devices
The Smart Hub 7 Plus has three Gigabit Ethernet ports and two 2.5Gbps Ethernet ports. That’s a good balance. You can plug in everyday stuff like a TV, games console, desktop PC or network switch, and still have faster ports available for the devices that need them most.
For a lot of homes, that’s going to be more than enough. Even if you’re on a very fast EE package, not every device needs a super-fast wired connection. Your smart TV doesn’t need a 2.5Gbps port to stream Netflix unless you’re somehow streaming live 50 megapixel footage from the James Webb space telescope.
The Smart Hub 7 Pro is wired for speed
The Smart Hub 7 Pro is different because all five of its Ethernet ports are 2.5Gbps. You can only use four of those, though. ‘Only’. That’s excellent if you’ve got a fast desktop PC, a NAS, a serious home office setup, or a wired network switch that can actually make use of those speeds.
It also makes more sense with EE’s 1.6Gbps package. If your broadband can go beyond 1Gbps, standard Gigabit ports become a bottleneck. The Pro router avoids that problem across all its wired ports, so you’re not having to think about which socket to use.
How a simple wired EE broadband network works
Plugging devices directly into your router gives them a steadier connection than Wi-Fi. These router diagrams show the physical Ethernet ports, including any ONT or internet port used by the broadband connection itself.
Check which port is the internet input before counting how many wired device ports you have spare.
Use the fastest spare LAN port for the device or switch that needs the most speed.
A cable still beats Wi-Fi when it matters
Even with Wi-Fi 7, a wired connection is still the boring-but-brilliant option for anything that needs absolute reliability – an unbreakable connection. Gaming, big downloads, video calls, work computers and network storage can all benefit from being plugged in directly.
That doesn’t mean you need Ethernet cables running around the house like a heist-movie laser maze. It just means the most important device in the room with the router should probably be wired if you care about getting the best possible performance.
Both EE routers have a telephone port, which is there for EE’s Digital Home Phone service. That’s useful if you still want a home phone, but it doesn’t mean a landline is automatically included with every broadband package.
If you need a home phone, treat it as something to check separately when you’re choosing the package. The port is there, but the service still needs to be part of what you’re buying.
How to make best use of your EE router's LAN ports
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Count the usable ports
One 2.5Gb port is used for the ONT connection, so it doesn't count as a spare port for your own devices.
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On the Plus, choose carefully
The Smart Hub 7 Plus gives you one usable 2.5Gb port and three Gigabit ports once the ONT is connected.
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On the Pro, you get more
The Smart Hub 7 Pro has four usable 2.5Gbps LAN ports after the ONT connection, so every spare port is fast.
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Wire the fussy devices
Gaming PCs, consoles, work computers and network storage benefit most. TVs and printers usually won't need the fastest port.
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Add a switch if needed
If you want wired connections in several rooms, you’ll need extra cabling or a proper Ethernet switch.
What changes when you use your own router?
With EE Full Fibre, your own router can connect directly to the ONT on the wall. You’re replacing the EE router entirely.
Brings the fibre into your home
The ONT is the small wall box where the fibre connection arrives. It stays in place and handles the broadband hand-off.
Your own router plugs into the ONT by Ethernet, just as an EE Smart Hub normally would.
Takes over the home network
Your router then handles Wi-Fi, wired devices, guest access, parental controls and any advanced settings it offers.
That can be useful, but EE’s own routers are already very good, so this is mainly for people who know they want a specific setup.
Having trouble choosing a broadband provider?
No single best provider or package exists – only the best pick for you personally. Fibredog's YourMatch™ system uses thousands of provider metrics and a lot of maths to find you your perfect match.
Some links on this page may earn us a small commission if you click through and buy. This never affects either what you pay, or our scores and recommendations. If, however, you’d rather bypass affiliate links, use this direct EE Broadband link instead.
