Survey Shows Most Users are Happy With Their Broadband Providers

An online poll of internet users by ISPreview.co.uk found that the majority are happy with their home broadband router, whether it was supplied by their internet provider or purchased from another source.

35% of those polled rated the quality of their router and the speeds of its WiFi network as “very good” while 30% said their router was “good.”

A quarter of respondents rated their router as average while just 11% said their router’s performance was “poor.”

63% were using routers provided by their ISP, which have dramatically improved in quality in over the last decade, especially as broadband providers jockey for contracts from ever more internet-dependent—and savvy—customers.

37% were using third-party routers, which ISPPreview continues to recommend if you want the best hardware and newest features. You should ensure you’re comfortable setting up a router and that your selected device will be compatible with your broadband network before laying out the cash, however.

ISPPreview also queried readers about whether they used their router’s Ethernet (LAN) ports. Just over half of respondents (51%) said they plugged into four or more ports. In the past, some ISPs, including Sky Broadband, had supplied subscribers with routers that were only equipped with one or two ports. ISPPreview’s poll suggests that number of ports isn’t sufficient for many users.

Internet users may use wired connections via these ports to get around slow, lagging WiFi networks, especially when playing online video games, where upload speed and latency are critical.

Lauren Smith

Lauren Smith has worked as a journalist and copywriter for most of the last decade, covering technology, energy, and consumer rights, in the US and UK.

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