Here we have a Plusnet Hub One dual-band wireless 802.11a/b/g/n/ac and Gigabit Ethernet ASDL2+/VDSL2 modem router. This router is essentially a BT Home Hub 5 Type A (HH5a) in disguise — it has exactly the same hardware specs but comes in a customised white and purple box. It is unlocked and now runs a stable version of LEDE (an evolution of OpenWRT) free open source software.  The power of free software unleashes the capabilities of Hub One turning the normal stock router into an extremely stable device with features rivaling that of routers worth £100+. This Hub is no longer locked to BT lines — use this router with any compatible Internet Service Provider and enjoy complete wireless freedom! 

 Plusnet Hub One features:  

     
  • CPU: MIPS 500 MHz processor — 3 times faster than other common wireless routers, great for running OpenVPN, web server, and other software  
  • Memory: 128MiB NAND Flash and 128MiB DDR2 Samsung RAM Chip — 4 times more compared to OpenReach ECI router, giving you 100+ MiB of free memory to install all LEDE packages you want  
  • Ethernet:  5x 10/100/1000 BASE-TX Ethernet Interface (1x WAN, 4x LAN) — five Gigabit Ethernet ports for all PC's and Raspberry Pi's in your household  
  • Wireless: 2.4GHz Atheros AR9227 802.11b/g/n 2x2 MIMO and 5.0GHz Qualcomm QCA9880-BR4A a/b/g/n/ac 3x3 MIMO — perfect speed and coverage for all your wireless devices  
  • DSL: Lantiq XWAY VRX208, supporting ADSL1/2/2+ and VDSL1/2 — compatible with most ISPs in the UK and many abroad  
  • Switch: Internal configurable (Infineon) — allows you to configure a variety of VLANs for guests and for private use  
  • USB: 1x USB 2.0 — to attach hard disks or other devices  
  • GPIO Buttons:  WPS, Restart and Reset buttons — attach any function to these buttons, as they are fully configurable with LEDE  
  • Power:  External 12V 1.5A   
As you can see, Hub One is competitive with many routers which are currently worth £100+ on the market. It replaces the Openreach ECI modem, since xDSL modems are now built-in.  It is also comparable to the latest BT Smart Hub (aka Home Hub 6) in many features and even has a WAN Ethernet port which allows you to set it up as a secondary router in your home network or connect to FFTP if you are lucky to have it.

Flashing LEDE on this router is not a straightforward task, involving opening it and wiring a serial console directly to the mainboard.  It can take you a few hours (or days) to complete even when you have all the tools and skills required. Save yourself the hassle and buy one with LEDE preinstalled!

What's in the bid:

     
  • Plusnet Hub One running LEDE 17.01.4.  
  • Original power supply with UK plug header or matching power supply from BT Hub 5 Type A, with exactly the same specifications and fully compatible with the router.   
  • One RJ11 cable and one microfilter — you will need them to connect Hub One to your DSL (telephone) socket.  
  • One RJ45 Cat5e Ethernet cable — you will need it to connect Hub One as a secondary router, or to a cable provider, or to your laptop/PC.  
  • NO original packaging and NO original manual. Extensive user guide is available on the LEDE website.
The router was used and is now refurbished. It is in good working and cosmetic condition, however it can have some minor marks and signs of wear. Note that the cables can have different color or length than those shown on photos. The microfilter can also be of a different color or make.

Why use LEDE:

     
  1. Performance.  
    LEDE is designed by a community of network experts who care about the performance of their network.   
    LEDE incorporates many cutting-edge algorithms performing far better than vendor-supplied firmware.  
    LEDE reduces latency and lag using bufferbloat control algorithms.  
    LEDE optimised wifi drivers support higher data rates and airtime fairness between stations.  
  2. Stability.  
    LEDE operates reliably for long periods of time (people report no disconnections in months). Finally no more wifi dropouts caused by stock firmware.  
    LEDE prolongs the life of your router. While many vendors only provide updates for your router/device until the newer model is released, LEDE supports all compatible models indefinitely.  
  3. Security.  
    LEDE is an open source software. Many developers from all over the world review the code before it's released. There are no hidden backdoors left by hardware vendors.  
    LEDE is based on Linux kernel and hence resistant to common vulnerabilities.  
    LEDE is actively updated so any vulnerabilities are closed shortly after they are discovered.  
    LEDE configuration by default is very conservative allowing full internet connectivity without exposing your router or connected devices to attacks.  
  4. Simplicity.  
    LEDE is designed with all range of users in mind from network experts to enthusiastic beginners.  
    You can access router by SSH and enjoy all benefits of Linux OS system.  
    You can also access it via your browser and use a fantastic Luci web interface to see kernel and system logs, life performance graphs and DSL status.    You can administer the router through Luci interface, too.  
    The Luci web interface is highly customisable with a number of themes  and localization in over 20 languages.  
  5. Support.  
    LEDE is made possible by a vibrant and helpful community of developers, volunteers, and long-time LEDE/OpenWRT users.   
    Users benefit from an extensive and reader-friendly documentation and information on LEDE forum, and access to LEDE Developer and LEDE Admin mailing lists.  
    You can contribute to this work by reporting a bug and getting it fixed! See contacts on the LEDE site for more information.  
  6. Extensibility.  
    LEDE is fully customisable with more than 3000 packages ready to be installed, including OpenVPN, Smart Queue Management, ad-blocking, torrent client, DNSCrypt, DDNS and many more.  
  7. Fun.   Last but not the least, using LEDE is a great fun! Did you know you can configure LEDs and buttons/switches and make it a disco!

Important details:  

     
  • Is it plug & play? No. This router is not a plug-and-play device. It will not configure itself. You will need to log in to your router and put the details from your Internet Service Provider, such as line type, account name, password, etc. This can be done using Linux or Luci web interface and normally takes less than a minute, provided you have correct and complete ISP details.   To stay safe on the Internet, please keep your private details (accounts and passwords) as you would keep keys to your house — don't give them to strangers (myself included) and don't lose them.   
  • I want to watch EPL but the router won't connect to the internet, why? This is because the router is not plug and play. You will need to configure your Internet access and also IPTV streaming in your router. I can not preset these details for you because I do not know what ISP and what IPTV you have. Setting up your IPTV is not included in the price. If your current provider is blocking some IPTV channels on your line, the LEDE HH5a router will not magically unlock them. It allows you to configure many useful services (e.g. VPN, Tor, DDNS), but you will need to configure them. If you simply want to plug a device in and enjoy the show, perhaps, LEDE router is not the best choice for you.  
  • What's LEDE? LEDE is a highly customisable and configurable system which can be used for many different purposes. Please check the LEDE website in advance and make sure that LEDE is suitable for your purpose and you understand how to configure it. Unfortunately, eBay no longer permits any web links in listings, so please google for "LEDE project" and familiarise yourself with the software and its capabilities before making a purchase.  
  • How to configure it? Configuring LEDE is usually very straightforward, but it remains a buyer's responsibility, and no technical support is offered or implied with this purchase. LEDE is aimed at enthusiastic users who like to discover and learn new things, and not those seeking a familiar interface or plug and play experience.  A lot of information is available on LEDE website and LEDE forum — please look at them before purchase. I will also provide a link to a detailed manual after the purchase. If you need more help, you are welcome to send me a message and I will try to help when I can, but this is done purely as a goodwill gesture beyond the scope of this deal. If you can't configure the router for your purpose you can return it but you remain responsible for P&P costs.  
  • How fast is it? The router is faster than most similarly priced third-party routers, but not as fast as professional hardware worth £200+. The LEDE HH5a is somewhat slower than HH5a with vendor-supplied firmware. Specifically, the DSL drivers included with the current stable version of LEDE are not yet fully optimised, and the router is unlikely to reach more than 64mbps over DSL — it will not be able to fully enjoy the 80mbps+ potential of superfast fibre networks. In the local network, the wired speed  will likely exceed 100mbps and can reach up to 400-500mbps if you use Cat6 cables and gigabit-compatible devices. The exact wireless speed depends on the devices you use, distances between them, and material of your walls. A standard 2+2 house is likely to be fully covered with a good wifi signal. If you need more information, please get in touch before buying.  
  • Can I run VPN on it? Yes. If you want to set up a VPN on this router, you will need a contract with a VPN provider first. Each VPN provider is slightly different, and you should ask them for instructions on how to configure VPN on your router, as I will not be able to assist in it. LEDE supports a variety of VPN protocols, including OpenVPN, however you have to choose the package you want, install and configure it yourself. My LEDE HH5a reaches 8-10mbps with OpenVPN and 25mbps with WireGuard, a novel kernel-based VPN protocol. Your results may be higher or lower depending on your VPN settings, VPN provider, ISP and other factors.  
  • I am already with BT / Plusnet, do I need an unlock? It depends on what you want from your router. Many people are concerned with the quality of the vendor-supplied software (issues such as wifi drops and reboots). Some people suspect their ISP to snoop over their traffic using built-in backdoors in the vendor-supplied software. And some people simply want more flexibility, such as running VPN or Tor or adblock any other software directly on their router to make sure their local network is safe. The benefit of LEDE is that it is free, meaning that you are not restricted by what your vendor software allows. There are also disadvantages of using LEDE: it is more difficult to set up (it's not plug & play), and it can be 10-20% slower than the original vendor software. For some people the advantages of flexibility overweight the rest. The choice is yours.  
  • I am not in the UK, will it work for me? International bidders are welcome, but please note that this router comes with the UK mains power adapter. In the UK most providers use ADSL Annex A, VDSL Annex A, VDSL Annex B, or cable FTTP lines. The router will not work with ADSL Annex B and is not guaranteed to work on other lines — please check the router is compatible with xDSL specification in your country before bidding. Please note that the item will be sent through the Global Shipping Program, but we have no control on their pricing, delivery times, etc.  
  • Do you leave a serial interface attached to the mainboard? No, since doing so could've compromised wifi stability and performance. The wifi antennae for each router are factory calibrated using precise equipment, and the calibratory data are stored in the router memory. These data are carefully preserved during the flashing process, but they are only accurate if the hardware remains exactly the same.   Leaving any cables and wires attached would inevitably influence the electromagnetic field near wifi antennae, and thus impact their performance, with no way of controlling it.   For this reason I make sure the hardware remains exactly in the original condition and hence the calibratory data are accurate and reliable.   All required updates of LEDE and its packages can be done through the Luci web interface or LEDE Linux interface.  
  • Why are we different from other sellers? There are a few sellers on eBay offering unlocked LEDE HH5a devices. Some of them even use our photos without our permission and can't be bothered to make their own unique description of the product they sell. Instead, they simply set their prices a wee bit lower hoping for quick sale. Buyers, perhaps, should not expect high level of customer support from such sellers.   
    We sell LEDE HH5a on eBay since version 17.01.1 and have successfully helped hundreds of customers, as evidenced by our 100% positive feedback. Although technical support is not included in the asking price and hence not guaranteed, we strive to support our customers to achieve the desired configuration and answer all questions within several hours. Buy with confidence!  
  • What about the latest updates? LEDE 17.01.5 and OpenWRT 18.06.0 have been released recently. We are currently testing both versions for stability and performance. Our preliminary results indicate that newer versions do not offer significant boost in performance. We therefore recommend for most users to keep LEDE 17.01.4 which is currently well documented and supported with community knowledge. For more daring users, we are happy to install LEDE 17.01.5 or OpenWRT 18.06.0 by request which you can leave during checkout or send us via eBay messages immediately after purchase.