Replace Sky Gigafast+ Hub on 5Gb with ASUS RT-BE96U - anyone done it?

ThatThereTim — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 20:20:52 GMT

Hi all,

Before I drop ~£660 on an ASUS RT-BE96U, I'm hoping someone here has already walked this path and can confirm it works on the newer Gigafast+ service.

**My setup:**

- Sky Full Fibre 5 Gigafast+ (had it about 3 months)

- Separate ONT that plugs into the Gigafast+ Hub via RJ45

- Cat8 cabling throughout

**What I want to do:**

- Unplug the Gigafast+ Hub entirely

- Plug the ONT directly into the ASUS RT-BE96U's 10G WAN port

- Authenticate using DHCP Option 61 (Client Identifier) in ASUSWRT

- Never touch the Sky hub again

I know this technique is well-documented and reliable on Sky's 1Gb Gigafast service with older hubs like the SR203, and I know ASUS routers handle Sky's MER authentication properly via the Client Identifier field. What I can't find is anyone specifically confirming it on **Gigafast+ (2.5/5Gb)** with the new Hub.

**My questions:**

1. Has anyone successfully bypassed the Gigafast+ Hub on the 5Gb service with a third-party router (ASUS or otherwise)?

2. Is the Option 61 authentication format identical to the older 1Gb Gigafast service, or has Sky changed anything for Gigafast+?

3. Any gotchas with the new Hub or CityFibre-partnered areas I should know about before I commit?

Reason for the change: the Gigafast+ Hub's config options are very limited. I need proper static IP/DHCP reservations, port forwarding, port triggering, and VLAN support for my home network and work setup, which the Sky hub just doesn't do well.

Any confirmed success stories (or warnings) would be massively appreciated before I spend the money. Cheers!

Re: Replace Sky Gigafast+ Hub on 5Gb with ASUS RT-BE96U - anyone done it?

Chrisee — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 06:48:50 GMT

@ThatThereTim not done this myself but there are no reasons a third party router will not connect to your Gigafast+ ONT. You can use the DHCPv4 Option 61 methid if you want but the simpler DHCPv6 PD methid will work on 100% of City Fibre lines. Hope that helps

Edit - keep the Sky hub handy as Sky require that to be connected to diagnose line issues.

topic Replace Sky Gigafast+ Hub on 5Gb with ASUS RT-BE96U - anyone done it? in Broadband

Replace Sky Gigafast+ Hub on 5Gb with ASUS RT-BE96U - anyone done it?

Re: Replace Sky Gigafast+ Hub on 5Gb with ASUS RT-BE96U - anyone done it?