Virgin Media Hub 5 vs Hub 5x: Key Differences (2026)
Short version: the Hub 5 and the Hub 5x are both current 2026 hubs running the same WiFi 6. Virgin's spec table puts the Hub 5 on DOCSIS 3.1 cable with a 2.5Gbps port and the Hub 5x on full fibre with a 10Gbps port. Virgin's help page gives Hub 5 modem mode steps but says modem mode is not currently available for the Hub 5x. Virgin matches the Hub to your connection.
If you have heard there are two current Virgin Media hubs and you are trying to work out which one you will end up with, you are in the right place. The names look almost identical, the boxes look almost identical, and the marketing does not do much to clear it up. Let's cut through it: there are three differences that actually matter, and one of them decides whether you can run your own router in modem mode.
Key Takeaways
- The Hub 5 and the Hub 5x are both current-generation 2026 hubs, and Virgin's Hub spec table lists the same dual-band WiFi 6 for each, so neither is WiFi 6E or WiFi 7.
- Virgin's Hub spec table puts the Hub 5 on DOCSIS 3.1 with one 2.5Gbps port and the Hub 5x on XGS-PON with one 10Gbps port, each alongside three 1Gbps ports.
- Virgin's reset and modem mode help page gives modem mode steps for the Hub 5 but says modem mode is not currently available for the Hub 5x.
- Virgin says it provides the right Hub based on your broadband connection: the Hub 5 on its fibre-coax network and the Hub 5x on full-fibre connections, and Virgin Media O2's Gig2 launch release says Gig2 customers receive the Hub 5x.
- A single router such as the TP-Link Archer BE550 suits a Hub 5 in modem mode, while behind a Hub 5x a mesh such as the eero Pro 6E runs in bridge mode, which eero's help page covers.
Hub 5 vs Hub 5x: the three differences that actually matter
First, a myth worth killing. The Hub 5 and the Hub 5x are both Virgin's current-generation hubs in 2026. This is not an old hub versus a new hub; it is not a case of deciding whether to upgrade. They are two flavours of the same generation, sent to different customers depending on how their line is wired.
On the wireless side, the two are near twins. Both run WiFi 6, dual-band, and neither one is WiFi 6E or WiFi 7. Virgin's Hub spec table lists the same seven antennae and the same 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radios for both. So the over-the-air experience you get sitting on the sofa with your phone is broadly the same on either unit.
What genuinely separates them comes down to three things: the network type each hub plugs into, the speed of its single fast wired port, and whether modem mode is available. Hold onto that last one; it is the one that changes your options if you want your own kit doing the work. The table below draws on Virgin's Hub spec table, its Hub 5 article and its reset and modem mode help page, with the Gig2 note from Virgin Media O2's Gig2 launch release.
| What changes | Hub 5 | Hub 5x |
|---|---|---|
| Network type | DOCSIS 3.1, Virgin's fibre-coax network | XGS-PON, full fibre |
| Fast wired port | One 2.5Gbps, plus three 1Gbps | One 10Gbps, plus three 1Gbps |
| WiFi standard | WiFi 6, dual-band | WiFi 6, dual-band |
| Modem mode | Steps given on Virgin's help page | Not currently available, per Virgin's help page |
| Who gets it | Fibre-coax connections | Full-fibre connections, and Gig2 per Virgin Media O2's launch release |
The Hub 5 is the cable and DOCSIS unit with modem mode
The Hub 5 is Virgin's cable hub. Virgin's Hub 5 article says it works on Virgin Media's fibre-coax network, the familiar coax-fed setup, and Virgin's Hub spec table lists its network connection as DOCSIS 3.1.
For ports, Virgin's Hub spec table lists one 2.5Gbps Ethernet socket plus three 1Gbps sockets. Wireless is WiFi 6, dual-band. None of that is exciting.
The reason the Hub 5 is the quiet hero here is modem mode. Virgin's reset and modem mode help page gives the steps for the Hub 5: in a browser, go to 192.168.0.1, sign in with the Hub settings password on the base of the Hub, then choose Modem Mode, Enable Modem Mode and Apply Changes. The same page says modem mode turns the Hub into a cable modem so you can connect your own WiFi kit, and that afterwards the Hub is reached at 192.168.100.1. Virgin's modem mode help page does not say which of the Hub's Ethernet ports carries the connection, so if the router gets no internet, move the cable to each of the Hub's other Ethernet ports in turn. To see whether the link is running above gigabit, check the link speed your router reports for its WAN port. We have a full walkthrough on how to put the Hub 5 into modem mode and run your own router if that is your plan, and a guide to the best mesh for the Virgin Media Hub 5 if coverage is the real problem.
Virgin's Hub 5 article says Virgin provides the right Hub based on your broadband connection, so the Hub 5 is the one for a fibre-coax (cable) connection.
The Hub 5x is the full-fibre unit with a 10G port and no modem mode for now
The Hub 5x is the full-fibre sibling. Virgin's Hub spec table lists its network connection as XGS-PON, and Virgin's Hub 5 article says it is used on full-fibre connections, so it takes an optical connection with no coax in sight. Virgin Media O2's Gig2 launch announcement said Gig2 uses XGS-PON on the nexfibre full-fibre network and that Gig2 customers receive the Hub 5x.
Ports are where it looks impressive on paper: Virgin's Hub spec table lists one 10Gbps Ethernet socket plus three 1Gbps sockets. Worth being clear about what that 10G port is for, though. Think of it as wired-only headroom for the multi-gig plans, somewhere to plug a single very fast device or switch. That headroom is not a WiFi improvement, because the wireless on the Hub 5x is the same WiFi 6, dual-band spec as the Hub 5. A faster cable socket does not make the air around your house any quicker.
Now the catch. Virgin Media's reset and modem mode help page gives modem mode steps for the Hub 3, 4 and 5, but says modem mode is not currently available for the Hub 5x, and it gives no date for that changing. The upshot for you: do not assume the Hub 5x will let you bridge to your own router.
Virgin Media O2 said Gig2 customers receive the Hub 5x, and Virgin's Hub 5 article says the Hub 5x is used on full-fibre connections. If you are weighing up that top tier, our take on whether Gig2 is worth paying for goes deeper on the speed side of the decision.
Which hub you get is decided by your connection, not by you
Here is the part that trips people up. You do not get to pick. Virgin's Hub 5 article says you don't need to choose between them because Virgin provides the right Hub based on your broadband connection.
Virgin's Hub spec table lists DOCSIS 3.1 for the Hub 5, which Virgin says works on its fibre-coax network, and XGS-PON for the Hub 5x, which it says is used on full-fibre connections. Virgin's gigabit page sells Gig2 as Full Fibre Broadband, and Virgin Media O2's Gig2 launch announcement said Gig2 customers receive the Hub 5x, although the FAQ on that same gigabit page says its Gig2 and 1Gbps deals come with the WiFi Hub 5.
So if you are unsure which one you have, the check is simple. Virgin's Connect app page says to look at the sticker on the bottom of the Hub or check through the Connect app. Before it arrives, the question is whether Virgin is connecting you over fibre-coax or full fibre.
The picks at a glance
| Product | Best for | Key specs | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | TP-Link Archer BE550 Hub 5 pick | A single capable router behind the Hub 5 in modem mode | Tri-band WiFi 7 (BE9300), 2.5G WAN, four 2.5G LAN | Check price → |
 | Amazon eero Pro 6E Easiest setup | The easiest mesh in access-point mode behind a Hub 5x | Mesh, sets up in minutes | Check price → |
 | TP-Link Deco X60 Value pick | Better value for a bigger home behind a Hub 5x | Mesh, stretches further across floors | Check price → |
If you want to run your own router, the hub you get changes everything
This is where the two hubs really part ways, and it is the bit worth reading twice if you are planning to escape the hub's WiFi.
On the Hub 5, Virgin's help page gives the modem mode steps, so swapping in your own router is the clean answer. The hub becomes a modem, your router takes over routing and WiFi, and you get a single device running the show the way you want. If you are looking at what to buy, our roundup of the best routers and mesh systems to replace the Virgin hub covers the field.
For a Hub 5 specifically, a single capable router is the tidy pick, and the TP-Link Archer BE550 pairs well here. TP-Link lists tri-band WiFi 7, EasyMesh compatibility so it can work with other EasyMesh routers and range extenders if you expand later, and a dedicated 2.5 Gbps WAN port, the same speed Virgin's Hub spec table lists for the Hub 5's fastest Ethernet port.
Check the TP-Link Archer BE550 on Amazon →
The Hub 5x is the awkward one. Because Virgin's help page says modem mode is not currently available for the Hub 5x, a single-router bridge setup is not on offer there for now. That does not leave you stuck, but it does change the shape of the fix. The realistic answer is to leave the Hub 5x as the gateway and run a mesh in access-point mode behind it. TP-Link's Deco FAQ says Access Point mode is for an existing router in front of the main Deco, which then works as the gateway, and eero's bridge mode help page says that where the provider's equipment offers no bridge mode, you put your eeros in bridge mode instead. For more options here, our best WiFi mesh systems ranked by real user reviews digs into the wider field.
For the easiest version of that, the Amazon eero Pro 6E is hard to beat on simplicity; it sets up in minutes and drops into access-point mode without fuss. If you want better value for a bigger home, the TP-Link Deco X60 does the same job and stretches further across the floors.
See the eero Pro 6E on Amazon →
One last bit of advice before you spend anything. Confirm which hub you have first: Virgin's Connect app page says the sticker on the bottom of the Hub or the Connect app will tell you. Virgin's help page gives modem mode steps for the Hub 5 and says modem mode is not currently available for the Hub 5x, and there is no sense buying a router for a bridged setup that your hub will not let you build. Our modem-mode guide walks through the Hub 5 steps.
The short version, then: Virgin gives the Hub 5 a modem mode for running your own router, while it says modem mode is not currently available for the Hub 5x. The WiFi is much the same on both, the 10G port is wired headroom rather than a wireless win, and your broadband connection picks the hub for you.