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Introducing a UK first - Hybrid Connect

SeanD — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 11:51:10 GMT

The UK’s first unbreakable home wi-fi
With the help of EE, the UK’s best mobile network

Hybrid broadband from BT and EE

We’ve redefined reliability with our new hybrid broadband. It’s the UK’s first broadband backed up by mobile for a home connection you can count on. And it’s all thanks to the new Hybrid Connect from EE. It works hand in hand with your Smart Hub 2 to automatically connect you to EE, the UK’s best mobile network if your broadband ever goes down.

Wi-fi hassles are a thing of the past

Hybrid Connect from EE is always plugged in, ready and waiting. If needed it kicks in automatically, switching your broadband over to EE’s mobile network and keeping you connected. Then as soon as we’ve got things sorted, it switches back again, just like that. It also works with Complete Wi-Fi, so whether you’re connected to broadband or EE you should still get a signal in those hard-to-reach places.

The UK’s first instant connection

Switching broadband providers usually means waiting for your broadband to get connected. With Hybrid Connect from EE, there’s no more waiting. You’ll be automatically connected to the EE mobile network. We’ll send the Hybrid Connect device out the same day if it’s ordered by 3pm, with 24-hour delivery. That means you can get connected instantly, even before your broadband is activated.

Help is always at hand

We can get everything set up for you. Just call us and we’ll come to your home. Our Home Tech Experts are here to make sure your wi-fi always works the best it can for what you need. Choose from 2-hour appointment slots 7 days a week. There’s a small one-off charge for a Home Tech Expert visit, but our friendly advisors are also on hand to help, on the phone or in-store.

For more information please visit this link BT Halo and BT Broadband Hybrid connect

For me information please see this link, Introducing BT Halo 3 and BT Halo 3+

Re: Introducing a UK first - Hybrid Connect

Andrew600 — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 10:59:04 GMT

I just clicked through to see how much it was etc. Another £2 a month for me which seems very reasonable.

The order summary details what I’ll be paying and says a smart hub 2 is included, but there is no mention at all of the Hybrid Connect device. As that’s essentially what I’m ordering the package for I’m reluctant to proceed if the Hybrid Connect device won’t be sent with the SH2.

Can you clarify please. Thanks.

Re: Introducing a UK first - Hybrid Connect

imjolly — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 11:38:17 GMT

the hybrid connect is sent to you if you have a loss of broadband and should be with 24hrs of reporting the fault

Re: Introducing a UK first - Hybrid Connect

J5 — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 12:02:46 GMT

@imjolly You are thinking of a different product (4G mini hub) as part of the keep connected promise benefit included with Halo product lines.

The hybrid connect is a separate product the customer is sent once they initially order the service and is constantly connected in conjunction with the smart hub 2. If the main broadband goes down the hybrid connect system will kick and and take over within minutes.

In these circumstances the 4G mini hub is sent if the customer moves home, because any other situation the keep connected promise is not needed because of the hybrid connect.

Re: Introducing a UK first - Hybrid Connect

Andrew600 — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 12:02:08 GMT

@imjollywrote:
the hybrid connect is sent to you if you have a loss of broadband and should be with 24hrs of reporting the fault

That’s the mini hub isn’t it?

Hybrid connect supposedly connects automatically to 4G within 3 minutes of the broadband going down according to BTs faqs. That’s the attraction, uninterrupted service no matter what. Much better than waiting 24 hours for a mini hub.
I think I might have found the catch though trawling through the faqs. The hybrid box is only included with Halo 3+ whole home Wi-fi, not the vanilla halo 3. That unsurprisingly costs a lot more.

If I’ve got that right, for the cost of the hybrid box BT have lost an order. Halo 3 offers me nothing that Halo 1 doesn’t already have. I thought it was too good to be true.

Re: Introducing a UK first - Hybrid Connect

Gary_C — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 12:34:15 GMT

Interesting.
Would be interesting to plug into a load balancing router as it would try to use both links at the same time ?

But, its another £10 a month which isn't palatable at the moment.

Re: Introducing a UK first - Hybrid Connect

garybs29 — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 12:38:10 GMT

If I've read it right halo 3 is the old halo 2 so you'd get the new smarthub 2 & the home tech experts as well.

FWIW hybrid connect is available on normal fibre 1 & 2 for an extra £7 pm as well

Re: Introducing a UK first - Hybrid Connect

Gary_C — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 12:38:58 GMT

Just noticed, the £10 extra would also include 10 black wifi disks so not as bad as I thought

Re: Introducing a UK first - Hybrid Connect

Andrew600 — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 15:02:15 GMT

@garybs29wrote:
If I've read it right halo 3 is the old halo 2 so you'd get the new smarthub 2 & the home tech experts as well.

FWIW hybrid connect is available on normal fibre 1 & 2 for an extra £7 pm as well

I’ve no real need for a SH2 to be honest, no need for Wi-fi discs and definitely no need for tech support, so it would be £7 a month or £0 to wait an hour after reporting a fault for them to switch my BT mobile to unlimited data so I can tether to it until my mini hub arrives.
Think I’ll take the £0 option.
I’m not knocking it though, it’s a great idea from BT, just not cost effective for me at the moment.

Re: Introducing a UK first - Hybrid Connect

SeanD — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 15:09:00 GMT

@Andrew600 wrote:

I just clicked through to see how much it was etc. Another £2 a month for me which seems very reasonable.

The order summary details what I’ll be paying and says a smart hub 2 is included, but there is no mention at all of the Hybrid Connect device. As that’s essentially what I’m ordering the package for I’m reluctant to proceed if the Hybrid Connect device won’t be sent with the SH2.

Can you clarify please. Thanks.

Hi @Andrew600,

Thanks for the post. If you place an order for Hybrid Connect then a separate device will be sent along with the Smart Hub 2. I am sorry that this was not made clear during the order journey, we are looking at the order confirmation pages to make sure it clearly states what will come with your order.

Once an order is placed, your order confirmation will list the devices you will receive so you will see Hybrid Connect as part of your order.

Cheers

Sean

Re: Introducing a UK first - Hybrid Connect

Gary_C — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 16:32:31 GMT

Bit of error in my post, 3 disks not 10 !!

Losing it !

Re: Introducing a UK first - Hybrid Connect

hippey — Sun, 07 Feb 2021 20:23:37 GMT

Is there a reason some customers can't order Halo 3+?

What causes this? I'm wondering if it's the lack of 4G coverage at a property or if FTTP is already present.

Re: Introducing a UK first - Hybrid Connect

Surboy — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 08:09:16 GMT

@Gary_C

I was going to ask if you lived in Buckingham Palace 😜

Re: Introducing a UK first - Hybrid Connect

Gary_C — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 11:35:54 GMT

🙂

Re: Introducing a UK first - Hybrid Connect

Wmlh — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 12:16:15 GMT

I received a hybrid connect device a few days ago. According to the map, I am in a good 4G EE signal area. However I can only get 1 bar wherever I place it. Last night my broadband went down for several minutes - more than 5 - the hybrid connect did nothing.

Re: Introducing a UK first - Hybrid Connect

Gary_C — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 17:52:14 GMT

So your saying you have the wired VDSL up and running but when it stopped for more than 5 minutes, the mobile network fallback didn't take over ?
Anything in the hubs log ?

Re: Introducing a UK first - Hybrid Connect

Wmlh — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 18:32:21 GMT

I only have 1 bar showing almost all of the time. It briefly showed 2 bars this afternoon so I disconnected the hub and the white bar showed and I could access the internet, so it worked then. Unfortunately, I am back to 1 bar and I conjecture that it won’t work unless 2 bars are showing. The hub log didn’t seem to tell me anything.

Re: Introducing a UK first - Hybrid Connect

-Richie- — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 18:46:42 GMT

@Wmlhwrote:
I only have 1 bar showing almost all of the time. It briefly showed 2 bars this afternoon so I disconnected the hub and the white bar showed and I could access the internet, so it worked then. Unfortunately, I am back to 1 bar and I conjecture that it won’t work unless 2 bars are showing. The hub log didn’t seem to tell me anything.

The hybrid is wi-fi enabled, once paired up you can move it, by a window might be a better location.

Re: Introducing a UK first - Hybrid Connect

Chris_Sav — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 20:16:50 GMT

My Halo3+ & hybrid connect setup arrived today and I have to say it plugged in and setup seemlessly. I changed the IP to what my old router had and similarly the SSID, plugged everything in and away everything went. The Hybrid side is not so good as hilltop location but only one bar and that's upstairs. Fortunately I have an old external aerial from an O2 4G connection when BT broadband was cr@p in my area and that gives me two bars, still not good.

Tested the failover and it connected fine after about five minutes but only at about 3 meg, better than nowt I suppose.

Cannot use the disc yet as it has no ports so cannot replace my access point until an ethernet switch arrives. Hoping to run the disc hard wired from my ethernet backbone then.

Re: Introducing a UK first - Hybrid Connect

Chris_Sav — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 09:24:35 GMT

Good news is Switch arrived and yes you can hardwire the disc to increase range and throughput.

Bad news is i now find I am a BT hotspot that I cannot turn off (posted elsewhere).

Brilliantly simple to install system when I think of the hoops I had to jump through with my old bespoke network. I just plugged the lot in and it all self configured.

Shame about the unwanted, unadvertised extra though, if I cannot stop it the kit will be going back.