This topic

Re: How to turn off hot spot?

Chris_Sav — Sat, 13 Feb 2021 13:42:15 GMT

Just got a smart hub2 and halo and spotted BT are still using me as a public hotspot on the band I have turned off.

Cannot see a my packge on myBT now, please advise how to opt out of hotpots on the current menu structure.

Re: How to turn off hot spot?

Chris_Sav — Sat, 13 Feb 2021 20:46:30 GMT

I wondered where this had disappeared to!

Further research and have follwed the email instructions in

https://community.bt.com/t5/Broadband-Extras-Apps-from-BT/Smarthub-2-wont-disconnect-from-Wi-Fi-x-and-Fon/m-p/1959161#M35925

Be a shame to cancel the new contract as the kit is good, but I live in an isolated house and do not wish to advertise computer gear.

Re: How to turn off hot spot?

licquorice — Sat, 13 Feb 2021 20:53:32 GMT

If you live in an isolated house (as I do) you will notice any strangers lurking long before they have had a chance to login to BT wifi.

Unless you completely remove all wifi, you will always 'be advertising computer gear' which I doubt is any sort of problem in itself as I suspect there are extremely few properties that don't have computer gear so is hardly a magnet.

Re: How to turn off hot spot?

Chris_Sav — Sat, 13 Feb 2021 22:45:44 GMT

Suggestions to help with my desire to turn off BT hotpot that I knew nothing of when I took out this contract a couple of days ago are welcome.

Criticisms of my reasons for not wanting to be a hotspot are irrelevant and a pointless post

Re: How to turn off hot spot?

garybs29 — Sat, 13 Feb 2021 23:31:55 GMT

Have you tried following the instructions here? https://www.bt.com/help/broadband/how-do-i-opt-out-of-bt-wi-fi-

Re: How to turn off hot spot?

Chris_Sav — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 09:00:29 GMT

Tried that but thanks for the suggestion, the link is out of date and defaults to the my product page and navigating from there tends to result in BT trying to sell you something. I did find the opt out once but have never managed to find it again. The same applies to the link on the router broadband status page.

Even if successful it would apparently take a month to turn off what turned on instantaneously. What appears to me to be an effort to make it as difficult as is possible to opt out of as turning off wifi on the router does NOT turn off this hotspot broadcast.

Re: How to turn off hot spot?

Keith_Beddoe — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 09:09:30 GMT

The only way to guarantee that you would never transmit BT Wifi hotspot, is to use a third party router.

Even if you do manage to turn off the hotspot, it will get enabled again if you have to factory reset the home hub, and you would have to go through the process of enabling it online again, then waiting 24 hours, then disabling again and waiting up to 28 days again.

Re: How to turn off hot spot?

Keith_Beddoe — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 09:18:10 GMT

@Chris_Sav

Try Manage Wifi

Re: How to turn off hot spot?

Chris_Sav — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 11:32:26 GMT

Thanks Keith.

I'm struggling with this.

I've gone from my own bespoke network on FTTC to my own Draytek hybrid router (but no VOIP) / backbone / access point and bridge to BT Halo 3+ to simplify things for my wife should anything happen to me following a health scare. That so to enable support for a bog standard system and cover us when PSTN finishes.

Under the old system we could access BT Wifi anywhere. So having upgraded to the premium BT offering available to us BT will consider it sulking if I opt out of being a hotspot and, in turn, ban us from accessing other BT hotspots as we have done for the last two years?

Is that what will happen?

Re: How to turn off hot spot?

imjolly — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 12:21:11 GMT

if you opt out of BTWIFI then it will eventually be turned off on the hub and you will no longer have access to BTWIFI/hotspots when out and about. however if you do not opt out but use a third party router then obviously you cannot connect to your own BTWIFI but you are still permitted to connect to BTWIFI when out and about

Re: How to turn off hot spot?

Chris_Sav — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 12:03:55 GMT

The email link worked, just received a reply on a Sunday and that's impressive.

Unfortunately they can no longer act from the email as full authentification is necessary.

Phoned the number and the hotspot will be disabled in the next couple of days, good news!

The blackmail is also true in that BT will reciprocate by removing my wifi access from other hotspots.

Fortunately I am a very light user so am very unlikely to exceed my plan in the first place, but it's no wonder none of this appears on the halo adverts!! I feel an email to watchdog coming on.

Re: How to turn off hot spot?

licquorice — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 12:11:42 GMT

So, you expect other people to provide hotspot access for you to use but you don't wish to reciprocate by providing hotspot access for others.

Perhaps you should have read the terms and conditions of your contract.

Re: How to turn off hot spot?

Chris_Sav — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 13:24:55 GMT

Please quote exactly where the T&C contadicts the clause in my mobile contract which says I have a right to use bt wifi hotspots.

Other than that the solution has been provided by this forum which it is what it is here for thank you, not for making off topic comments on other posters problems

Re: How to turn off hot spot?

Chris_Sav — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 15:13:51 GMT

Pleased to report hotspots have gone.

Thanks for providing the solution

Re: How to turn off hot spot?

Gary_C — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 15:21:10 GMT

BT Wi-Fi Service terms (free to BT Broadband and BT Mobile Customers Only)
What we provide
We agree to give BT Broadband and BT Mobile customers unlimited free access to wi-fi hotspots provided by BT Wi-Fi and BT Openzone. BT Broadband customers can also access wi-fi hotspots using – Fon and our associated network partners.
The free wi-fi access we give can be used when you're outside the home, and for as long as you are either:
a. a BT Broadband customer and remain opted in to the free BT Wi-Fi service or
b. a BT Mobile customer.
When the service starts
3. For new BT Broadband customers, your free access to BT Wi-Fi will start when you receive confirmation of your BT Broadband order and set up a BT ID.
4. For existing BT Broadband customers that were not automatically opted in to the free service, it will start when you opt in via bt.com/btwifi.
5. For new BT Mobile customers, your free access to BT Wi-Fi will start when you activate your SIM card on a wi-fi compatible handset.

Your use of the Service (BT Broadband customers only)
6. Fon hotspots work by using spare bandwidth from BT Broadband customers€™ wireless hubs to provide secure wi-fi access to other BT Wi-Fi customers. By staying opted in to the service, you agree to this use of your spare bandwidth.
7. Your use of your home private Wi-Fi service is not compromised by the use of your wireless hub as a Fon hotspot and your private use of the available bandwidth is always prioritised over its use by other BT Wi-Fi users.

Things you need to know (BT Broadband customers only)
8. If you ordered BT Broadband after March 2009 or re-contracted to a BT Broadband service after December 2009 you will have been automatically opted into the free BT Wi-Fi service.
9. If you ordered BT Broadband before these dates you can still get the free service if you opt in via bt.com/btwifi.
10. You may opt out of the free BT Wi-Fi service at any time, but if you do this you will lose your unlimited free wi-fi access.
11. Opting out of the free BT Wi-Fi service means that other BT Wi-Fi users will no longer be able to share the spare bandwidth of your wireless hub.

Its all there in the T&C's if you look.

Really though, why are you bothered about it ? Is it a perceived loss of bandwidth or security ?

Either are not an issue, your bandwith gets priority, and the Fon/openzone traffic is entirely separate to your network, you should be more concerned about people accessing your SSID than the fon/openzone SSID.

Re: How to turn off hot spot?

gg30340 — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 23:09:12 GMT

If you read the T& Cs correctly you will see that the OP is correct. If he is a BT mobile phone customer he does NOT need to stay Opted into BTWifi in order to use it.

"The free wi-fi access we give can be used when you're outside the home, and for as long as you are either:
a. a BT Broadband customer and remain opted in to the free BT Wi-Fi service or
b. a BT Mobile customer."

See section 5 in the T&Cs.

Section 6 to 11 and in particular section 6 that has been highlighted in the post above only applies to BT Broadband customers as can be seen by the sentence "Your use of the Service (BT Broadband customers only)" between section 5 and 6

There is no where in the T&Cs stating that BT Mobile customers must stay opted in, no doubt because you can have BT Mobile without having BT Broadband.

Re: How to turn off hot spot?

Gary_C — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 15:15:44 GMT

But he is a broadband customer ?

I dont think it means if you are a mobile and a broadband it doesn't apply, just that if you are only a mobile it doesn't.

Re: How to turn off hot spot?

gg30340 — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 16:48:00 GMT

You may not think that but it is the case. He has two contracts. He has a BT Mobile contract and is fully entitled to use BTWifi regardless of what he does with his BT Broadband BTWifi.

Re: How to turn off hot spot?

Gary_C — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 19:41:13 GMT

i suppose if its two separate accounts ?

OP, can you still use HS's ?

Re: How to turn off hot spot?

gg30340 — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 22:11:01 GMT

It does not matter if it is two separate accounts or not. They are two different contracts with two different agreements.

If he can not get BTWifi because he has turned off BTWifi on his BT Broadband package/hub he has grounds to complain and have the access restored because he is a BT Mobile user and it is clearly a part of that package that you have access to BTWifi.

There is nowhere in any of the T&Cs that state that if you are a BT Broadband customer and a BT Mobile customer that you must stay opted in on the BT Broadband package in order to use BTWifi on the BT Mobile package.

See link about BT Mobile

About BT Mobile - Broadband customers get £5 off a month

"BT Wi-fi & 4G

See btwifi.com. BT Mobile customers get access to the wi-fi hotspots already available to existing BT Broadband customers.4G speeds vary by location, coverage and demand".

If you can find where it states if you are BT Broadband and BT Mobile customer and you opt out of BTWifi on your BT Broadband package you will lose access to BTWifi on your BTMobile phone can you point it out and I will stand corrected.

BT Mobile service terms | Terms and Conditions