This topic

Problem connecting second laptop to HH5

MJP — Sat, 26 Jun 2021 10:26:06 GMT

I have an issue with a Lenovo Legion Laptop with Killer WiFi card.
I also have a Lenovo Ideapad Laptop with Intel WiFi but not killer.

if I use the Ideapad the Legion disconnects from WiFi and will not reconnect.

if I shutdown the Ideapad the legion still refuses to connect. Running troubleshooter fails to fix the issue but reports a problem with the access point. Rebooting the Legion fails to cure the issue.

Restarting the HH5 is the only way I’ve found of getting the Legion to reconnect. Once reconnected the connection remains stable.

I’ve checked for updated drivers, removed the killer WiFi from device manager, uninstalled the driver , then scanned for new hardware and reinstalled driver. I’ve even downloaded the latest driver from Intel killer site , which was the driver I had anyway, all with no improvement.

Ive changed power setting so WiFi doesn’t disconnect to save power.

I also have a similar issue with my iPhone losing connection to the hub which happened before I had the legion. Again restarting The HH is only remedy ( Googling seems to come up with this being an ongoing issue with Apple)

Other than having to reboot the HH every so often I don’t know what else to do. I’m loathe to spend £100 on a new Smart hub that may have the same issues.

Re: Problem connecting second laptop to HH5

Les-Gibson — Sat, 26 Jun 2021 23:28:48 GMT

Are you using either static IP addresses or an old router as a wireless access point?

With the ideapad disconnected from the network, make a note of the IP address of the Legion on the device itself (Not On The Hub)

With legion still connected to the network, connect the Ideapad to the network and verify that the Legion no longer works. Make a note of the IP addresses of both machines as seen on the devices themselves.

Is the IP address of the Ideapad the same as the one you noted from the legion and/or has the IP address on the Legion gone from 192.xxx.xxx.xxx to 169.xxx.xxx.xxx

Re: Problem connecting second laptop to HH5

MJP — Sun, 27 Jun 2021 09:15:31 GMT

Thanks for your reply, I'm not using a separate wireless router, I'm just connected via the BT Home Hub 5.

I rebooted the hub yesterday to get my Legion to connect. I haven't set up static ip adressing.

This morning I've tried out the experiment you have suggested but typically the Legion is remaining connected!

Do you think it would help if I assigned a fixed ip address to both laptops?

Re: Problem connecting second laptop to HH5

gg30340 — Sun, 27 Jun 2021 12:18:57 GMT

Instead of just restarting the HH5 have you tried a factory reset of the Homehub by pressing a pin into the recess button on the rear for about 20 seconds. This should clear out any stored settings and start with a clean sheet.

Once you have done that make sure you turn off "smart setup" on the Homehub.

See link how to do that.

http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/44328/~/what-is-smart-setup-on-the-bt-hub%3F-how-can-i-turn-it-on-and-off%3F

Re: Problem connecting second laptop to HH5

Les-Gibson — Sun, 27 Jun 2021 12:19:25 GMT

You probably cleared the fault when you rebooted the hub

Re: Problem connecting second laptop to HH5

MJP — Sun, 27 Jun 2021 12:39:27 GMT

I’ve had to reboot the hub a few times over the last few months to get the legion to connect after I’ve used the Ideapad though, so I’m sure the problem will arise again at some point!

Re: Problem connecting second laptop to HH5

MJP — Sun, 27 Jun 2021 12:44:41 GMT

Thanks for the suggestion that is something I’ve considered if I can’t find out a cure for this laptop playing up.

Re: Problem connecting second laptop to HH5

Les-Gibson — Sun, 27 Jun 2021 12:59:36 GMT

Sorry, I missed your earlier question.

There are times when static IP addressing is necessary but in general I would advise sticking with DHCP.

The reason I asked if you had an additional router on the network is because you don't want more than one DHCP server on the network as it could lead to IP contention

Re: Problem connecting second laptop to HH5

MJP — Sun, 27 Jun 2021 13:40:00 GMT

I asked about a static IP as I thought the issue could be with the Ideapad wanting to use the same address as the legion and knocking it out …. If that’s even possible. My thinking using a fixed IP for each would mitigate that problem. I’m totally wrong I expect!

Re: Problem connecting second laptop to HH5

Les-Gibson — Sun, 27 Jun 2021 16:35:46 GMT

No, not totally wrong.

If you only have a couple of devices then Static IP is fine but consider this.

Your number of devices grows (for whatever reason) and you want to allocate an IP address for a new device, do you know which addresses you've allocated or have you made a note of those you've used? If not and you duplicate an address already in use then you prevent not one but two devices from working properly.

In short Static IP is fine providing you manage it well but DHCP requires no management on your part

Re: Problem connecting second laptop to HH5

MJP — Mon, 28 Jun 2021 11:48:14 GMT

I was correct in my assumption that the situation would revert back to the Legion disconnecting when the Ideapad was connected!

I tried leaving both laptops on this morning and after a few minutes the Legion disconnected but Ideapad remained connected.

Again the troubleshooter came up with a problem with the access point. Instead of re-booting the HH5 I decided to dig about in the Advanced properties of the Killer WiFi newtork adaptor. As soon as I changed the 802.11n/ac/ax wireless mode from 802.11ac,which it was set up as, to 802.11n the laptop immediately re-connected to wifi and has been connected now for about 1/2 an hour. The Ideapad is also in the same mode (802.11n) and is remaining connected too.

i'm hoping this will have solved the issue.

Re: Problem connecting second laptop to HH5

MJP — Fri, 06 Aug 2021 05:51:56 GMT

Here’s an update to my last post.
All was well for a while until I started to get disconnections with my iPhone and iPad again . The usual issue of trying to connect to wifi but failing and eventually deciding WiFi password was incorrect. At the same time the laptops were refusing to connect to the hub.
So I factory reset hub, turned off smart setup and split the 2.4 5Ghz channels with separate names.
iphone iPad and laptops now connecting correctly to 5Ghz and stable, but not for long. I can however connect to 2.4 GHz with no problem without rebooting the hub. However attempting to connect to 5Ghz even in same room as the hub is unsuccessful , unless I restart the hub.
so it appears the issue is with the 5Ghz band.
I realise the 5Ghz signal isn’t as good as 2.4 but the fact that when the connection gets lost and it doesn’t work with my equipment only a couple of feet away (until the hub is rebooted) suggests it’s not the distance the signal has to travel or walls in the way being a problem. I live in a two bedroom bungalow so the signal only ever has one plasterboard wall to travel through anyway !
Do I have a faulty hub ? Do I need a firmware upgrade? Would a Smarthub 2 be any better or maybe an Asus Zen mesh wifi connected to the hub 5 and turning off the hub’s wireless function be a better plan as the hub’s broadband connection is solid?

Re: Problem connecting second laptop to HH5

Keith_Beddoe — Fri, 06 Aug 2021 06:41:50 GMT

You could try a later home hub, but you may have to renew your broadband contract to get one from BT. The latest smart hub 2 does not allow you to split the bands, and can give problems with some devices.

If you have no need for 5GHz wireless, then the TP Link W9970, costing about £35, works very well, and I have not found a device that would not connect to it.

https://www.tp-link.com/uk/home-networking/dsl-modem-router/td-w9970/

If you must have 5Ghz, then

Another alternative is this https://www.tp-link.com/uk/service-provider/dsl-router/archer-vr400/

This is a dual band device which is superior to the home hub 5.

A wireless mesh in a bungalow, would be a waste of money, as the coverage would be too great.

If you did want to try a wireless mesh, then the Tenda MW3 works very well, and is not expensive. You would need to turn the wireless off on the home hub 5.

You would only need a two node mesh in a bungalow.

Re: Problem connecting second laptop to HH5

MJP — Fri, 06 Aug 2021 06:41:03 GMT

Thanks for the quick response!
It’s only the 5Ghz band that’s causing a problem. I can connect with 2.4 without issue. However the speed I get over 2.4 is about half that I get when 5Ghz is working correctly. I’ve reset the hub again and connected my phone via 5Ghz I get broadband download speed of 64Mb to router and 56 to device according to the BT speed checker in the my BT app, on 2.4Ghz the speed to device when I last checked was only 34 , hence my preference for using 5Ghz.

I have considered getting a different brand of router but it’s a bit of a minefield and of course BT will refuse support if you don’t use their equipment.

Re: Problem connecting second laptop to HH5

Keith_Beddoe — Fri, 06 Aug 2021 06:48:13 GMT

BT will not stop you using third party routers, but they cannot support them.

My last suggestion (edited), would be to connect a two node Tenda MW3 wireless mesh to the home hub 5, and turn the HH5 wireless off.

I use the MW3 and so does my daughter at her house, and she has over 30 devices connected to it. We both use TP Link routers, but you could use the HH5

The MW3 is operated in access point mode, so that the router still has control over IP allocations.

https://www.tendacn.com/en/product/mw3.html

Re: Problem connecting second laptop to HH5

MJP — Fri, 06 Aug 2021 07:03:29 GMT

Thanks for this , you’ve given me more food for thought ! I’d rather have a ‘one box’ solution as I’ve recently decluttered by getting rid of desktop pc and all the associated cabling, and replacing with a laptop for photo work.
In all honesty it’s no problem rebooting the hub every so often but it’s just a pain when things don’t work reliably as expected, or getting anything like the potential download speeds you are paying for. I accept there is some speed loos using wireless but there is quite a difference between the two bands, so would much prefer to use 5Ghz where possible.
Thanks again for your input and providing some ideas of where I could go !

Re: Problem connecting second laptop to HH5

Keith_Beddoe — Fri, 06 Aug 2021 07:13:52 GMT

The best solution of course, would be to connect the laptop directly using an Ethernet cable, or if that is not possible, then powerline adapters would be the next best option, and can be used in any room by just plugging them in.

Both solutions would overcome the wireless connectivity problems.

Re: Problem connecting second laptop to HH5

MJP — Fri, 06 Aug 2021 08:33:13 GMT

My laptops don’t have an Ethernet port🙄 . Ive actually ordered a USB / Ethernet adapter for times when I need to upload a batch of photos to my NAS as doing this wirelessly over 2.4G is painfully slow, compared to how fast it happened with my desktop !
I hate technology sometimes 😂