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BT Smart Hub 2 Wifi Band / SSID Splitting / Openreach installation with own router?

jasonmleds12 — Sat, 25 Jun 2022 14:33:16 GMT

Hi all,
Will get connected to BT FTTP on Monday and was wondering if the Smart Hub 2 still doesn't allow to have two SSIDs (one for the 2.4Ghz and one for the 5Ghz band)?
If that's the case, do you know if the Openreach engineer would be okay with me using my TP-Link Archer C7 (and PPPOE I believe) instead?
Thanks a lot 🙂

Re: BT Smart Hub 2 Wifi Band / SSID Splitting / Openreach installation with own router?

imjolly — Sat, 25 Jun 2022 14:37:08 GMT

the SH2 wifi cannot be split and highly unlikely it ever will be

once your FTTP ONT is set up you can connect your tplink but remember if you have digital voice then you need to have SH2 as first connection to ONT

Re: BT Smart Hub 2 Wifi Band / SSID Splitting / Openreach installation with own router?

jasonmleds12 — Sat, 25 Jun 2022 14:41:12 GMT

Yeah - ordered a broadband only package - so am planning to use sipgate for my landline in the future 🙂

The openreach engineer will have to use the BT hub to set up my connection, then? I couldn't say that I'd like to use my own router at time of installation?

Re: BT Smart Hub 2 Wifi Band / SSID Splitting / Openreach installation with own router?

snadge — Sat, 25 Jun 2022 15:25:54 GMT

its likely the BT Openreach (or contractor) 'linesmen/women' will always state that they must use the supplied Hub while they are testing and setting up - when they leave you can of course use your own...

(they aren't 'engineers' at all that come to your house - to get those jobs its a few weeks course for 'anyone' unafraid of heights),

Re: BT Smart Hub 2 Wifi Band / SSID Splitting / Openreach installation with own router?

licquorice — Sun, 26 Jun 2022 10:32:43 GMT

If we are being pedantic, nobody that has anything to do with the installation is an 'engineer', they are all technicians.

Engineers work in offices and have professional qualifications.

Re: BT Smart Hub 2 Wifi Band / SSID Splitting / Openreach installation with own router?

jasonmleds12 — Sun, 26 Jun 2022 11:00:50 GMT

Who cares? As long as they do a good job 🙂

Re: BT Smart Hub 2 Wifi Band / SSID Splitting / Openreach installation with own router?

michaelkenward — Sun, 26 Jun 2022 11:05:51 GMT

(they aren't 'engineers' at all that come to your house - to get those jobs its a few weeks course for 'anyone' unafraid of heights),

Not just me then who prefers the "technician" label. It takes years to get an "engineering" qualification.

Maybe the BT ISP people are different. But some of BT OpenReach technicians are pretty capable, especially the older generation that has seen different technologies come and go. The last one who visited us knew their stuff and was happy to share views on third party technology.

That was when I discovered that OpenReach was behind the death of "modem only" hardware. Apparently it told ISPs that they should supply only combo boxes.

Re: BT Smart Hub 2 Wifi Band / SSID Splitting / Openreach installation with own router?

pippincp — Sun, 26 Jun 2022 11:28:34 GMT

Do the technicians have technical qualifications? If not they are just installers.😂