This topic

Smart Hub 2 not connecting to broadband

FreeasaByrd — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 19:35:37 GMT

Good evening, all,

Hoping someone can help, since BT/EE engineers are baffled. We have always had connection issues at our property - the only router that has worked consistently is an old BT Type A hub (also confusingly called Smart Hub 6) which was lent to us by an Openreach engineer 18 months ago. All was fine until last month (Feb '25) when we were moved over to EE and Digital Voice. The old hub still works, but doesn't have an output phone socket, which we now need in order to use our landline - no good plugging the phone into the wall socket any more.

We have been sent several Home phone adapters, but they won't pair with the old hub. We have also been sent 3(!) Smart Hubs 2, but they just will not connect to our broadband (I left one plugged in all night, and it was still flashing orange in the morning). Since 5th March we have had visits from 2 Openreach and one Circet (formerly Qube) engineer - the Openreach guys said the line is fine and it's a problem internal to the property, the Circet one said it was a problem at the exchange - so over to you, Openreach.

Our technical set-up here is FTTC (the cabinet being at the exchange, a mile away) with a Master Socket 5C. The last Openreach visitor (yesterday) said he'd come across a situation like this once before... but he couldn't remember how he dealt with it. The latest is that EE are going to try us with an EE Smart Hub Plus - but if anyone here has encountered a similar problem, and has a better memory than a certain Openreach engineer, I would be very grateful to hear from you. Thanks.

Re: Smart Hub 2 not connecting to broadband

licquorice — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 20:20:04 GMT

What speed do you get with your old hub? Strikes me that you are a long way from the cabinet and the Smart Hub2 isn't good enough to sync.

In extremis, you could get a secondhand Huawei HG612 modem from Ebay which might be better at connecting. You can still use the Smart Hub2 for Digital Voice. Connect the modem LAN1 port to the Hub LAN port 4 and set the hub to full fibre (FTTP) mode.

Re: Smart Hub 2 not connecting to broadband

Anonymous — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 20:29:28 GMT

Are you using the same DSL cable plugged into the Broadband socket on the SH2? Just in case you're trying to use ethernet/WAN.

Re: Smart Hub 2 not connecting to broadband

FreeasaByrd — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 20:49:50 GMT

Good evening, licqorice, and thanks for your thoughts so far,

We get about 25-27 Mb/s download speed, about 1 upload.

Your suggestion certainly makes sense, since we had a SH2 prior to all these problems which wouldn't connect, which the Openreach engineer swapped for the old Type A one from his bag of spares in November '23. (i.e. our connection issues are probably nothing to do with the move to Digital Voice per se.) The only problem I can see with your suggested solution (apart from having to buy the Huawei modem) is that we still wouldn't be able to use the home phone adapters, since they won't pair with the old hub.

Re: Smart Hub 2 not connecting to broadband

FreeasaByrd — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 20:51:04 GMT

Thanks, rbz5416 - yes, using the same cable into the same socket on both hubs.

Re: Smart Hub 2 not connecting to broadband

licquorice — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 21:02:41 GMT

@FreeasaByrd wrote:

Good evening, licqorice, and thanks for your thoughts so far,

We get about 25-27 Mb/s download speed, about 1 upload.

Your suggestion certainly makes sense, since we had a SH2 prior to all these problems which wouldn't connect, which the Openreach engineer swapped for the old Type A one from his bag of spares in November '23. (i.e. our connection issues are probably nothing to do with the move to Digital Voice per se.) The only problem I can see with your suggested solution (apart from having to buy the Huawei modem) is that we still wouldn't be able to use the home phone adapters, since they won't pair with the old hub.

Hmm, at that speed the SH2 shouldn't have a problem.

My suggestion uses the modem in conjunction with the new hub to allow DV, you won't be using the old hub.

Re: Smart Hub 2 not connecting to broadband

iniltous — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 21:35:59 GMT

To recap , your broadband router only syncs if you use the old router, but that’s obviously no good for Digital Voice , and all the new SH2 routers you have tried have failed to sync so no broadband and obviously no DV ?

Reconnect your old hub (so at least you have broadband) and post the router connection statistics (all of them including modulation version ) , you may need to search how to access the admin pages for the old router ( the one that does actually connect ) .

FWIW , thus does seem odd , your usual speed although not fantastic, is a long way from being terrible , so the newer routers inability to sync when the older one can is weird, it’s not likely to be the ‘line’ , which aligns with what the OR techs have said , I’d be suggesting to your ISP that they cease and re-provide your service, or Openreach do a lift and shift , to get you into a different FTTC port , the first to flush out any dodgy configuration data , the second to eliminate the FTTC equipment as the problem.

Re: Smart Hub 2 not connecting to broadband

FreeasaByrd — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 22:22:50 GMT

Thanks, iniltous - yes, your 1st para summarises the situation exactly.

I hope these are the stats you asked for:

Product name: BT Hub 6A

Serial number: +084316+NQ64127814

Firmware version: SG4B1000E081

Firmware updated: 23-Feb-2023

Board version: 1.0

Gui version: 1.126.0

DSL uptime: 1 Days, 4 Hours 13 Minutes 4 Seconds

Data rate: 1.28 Mbps / 27.80 Mbps

Maximum data rate: 1281 / 29330

Noise margin: 8 dB / 6.9 dB

Line attenuation: 84.3 dB

Signal attenuation: 11.4 dB / 30 dB

VPI / VCI: 0/38

Modulation: G_993_2_ANNEX_B

Latency type: Fast Path

Data sent / received: 421 MB Uploaded / 7 GB Downloaded

Broadband username: bthomehub@btbroadband.com

BT Wi-fi: Active

2.4 GHz wireless network name: BTHub6-FHM7

2.4 GHz wireless channel: Smart (Channel 1)

5 GHz wireless network name: BTHub6-FHM7

5 GHz wireless channel: Smart (Channel 36)

Wireless security: WPA2 (Recommended)

Wireless mode: Mode 1

Firewall: On

MAC address: AC:84:C9:AF:3F:91

Software variant: -

Boot loader: 7.33.1

Re: Smart Hub 2 not connecting to broadband

iniltous — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 23:41:52 GMT

I’m not an expert, so possibly will be corrected by others , but the router stats and your observations seem at odds , you state you suspect you are around 1 mile from the cabinet and you are definitely on VDSL2/FTTC ( modulation G993.2 and above 24Mb speed ) but an expected download speed would be around 12-15Mb the distance you state you re from the cabinet , so how is yours far higher , the attenuation of 86dB is indicative of a very very long line which aligns with your distance estimate , so how is 27Mb achievable as reported by your router , 27Mb is more typically seen at around 800m distance from the cabinet, that’s possibly half the distance you are from the cabinet…..VDSL has a pronounced drop off in speed after around 300m , in fact at around 2000m ADSL performance is better than VDSL .

Why your old router syncs like this , and a more modern router won’t is a mystery , but I’d suggest the next time you get an OR tech , suggest they lift and shift you onto a different VDSL port in the cabinet .

Re: Smart Hub 2 not connecting to broadband

Anonymous — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 07:19:20 GMT

If you haven't already, it may be worth removing the faceplate from the master socket & trying the test socket behind. You'll need a microfilter for that.

Re: Smart Hub 2 not connecting to broadband

licquorice — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 10:17:29 GMT

I have to agree with @iniltous , the stats don't really stack up. Not least the discrepancy between upload and download. If the download was truly 27M I would expect the upload equivalent would be approximately 5M not the 1M showing.

Re: Smart Hub 2 not connecting to broadband

FreeasaByrd — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 18:36:22 GMT

licquorice,

I've tried the Huawei solution (£16 from eBay) and it works! Two Circet and two Openreach engineers (with a third one due on Wednesday) couldn't crack it, but you did, so thank you very much 🥂 ❤️. Only with the latest hub that EE sent us, though (EE Smart Hub Plus); the BT SH2s didn't work as they don't appear to have a LAN port 4, which the EE one does. Now just need to dispose of the 3 BT hubs and the small collection of Home Phone Adapters...

Re: Smart Hub 2 not connecting to broadband

gg30340 — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 15:19:05 GMT

Don't throw the old BT equipment away. BT will no doubt ask for them back at some point and if you do not send them back you will be charged for them.

If you call BT 0330.1234.150 you can request that they send a returns bag out to you so that you can return them.

It is not unknown for BT to charge you months later stating that they did not receive the equipment. Make sure you keep a copy of your Proof of Posting and if possible take a photograph of it in case you somehow lose the paper copy.

Re: Smart Hub 2 not connecting to broadband

FreeasaByrd — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 14:58:03 GMT

Thanks, all. No, by "dispose of" I meant "persuade BT to give us the means to..." In fact, the business had an even happier issue today: we had another Openreach visitor, our 5th engineer visit since 11th February (if it's Wednesday, it must be Openreach day), who announced his intention on arriving of not leaving until the problem was properly sorted. 3 hours later, after he had checked everything at several points between the cabinet and us, he left messages on what he described as "Facebook for Openreach engineers" (but with fewer pictures of adorable dogs, presumably), and somebody, somewhere, in some back office, flicked some switch or amended some settings (he knew not what) and now we have an EE Smart Hub Plus that connects direct to broadband, without any ingenious piggybacking on the old Huawei router.
We now have a call booked with an EE manager this evening, which will be an interesting one. I had demanded a deadlock letter, since we reported the problem over 8 weeks ago and I thought the Ombudsman would like to know about it. Going to be talking about compensation, among other things.