This topic

EE Router / Halo

John_N — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 16:26:50 GMT

I've just renewed my BT Broadband contract, but I couldn't do so without booking an appointment with an engineer. He/She is coming on January 03 2025.

They've also seent me (arrived today) one of those HALO thingies and an EE router. I never asked for either. Nor, incidently, did I ask for an enginneer - I just had to book one to complete my order.

Is the EE router significanly better than my existing BT Smart Hub 2? And how well do these HALO thingies work? Finally what is all this HYBRID stuff they keep banging on about.

BT is taking great pains to tell me hoe all packaging is recyclable and that units can be returned for proper disposal but it would have been a lot better for me if they'd not sent the things in the first place. I'm digitally dyslexic, it takes me ages to learn new stuff, if ever, even stuff that appears to be similar to it's predecessor. I don't mind changing if there's a benefit but I'm going to need a lot of convincing. I'm digitally dyslexic, it takes me ages to learn new stuff, if ever, even stuff that appears to be similar to it's predecessor.

Re: EE Router / Halo

Keith_Beddoe — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 16:39:31 GMT

Are you sure you have not been moved to EE, as the sales people there are have a lot of incentive to sell you as much as they can, most of it is not needed, but you may find its added to the cost?

Re: EE Router / Halo

licquorice — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 16:38:18 GMT

There is no Halo 'thingy', Halo is a benefits package. Halo 3+ includes a Hybrid Connect device which switches your broadband over to 4G in cases of line dailures.

Define 'better' with regard to the router.

Re: EE Router / Halo

John_N — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 16:54:48 GMT

When the emails started arriving inviting me to look at new best offers for me the BT provision dropped from 70+ download to 40, and i could only get what I had on EE.

When a letter arrived inviting me to look at renewal options the same as I have at the moment was available so I took it, at £1.00 less per month but with an £11.50 set up charge, so no effective change.

Re: EE Router / Halo

John_N — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 17:09:07 GMT

I've just got no complaints with the existing set up. If they change over the router I'll have to reset the dongle on my solar panel / battery array and that's a pain in the proverbial. Last time I had to ask my neighbour to do it and it took him nearly 90 minutes - but that might be allevaited by the WI-FI disc (which I thought was the HALO 'thingy').

We feel that if the WIFI goes down we'll live with it until it comes back up. We get reasonable 4G service from EE on one of our phones but we hardly use them anyway, £50.00 PAYG can last us a year. We'd like to be more digitally fluent but very much in the Silver Surfer club with no idea how this all works.

Re: EE Router / Halo

Keith_Beddoe — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 17:15:02 GMT

Are you being upgraded to full fibre from FTTC, as that would require a visit to do the work?

Otherwise nothing would change from what you had before, despite what you may have been told, the speed would be the same.

Re: EE Router / Halo

licquorice — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 17:14:32 GMT

You shouldn't need to reset anything, just change the network name and password to that of your existing router.

Please don't blame age for lack of interest/knowledge in matters technical. It has nothing to do with age.

Re: EE Router / Halo

John_N — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 17:21:21 GMT

Not going FTTC. Before retirement I worked for BT / Openreach. Almost 30 years ago new D54 was provided along the street. Changes in working practices mean it's been utilised, still on the buried cable.

Re: EE Router / Halo

Keith_Beddoe — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 17:27:33 GMT

Sorry, do you mean you are not going FTTP (Direct Optical Fibre) and staying on FTTC (Fibre To The Cabinet, copper to the home)?

Re: EE Router / Halo

John_N — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 17:30:26 GMT

My mistake, FTTC not FTTP.

Re: EE Router / Halo

Keith_Beddoe — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 17:36:33 GMT

Then FTTC would be the same as you were getting before, so if you were getting 70 before, then you would get the same again, so I am not sure who quoted you 40, as the physical line would not change.

The normal reason for an Openreach visit, is to upgrade to full fibre.

Use the address checker on the page below, and post the results, but edit out your address details first, but leave the exchange name and cabinet number showing.

https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL
Please include all notes at the bottom.

Re: EE Router / Halo

John_N — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 17:54:43 GMT

I can assure there is no BT fibre around here (for domestic use), only TROOLI. See attached.

Re: EE Router / Halo

Keith_Beddoe — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 18:08:08 GMT

Just FTTC up to 80Mbs, so you were not told the truth when the sales person said you could only get 40mbs if you stayed with BT instead of moving to EE, sounds very underhand, anything to get commission.

Re: EE Router / Halo

John_N — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 18:16:52 GMT

Nobody told me I could only get 40mbps with BT. It was what was offered as the BT option when I clicked on links provided in emails reminding me that my contract was coming to an end. The same link provided 2x EE options of which the more expensive seemed to mirror what I had. It's a shame I didn't take a screen shot.

Re: EE Router / Halo

Keith_Beddoe — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 18:57:46 GMT

Probably would have been better to stay on a rolling monthly contract with BT, and ignoring any emails.