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Please help, using second smart hub 2 as an access point

OAKTREEFARM — Sat, 15 Jul 2023 22:02:44 GMT

Good evening,

I'm hoping you guys and gals can help me ..

I have my main router in the house and I have a Cat 6 cable feeding out to my garden office. I would like to set up a 2nd Smart Hub 2 as an Access point for WIFI in that building but there seems to be a lot of confusing information when I have searched the forum. I've tried running the new hub and tuning off the DHCP and firewall and changing the IP address but nothing seems to be working.

I've searched through the forum but the link posted back in January isn't allowing me to open it.

I've spent at least a day trying to get this to work so for the sake of my marriage and sanity please can somebody be able to explain to a beginner what I need to do?

Thank you very much for your time 🙂

Re: Please help, using second smart hub 2 as an access point

licquorice — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 07:07:27 GMT

Not sure what confusing information you have seen but the process is quite simple.

Do absolutely nothing with the primary hub. On the secondary hub, give it an IP address of 192.168.1 10 and turn off DHCP. No need to do anything with firewalls.

Connect the 2 hubs LAN port 1 to LAN port1 and that's it.

The purple light on the secondary hub will remain on as it won't have a broadband input.

Re: Please help, using second smart hub 2 as an access point

OAKTREEFARM — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 08:14:02 GMT

Amazing! Thank you ever so much, I will get to work!

Re: Please help, using second smart hub 2 as an access point

OAKTREEFARM — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 09:20:03 GMT

@licquorice Can I please ask you..

Will plugging into LAN point 1 to LAN 1 (on the 2nd Hub as per your advice) make it an access point for both Wifi and ethernet?

What we are trying to do is to use Hub 1 in the house as you would normally, then we have Cat 6 cable out to a workshop, where we would like to plug in the secondary smart hub2 and use this as an access point for both ethernet and wifi, to then plug in a desktop in the workshop and a 3rd smart hub which is needed for wifi in the garden office.

I haven't got as far as plugging in the 3rd smart hub yet as when I try to connect to the 2nd hub it won't connect (I'm assuming that I use the password as per the card on that 2nd hub.

It makes my head spin, I'm not tech minded at all! Thank you ever so much for your time and help so far!

Re: Please help, using second smart hub 2 as an access point

licquorice — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 09:51:16 GMT

Yes, the second hub will be both an Ethernet and WiFi access point. You will need to connect your laptop directly to the second hub to make and save the changes before connecting to the main hub as both will have the same IP address until you make the changes.

Make sure that FTTP mode is turned off on the second hub so that you can use port4 as a LAN port rather than a WAN port.

Iv you do add a third hub, give it an address of 192.168.1.20

Re: Please help, using second smart hub 2 as an access point

countrypaul — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 10:12:04 GMT

Why do you want a third hub? The second hub will provide you with 3 Ethernet ports (one used to the first hub) plus WiFi in your garden office. You can change the SSID and password on the second hub to match the first if you want, but it will be easier to see what you are connected to if you leave them different.

Re: Please help, using second smart hub 2 as an access point

licquorice — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 10:19:53 GMT

I suspect the workshop and garden office are discrete locations too distant from each other for WiFi to reach from one to the other or from the house.

Re: Please help, using second smart hub 2 as an access point

OAKTREEFARM — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 11:33:28 GMT

Thank you @countrypaul, the distance between the workshop and garden office are quite a distance and I don't think the wifi would be stable enough for the office.

Re: Please help, using second smart hub 2 as an access point

OAKTREEFARM — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 11:36:47 GMT

Fantastic, thank you @licquorice typically my laptop doesn't have an ethernet port so I was logging into the hub via wifi so I've ordered a USB to ethernet adaptor to be able to connect directly to the hub.

I now understand what I need to do so will give this a go and hopefully I can get this working, thank you ever so much for your help with this, I really appreciate your time and help.

Re: Please help, using second smart hub 2 as an access point

OAKTREEFARM — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 11:38:01 GMT

Yep exactly right, they aren't miles apart but I'm not confident - even with my limited knowledge of these things - the wifi will be strong enough to reach the office.

Re: Please help, using second smart hub 2 as an access point

licquorice — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 11:52:52 GMT

You shouldn't need to have to connect via Ethernet, just make sure it is the right hub WiFi you are connecting to to make the changes.

Don't forget that once you have changed its IP address you will have sawn off the branch you are sitting on so to speak and will need to connect to the new address.

Re: Please help, using second smart hub 2 as an access point

gg30340 — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 12:11:11 GMT

If you have a bundle of Smarthub2s already and want to re-purpose them then what you are doing and what has been suggested how to achieve that is fair enough but have you considered buying a proper wireless access point or two if needed and use them.

You can get a TP Link one for £20 each and they are simply plug and play and come with an Ethernet port as well as wifi. If you need more Ethernet ports you could buy a cheap Ethernet 5 port switch for less than £10

Re: Please help, using second smart hub 2 as an access point

OAKTREEFARM — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 13:20:43 GMT

Thank you @gg30340 for your advice, we have Smart Hubs to repurpose and wanted to give it a go as have seen other community members have been successful with their repurpose.

Re: Please help, using second smart hub 2 as an access point

OAKTREEFARM — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 13:21:46 GMT

Thank you @licquorice for your help, I've been able to make the changes as per your advice, just off to see if it has all worked! 🙂

Re: Please help, using second smart hub 2 as an access point

OAKTREEFARM — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 12:30:31 GMT

Hi @licquorice,

I just wanted to say a huge thank you for all of your help and advice. I now have repurposed the two extra smart hub 2's that I had and the network works like a dream!

You're the best!