This topic

BT Smart Hub 2 Firmware Updates.

Mitch3 — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 10:13:30 GMT

Hello,

Is there an option in Smart Hub Manager, or elsewhere, to pause/suspend Firmware updates for the Smart Hub 2?

If we go on holiday we connect some freestanding battery powered Security Cameras (2.4 Band) to our router via an App on our phone. If an update is applied to a Windows PC a reboot is required, and I assume with a Smart Hub 2 Firmware update a restart may also be needed? If this happens any battery devices will lose contact with the Hub until we return - they will not reconnect themselves. Can I suspend these updates to avoid reboots?

Thanks for your help,

Jim.

Re: BT Smart Hub 2 Firmware Updates.

licquorice — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 10:15:37 GMT

Unfortunately you can't.

Re: BT Smart Hub 2 Firmware Updates.

DarrenDev — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 10:25:42 GMT

Hubs can reboot at any time if they need to - not just for updates. e.g. if they're running low on memory, or a configuration change is made on your line.
The only way I can think of that your devices are guaranteed to not lose wifi signal is to use a separate access point - e.g. a Wifi extender. These will maintain the wifi signal, even if the broadband goes down.

Re: BT Smart Hub 2 Firmware Updates.

Mitch3 — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 11:03:48 GMT

Thanks for the replies. The wifi extender option is interesting. I'm not sure how that would be set up? That's a bit beyond my knowledge level. Normally the devices are connected to the 2.4GHz band through a mobile connected to the router at that band. If the hub is restarted would that also knock out the connection to the wifi extender?

Thanks.

Re: BT Smart Hub 2 Firmware Updates.

DarrenDev — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 11:10:29 GMT

Buy any wifi extender (whatever you can find that is cheap). Follow device instructions to connect it to the hub, It'll then broadcast a new wifi network - connect your phone to that, and then set the cameras up to use it.

If the hub is rebooted then the wifi extender network will keep running, so your cameras will remain connected to it. They won't have access to the internet, but they won't know that. When the hub comes back up, everything will go back to normal.

Re: BT Smart Hub 2 Firmware Updates.

Mitch3 — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 11:19:09 GMT

Thanks very much for that info. Sounds like a great solution and I'll certainly look in to that.

Much appreciated.

Jim.

Re: BT Smart Hub 2 Firmware Updates.

licquorice — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 11:19:48 GMT

Seems odd that the cameras don't reconnect when WiFi is restored.

Re: BT Smart Hub 2 Firmware Updates.

DarrenDev — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 11:25:04 GMT

My thoughts too @licquorice, though being battery powered I guess they can only keep retrying for so long.

Re: BT Smart Hub 2 Firmware Updates.

Mitch3 — Sat, 23 Sep 2023 19:35:17 GMT

I tried today to see if they reconnected. Turned the cameras on then switched off the router for a minute.

The Ring cameras reconnected but the other cheaper one didn't. Maybe it's more to do with the type of camera.

Thanks for all your help.

Re: BT Smart Hub 2 Firmware Updates.

Mitch3 — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 18:59:21 GMT

Hi I wanted to ask an add on question about the wifi extender that Darren Dev mentioned please? We are waiting for the activation of our BT Fibre2 service. We are allowed to keep our existing router which is a Zyxel VMG3925-B10B (2019) from our present ISP. If I wanted to connect our 2.4 devices to our old router and keep the Smart Hub2 as is, as Darren suggested, how would I connect the Zyxel to the Smart Hub2 and would I need to reconfigure the Zyxel? Would a factory reset of the Zyxel be enough to get the 2 routers to talk to each other? The Zyxel broadcasts 2.4 and 5g separately.

Any advice would be grateful.

Thanks.

Re: BT Smart Hub 2 Firmware Updates.

Josh_Welby2 — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 20:40:30 GMT

You connect the Openreach Modem/ONT

to any Router via an Ethernet Cable

and you then leave your Devices

connected to the old Router Settings

Re: BT Smart Hub 2 Firmware Updates.

licquorice — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 21:00:00 GMT

@Josh_Welby2 That is not the question that was asked

@Mitch3 give the Zyxel an IP address of 192.168.1.10 and gateway 192.168.1.254 turn off DHCP on the Zyxel and connect it to the BT hub LAN port to LAN port

Re: BT Smart Hub 2 Firmware Updates.

Mitch3 — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 21:11:09 GMT

Thanks for the replies. The Zyxel came pre configured by our former ISP. Would it be necessary to do a factory reset or can I leave it as is? I'm not sure what configuration they did.

Thanks again.

Re: BT Smart Hub 2 Firmware Updates.

licquorice — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 07:11:33 GMT

Probably no need for a factory reset, you won't be using the DSL side of the device which the ISP would have configured. It won't hurt if do reset it in any case.

Re: BT Smart Hub 2 Firmware Updates.

Mitch3 — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 13:58:22 GMT

Hi again,

I think I will go ahead with the suggestion to use my old Zyxel router to connect the 2.4 devices to when the Smart Hub 2 is activated. I understand that I would connect the SH2 to the Zyxel with an Ethernet cable but I'm not sure how to reconfigure the Zyxel for that purpose. Would the Zyxel still broadcast separate 2.4 and 5G? Can anyone point me to an online step by step guide about what I should be doing to set up? I know what I'm doing with PC's but my Network/WiFi knowledge is patchy.

Any help would be appreciated,

Thanks.

Re: BT Smart Hub 2 Firmware Updates.

licquorice — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 19:01:54 GMT

I can't give you step by step instructions as I don't have a Zyxel router so I'm not familiar with the menu options.

But you just configure it as my previous post.

First of all connect your PC to the Zyxel rather than the Hub so that you get an IP address within the Zyxel subnet rather than the hub subnet ( I don't know what subnet the Zyxel uses).

Once connected, change the IP address of the Zyxel to 192.168.1.10 which is in the Hub's subnet but out of it's DHCP range. Also turn off the Zyxel's DHCP server. This will disconnect your PC from the Zyxel as you have 'cut off the branch you were sitting on', so to speak. There is no need to change the Gateway address of the Zyxel as you won't be using the WAN port.

Now connect you PC to the hub and simply connect the BT hub to the Zyxel LAN port to LAN port.

You should then be able to access the Zyxel management page at 192.168.1.10 if needs be.

You should also be able to connect to the Zyxel's 2 WiFi signals and gain internet access.

Re: BT Smart Hub 2 Firmware Updates.

Mitch3 — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 12:13:32 GMT

That's great. Thanks very much for the advice. I'll give it a try.

Thanks again.

Re: BT Smart Hub 2 Firmware Updates.

Mitch3 — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 16:09:08 GMT

Sorry. I've fallen at the first hurdle. I can't sign it to the Zyxel Configuration page - won't connect. (ZyXEL VMG3925-B10B). The IP address shown (cmd /ipconfig) is IPv4 Address 192.168.1.201, Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0 and Default Gateway 192.168.1.254.

I have connected via Ethernet but none of the above addresses connect (http://192.168 etc). Also tried http://192.168.1.1 without success. I'm wondering if it is the pre configuration by my present ISP which is causing this? We move to BT (Smart Hub2 FTTC) in a couple of weeks and if a factory reset after moving would allow me to make changes? The original documentation I got from the ISP states "Do not press the reset button unless instructed to do so by technical support as the router will revert to a generic configuration. This will result in no operation"

Would appreciate any advice. Thanks.

Re: BT Smart Hub 2 Firmware Updates.

licquorice — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 16:14:50 GMT

You have nothing to lose by factory resetting the Zyxel.

Google suggests the default admin IP address is 192.168.1.1, username admin and password 1234.

Re: BT Smart Hub 2 Firmware Updates.

Mitch3 — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 21:14:13 GMT

Thanks licquorice. I've tried 3 different computers with no access to the Zyxel Router Config page. I checked on the Zyxel support page and if it is an ISP supplied router like mine, many settings are managed by the ISP including firmware updates. It's possible that access the the web config page is managed by them too. I haven't needed to change the password since it was set by the ISP and is strong.

I think a factory reset is the only way I could get access to the page. In network settings it says that it is a Private Network so I'm not sure what that means. I assume it was set up by the ISP.

Thanks for your help.