This topic

Smart Hub 2 vs Plusnet Router...........

KevG000 — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 14:23:34 GMT

Previous supplier was Plusnet on a copper line - max'm speed 10 to 12Mb - always reliable and constant, never a problem and no reduction in wifi speed anywhere in the home

Current supplier BT with Smart Hub 2 on a fibre line - max'm speed 150Mb - wifi speed next to the hub no problem but as soon as I step away from the hub within 5 metres the wifi signal speed drops like a stone. From a max'm wifi speed at the hub of 150Mb I'm lucky to get 15 to25Mb just 9 metres away.

Both the Plusnet and the BT Smart Hub are located in exactly the same place and the usage/equipment to the wifi is exactly the same

Why am I getting a 80% + reduction in wifi signal speed with the BT hub and fibre line which I never got from the Plusnet hub with a copper line when everything else is the same.

The hub has already been swapped out but with no change. Laptop connected is less than 6 months old. Speed on fibre is not even adequate let alone acceptable.

Dont answer by just saying BT only guarantee the speed to the hub. The wifi signal should at least be in line with the previous Plusnet hub with regard to reduction in wifi signal.

Reading through the community it appears the problem I have is fairly common but with no easy resolution apart from throwing lots of money at it........which I can't afford to do

Re: Smart Hub 2 vs Plusnet Router...........

licquorice — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 14:26:16 GMT

Have you tried changing WiFi channel?

Re: Smart Hub 2 vs Plusnet Router...........

KevG000 — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 14:29:04 GMT

Thanks for the reply, yes I have, it makes no difference

Re: Smart Hub 2 vs Plusnet Router...........

countrypaul — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 15:03:09 GMT

Do you still have the Plusnet router - if so you could plug that into the SH2 and use it for WiFi - not a proper solution but might be a short term solution until things are resolved properly. Note you would have to turn off WiFi on the SH2, make sure that DHCP was off on the Plusnet box and that the Plusnet box also has a suitable ip address.

Re: Smart Hub 2 vs Plusnet Router...........

KevG000 — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 19:22:12 GMT

Many thanks for the reply. That is something that had crossed my mind bearing in mind the robust nature and strong wifi signal I recently had with the Plusnet router.

I'm not hugely technical minded but I will seriously look at this suggestion and if it works I'll continue with it because at this point after numerous conversations and 3 engineer visits I'm getting no resolution from BT. It has now been escalated as an official complaint but no one from BT seems to accept that the hub's wifi signal is non existent and unacceptable.

I always run 3 separate speed tests........today I was getting 3Mb download on the wifi........yes you read that right 3Mb and I'm paying for a FTTP fibre 150Mb max'm, 100Mb guarantee (at the hub, which is BT's get out)

Re: Smart Hub 2 vs Plusnet Router...........

imjolly — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 19:34:56 GMT

Can you run tests again but using an ethernet connection as WiFi is susceptible to numerous causes of interference

Re: Smart Hub 2 vs Plusnet Router...........

countrypaul — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 23:23:30 GMT

It might be worth trying a WiFi Analyser to see if there are any other signals interfering, and also to see what channels are in use.

I am using an old PlusNet router as an Access point as the signal from my router HH6 is located at one end of the house and the signal at the other end is very weak. In this situation I have chosen to se the old PN router to have the same SSID as the HH6 which allows most of the house to be covered (the basement is not due to having 2 layers of aluminium foil across almost the entire ground floor meaning no signal gets through).

Re: Smart Hub 2 vs Plusnet Router...........

KevG000 — Fri, 24 Nov 2023 18:57:10 GMT

Thanks for the reply. I'm in process of doing exactly that but need to get my head around the tek adjustments needed to patch in the PN router. Not hugely technical minded and I don't wan to **bleep** things up any worse than I have at the moment

Re: Smart Hub 2 vs Plusnet Router...........

spile — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 07:06:05 GMT

I have always found the wireless performance of the SH2 poor and have repurposed a former router as a wireless point. It works much better and is more reliable than the BT hub. Google “repurpose router as wireless point” and look through the guides. It is very straightforward. Basically you turn off dhcp in the old router, give it a static ip and wire it directly to the SH2. You also gain a couple of extra ports too.

Re: Smart Hub 2 vs Plusnet Router...........

KevG000 — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 11:37:16 GMT

That's great info. Many thanks for that, much appreciated 👍

Re: Smart Hub 2 vs Plusnet Router...........

DavidM — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 13:11:37 GMT

Hi @KevG000 and thanks for posting.

I'd be very interested to know how you get this resolved so please keep us in the loop. Thanks all for you input so far.

Cheers

David

Re: Smart Hub 2 vs Plusnet Router...........

KevG000 — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 13:13:26 GMT

No problem David

Re: Smart Hub 2 vs Plusnet Router...........

WSH — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 13:49:25 GMT

@KevG000 I know you are trying to set the Plusnet up as a wireless access point but this is something I did for a friend, a while back, and you might be interested. It’s setting the SH2 up as a wireless access point but the Plusnet will be essentially the same:

Mostly, the default settings are OK. The exceptions are as follows:

Home > Advanced settings>My Network > IPv4 configuration and set the IP address and subnet mask to an address in your network but outside of what the DHCP on your router is setting. For example, if your router is another SH2 then 192.168.1.10 will do. The subnet mask also needs to match the rest of your network, 255.255.255.0 in the above example.

You then need to turn off the DHCP in this SH2. (A word of caution here. DHCP tends to be one of those things that varies between vendors and I’ve found the SH2 to be flakier than most. The DHCP range here needs to be the same as you’ve just set, that is 192.168.1.64 to 192.168.1.253 and a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 for the above example. I’ve found that if the range set disagrees with the address, then when you turn off DHCP it just reverts your settings to the defaults without reporting an error…leaving you scratching your head as to why it’s not working). Don’t forget to save the setting before you leave the page.

Home > Advanced settings > My Network > IPv6 configuration. Turn off IPv6 allocation. Again, save the settings.
Home > Advanced settings > Advanced wireless. Pretty self-explanatory really. Set the Network name (SSID), Security password (encryption key) etc. you want, save the settings and that’s it. If you are using more than one wireless access point, they want to be on the same SSID but different channels. (1, 6 or 11 are best for 2.4GHz).

You connect it via one of the LAN ports, (not the DSL or WAN port).

You’ll find it sits there flashing purple at you, (even if you tun off the hub lights). Nothing you can do about that as it is reporting the error condition that it’s not connected directly to the internet and that overrides the ‘turn off lights’ setting.

Re: Smart Hub 2 vs Plusnet Router...........

spile — Sun, 26 Nov 2023 08:23:57 GMT

I’m not sure why (given its poor wireless performance and issues) you would want to turn a SH2 into a wireless point unless you happened to have a spare doing nothing and had nothing to lose?

Re: Smart Hub 2 vs Plusnet Router...........

KevG000 — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 14:15:39 GMT

An update for you on our recent 9th November FTTP supply from BT.

The problem has now finally been resolved. After numerous calls to and from BT, supply of a replacement Smart Hub 2 and 3 visits from Openreach engineers the problem was eventually escalated to a complaint.

BT recognised there had been an intermittent problem with the fibre connection of the boundary supply outside of the home and as such have issued a BT Reward card as recompense. With regard to the considerable depreciation of the wi-fi speed in the home, after having eventually escalated the problem to a complaint and having discussed the situation (yet again) with the BT complaints person they agreed to supply a wi-fi disc. Other BT personnel I had spoken with could not sanction the supply.

Installation of the disc has succeeded in increasing the wi-fi speed from what was an initial speed range between 3Mb to 20 Mb to a speed range of 40Mb to 60Mb with the wi-fi disc installed; which is entirely acceptable.

Many thanks for everyone's help, input and information during this period. It is appreciated.

Re: Smart Hub 2 vs Plusnet Router...........

chrisjp — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 15:29:14 GMT

I also gave up using the WiFi from my SH2. Instead, I installed 3 BT WholeHome discs which provide an independent and much stronger WiFi signal all around my house. The speed from these discs is pretty much the same as that obtained direct from the ethernet ports on the SH2

Re: Smart Hub 2 vs Plusnet Router...........

KevG000 — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 16:32:28 GMT

The signal from the SH2 is woeful and certainly not acceptable without install of the discs. A number of local neighbours to where I am have reported exactly the same and have had to install the discs

Re: Smart Hub 2 vs Plusnet Router...........

stevie_b1 — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 23:28:19 GMT

The SH2 is trash and the weekest link in the chain with BT's attempt to deliver FTTP.

It suffers random reboots and/or crashes in my experience every 2-4 weeks to probably mask poor software / memory leaks.

If you have Digital Voice you're stuck with that SH2 junk and a 24 month contract.

If you dont have Digital Voice - swap it out for a non-BT router.

Re: Smart Hub 2 vs Plusnet Router...........

KevG000 — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 12:55:03 GMT

Yes. totally agree. Mine was a migration move from Plusnet as we had recently had fibre installed but Plusnet could not offer Digital voice, they offered the migration to BT......so you're spot on, 24 month contract with their BT's kit

Re: Smart Hub 2 vs Plusnet Router...........

WSH — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 13:04:58 GMT

@spileYep, you got it in one. Truth is, I have a fully wired network and only use the wireless to update the phone etc. and only the 5GHz, at that. Long story how I come by a second SH2, but it's real function is as a spare for DV. It only plays WAP in its spare time. I will say though that I think you are being a little hash. I find it does a pretty reasonable job, (bearing in mind Wi-Fi is naff at the best of times).