This topic

Smart 5G Hub and Whole Home Wifi discs - incompatible?

michthom — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 22:14:29 GMT

Hi folks. I've switched from a 20Mbps upload / 1Mbps download (max) "fibre" connection (only as far as the cabinet 1.8km away!) to an EE Smart 5G Hub. Amazing improvement, now seeing 300Mbps download / 70Mbps upload.

I have the router in the loft for best signal, and its Wifi reach is also pretty impressive, but (understandably, as expected) it's patchy through our house with some walls dating back to the 1700s...

I had hoped to link up the old BT Whole Home Wifi discs that work just find on the old Smart Hub 2 (see attachment) but I can't get them to pair with the new 5G Hub using WPS.

1) Factory reset the disc (wait for flashing red light).

2) Go into GUI on new 5G Hub and click the button to start WPS pairing - wait for 2 minute countdown to start

3) Press WPS button on disc and light flashes blue

4) 5G Hub reports that a device was successfully added, but the disc is still flashing blue.

5) Wait 5 minutes just in case, but no joy. The disc is not transmitting any SSID, only the hidden network signals on 2.4 and 5GHz bands.

If I plug the disc into the hub using Ethernet, I get a solid red light.

Any suggestions, or are these mutually incompatible products (even through the discs say they work with any network provider/router...)?

Re: Smart 5G Hub and Whole Home Wifi discs - incompatible?

michthom — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 22:06:19 GMT

Smart 5G Hub:
https://ee.co.uk/broadband/pay-monthly-mobile-broadband-gallery/smart-5g-hub-details

Whole Home Wifi:
https://www.bt.com/help/user-guides/broadband-and-wi-fi-devices/wi-fi-and-home-networking/wi-fi-home-hotspots/bt-whole-home-wi-fi

Re: Smart 5G Hub and Whole Home Wifi discs - incompatible?

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 22:12:40 GMT

No idea if it makes any difference but the instruction seems to be initiate WPS on the disc first.

Failing that, can you connect the fist disc by ethernet?

Re: Smart 5G Hub and Whole Home Wifi discs - incompatible?

michthom — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 22:19:48 GMT

Thanks for the swift reply, but as I said connecting with Ethernet is a hard fail - the disc goes straight to a solid red light - I can ping it but that's it.
The WPS section in the hub GUI states the opposite - initiate on the hub first, see attachment. I can try the reverse order but don't hold out much hope.

Re: Smart 5G Hub and Whole Home Wifi discs - incompatible?

jac_95 — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 22:49:34 GMT

I don't think the discs can be configured in the same way as you did with the BT Smart Hub.

You'll need to connect one via ethernet to your Smart 5G Hub and then configure the other discs to connect to that connected disc

E.g

5G Router -> ethernet -> main disc -> WiFi -> other discs

You'll need to use the BT app to configure the discs accordingly

Re: Smart 5G Hub and Whole Home Wifi discs - incompatible?

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 23:12:58 GMT

Maybe out of date but this video shows a setup with the first disc connected by ethernet. All the placement images i your link also show the first disc wired to the router.

I can't see any documentation for the EE Hub, is the ethernet definitely connected to a LAN port & not WAN? Can you connect a laptop or other device to the LAN port to see if that works?

Re: Smart 5G Hub and Whole Home Wifi discs - incompatible?

michthom — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 00:11:23 GMT

Thanks, I'll try this (direct Ethernet from 5G Hub to WHW disc) tomorrow, sounds like I've just been barking up the wrong tree altogether thus far. Yes, the new hub offers two ports on the LAN side, a 1Gbps and a 2.5Gbps.

Re: Smart 5G Hub and Whole Home Wifi discs - incompatible?

Anonymous — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 09:10:06 GMT

Just a quick sanity check, you do have the white Whole Home discs & not the black Complete Wifi, & the correct app?

Re: Smart 5G Hub and Whole Home Wifi discs - incompatible?

michthom — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 11:20:50 GMT

Well now don't I feel foolish... An excellent suggestion to check assumptions. I have the *black* discs, which seem to be a different beast to the white Whole Home Wifi ones. It seems I'm unable to alter the thread/title of the top post however, unless an board admin is feeling friendly!

I tried using the MyBT app (instead of the Whole Home Wifi app I'd used previously) but still struggled.

The login I use for MyBT is linked to the older SmartHub 2, it doesn't seem to understand the new EE Smart 5G hub...? When I go into the More / Services / Your Wifi Network it wants to set up my Smart Hub 2, even though I'm already on the wifi from the EE 5G Smart Hub...

I skip those steps to say I'm already connected to Wifi, but it then barfs and says "It wasn't possible to connect to the network".

We bought the 5G hub on my wife's small business account, which - you guessed it - works as an EE ID but can't be used to login to the My BT app!

I'll try the hardwired Ethernet option direct to the 5G Hub next, and also try resetting everything back to defaults again, but I may give up and buy some access points like the Zyxel NWA1123-ACV3, since those have standalone management software on them so I don't have to battle the interaction with the BT/EE router?

Re: Smart 5G Hub and Whole Home Wifi discs - incompatible?

Anonymous — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 11:37:11 GMT

The black discs form a mesh integrated with the SH2's SSID. I don't have any direct experience but I'm fairly sure you can't use them with anything else.

Any third party mesh system will have an app &/or direct web access for management.

Re: Smart 5G Hub and Whole Home Wifi discs - incompatible?

michthom — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 11:50:47 GMT

This was what I feared / was starting to expect. Looks like I'll be placing the order for some more access points.

Many thanks to all who responded - particularly given the season! Go enjoy your families / movies / food coma...

Re: Smart 5G Hub and Whole Home Wifi discs - incompatible?

jac_95 — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 11:56:33 GMT

@michthom

If it's the black discs which are for BT Halo with complete WiFi then these may still be property of BT so may need to be returned if you have cancelled your BT broadband that had complete WiFi with it.

We retain ownership of equipment supplied after 13 December 2019, so if you decide to downgrade or cease your service, you'll need to return the kit within 60 days of your cancellation date or you'll be charged. Here's afull list of non-return charges and information on how to return equipment to us.

If you've bought the equipment outright as a standalone product, it's yours to keep.

https://www.bt.com/help/bt-halo/what-is-complete-wi-fi-

Re: Smart 5G Hub and Whole Home Wifi discs - incompatible?

michthom — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 16:27:30 GMT

Yep - there is a reason for my confusion! I initially bought 3x white Whole Home Wifi discs as reconditioned from BT, but later replaced them with the black ones as part of the Halo product you mentioned. So I'm expecting these will indeed need to be returned when we cease the current broadband line, as you point out.

I've ordered 3x of the Zyxel access points from Amazon that should be delivered tomorrow and should be a doddle to set up now I'm no longer trying to achieve the impossible with the wrong kit. What a dunce I feel!