This topic

Connect TCP Smart Plugs

legoman26 — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 17:16:43 GMT

I have several TCP Smart Plugs. I just moved house and have the latest BT Smart Hub (currently running the Hybrid box while our new line is being set up). I can't get my TCP Smart Plugs to connect and I think this is because they need a 2.4Ghz network. I understand I can disable the 5Ghz on the hub temporarily and need to disable smart switch but all the Community links seem to be now disabled. Can anyone repost in simple steps please how to do thes two things if it's what I need to do to get the plugs to work

Re: Connect TCP Smart Plugs

licquorice — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 17:48:20 GMT

No idea what Smart Switch is

To turn off 5Ghz WiFi go to hub manager > advanced settings> wireless and change the toggle for 5Ghz to Off.

Re: Connect TCP Smart Plugs

legoman26 — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 17:56:11 GMT

Ta for the quick response. Where do I go to to see hub manager please?

Re: Connect TCP Smart Plugs

licquorice — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 17:58:25 GMT

Put 192.168.1.254 in your browser address bar

Re: Connect TCP Smart Plugs

Les-Gibson — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 18:06:47 GMT

I have TCP smart plugs and never needed to switch off the 5GHz network to connect them so in this case I'm sceptical about that being the problem.

The easiest solution, if possible, would be to change the SSID and WI-Fi password of the new hub to that of the old one.

If you don't like that idea then the hub manager can be found by entering 192.168.1.254 into the address bar of a browser, you will need to select Advanced settings which will require you to enter the hubs Admin password.

Re: Connect TCP Smart Plugs

licquorice — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 18:24:50 GMT

The reason for turning off the 5Ggz WiFi is to force the device setting up the plugs onto 2.4Ghz , not that the plugs need to have 5Ghz turned off. The plugs initially connect to the device in ad hoc mode directly rather than via the hub.

If your device is connected to 2.4Ghz there is no need to turn off 5Ghz

Re: Connect TCP Smart Plugs

Irish-Lynda — Sun, 21 Jan 2024 19:58:13 GMT

and the BT hub wont allow you to split SSID, so both 2.4 and 5 have to use the same name

Re: Connect TCP Smart Plugs

legoman26 — Sun, 21 Jan 2024 23:14:06 GMT

Thanks for the replies all, but you've gone a bit "techie" for me. So, my question is, can I enable a 2.4Ghz signal on my black Smart Hub so that my wireless TCP plugs can connect. Please respond in simple language. I have an idea how to get to the Hub settings using a browser and the admin password but I don't know much more.

Also, is it true that provided I can get a 2.4Ghz signal from the hub, and I get the plugs to connect, do I need to maintain a 2.4Ghz signal for these devices to work? Or is it the case that once initial connection is made over 2.4Ghz, the devices will function over 5Ghz? Doesn't make any sense to me!

Re: Connect TCP Smart Plugs

licquorice — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 08:13:51 GMT

Simply turn off the 5Ghz wireless on the hub to force everything onto the 2.4Ghz signal. Connect the plugs and once working simply turn the 5Ggz wireless back on. The plugs will continue to work.

Re: Connect TCP Smart Plugs

Weerab1983 — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 08:36:07 GMT

Look at these instructions to take you into the wireless settings and you will be able to turn off 5g from there https://www.bt.com/help/broadband/how-do-i-turn-wi-fi-on-and-off-on-the-bt-hub-

Re: Connect TCP Smart Plugs

Les-Gibson — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 12:26:07 GMT

@legoman26

Let's try and walk you through it.

On your PC or Laptop, open a browser.
Enter 192.168.1.254 into the address bar of the browser
You will see a screen similar to the following

4. Click on Advanced Settings (you will be asked to enter the Admin password, this is on the removeable plate on the back of the hub).
5. You will see a screen similar to the following, Note that the Wireless tile will be grey, I've highlighted it blue to make it stand out

Click on the wireless tile, what you see next should be self explanatory.

Change the 2.4 GHz and 5GHz channels as I explained in message 5, you will see from the blue tile above that I am using channels 11 and 48 and I have no problems at all with any of my Smart devices.

Re: Connect TCP Smart Plugs

licquorice — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 12:22:58 GMT

@Les-Gibson please read my explanation in message 6. Your post was message 5 btw

Re: Connect TCP Smart Plugs

Les-Gibson — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 12:28:03 GMT

@licquorice

Correction Made.

I get your point but mine was to get the OP to move away from (not so) smart channels towards manually selected channels

Re: Connect TCP Smart Plugs

licquorice — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 12:35:06 GMT

Agreed, but unless both devices are on the same band in ad hoc mode, they won't be able to talk to each other. Once they are both connected to the hub, they will talk to each other on the different bands. That is the fundamental problem to resolve.

Re: Connect TCP Smart Plugs

Keith_Beddoe — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 13:00:21 GMT

@legoman26

Forget about the home hub for a moment.

Most "smart" devices, after a factory reset, start up by transmitting their own wireless network, with their own SSID. They also have their own smartphone app to do the configuration.

On your phone, you need to "forget" your home hub connection to start with, so that the phone does not try to connect to it, as it can make it almost impossible to configure.

The app normally tells you to connect to the wireless network transmitted by the "smart" device. Once the app connects, you can then enter the name and password of your home hub, and it should confirm the connection.

You would then restart the "smart" device, and it will then stop transmitting its own wireless, and connect to your home hub.

You can then re-enable your phone to connect to your home hub as before.

This is how my bird box and CCTV cameras have been initially set up.

Re: Connect TCP Smart Plugs

legoman26 — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 14:48:01 GMT

Thanks to all for the info. I'll give them all ago!

Re: Connect TCP Smart Plugs

Keith_Beddoe — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 15:18:02 GMT

The important part, is making sure your phone with the app, is prevented from connecting to the home hub, during the initial setup of the plugs.

That causes most issues, because you can lose contact with the initial wireless signal from the plug, as your phone will always prefer to connect to the Internet, and can attempt do that while you are trying to configure the plug, so you lose the connection with the app.

The wireless from the plug would show "connected but no Internet" or something similar.

I am guessing that the TCP smart plugs connect the way I have described, as they would have no idea what wireless network name you have at home, until its been configured via the app beforehand.

You may find that the Smart Life app more reliable, when trying to set them up.