This topic

Hub Gone, but Old WiFi Networks Still There

Issonian — Mon, 19 May 2025 21:26:32 GMT

A few weeks ago EE came along and installed a full fibre connection to my home and supplied a new EE hub with the network name (say) EE2025ABC. I connected my computer, iPad and iPhone to EE2025ABC and everything worked fine. I sent back my ancient BT hub that had the networks (say) Banana24 and Banana50.

A while later I found that my mobile devices had connected themselves to Banana24 and still worked fine. How can this possibly happen? The hub that supported this network has long gone, but when I look at the network list on my devices the two old networks are still there as large as life and can be connected to. Can anyone explain this seemingly impossible situation? I do have three Devolo WiFi extenders around my home should this be relevant.

Issonian

Re: Hub Gone, but Old WiFi Networks Still There

licquorice — Mon, 19 May 2025 21:27:54 GMT

@Issonian wrote:

I do have three Devolo WiFi extenders around my home should this be relevant.

Issonian

Yes

Re: Hub Gone, but Old WiFi Networks Still There

Issonian — Mon, 19 May 2025 21:49:37 GMT

Hi Liquorice, I see that you’re saying that the presence of the Devolo extenders is relevant, but why is this? I thought that extenders only extended the network created by the main hub, which is just the new EE network in my case. Why would the extenders extend networks that are no longer present on the hub?

Issonian

Re: Hub Gone, but Old WiFi Networks Still There

gg30340 — Mon, 19 May 2025 21:54:12 GMT

You need to change the network name ( SSiD) that they were broadcasting when paired with your old router.

You have to pair them with your new router so that they broadcast that name.

Re: Hub Gone, but Old WiFi Networks Still There

Crimliar — Mon, 19 May 2025 22:21:38 GMT

If one of the Devolo units is connected to the hub via an Ethernet cable, then disable the WiFi on the hub and just rely on the Devolo mesh as it's already set up!

Re: Hub Gone, but Old WiFi Networks Still There

Issonian — Tue, 20 May 2025 07:50:01 GMT

Thanks for your advice, but I don't know how to do this. If I switch off the Devolo central hub and the three extenders and then switch them back on again, will this do the trick? Will this make them forget the old network names and find the new EE network name?

Issonian

Re: Hub Gone, but Old WiFi Networks Still There

licquorice — Tue, 20 May 2025 07:55:14 GMT

Just factory reset them and set them up from scratch again.

Does it actually matter what their network name is, you can still use them as they are.

Re: Hub Gone, but Old WiFi Networks Still There

Issonian — Tue, 20 May 2025 09:17:52 GMT

Such is my lack of knowledge around this subject, I am assuming that the old networks associated with my former BT hub will be constrained to an ancient WiFi standard, whereas I want my Devolo devices to work with an up-to-date WiFi standard that I assume that I assume my new EE hub and its network supports.

Issonian

Re: Hub Gone, but Old WiFi Networks Still There

gg30340 — Tue, 20 May 2025 10:37:53 GMT

No. They have nothing to do with your old BT hub other than broadcast its network name.

They will work as always which depends on what they are designed to handle.

ie. rubbish in rubbish out. Good in good out.

Re: Hub Gone, but Old WiFi Networks Still There

licquorice — Tue, 20 May 2025 12:27:57 GMT

It's just a label to identify the network, you can call it Fred if you like, it has absolutely no bearing on performance.

Re: Hub Gone, but Old WiFi Networks Still There

Issonian — Tue, 20 May 2025 19:06:00 GMT

Thanks to all for your advice. Sorry there's no update on my side, but I 've had no chance today to fiddle with my WiFi gear. I should be able to get to it tomorrow (Weds).

Issonian

Re: Hub Gone, but Old WiFi Networks Still There

Issonian — Sun, 25 May 2025 13:07:55 GMT

Finally had a chance to try to fix the problem with my Devolo WiFi extenders, but I've had no luck at all. I tried switching everything off and re-linking the extenders to the central Devlolo hub (which I also shut down and restarted), but the old networks are still there - I simply cannot make them go away. This really bothers me, as I can normally fix anything to do with my computers and the local network. The Devolo documentation is so minimal as to be effectively useless, even on their website. It tells you how to install their devices, but there's nothing about resetting devices or trouble-shooting. The snag is, by pressing buttons and trying stuff I seem to have rendered one of my extenders inoperable and there's nothing I can do to make it work properly again. Looks like I'll have to give up and move on to the next job on my list. Nevertheless, thank you all for your help.

Issonian

Re: Hub Gone, but Old WiFi Networks Still There

licquorice — Sun, 25 May 2025 13:59:35 GMT

You need to factory reset them rather than just power cycle.

Not sure why you are bothered, why does it matter what they are called?

It makes zero difference if your hub and extenders have different SSIDs

Re: Hub Gone, but Old WiFi Networks Still There

Crimliar — Sun, 25 May 2025 14:16:04 GMT

Can I suggest that almost everyone will know some spotty tech nerd teen (18+), who you can get to come in and fix this for you for 10 maybe 20 quid!

Re: Hub Gone, but Old WiFi Networks Still There

Anonymous — Sun, 25 May 2025 15:16:02 GMT

How can I reset my Devolo WiFi adapters?

For a reset, press for more than 10 seconds with a bent paper clip into the small round hole next to the LAN output of the adapter. To do this, the WiFi adapter must already have been plugged into the socket for at least one minute.

The device now restarts for approx. one minute and is then in the delivery state.

You'll need to do this with every Devolo device & then set them up from scratch.

Re: Hub Gone, but Old WiFi Networks Still There

Issonian — Sun, 25 May 2025 20:12:58 GMT

Hello rbz5416,

I did exactly that with one of my three WiFi extenders and that's the one that I now cannot get to work at all. The Devolo instructions say that after resetting it and putting it near the base station, the network light will come on after about 50 seconds and then I should press the WPS key on my router. This did not happen. The network light came on solid red immediately and then started flashing after a minute or so and then eventually went out. I repeated this two or three times and gave up. I will give the Devolo help line a call when I get a chance. When I set up my system in the first place it all worked perfectly first time, but that's not the case now.

Issonian

Re: Hub Gone, but Old WiFi Networks Still There

Issonian — Sun, 25 May 2025 20:30:41 GMT

Hello liquorice,

I get your point, but as an engineer myself I like to understand how/why things work and in this case I simply do not, which is very frustrating. I'm sure if I bought a big fat book on WiFi I would get to understand, but as an 82-year-old retired person I don't want to invest that much time. It seems that my Devolo extenders are not simply slaves of the main hub but are mini hubs in their own right, able to sustain networks that no longer exist on the main hub. I find this confusing as it leaves me several unanswered questions, such as what WiFi standard these mini hubs are supporting and how their own little networks relate to the primary network supported by my new EE hub. Its not right for me to waste your time on this, so I had better try to get Devolo to talk me through the resetting procedure, as my own efforts today failed dismally.

Issonian

Re: Hub Gone, but Old WiFi Networks Still There

chrisjp — Sun, 25 May 2025 22:14:15 GMT

I might be wrong about this, but I think your Devolo extender units create a mesh system which produces a WiFi signal that is entirely separate from the one put out by your new hub. They are not "slave" units for the hub. In fact the normal advice is to turn off the hub Wifi and just use the one provided by the Devolo units.
Since you've used the Devolo units before you replaced your hub they'll continue to put out the same SSID as they always did - this is not some sort of "ghost" WiFi.
You could have continued to use your Devolo units, without any alteration and with the same SSID, when you replaced the hub, and you still can, but it looks like they might need setting up again from scratch

Re: Hub Gone, but Old WiFi Networks Still There

Crimliar — Mon, 26 May 2025 06:17:16 GMT

I think we probably need to know the exact model number(s) of the devolo product(s). I'm not aware of any of their pure WiFi extenders where there is a base hub, and then different remote units . This sounds much more like their "Magic" range, where the hub is connected to the router via ethernet cable (and the remotes connect to the hub using G.Hn powerline). If it is a "Magic" unit, you'd need to unplug the remotes, reset the base using, set up the base unit, and then plug in, reset, and set up the slaves individually. All the time following the original instructions like a complete pedant.

Buying a book on "Wi_Fi/networking" is not going to help set these up, they really are designed to be set up by anyone! I've set up a couple of Devolo Magic sets, and frankly if I were to be using powerline adapters, despite the price, these would be my go to - they are dead easy set up, don't over think it!

Re: Hub Gone, but Old WiFi Networks Still There

Issonian — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 15:14:50 GMT

Well, with the help of the Devolo website I managed to get my defunct/factory reset Devolo extender working again and paired it with the devolo hub. To my surprise and annoyance the old BT network is still there, as well as the new EE one. I know when I'm beaten, so I'm giving up my attempt to erase the old network from my set-up. I am simply telling all my connected devices to 'forget' the old BT network and to connect only to the new EE network.

Thanks to all who offered me help and advice, but it has all been in vain. This is the first time I have failed to solve a problem like this. Back to weeding the garden.

Regards,

Issonian