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Powerline WiFi

99scouser — Sat, 29 Nov 2025 18:16:49 GMT

Trying to add a TP link powerline WIFI extender to a BT HUB, I can connect to the powerline WIFI settings OK but if I try and change the TP link WIFI to my HUB Wifi settings ( using the HUB Wifi button ) I can see the BT SSID on my phone but I can't connect, is this because the HUB is locked to BT WIFI discs?

Re: Powerline WiFi

licquorice — Sat, 29 Nov 2025 18:24:53 GMT

Re: Powerline WiFi

licquorice — Sat, 29 Nov 2025 18:28:18 GMT

Powerline WiFi extender doesn't make sense. Either it is a powerline adapter or a WiFi extender, which is it?

Re: Powerline WiFi

99scouser — Sat, 29 Nov 2025 18:35:04 GMT

That's the name on the TP link box, "powerline Wi-Fi extender" , extends Ethernet and Wifi over powerlines.

AV1300/AC1200

Re: Powerline WiFi

licquorice — Sat, 29 Nov 2025 18:40:49 GMT

So there are 2 units, not just a single WiFi extender.

Why give it the same network name as the hub? It is better to give it a different name so you know which device you are connected to. If you think it will give seamless roaming if you give it the same name, it won't.

Re: Powerline WiFi

99scouser — Sat, 29 Nov 2025 19:12:35 GMT

Thank you, no I am not expecting mobile phone type roaming for WiFIi calling, I just want to have a single SSID. I have read that BT locks down their SSID ( and that seems to be the result from trying) so you have to use BT disks to to get a single network wide SSID.

Re: Powerline WiFi

WSH — Sat, 29 Nov 2025 19:37:16 GMT

Not so.

You are not clear about what you mean by a "BT Hub" but assuming that's a Smart Hub 2, what they do lock down is which channels you can select, (for good reason), and the ability to separate the 2.4 and 5GHz bands with two separate SSIDs.

Re: Powerline WiFi

licquorice — Sat, 29 Nov 2025 19:44:47 GMT

A single SSID is not a particularly good idea in anything but a mesh situation. You gain nothing by giving powerline adapters the same SSID as the hub. Devices will switch between sources if they have discrete SSIDs in exactly the same way if they had the same SSID.

The difference being that you know which you are connected to.

I have the hub and 3 powerline WiFi sources all with different SSIDs.

Re: Powerline WiFi

99scouser — Sat, 29 Nov 2025 19:55:04 GMT

Thank you, I will try using the different SSIDs and see how that goes.

Thanks for your help.

Re: Powerline WiFi

99scouser — Sat, 29 Nov 2025 20:05:43 GMT

Do you know how how mobile phone wifi contends with switching between nodes, do phones pick up the best signal quickly or do they have to drop off before switching to the next wifi node?

Re: Powerline WiFi

licquorice — Sat, 29 Nov 2025 20:33:10 GMT

They drop off and re-connect. This is why it is best to use discrete SSIDs. If a phone hangs on to a weak WiFi signal, you can force a change to a stronger signal if it has a different SSID but you can't if it has the same SSID.

Re: Powerline WiFi

Crimliar — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 15:12:26 GMT

Just to make sure you are setting this up correctly. Using a TP-Link powerline to WiFi setup, you'll have the plain powerline connection connected to the router (SH2) using an ethernet cable. Then you place the WiFi extender elsewhere within your property - ideally on the same ring-main.

Now for the tricky part. Historically I've sucessfully setup I think it was the 7510 device using the same SSID and password as the main WiFi. But you can get issues because there are effectively two routes the combo node can use to send data back to the router through - the powerline AND the WiFi which even spanning-tree protocols can struggle with.

As for other extenders and device properly re-locating from node to node. You either need devices that actively and aggressively hunt the best node, or a router than can actively manage its satellite WiFi Mesh devices - these exist but are less common than you'd think!

Re: Powerline WiFi

licquorice — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 15:19:24 GMT

Completely wrong, you are thinking about WiFi extenders rather than WiFi capable powerline adapters with regard to SSID and password.

Re:

Kodikid — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 21:38:53 GMT

Through the magic of circle to search ✨️ I now understand what that means

Re: Powerline WiFi

99scouser — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 22:01:58 GMT

Thank you , yes they are set up properly. I have done the same setup on another BT hub 3 and get the same issue. "Unable to connect" popup on my phone when the extender uses the BT SSID, but not the TP link SSID. I have read the hub is locked to BT disks if you use the BT SSID. Makes sense from a BT sales and repair point of view.

Re: Powerline WiFi

licquorice — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 22:17:22 GMT

The only 'locking' is the BT complete WiFi black discs that will only work with the SH2.

Re: Powerline WiFi

99scouser — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 19:02:31 GMT

I tried 2 different powerline products on HUB 2, both accepted the the HUB wifi clone and connected to the internet

On the HUB 3 both products accepted the wifi clone but would not connect to the internet (pop up warning)

HUB 2 is open , HUB 3 is locked to proprietary disks.

Re: Powerline WiFi

99scouser — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 19:15:25 GMT

Just to clarify, for the HUB 3 the SSID is locked to BT disks only, if you use the SSID that comes with the Powerline adapters the internet works fine. If you link multiple Tp_link WIFI adapters they will auto clone the 1st SSID so that's a cool feature.

Re: Powerline WiFi

licquorice — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 19:36:54 GMT

No it isn't, the BT hub is not 'locked' to anything. I have 3 TP Link powerline adapters that work just fine with the hub.

What exact device do you have? I'm still not sure if you have powerline adapters or a standalone extender, they are entirely different things.

Edit: Posted before seeing message 18

Re: Powerline WiFi

99scouser — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 19:55:21 GMT

Powerline adapters, TP-Link TL-WPA4220T wifi kit (2 units) and AV600 Wifi kit (3 units). The 3rd unit auto cloned SSID and password from the 2nd unit.