This topic

BT Hub Manager - recent changes

michael226 — Sun, 07 Dec 2025 06:11:26 GMT

I have been used the BT Hub Manager for a long time to check status and connections.

A few days ago, when entering the usual 192.168.1.254, I got a message back saying:

“secure connection required, access to the Hub Manger now requires a secure HTTPS connection (and there is a button to press to switch to HTTPS). You might see a browser certificate warning - what should I do ? (Which is a link to a BT site)”

This isn’t the browser warning message as it shows 192.168.1.254/forced.https.htm in the address bar.

If I change to https://192.168.1.254 I can get to the Hub Manager, after the safari browser warning, but it’s now asking for the admin password for pages that used to be viewable without login in, like connected devices and connection status.

Has there been a firmware update to change this?

Re: BT Hub Manager - recent changes

Aljaha — Sun, 07 Dec 2025 09:36:30 GMT

I have also noticed this and see that my Smart Hub 2 had an update on the 3rd December and assumed this has caused it.

Re: BT Hub Manager - recent changes

WSH — Sun, 07 Dec 2025 12:45:11 GMT

What version of firmware is it?

The last version was v0.45.00.08028

Re: BT Hub Manager - recent changes

licquorice — Sun, 07 Dec 2025 12:55:11 GMT

Version 0.46 has changed hub manager page to HTTPS.

Obviously not necessary as the hub manager is only accessible from the LAN but I guess it stops browsers from complaining of an insecure connection.

Re: BT Hub Manager - recent changes

Aljaha — Sun, 07 Dec 2025 14:15:16 GMT

46.218

Re: BT Hub Manager - recent changes

Aljaha — Sun, 07 Dec 2025 14:17:18 GMT

Whoops misread the numbers should be .46.02.10311

Re: BT Hub Manager - recent changes

chrisjp — Sun, 07 Dec 2025 23:24:02 GMT

Annoyingly, after clicking the "switch to HTTPS" button, my Chrome web browser complains the site is NOT secure because there is no appropriate certificate.
I then have to go through a dialogue saying I want to connect to the site anyway, and eventually the hub manager opens but with the https bit in red and crossed out in the displayed URL.
Having eventually got onto the hub manager I then find I have to enter the admin password to get to anything on there. Previously this was only needed to access Advance Settings.
I don't think all this is an improvement and I don't understand why BT have thought it necessary to impose so many new hoops to jump through just to access the hub manager.

Re: BT Hub Manager - recent changes

WSH — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 10:30:59 GMT

I suspect it might be laying the foundations for other changes to come.

More importantly, has it changed this stupid timed log out with a real log out button?

BT Hub Manager

andreaferns120472 — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 04:01:45 GMT

When I go to hub manager 192.168.1.254 for some reason I am getting the page "switch to HTTPS"

Secure Connection Required

Access to the Hub Manager now requires a secure HTTPS connection.

⚠ You might see a browser certificate warning - what do I do?

when I click on “switch to HTTPS” it then says "your connection is not private, Attackers might be trying to steal your information from 192.168.1.254 (for example, passwords, messages or credit cards).

I then click on "advanced"

And then I click on “Continue to 192.168.1.254 (unsafe)”

Which then takes me to the BT Hub Managers Page. But in the address bar it says “not secure”

This has just started happening, does anyone know why this is?

Re: BT Hub Manager

licquorice — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 07:55:36 GMT

See message 4 of the thread

Re: BT Hub Manager

WSH — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 10:14:07 GMT

A number of years ago, browser publishers started encouraging people to use HTTPS instead of HTTP. The difference? HTTPS is HTTP-Secure. The reason it is “secure” is because it encrypts the traffic between your device and its destination, instead of leaving it as plain, readable text. Browsers now pop up a message to warn users when the traffic is not encrypted, i.e. “not secure”.

While this might be useful for traffic travelling across the internet, where it could be intercepted and read, possibly even tampered with, it serves no purpose if the traffic is just between your device and the router within your own home. (After all, you’re not going to hack yourself and no one from outside should be in there anyway).

The reason this change has been brought in, I suspect, is to calm peoples’ fears when their browser displays this message about “not secure” and they do not understand what it means. Unfortunately, the way it’s been done seems to have achieved just the opposite.

Re: BT Hub Manager

WSH — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 18:26:01 GMT

Just a further clarification of this.

I’ve just received this firmware update myself, so I can now see what they’ve done.

As I said above, the switch to HTTPS is to encrypt the connection, as that is becoming the standard across the internet, so browsers flag the use of the older HTTP as “not secure” etc. However, it’s a little more complicated than this.

The encryption is done using a key supplied by the website you are trying to connect to. It’s supplied in a “certificate”. This is not a certificate in the paper sense but more akin to ‘certifying’ that the website you are connecting to is genuine. The certificates are provided by a third party that confirms the identity of the company it issues the certificate to. These “Certificate Authorities” charge the company for this service.

As a cheaper alternative an encryption key can be supplied for HTTPS using a “self-signed certificate”. The problem is that these are not verified by a third-party Certificate Authority and so the site you are connecting to might not be genuine. For this reason, browsers will still flag these as potentially “not secure”.

As I said before, the fact that you are connecting to your own router, in your own home means you know it is genuine and, as you are not going to hack yourself, even the encryption is not really necessary, it’s just becoming the standard browsers use to establish a connection today.

I hope that helps calm any worries.

Re: BT Hub Manager

licquorice — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 18:42:38 GMT

Yes, a self signed certificate was not the best idea but obviously in view of the number of hubs and no risk I can see why it was done.

It could have been handled somewhat better though.

Re: BT Hub Manager

gg30340 — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 22:00:55 GMT

I have no idea how long this web page has been available but it is what comes up if you follow the link on the BT Hub Manager Redirect page. "⚠ You might see a browser certificate warning - what do I do?

Security warning when accessing the Hub Manager | BT Help

Re: BT Hub Manager

WSH — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 22:04:43 GMT

Oh, good to know I'm not just making it up as I go along then!

Re: BT Hub Manager

chrisjp — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 22:13:41 GMT

Despite the BT assurances that warnings on your browser can safely be ignored, there is no explanation of why this move to hpps is needed.
The communication is just between your computer and your hub - it does not involve the internet at all. So why on earth has BT introduced this unecesessary level of security, forcing users to click through a bunch of warnings every time they want to access the Hub Manager?

Re: BT Hub Manager

gg30340 — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 22:21:43 GMT

@chrisjp

It will probably be because some web browsers will in future make it more difficult for http to be used.

See info about Chrome.

what browsers do not allow http - Google Search

Re: BT Hub Manager

WSH — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 22:26:31 GMT

If you reset the bookmark used by your browser to include the HTTPS:// you don't need to click through all the warnings. (Although it will still say "not secure" at the top).

Edit: @gg30340 I did say before that I suspected it was laying the foundations for changes to come.

Re: BT Hub Manager

licquorice — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 22:23:07 GMT

@chrisjp Because with http, most browsers barf that the connection is not secure, but instead of a proper certificate that would stop all the warnings, BT have opted for self certification so just exchanging one warning for another.

Re: BT Hub Manager

Wilf21 — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 13:04:11 GMT

Are there any other known changes in this newest firmware (Firmware version:v0.46.02.10311-BT)