This topic

DNS services just stops working on Home Bub 2

jm1940 — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 22:24:37 GMT

Hi

After running for a couple of days the home hub 2 simple stops responding to DNS requests.

My linux client has the router IP as DNS server in resolv.conf, which it gets from DHCP. I can work around this by either:

a) define my own DBS servers, eg 8.8.8.8
b) reboot the Home Hub 2

but neither is a solution.

I see others have reported similar.

While troubleshooting I noticed I had uPnP on, which I didn't want or need so I disabled. I also disabled "Web Protect" as it was suggested might resolve the issue. But the issue remains.

Ideas?

Re: DNS services just stops working on Home Bub 2

licquorice — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 08:05:21 GMT

Use a Raspberry Pi as a DHCP server and DNS proxy.

Re: DNS services just stops working on Home Bub 2

jm1940 — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 17:29:23 GMT

Thanks for reply. Which I appreciate. I have 4xxPis already, in various locations.

But this is a BT forum. I’m looking for how to get the BT smart hub 2 to work properly, not workaround.

Re: DNS services just stops working on Home Bub 2

licquorice — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 17:33:13 GMT

Good luck with that.

The BT Hub seems to sufferfrom memory leak and needs frequent re-booting if worked too hard.

There comes a time when the pragmatic solution saves frustration.

Re: DNS services just stops working on Home Bub 2

WSH — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 20:39:34 GMT

If we now don't need to worry about DLM sticking its nose in because of being on full fibre, why not just plug it into a timer and reboot every night?

Re: DNS services just stops working on Home Bub 2

jm1940 — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 10:06:58 GMT

I presume BT personnel will respond eventually.

In the list of workarounds is “change provider”.

Re: DNS services just stops working on Home Bub 2

WSH — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 10:15:46 GMT

Not on here they won't.

This is a customer-to-customer self-help forum. The only BT employees are the moderators and they don't necessarily read all posts.

You'll need to phone customer services if you want BT personnel.

Re: DNS services just stops working on Home Bub 2

licquorice — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 10:16:40 GMT

This is a customer to customer self help forum. The forum mods are not technical experts.

I fail to understand your reluctance to implement a very simple solution when you already have the wherewithal to do so.

Re: DNS services just stops working on Home Bub 2

jm1940 — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 10:46:49 GMT

Your lack of understanding isn’t my problem. You don’t know the ins and outs of my situation.

I do appreciate the suggestion. But I have no desire to allocate a raspberry pi to dns/dhcp services, these are part of the product i am paying for.

If it can’t be done more reliably with the BT hardware, I’ll probably just change provider. It’s not a threat, just stating the obvious.

I’ll open a support request as suggested.

A daily reboot workaround is also noted. I’d thought of that too, but am still hoping BT might actually fix the underlying issue.

if everyone just works around problems and doesn’t pressure vendors to deliver better service, then they won’t. Obviously this forum is not the place for that pressure, but I thought it was worth asking. Seems a known issue.

It’s sad but true, I’ve worked for a major telecommunications company and the priority of a bug is often measured by the count of open tickets against that bug. I was told once that every support call, where a support person has to speak to a customer, even for a few seconds, costs €60. That’s why they invest so much in AI tools to avoid person to person support calls.

Re: DNS services just stops working on Home Bub 2

licquorice — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 12:00:08 GMT

So, in a nutshell, you're happy to apply one workaround (change supplier) but not another. Fair enough, your prerogative.

Re: DNS services just stops working on Home Bub 2

jm1940 — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 12:47:03 GMT

Well, in a word, yes I’m surprised you are surprised.

As in my original post, I have a workaround. The various different suggested workarounds all have pluses and minuses, but they are just workarounds.

my presumption would be switching supplier removes the need for any workaround for this specific issue. Obviously, also some risks and a hassle.

Re: DNS services just stops working on Home Bub 2

Kimberlin — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 13:14:05 GMT

@jm1940

Just buy a decent third party router, DNS issue resolved.

Unless you have a landline of course that just sits in the corner as a useless unused ornament? Or do you actually use it if you have one?

If you’re unhappy with the service, then switch, thousands of customers every month do, it isn’t difficult.

Re: DNS services just stops working on Home Bub 2

jm1940 — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 19:09:38 GMT

The ornament (landline) is used every day. It’s how carers and GP and family and friends and I interact with the customer, my dad, who is in the property and has dementia and is elderly. It’s also connected to a pedant so he can press it if he falls over or has some difficulty.

I try to be polite, but as I said earlier in the thread people don’t know the reality of a specific situation. Suggestions are welcome. But also can be politely declined when not practical. I maybe visit the property once every 6 weeks myself. There’s not a single person in his immediate daily support circle outside of me who would know what a raspberry pi is. My dad would presume he could eat one. He can see his TV is not working 100% right, but he’d have no idea how to power cycle a router.

of course the above doesn’t preclude using a raspberry pi or secondary router or …. I’m not claiming it does. I’m saying I find it surprising that the BT user community seems focused on telling people not to use the BT supplied equipment for a very very basic element of the procured service. And that’s not to mean it’s not helpful advice, but if that’s where BT is , the business is FUBAR-ed.

thanks again for all suggestions.

Re: DNS services just stops working on Home Bub 2

Kimberlin — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 11:40:31 GMT

@jm1940

I’d just point out that the current SH2 is technologically old hat. That’s probably the reason why EE don’t hand them out to their new customers. It’s all very much moving to WiFi 6/7 standard. Granted the SH2 works, to a point, but it isn’t exactly cutting edged tech. I have the Plusnet version still sat unused in its box. There’s a reason I don’t use it, it’s simply not good enough because it isn’t WiFi 6 capable. That may not matter to your particular situation and I respect that.

Re: DNS services just stops working on Home Bub 2

harry161 — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 13:22:56 GMT

Hi,

We have a similar issue in the other thread:
https://community.bt.com/t5/BT-Fibre-broadband/DNS-issues-with-Smart-Hub-2/m-p/2442592#M361738

I ended up building my own workaround.

I put together a small project called Router Watchdog that automatically power-cycles the router if it loses internet.

It works like a dead man’s switch:

A Tasmota smart plug controls power to the router

The plug runs a local countdown timer

A small service on a cheap VPS resets that timer via MQTT every 15 minutes

If the router loses connectivity, the plug can’t receive the reset

The timer expires and the plug power-cycles the router

Because the timer runs locally on the plug, it still triggers even when the internet is down.

It’s not a fix for the root cause, but it’s stopped me having to manually reboot the router every time DNS drops.

I’ve put it on GitHub here:
[mod edit: third party link removed as community terms]

You’ll need a Tasmota smart plug and a basic VPS (mine costs about £2 per month).