This topic

connecting vwan

chrisxef6 — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 16:34:28 GMT

Octopus Energy want to connect a Chameleon Technology IHD7 VWAN to my Smart Hub 2: The engineer didn't understand WiFi, but it looks like it needs to se 2.4 GHz. Is there are simple set of instructions about how to persuade Hub to do this? Meter location is ca 2 metres from Hub, speed showing 400. But it's an old house with thick internal walls, and I have loads of discs taking signal around. Thanks. Chris

Re: connecting vwan

WSH — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 16:46:17 GMT

Do you really want Octopus with access to your network? Personally, I'd tell them to take a hike!

Re: connecting vwan

iniltous — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 17:08:28 GMT

Energy smart meters don’t usually connect to the customers broadband but use a network independent of the customers own (after all they can’t assume you have a broadband service) so it’s weird that they have a device that needs to connect to your broadband , unless this is not a standard smart meter , possibly a system using solar panels, feed in tariff etc , but ultimately it’s up to them to get a connection, not you (or BT ) .

Re: connecting vwan

WSH — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 17:28:41 GMT

Most IHDs connect to the meter on an independent wireless system that is nothing to do with your Wi-Fi. The meter then talks to the service provider via the mobile phone network.

Are you sure it needs to connect to your Wi-Fi? This doesn’t seem to suggest that:

https://octopus.energy/ihd-smart--meter-display-screen-help/

As I said, I would be very dubious about that. Let’s face it, sending an installer that doesn’t know how to do the install doesn’t exactly inspire confidence!

(Edit: Typing at the same time as iniltous).

This may help:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zri2a4lly7M

Re: connecting vwan

licquorice — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 17:42:57 GMT

Regardless of the rights or wrongs of connecting to your WiFi, you don't have to do anything for it to 'see' the 2.4Ghz network.

Re: connecting vwan

chrisxef6 — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 06:51:08 GMT

Replies so far not helpful and rather demeaning, but I obviously didn't explain my situation sufficiently. I live in an idyllic part of Wales which is remote from other houses and sheltered by mountains from the "normal" smart meter connectivities. Connection via wifi/broadband is a new route so houses like mine can get the benefit of better electricity tariffs. I welcome it, as I generate about 8kWh of power each year. Perhaps someone can actually help with the technical question I asked - Smart Hub 2 is not straightforward.

Re: connecting vwan

gg30340 — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 07:38:52 GMT

There is nothing not "straight forward" with the BT Smarthub 2.

As with many routers, the BT Smarthub 2 uses dual frequencies., 2.4GHz and 5GHz. If the device that the "engineer" is trying to set up needs to use 2.4GHz that is all the device will look for. It will not be able to "see" the 5GHz so it should just be connected to the one it "sees".

It should then just be a simple connection. The "engineer" needs to know the SSid (name) of your BT hub and the wireless password both of which can be found on the label on the hub and once the device has found the SSid the fitter should then use the password to connect.

If for any reason the device won't connect he should try turning off the 5GHz on the BT hub. To do that he will need to access the hub's management page. After the connection has been made he should turn the 5GHz back on.

See the following link and the sub links "How do I turn the wireless on and off" and "Having problems connecting 5GHz etc"

https://www.bt.com/help/broadband/learn-about-broadband/learn-about-the-bt-hub-manager

I would say that I would not have much confidence in the "engineer" if he can not make a simple connection, which is necessary for the installation of the device he is trying to install.

Re: connecting vwan

licquorice — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 08:52:27 GMT

@chrisxef6 did you not read message 5?

Re: connecting vwan

WSH — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 08:56:58 GMT

@chrisxef6 My apologies. It wasn’t intended to be “demeaning”, merely cautionary.

The system you have is not the normal way it is done, so you perhaps needed to explain that in the original post. Presumably, to access the meter Octopus needs access to your home network. There are security concerns to that, so it is not something I would allow lightly. If you are happy with it, however, that is up to you.

Re: connecting vwan

licquorice — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:18:47 GMT

Not really sure there is much of a risk, it will just be outbound traffic. Octopus would need to know the OP's current IP address to access their network. The OP can also disable UpNP to prevent incoming connections to make doubly sure.

Re: connecting vwan

WSH — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:23:03 GMT

I’m not so sure. Part of the idea of smart meter is remote access/control for the companies. All it needs to do is report the current IP when it sends a meter reading and that can be as frequently as every half hour.

Re: connecting vwan

licquorice — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:28:17 GMT

But without port forwarding or UpNP, incoming connections wouldn't be allowed. The only dialogue allowed would be from and to the meter. The meter would need to initiate the connection.

Re: connecting vwan

WSH — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:33:21 GMT

Yes, possibly. Personally, I'd want to know a lot more about it before I allowed it.

Re: connecting vwan

licquorice — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:38:52 GMT

My solar inverter connects to my network, as do most installations I would assume otherwise it wouldn't be possible to use the app to monitor them.

Re: connecting vwan

WSH — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 10:18:26 GMT

Yes, I'm aware that solar controllers use the Wi-Fi but the OP was initially talking about smart meters. Not heard of them using the Wi-Fi before.

Re: connecting vwan

gg30340 — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 12:42:11 GMT

It would appear that the OP is not in a good mobile signal area and company is offering to use the wireless connection through his Home network to the Internet as a way to over come this.

As long as the OP is happy with this, which appears to be, then there is really nothing more to say about it other than the company should ensure their fitters are trained how to make the wireless connection as well as what to do on dual band routers if the 2.4Ghz won't connect.

Re: connecting vwan

chrisxef6 — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 07:11:59 GMT

Quite so. Thank you