BT hotspot signal

[topleycolin]

We live in Stelling Minnis, near Canterbury, Kent. We just about get a very weak signal for the local BT wifi hotspot but it comes and goes all the time. Is it possible to have the signal boosted a bit to cover a slightly increased radius of, say, a quarter to a half mile?

[Keith_Beddoe]

@topleycolin 

The signal you are seeing is most likely from a nearby BT broadband customer with a BT Home hub which is transmitting the signal, so there is no way to control that, and the user may turn their home hub off, or disable the BT WiFi signal.

BT Wifi only transmits a very short distance from a BT Home Hub, so unless you are close to one of the premium hotspots which transmit from commercial premises, you are unlikely to see any improvement.

This map may help https://www.btwifi.com/find/

[topleycolin]

Sorry, but it is most definitely NOT another person's home hub, it is clearly designated on my laptop as a BT hotspot which people have to pay a daily/weekly/monthly charge to use or it's free if a person is a BT Broadband customer which I am. We live on a farm in the middle of the Minnis (common land) and there are several other houses about 100 metres or more distant and we do not get any wifi signals from them. I just wanted to know if BT could possibly boost their hotspot signal only a little for it to reach us. 

[imjolly]

people have to pay to access btwifi/fon if they are not BT customers.  your own hub will be broadcasting a BTWIF/FON network

[Keith_Beddoe]

All of the BT Home hubs from BT Broadband customers who are opted in, transmit the same signal as you are seeing, and will display the payment page, so that will be what you are seeing, unless you are close to a premium hotspot.

The power level transmitted is the same from all hotspots, and its limited under Ofcom regulations, to avoid interference with other services using the 2.4GHz wireless band.

Its most likely that one of the other nearby houses have BT Broadband, and it will be their BT home hub which is transmitting the signal. 100 metres would give a weak signal.

A clue to this, is if you can also see a BT Home Hub SSID transmitting on the same channel as the BT Wifi signal you are seeing, and at about the same strength.

[gg30340]

The BTWifi hotspot transmitted from a BT customer's BT Hub can also be accessed by somebody who  pays a daily/weekly/monthly charge to use as well as it being free if a person is a BT Broadband customer. 

When you try and log onto the BTWifi signal regardless of where it is being transmitted from it gives you a landing page that offers the option to pay or use your BTID if you are a BT Broadband customer. 

If it is a "commercial"  BTWifi hotspot, that is usually transmitted from premises such as a cafe or other business. 

The signal you are seeing is possibly being transmitted from one of your neighbours or you are seeing the signal that is being transmitted from your own BT hub.

The BTWifi signal is not transmitted by BT and it can not be boosted.

See links

https://www.btwifi.co.uk/

https://www.btwifi.co.uk/help/faqs/

[topleycolin]

Thanks for your replies. It is definitely not a neighbour but I see from the BT hotspot map that Stelling Minnis does have one and going by what you said, I believe it is most likely from the shop or the Rose & Crown pub. On my laptop it is designated as BT wifi with Fon and as you mentioned it comes up with a section showing payment options but is free to BT Broadband customers.

Thanks again, Colin