Connecting Smart Hub to ONT

[LiamStidolph]

Hoping someone can offer some advice. 

I have the OpenReach ONT installed under the stairs in a new build. Right beside the ONT I have an Ethernet point which connects to an Ethernet point in the living room where I would like to situate the Smart Hub. 

When I plug the ONT into the Ethernet point and then the Smart Hub into the living room Ethernet point I get the orange light with no broadband. If I connect the smart hub directly to the ONT I get connected fine and then I can also plug an Ethernet cable from the LAN port on the router into the point in the cupboard and connect via Ethernet in the living room....

Does the ONT have to be connected directly to the Smart Hub for some reason? Is this something to do with the red ended cable they supply? I’m really lost as to why it won’t work through the houses Ethernet points as I’m assuming that’s what they’re there for.... 

[imjolly]

When you connect hub downstairs are you connecting to the WAN port

[LiamStidolph]

Yes, as I say I can connect fine directly from the ONT to the Smart Hub, but connecting ONT to Ethernet point and then Ethernet point to WAN port on the Smart Hub results in no broadband.

[licquorice]

But if the hub is sited adjacent to the ONT, the same cable works fine from a LAN port?

The only thing that I can think of is that either the hub WAN port or the ONT port are not auto sensing and a crossover cable is required to connect them and the combination of the cables and connections is providing a straight connection.

[LiamStidolph]

So if the red ended cable is plugged directly from the ONT into the SH everything connects fine. 

Putting another Ethernet cable from the ONT to the houses internal Ethernet point, then from the other end of the point the red ended cable from the Ethernet point to the SH WAN port and there’s no internet. 

I would have thought this would not make a difference as it’s essentially still a straight Ethernet connection from the ONT to the SH but with the houses internal Ethernet connection between. 

[licquorice]

You don't know that. The cable between the rooms might be straight or crossover. The other Ethernet lead might be straight or crossover. That may not be the problem, it was just a thought.

Does the ONT to SH2 work if you use the other cable rather than the red one?

The only other thing I can think is that the cable between rooms isn't fully wired and the WAN to ONT needs GbE wiring (all 8 wires) whereas the LAN side can drop back to 100M using 4 wires.

[LiamStidolph]

I’ve had the panel off the wall and checked the cable and all 8 wires are terminated into the back of the Ethernet point. 

[licquorice]

Did you try the ONT to hub using the other cable rather than the red one?

[LiamStidolph · Accepted solution]

So I’ve removed the panels from the wall and stripped back the cabling between the two Ethernet access points and reterminated everything and found one of the cores was broken where it had been terminated. I assume that the reason I could connect the laptop through the point was that it was only using 2 of the twisted pairs but the Smart Hub uses all 4 pairs? 

After fitting it all back it’s now working great. Looks like an issue with the installer being a bit careless. 

[LiamStidolph]

Yes I should have specified I’d checked all that and that the Ethernet link between the two points was an 8 core patch cable rather than a crossover. 

Regardless all is now well, thanks for the help everyone.