Smart Hub 2: wireless device missing from device list

[biddlywiddly]

Recently had FTTP installed and along with it came the Smart Hub 2. Ever since, I have been experiencing the well-documented issues with connectivity across the two bands. Main issue has been with the WiFi-connected network printer. Sometimes it doesn't work, sometimes it does. I understand this to be the 2.4/5GHz issue and when both devices (laptop and printer) are on 2.4GHz, it seems to sort itself.

Discovery today while on the phone with BT's technician is that the printer is connected to the network, but the SH2 doesn't know anything about it. It doesn't show in the device list, nor in the IPv4 table. The IP address of the printer can be pinged successfully, and I can see it on the network using the Fing app, but the SH2 can't.

Worryingly, BT's technician (who was remotely connected to the hub) couldn't find it by MAC or IP, and I'm presuming the techs should be able to see more data than is presented to the end user.

Anyone else had a similar experience? I've searched the forums and while there are posts from two or more years ago mentioning similar behaviour, I can't see anyone reporting issues with the SH2.

[licquorice]

The Network map on BT Hubs are a total dogs breakfast and completely unreliable.

[Keith_Beddoe]

@biddlywiddly 

If you have a Windows computer, then open a command prompt and type arp -a

That will give you a list of all the device MAC addresses on the network, and the IP address assigned to them.

You should see the MAC address of your printer listed.

The problem is that the home hubs seem to lose track of the state of the ARP table.

[biddlywiddly]

@licquorice 

Thanks for the reply. That's certainly the impression I get from reading threads about older devices. Pretty poor considering that for most people it's the main source of information re what's on their network. You shouldn't need to be a network expert or be familiar with command line network prompts to see what's on your network.

[biddlywiddly]

@Keith_Beddoe 

Yes, thanks - visible through that and also the Fing app.

As in my other reply, pretty poor when the main interface to your network can't be relied upon. Even poorer when BT's technicians have no explanation and don't know what to do other than pass it along to the 'offline team'.

SH2 is BT's flagship router, and yet it fails on this basic functionality of telling me what is active on my network.

[Keith_Beddoe]

The issue has been there ever since the very first home hub 1, so its something within the core coding,

I used to use one many years ago, but now use a TP Link router and a Tenda Nova wireless mesh.

I suspect its quite difficult to keep a network map up to date, without continually clearing and refreshing the ARP table, and then updating the graphical interface to reflect the current connection state.

[biddlywiddly]

@Keith_Beddoe Interesting, didn't realise it was such an issue. Am planning on rolling my own router and wired AP throughout the house (had Ethernet run during the build phase) so will be looking to leave the SH2 behind soon hopefully!