Second Router needed

[Daunton]

I have full fibre with voice, so need my BT router. 

However there is a known compatibility issue with some network connected audio equipment I use which causes it to not be discovered on the network intermittently. Also annoying as it will drop off even after discovery.

I never had this issue with a previous (before fibre) Netgear router and the device forums cite the BT router as the issue.

I therefore would like to use the existing router for voice but a second router for my cables and WiFi network intermittently the house.

Any advice on method gratefully received.

[licquorice]

First of all I find it extremely unlikely that there is some form of incompatibility between a BT hub and any device you may have. I fail to see what functionality a third party router has that a BT hub doesn't have in terms of pure connectivity.

Having said that, it is a simple matter to use a third party router in conjunction with the hub if you so wish.

Simply give the second router a static WAN IP address outside of the DHCP range of the hub, se gateway to 192.168.1.254, configure the second router's subnet to be in a different range to that of the hub, e.g 192.168.2.xxx.

Connect second router WAN port to hub LAN port.

[WSH]

See message 16 here:

https://community.bt.com/t5/Home-setup-Wi-Fi-network/Smart-Hub-2-and-Bridge-Mode/m-p/2306834#M203785

[Daunton]

Thanks for the reply. I’ll look at the link. 

I am only working on the basis that my previous non BT router presented no issues and there are several posts on the Naim forum relating to BT routers bing an issue. I admit I am not that IP savvy but experience, as it were counts in this instance I feel. 

‘Issues between the Naim NAC-N 272 and BT routers, particularly the BT Smart Hub 2, are well-documented, often resulting in the

Naim app failing to find the device, the 272 dropping in and out of the network, or streaming interruptions. This is typically due to how the router handles Wi-Fi band steering (mixing 2.4GHz and 5GHz) and UPnP/multicast network traffic’.

I’m not blaming BT, indeed whilst Naim kit is fabulous audio wise, it’s never been great in the IP/streaming world which is a shame. The Netgear solution was fine prior to going fibre and now using that for voice which makes the use of the BT router sort of mandatory.

I’ll investigate the solution and see how it goes. I think I may still have the old Netgear wireless router hanging around somewhere,

[TimCurtis]

@Daunton 

It's probably down to the SH2 not having separate SSIDs for the 2.4 & 5GHz wifi networks causing connection issues.

The solution generally advised is to switch off the 5GHz network , connect the device to the 2.4GHz network & then switch the 5GHz wifi back on.

If speed to wifi devices is not an issue then you could just leave the 5GHz wifi turned off.

[WSH]

If the OP is going to the trouble of running a second router then presumably he is not using the Wi-Fi on the SH2.

If it is the lack of ability to separate the bands, then the answer would be to connect a separate WAP to the Asus/Netgear or whatever.

(WAP = Wireless Access Point).

[Daunton]

The issue I am having is that of the control App via my iPad. 

there are three bits of hardware all with wired connections via a dumb switch. 

The App sees one of the controllable units fine which rarely disappears. It’s the other unit (the streaming preamp) that vanishes and can’t be controlled. 

there is a fair bit of kit around the house on 1.5 and 5G so I guess I’d have to disentangle all of that too and I don’t even have an interconnected  fridge!

Shame really as Netgear world was blissfully reliable.  

[Daunton]

If I resort to a second router I would indeed use that for the WiFi in tbe home. That’s how it was prior to going to full fibre etc. 

[licquorice]

The problem revolves around how the devices talk to each other.

If a devices talk to each other in ad-hoc mode rather than via the hub, they both need to be using the same band. If both bands have the same SSID, devices cannot be forced to one band or the other. Hence if the device with the app is connected to the hub at 5Ghz it won't be able to talk in ad-hoc mode with a device that only has 2.4Ghz Turning off the 5Ghz band simply forces all devices to use one band and hence be able to communicate.

As @WSH has said, a simple wap for 2.4Ghz and the hub on 5Ghz results in both bands available but the ability to choose which to use.

Problems only usually occur with the setup phase of devices (normally the only time they use ad-hoc connection) once set up they normally communicate via the router so band used doesn't matter.