Free WiFi access after upgrade to SmartHub2

[Scudder]

Hello,

My apologies if this is posted to an incorrect board.

So, this is the situation:  My brother has a BT landline and BT broadband, while I have a BT Mobile SIM-only. 

Via BT WiFi free hotspot I have always been able to connect my mobile, tablet and laptop to the Internet.  I have never been able to connect via broadband 

My brother and I share a property, we're both 50+, he's in control of the Internet and neither of us like the other and have not spoken for years.  Childish, I know, but I don't need your input on that topic, thank you!  But hence why I always connected to the Internet via the free Wifi app.

A day ago my brother upgraded from whatever router he had to this SmartHub2 device.  While I was initially able to connect via broadband although NOT via Wifi, I am aware that he has blocked my devices restricting me from accessing the Internet.

I've limited data, and frankly don't understand how BT can claim access to WiFi hotspots if access can be restricted by an individual.

Please can someone help  🥴

[licquorice]

Perhaps you should read the terms and conditions. Your brother is perfectly at liberty to turn off the public wifi access from his router in return for foregoing his own access to BTwifi when out and about.

[Scudder]

Well, golly, that was a slap on the face with a large halibut! Distinguished Sage...  tastes more like bitter kelp.G

osh, that was a critical reply - are you my brother? I thought this was a helpful place with solutions?

[NigelB72]

As @licquorice said, the owner of the Hub and payer of the bills is perfectly entitled to opt out of BT WiFi thus disabling any external WiFi access via the BT WiFi app or even turn off WiFi completely and only allowing a hardwired ethernet connection to the hub.

[licquorice]

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@Scudder wrote:

Well, golly, that was a slap on the face with a large halibut! Distinguished Sage...  tastes more like bitter kelp.G

osh, that was a critical reply - are you my brother? I thought this was a helpful place with solutions?

---

It was a critical reply in response to your critical assertion that somehow BT were being misleading.

[Scudder]

I'm a paying customer of BT and if I wish to be critical of BT then that is my right. The fact that you took a comment aimed at seeking continued access to BT' free hotspots as a message only of criticism, suggests you might need a holiday. But thank you.

[Scudder]

...getting this topic back to the actual point and question, rather than overly sensitive protection of BT (BT says x number of Hotspots, but if the router owner doesn't sanction the use - and I guess many private individuals would not - that rather negates its service.) What can one do?

I guess there's no cheat, override or work-around.

[licquorice]

Unfortunately you are at the whim of the hub owners for the most part, although the vast majority of owners will be either unaware or happy with providing the service. There are some public wifi hotspots that are not generated by residential hubs but they are only in town centre locations.

It is after all a free service with no obligation for customers to provide it.

There are no workarounds.

[NigelB72 · Accepted solution]

The vast majority of customers are happy to leave their publicly broadcast section open as it has no impact on their service as home devices will always take priority over external ones. 

Basically, there is nothing that you can do to force your brother to allow you to use his Hub to access BT WiFi. You don't pay BT for access to only one Hub, you pay for access to wherever there is a public Hub or BT Hotspot available and the key word there is available...

If a BT customer doesn't want to make their Hub available, that's their perogotive as it will also opt them out of using any other BT Hubs or Hotspots to access BT WiFi.

[Scudder]

Fair point well made and thank you