Any Ethernet cable will do. It doesn't need to be a BT one.
Yep I realise that it's just that I've never connected anything using ether et cables so don't have many. I'll be interested to see what comes up initially on my Windows 10 laptop screen when I plug in!
Turn off the laptop's wireless connection when you are setting up the new hub other wise when you try to open the hub management page you will probably get the old hub's page.
Remember to turn it back on when you change over the hubs.
The only thing with an ethernet connection is that modern laptops don't tend to have them. If you've got one all well & good.
I would turn off the old Hub as previously suggested but connect the new Hub to the master socket & let it connect. Otherwise you'll have to find your way around the web interface complaining there's no connection. Can't remember how easy or hard that is off the top of my head but connecting the phone line will stop it happening.
Once you've made the SSID changes you can call the British Museum & see if they want the HH3!
There is absolutely no need to turn off the old hub while you are setting up the new hub unless you want to.
All you need to do is follow the information that I have already posted by logging onto the new hubs management pages by typing 192.168.1.254 into your browser address bar.
You will be able to navigate the management pages without any problems or complaint about there being no connection and even if you were it would not stop you making the changes and saving them.
If you do disconnect the old hub before the new hub has been set up keep in mind that all your connected devices will stop being connected for as long as it takes you to connect the new hub and change the SSID and Password to that of the old hub.
Changing it prior to disconnecting the old hub means that your devices are only disconnected for as long as it takes you to disconnect the old hub and reconnect the new one which should take no more than a minute or two at the most.
When you log onto the hubs management page you will need the Admin password found on the hubs label to allow you to enter the Advance Settings. Once in the Advance settings click on the wireless box and you will see the SSID (Network Name) and password (security password) that the hub presently has. Make your changes then click save and exit the management pages.
See link.
Thanks folks for all your help. The BT Smart Hub 6 arrived earlier than expected and following your advice connected my laptop to the powered up router using an Ethernet cable. I turned off the WiFi on my laptop and then using the Hub's IP address was able to go into the settings. Here I changed the Admin password, separated the two channels and named them such that the 2.4GHz on had the same SSID as my old router. I also changed the password key to my old one forever imbedded in my memory.
At each stage everything was saved of course. It is now connected to my ADSL
Initially, im noting a lower download speed ie about 15Mbps rather than 17+ I get normally.
All my equipment Inc Roku streaming device, Epson Wireless printer, laptops and tablets connected almost seamlessly. I had a slight problem with my Brennan CD Music player but a tweak to an IP Address sorted that out.
Oddly though of my two laptops currently to hand, the latest Acer one that I use almost all the time does not show The 5GHz SSID whereas two Samsung tablets and an older Acer laptop does. The one that doesn't has Qualcomm Atheros Wireless adapter which is 808.11b only.
Anyway it's early days now and this 85yr old is knackered after some hour work.
Glad it all went well for you.
When you say the The Qualcomm wireless card is 808.11b, or is it 802.11b is 2.4Ghz only so it can not see/use the 5Ghz.