I can stream on my iPad but cannot browse internet beyond Google home page.

[miwiho]

Hi

I can connect to my main BT Hub or any of the extenders and stream Disney or Netflix but I cannot browse on Safari or Chrome beyond Google or BBC home page. If I connect to the one extender that isn't password protected or when I am away from home then it works fine. I've reset all settings on the iPad and tried on a brand new one, same result. My iPhone works fine. 

It's mad, I've no idea what I'm doing wrong but think it must be something to do with security on the hub? Any ideas?

Thanks.

[Keith_Beddoe]

@miwiho 

Welcome to this user forum for BT Retail phone and broadband customers.

First thing to do is to factory reset your home hub.

Then make sure that MAC randomisation (Private Addressing) is turned off on both your iPhone and iPad. That setting is part of the Wi-Fi options on each wireless network, so you only need to do it for your home hub connection.

The problem with MAC randomisation is that it eventually takes up all of the available connections on the home hub, and any other network element that relies on the device MAC address for routing. This causes connections to fail, as the MAC address keeps changing. 

[DarrenDev]

Then make sure that MAC randomisation (Private Addressing) is turned off on both your iPhone and iPad. That setting is part of the Wi-Fi options on each wireless network, so you only need to do it for your home hub connection.

The problem with MAC randomisation is that it eventually takes up all of the available connections on the home hub, and any other network element that relies on the device MAC address for routing. This causes connections to fail, as the MAC address keeps changing. 

Do you have any evidence of this @Keith_Beddoe ?

It should generate a random MAC address and use that same value every time it connects - not generate a new one each time.

[licquorice]

I guess that depends if the device is configured as persistent or non-persistent randomisation.

[Keith_Beddoe]

@DarrenDev 

The issue with the home hub running out of connections was present in the original home hub 1. The DHCP table was stored in non-volatile memory and only a factory reset removes the entries.

It was possible to read the user.ini file on the early home hub 1 firmware, and entries were retained, even after a power interruption. The other issue is that the DHCP leases never seemed to expire. I suspect that much of the original code is being re-used in the later home hubs.

People have reported seeing multiple "unknown device" entries that cannot be removed.

https://community.bt.com/t5/Archive-Staging/Unknown/m-p/2106414/highlight/true#M1036595

I stopped using the BT Home hubs a long time ago, but I still see multiple "unknown" entries on my TP Link router, when family members with iPhones visit, fortunately the entries expire in 24 hours, so its not a problem.

My TP Link Deco wireless mesh shows these entries as well, and the MAC address is not the same, even though its the same person connecting to the network, but at a later date, which proves that a new MAC address is being generated for each session. 

My solution was to ask people to turn off MAC randomisation when they are connected to my wireless network, so at least I can identify and label the connection.

[gg30340]

Has this problem just started ie has the iPad ever been able to connect to and use the Internet correctly?

When you say "If I connect to the one extender that isn't password protected"  everything works OK, how many and what extenders are you using?

Are all the "extenders" using the same password and have you entered it correctly into the iPad?

Have you tried a soft reset of your BT Hub and all the extenders ie turning them off and on?

Have you tried a factory reset of the BT Hub and the extenders and set it all up again. 

[gg30340]

@Keith_Beddoe

If the problem is as you have stated, why does the iPad connect and work OK when using a non password protected "extender"?

[miwiho · Accepted solution]

Problem solved, all Apple devices connecting fine now.

But…

Now the Amazon fire stick that is connected by Ethernet cable to the router doesn’t want to play ball. Says it’s connected and internet fine, won’t stream anything. It shouldn’t be this hard. Is a different router the easiest answer?