New hub keeps losing wifi connections, even though blue lights lit

[Groo]

@jerry_Tomson 

Thanks. None of those, already on 3rd (yes, 3rd) new hub. All doing exactly the same. Never had problems with old hub, but forced to take Smart Hub 2 due to DV switchover.

No nearby devices to interfere, no thick walls or metal objects. All devices disconnect, including DV & even the smart TV which is connected with ethernet cable. Only 2 devices ever in use at once, although occasionally printer also briefly connected.

All the engineers, and all the webchat guides (I've wasted my life on 12 so far) do a hub reset.

Hopefully, the 'network fault' they now say is the problem, will be fixed by the Openreach engineer this afternoon.

[Niltechy]

Same problems exactly with us and the date the problem started was about the same time.  The internet comes on and off randomly throughout the day. We have a new router but it still drops. We are not technical experts but are expected to be! How can the Powers that Be expect everybody to go online if this happens all the time.  We are just waiting for our fourth engineer. Surely with so many people reporting the same problem they (BT) must realise that something has gone wrong in their system and not our devices. I personally wonder if it has something to do with the EE merger.

[Groo]

@Niltechy 

I agree they appear to not be joining the dots, although it's possible it's individual (although similar) problems at individual exchanges. If I find out from the engineer today what was the latest thing he's done, I'll post it so others can make a list of other things reported on this thread which other people have been told by engineers, and pass it on to their own engineers!

I'm not even sure if they are pushing the EE merger up here yet, as it seems that EE coverage isn't brilliant up here.

[Groo]

A very knowledgeable Openreach engineer has just left. He didn't physically do anything, which I am fine with as the previous engineers all did what they could & all said it was a problem at BT end, presumably in a dungeon full of spiders because BT have taken no notice. I have lost count of the number of times I've told BT what the engineers said. Openreach guy is now phoning/sending report & other things, telling BT that it needs a "cease & re-provide" - he explained to me that when they switched to the new hub, they didn't programme "something" correctly & the "cease & re-provide" means they would sort of start from scratch so it was all programmed/set up properly. Fingers crossed (again)!

He did also say that other folks with a similar problem are likely to be different (although he has dealt with 2 other fairly local people where this was the solution) but this is potentially something you could mention to your engineer?

[arwen]

Up date following 3rd New ( re furbished ) Hub on 21/03/25. It dropped Internet as before within 36 hours. Re-set as before then dropped again that night.

After speaking to BT yet again & stating what the engineer said on 21/03/25 about the data card at the exchange which thankfully he had reported following his visit they agreed to send an Open reach engineer today 28/03/25. She had the info & agreed all was ok in house & was an external problem. She went to the exchange ( 100 yards away) & replaced the Fibre Port which she said was the equivalent of the data card. This has all been logged & we await developments.

In the meantime I have e@mailed BT to ask them to keep the fault open for at least 14 days. I discovered on BT website track faults that they have been closing all the reported faults after re-placing each hub.

I have told BT in e@mail that if fault re-occurs I will be making a formal e@mail complaint In the event that is not rectified within 8 weeks I will be contacting the  Comms Ombudsman & seeking re dress for loss of service & breach of contract.

Hope this info re Fibre Port/ Data Card at exchange helps someone.

[Groo]

@arwen 

Sounds hopeful. Wish they'd all sing from the same hymn tune though! My Openreach guy today said the stuff in the exchange is more or less obsolete after the switch to DV & everything happens at the cabinet now!  You're nearer civilisation than I am - the cabinet that does whatever for my line, is 1.2km away.

We can only hope that these things will work.

[licquorice]

Just to explain how things work.

With early broadband (ADSL) both the broadband and analogue phone service was provided by copper wires from the exchange, this limited the speed of broadband considerably.

To increase the speed, the broadband equipment (DSLAM) was moved to the green cabinet to be closer to the customer. The broadband to the cabinet is provided by fibre cable which doesn't necessarily come from the local exchange. The copper cable back to the exchange still provided the telephony portion.

Once DV became available, the copper cable and exchange equipment for the analogue phone service became redundant as the voice was now carried via the broadband signal.

[SludgeIsland]

The only problem being the bit of 70 year old, 500 yard long copper wire between the cabinet and the premises.  Unless of course you in a town or city!

[pddco]

For all intents and purposes ‘the exchange’ is most likely the DSLAM cabinet where your copper cable from the house meets the fibre going to wherever (Some convenient point - probably an exchange building) where it meets other like minded fibre cables on its way to ‘the network’. As has been said elsewhere the term ‘Exchange’ has no relevance with Digital Voice. The digital telephone switching equipment within existing exchange buildings - operating since early 1980s - supporting tradition telephone services over copper,  will soon become redundant as the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) gives way to packet / IP based DV. 

[Groo]

@licquorice 

Thanks for the info, very interesting & easy to understand.