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

[SludgeIsland]

@Groo

...and everyone else having this problem.  We all appear to have something in common, apart from this annoying fault!  We all live in the sticks, and have FTTC, with ancient copper wire from the cabinet to the house (and **bleep** mobile signal!)

As per my previous post, the OpenReach engineer attended and removed 70m of excess cable in the loft, and a burnt out Mk 1 socket, also in the loft!  Problem persisted, and the engineer walked away baffled.

I complained again to BT, and was told I was overloading my router. I'm not!

I tried a TP-Link router which worked absolutely fine, but of course, no DV as that only works with a SmartHub!  So I phoned them again and asked for another replacement SmartHub (number 4), which arrived Wednesday.  I was told to replace all the cables with the new ones in with the router.

Last night had internet up and down like a... well, use your imagination!  I ran a diagnostic check through the Hub Manager app via my  mobile as the laptop would not connect, and a fault was detected and an engineer visit recommended.  

Today, I installed the new SmartHub.  No cables or even a power adapter in the box.  Just a recon SmartHub, an installation leaflet, and a prepaid label and bag to return the old one in, and a reminder of the £60 penalty if I didn't!. 

But....... having installed it, everything works perfectly.  I wonder if the previous fault in the wiring (Bridge Tap, blown Mk.1 socket and 70 metres of excess copper wire!) had somehow damaged the routers.   I don't want to tempt fate, but could it be that my problem has been solved.   I will of course update.

Be persistent, pester BT as much as possible and make a nuisance of yourself until they listen and do something. And demand compensation for the time you are without internet.   Good luck all of you!

[Groo]

@SludgeIsland 

Well fingers crossed your problem is solved.  I hate to say this, but I've had 3 replacement hubs & they all work for the usual 2 days & then start throwing tantrums again.

As for pestering BT........ 8 weeks & counting, 12 always very long webchats with Indians, 2 BT engineer visits, 4 Openreach visits, 2 phone calls to BT 0330 number, email to a 'resolution' email I found online (no response, needless to say). As for the phone calls, I daren't use my BT phone to phone 150, which would be free, because it being DV may drop halfway through what are always long conversations, and I'm sick of using my mobile minutes for extremely long & annoying phone calls which never get anywhere. And even when the first phone call resulted in them saying they'd action the 'cease & re-provide' recommended by the 4th Openreach guy, they didn't. I spent 50 minutes on the phone again to them a couple of days ago & got cut off just as I thought I was getting put through to the right person.  So I have no idea what else I can do.  No point in contacting Ofcom as they don't deal with individual stuff, they only 'recommend' to BT what they should do.

Oh & they keep trying to close the complaint. Also, apparently you only get compensation when the fault has been fixed.

I can't take much more of this!!!!!

[pddco]

This is interesting in that the common factor may be related to the length of the landline and transmission loss. Clearly the old (non DV) hubs coped with the weaker signal ( or whatever the characteristics are of the longer line) - and so did that TP router. And I’ve read elsewhere similar reports of DV  SH2s perhaps having issues. I wonder if the ‘new’ SH2 that @SludgeIsland got is an older (or revised) version? 

BTW ancient copper lines are irrelevant. Like saying you’ve got ancient copper pipes in your house. Copper doesn’t degrade with age. Yes, poorly sealed UG joints could lead to a poor connection. But generally the individual connectors  are jelly filled, so water resistant. And overhead lines can get caught up in branches and get chaffed or what not.. but provided you’re happy with the speed, there isn’t much  (apart from transmission loss - which we all know about and can be factored in and may be an issue here) wrong with copper lines.. 

[Groo]

Thanks @pddco 

The various engineers did test the line & it's fine.

They've already sent me 3 SH2s & it seems a bit pointless asking them to send another, ad infinitum, on the off-chance one of them works!

I'm thinking of starting a 'new' complaint with all the details, to see if they will actually be proactive with a new complaint.

[Groo]

And I've now discovered the only way to raise a complaint is to phone them (which doesn't give the option of raising a complaint!) or write to them.

How can a company get away with being this bad????

[licquorice]

Line tests aren't going to show up an intermittent fault. By definition they are extremely difficult to diagnose and require time and experience to find. Neither of which Openreach have in abundance.

[Niltechy]

Yesterday I went onto Chrome (when I was able to connect!) and typed in 'Is there a problem with BT Halo Hub 2' . Lo and behold there is a serious problem and this has been going on for some time and crucially we are not alone. I am now seriously thinking of moving to another company because we are getting nowhere.  Also I pay over £70 for this and being ripped off.  The engineers don't seem to know what to do and aren't  interested in the 'internet' connection to devices.  They see the blue light on the hub and discs and report the system working.  Like you I am despairing and even told the 150 employee I was suicidal!!  Waiting now for the white van to arrive.  Hope the earlier person who thought he/she had solved the problem is still happy.

[Peter_W]

Good morning @Niltechy.

I'm really concerned to see this. I've just sent you over a private message so we can take a few more details.

Peter

[Niltechy]

This is certainly a new learning curve for me!

[Groo]

@Peter_W 

Interesting. So why aren't you bothered about the rest of us on this 15 page discussion? All with the same problem, all been trying for weeks.