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

[pddco]

@SludgeIsland  You never know you may actually get that EE router after all.. Not sure that I’d want to move over to EE though. But hey.. 

[SludgeIsland]

@Groo   Why would you change your mobile to EE?  The EE mini-hub should be active for a year, as mine has been after the nine week wait for a broadband connection when we moved house last June, and we couldn't have survived without it.  Even with only one bar of signal.  My mobile is still with O2 and full 4G signal!

@pddco It's only for a trial period, and if it's no good I'll be off.  Unfortunately though, in this part of East Anglia, we are limited to an OpenReach connection, so if BT/EE can provide something that works, at least it's kept a bit more "in house."  If it doesn't work, then I'll ask them to extend the life of the mini-hub's SIM.  If this had happened at our previous address I'd have gone to Virgin Media like a shot, knowing it was a totally different infrastructure.

@gormsgast  Go back to your own thread if you've got nothing helpful to say.  You're not wanted here!

[Groo]

@SludgeIsland 

That's just me assuming that BT will try & persuade me to move my mobile to EE, a battle they will lose 🙂

Not sure when I'm supposed to send back the mini hub; I assumed I've only got it while they did their 'cease & re-provide' last week. There's no sim, or anywhere to put one, in the one they've sent me. Also, strange as it may seem, I think I'd rather plug in the hub5, which at least won't need charging.

[SludgeIsland]

@GrooThe mini-hub contains a SIM, digital or otherwise. Plug it in with a Micro-USB cable to a phone charger or USB port, leave it plugged in all the time and forget about it until you're full up and running.

[rbz5416]

@Groo 

If the EE device is one of these (EE71), the SIM is under the battery. If you flip it upside down one corner has a notch where the cover can be pulled off.

 

I'd recommend removing the battery before powering with a a micro USB as suggested by @SludgeIsland. They can apparently overheat if powered permanently with the battery in place. Put the battery in a plastic bag to isolate the terminals to keep it safe for when you have to return it.

[Groo]

@rbz5416 

No that's not it. Mine is tiny, an EE72E with no way of getting inside it. The instructions do say to not leave it permanently charging though.

[SludgeIsland]

@Groo and anyone else suffering with this problem, it's update time!

After much contemplation, I decided not to pay £5 per month extra to move to the same service with an EE name and a new 24 month contract. Instead, I took a gamble and  purchased an EE SmartHub Plus (version SH31A, with DSL port and modem for FTTC, as opposed to SH32A with no DSL port or modem, for FTTP) from e-bay for £15 + postage.  It appears to have paid off!

So far, so good. Easy to set up, and two whole day of uninterrupted internet.  How long will this last? Let's wait and see, but stable 37Mbps. Easy connection to wi-fi without getting thrown out every few minutes. No re-boots or resets. No buffering on TV (which I was told was normal on FTTC, and accepted as such), and Digital Voice works perfectly, although it took 45 minutes to register.  All laptops connect instantly to the internet, both wi-fi and ethernet, when switched on and logged in, rather that the 30 to 60 second "circle of death" wait (again, which I was told was normal with FTTC), wondering if it will work.  

In my opinion, go for it! Buy a SmartHub Plus privately (just make sure it's the SH31A version if you're on FTTC). I will be asking BT to cover the cost, and they get to keep me as a customer.

The SmartHub 2 appears to have been the cause of this problem all along and BT need to realise that there is an inherent problem with this router which is causing misery for lots of customers.  If only BT had followed this route through when I first mentioned the possibility of a SmartHub Plus!  

[Groo]

@SludgeIsland 

Thanks for the update & glad it seems to be working for you. Mine has now gone down again twice since they did the 'cease & re-provide' & I agree with you that it's the SH2 which is the problem. As I've said before, never had a problem with my old hub.  Mind you, I'm beginning to think our problems are maybe not quite the same, as I never get that buffering or slow connection. In my ignorance of all things hub (!) I still think the SH2 is geared up for FTTP, not FTTC & BT have simply ignored the fact that not everyone has FTTP yet, nor lives in a city.  This also currently causes the additional problem of being more or less stuck with BT or EE, as all the other providers only do FTTP and, in some cases, don't even provide in this area. 

I'll see what the complaints lady says on Friday, but I'm going to suggest I just plug in the 2nd hand Hub5 I got off ebay & that BT charges me a lot less than £41 p.m. when my contract renews in Sept. Another interesting argument may occur when they still try to charge for a landline.....

[licquorice]

Obviously it is not possible to diagnose your fault remotely, but I very much doubt it is a generic fault with the SH2.

There are hundreds of thousands of BT customers with the SH2 on FTTC (myself included). This forum would be inundated with complaints if the fault was universal.

I have absolutely no problems with the SH2 on a rural 50Mbps FTTC line like I suspect most customers.

I tend to be the 'IT helpline' for the village and haven't had one complaint from anyone with similar problems.

[Groo]

@licquorice 

Yeah, it's a complete mystery & because it's not happening to everyone with a SH2, and more detailed explanations of problems being experienced seem to indicate it's not the exact same problem for everyone, it'll probably be impossible to figure out. I just wish they'd figure mine out!  And you're lucky, my FTTC only gives me 22mbps.