Smart Hub 2 and upgrade to Fibre100

[DocBC]

We are due to upgrade from a very poor FTTC connection because of copper coated aluminium cable to Fibre100 now it is available in the street. The only Smart Hub 2 that we have has 4 yellow ports and no WAN port. We stopped using it and have used a more reliable TP-link Archer VR400 for the past couple of years. The firmware will not have been upgraded since then. Will a new Smart Hub2 with a red WAN port and three yellow ones be delivered? If not , can our old one be used?

[licquorice · Accepted solution]

No, a new one won't be delivered. The old one will work with the latest firmware as LAN port4 can be configured as a WAN port. You need to ensure you connect the SH2 as soon as possible in order for it to get the upgrade though as there is no manual method of upgrading.

[DocBC]

I feared this would be the case. I will need to do it before changeover but concerned that swapping the TP-link with Smart  Hub 2 may cause problems as the line re stabilises.

[licquorice]

What line stabilisation? There will be no 'line stabilisation'

[DocBC]

Experience shows that if you switch off the Hub, it may take a day or two for BT to realise there isn’t a line fault and the speed drops further from the pathetic 10 MBS we get.

[licquorice]

A single disconnection and reconnection will have absolutely no impact whatsoever. It takes multiple disconnections to upset DLM

[DocBC]

I suspect that the problem was more related to the failing copper coated aluminium cable causing intermittent faults when we changed hubs over. Good advice, thanks.

[Starman]

Typically advised if you want to sure not upset the DLM system that you power off and wait 15mins before powering up but licquorice is correct one drop to exchange router shouldn't worry DLM system if your not already having lots of errors and disconnections anyway.

[pippincp]

@StarmanWith FTTC DLM s handled at the cab not the exchange unlike ADSL. The OP was referring to an FTTP connection which has no DLM.

[Starman]

Yes I'm aware however my response was on the exchange to the SH2 for their current FTTC connection pending the future FTTP migration to allow for it to be upgraded to the latest firmware to then provide the FTTP option and LAN port 4 as a WAN port.