topic Re: Plusnet Hub Two with smart devices in My Router

Plusnet Hub Two with smart devices

Bleakers64 — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 20:39:13 GMT

Dear all,

I am near the end of my basic unlimited broadband contract and have been tempted to upgrade to fibre by a good offer in a retention email.

Consequently, I’ve been posted a brand new Hub Two, sooper…. Plug it all in and away we go you would think?. I wish.

Phones, iPad, sky, hive, great.

However none of my Woox smart plugs or Wiz bulbs will reset and connect properly. These devices need an assigned 2.4 GHz channel, not a mixed broadcast channel, as confirmed by both helpdesks.

So, been into the admin section on the Hub Two and you can’t assign different names to the two channels. What.?

Given I needed to get them working tonight, I’ve pulled the Hub Two for tonight and reconnected the Hub One.

I have read on other posts that it may be possible to switch off the 5GHz channel, set the plugs and bulbs up with the new SSID, then re-enable the 5GHz channel. Has anyone done this successfully? If not, what’s the plan?
I like the idea of faster speeds, but the faff this is causing is frustrating? Do other providers have a router that can have separate channels?

Very tempted to chuck the damn thing out of the window just now even if I’m reasonably competent…..

Re: Plusnet Hub Two with smart devices

bobpullen — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 20:52:03 GMT

My first suggestion would be to try temporarily disabling the 5GHz radio as you have mentioned.

Re: Plusnet Hub Two with smart devices

Bleakers64 — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 21:25:57 GMT

Thanks for the reply Bob, I guess I was hoping for something a bit more positive, someone has tried it and succeeded etc. Or frankly no it doesn’t work and I need a different router or sell all the smart plugs etc…

I’ll have a go tomorrow, but was hoping to have some idea of likely success…

Re: Plusnet Hub Two with smart devices

bobpullen — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 23:01:26 GMT

Sorry, I've no personal experience with the smartplugs or bulbs you're using.

I do have a few 2.4GHz only devices on my network, including some smartplugs, but they seem to deal with the merged SSIDs without issue.

My smartbulbs operate via a wired bridge, so the hub SSIDs are nothing to do with their operation.

Re: Plusnet Hub Two with smart devices

Baldrick1 — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 09:01:07 GMT

@Bleakers64

See this and the following post for another option. https://community.plus.net/t5/Tech-Help-Software-Hardware-etc/Separate-Bands-with-a-Smarthub-2-or-Plusnet-Hub-2/m-p/1843141#M92270
If you want the same wireless performance as a Hub Two with the capability to split the bands then get an original BT Smarthub, sometimes called Smarthub 6, they are cheap on auction sites. Avoid the later Smarthub 2 as they, like the Hub Two, have locked synchronised bands. You will find setting instructions pinned at the top of this board.

Re: Plusnet Hub Two with smart devices

Dan_the_Van — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 09:15:56 GMT

Another suggestion would be buy a newer product such a router only and put the hub two in modem mode

Re: Plusnet Hub Two with smart devices

MisterW — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 09:18:26 GMT

There's a few threads on the BT forums that suggest that temporarily disabling the 5ghz band does work

https://community.bt.com/t5/Home-setup-Wi-Fi-network/Smart-plugs-bulbs/td-p/2073356

https://community.bt.com/t5/Home-setup-Wi-Fi-network/Reconnect-2-4GHz-smart-plug-to-5GHz-router-can-it-be-done/td-p/2162142

https://community.bt.com/t5/Home-setup-Wi-Fi-network/Re-Smart-Plug-Connection/td-p/1897934

Re: Plusnet Hub Two with smart devices

dvorak — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 09:21:55 GMT

It worked with my central heating system.

Re: Plusnet Hub Two with smart devices

Bleakers64 — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 14:27:33 GMT

So, dear all, thank you for your comments.

The Woox plugs and Wiz light don’t operate via a bridge like the Hive, they connect to Wi-Fi directly. They both need a clean 2.4GHz channel for setup. So, as suggested, knock off the 5GHz channel, remove everything from the various apps, one at a time, reentering my Wi-Fi password each time for each item reconnected. What a drag.

However it seems to have worked, the plugs and lights are reconnected and with 5GHz turned back on they are responding properly…

Maybe need to be a bit more patient….🤔😳