topic Re: Many HUB TWO questions in My Router

Many HUB TWO questions

markv — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 11:01:58 GMT

Currently running a very ancient Draytek Vigor router on my Plusnet FTTC service.

Decided I needed a backup router for when the Vigor dies.

My issued PN hub is the also-ancient Technicolour, so bought a new-in-box PN HUB TWO on eBay.

Seems like a nice piece of kit.

Being paranoid, I would like to force a firmware update, to ensure I've not bought a cuckoo that is phoning home my web traffic (and passwords!).

Q1: Any way to force that to happen? Current f/w is v0.05.03.07154-PN

Very happy that the HUB TWO can be configured with custom DNS (the HUB ONE couldn't be).

One remaining snag; I would like to be able to remotely initiate a VPN connection *TO* the HUB TWO.

Is that possible?

The H2 makes a big deal about being VPN-friendly, but that seems to be from a dumb-consumer outgoing point of view.

I would like to set up an IPSEC VPN host end-point on the H2.

Q2: Can that be done?

Thanks.

Mark

Re: Many HUB TWO questions

dvorak — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 11:08:25 GMT

Moderators Note

This topic has been moved from Broadband to My Router

Re: Many HUB TWO questions

Dan_the_Van — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 12:10:11 GMT

In answer to your questions

Q1) The Hub two needs to be registered to the TR069 management system against your account to receive updates. It is important you inform plusnet you have this device as it may still be registered to it's previous owner/user and logon as that owner/user.

Q2) The Hub two does not have an inbuilt VPN server, so you'd need to find an alternative method

HTH

Re: Many HUB TWO questions

markv — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 12:34:46 GMT

Many thanks. how do I register the hub to the TR069 management system?

Who do I PM the hub serial number to?

thanks.

mark

p.s. it was purchased BNIB and didn't appear to have been opened, and had no user customisation, so probably not registered to previous owner.

Re: Many HUB TWO questions

Dan_the_Van — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 12:39:29 GMT

Hi,

I know in the past @bobpullen has helped here, but it is not his day job to follow the forum.

Hopefully one of the plusnet staff will see this thread and help

Dan.

Re: Many HUB TWO questions

MisterW — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 12:41:01 GMT

p.s. it was purchased BNIB and didn't appear to have been opened, and had no user customisation, so probably not registered to previous owner.

@markv routers are automatically registered to an account on dispatch. The serial no is scanned and associated with the router order for the account.

Many thanks. how do I register the hub to the TR069 management system?

Who do I PM the hub serial number to?

You need to wait for one of the Help team to respond to your thread. They will either request a PM or create a ticket to which you can reply

Re: Many HUB TWO questions

markv — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 12:52:25 GMT

Not sure if I'm 'telling tales' here but..

In the eBay advert, the item was pictured in it's box, with an address label (of the original recipient), but with personal info redacted with a black marker.

When it arrived, there was no such original address label; just a clean, unadorned, unaddressed box.

What does that suggest?

Mark

(awaiting instructions to send serial number)

Re: Many HUB TWO questions

MisterW — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 13:04:53 GMT

Its a long time since I received a router but IIRC there was a 'sleeve' over the box with address/account details. The sller probably just removed that leaving the basic box.

Re: Many HUB TWO questions

Baldrick1 — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 14:46:53 GMT

@Dan_the_Van wrote:

In answer to your questions

Q1) The Hub two needs to be registered to the TR069 management system against your account to receive updates. It is important you inform plusnet you have this device as it may still be registered to it's previous owner/user and logon as that owner/user.

Is this correct?
I’m only questioning this as if a BT Smarthub is used on a Plusnet service then BT still update the firmware despite it very obviously not registered to the original user. I have known them update during the initial boot sequence.

Personally I would configure it to use the correct account and see if it updates. Obviously in the longer term it is very desirable to get the hub correctly entered on the management data base so that it will auto configure after a full factory reset.

Re: Many HUB TWO questions

MisterW — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 14:59:07 GMT

TBH I'm not sure. I suspect you're right, that as long as the serial no is still active on the management platform then it will update. In this case the f/w seems quite old , so I suspect its not been used for a while and will have dropped off the system.

Re: Many HUB TWO questions

Dan_the_Van — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 15:21:22 GMT

@Baldrick1 and @MisterW

Is it not the case unless you remove the DSL cable from the BT Hub while setting up your plusnet broadband account it will keep returning to the BT account ID?

It may also depend on how the CWMP system is configured.

I agree if it has dropped from the CWMP system then it won't matter, but there again it won't update the firmware on booting.

Dan

Re: Many HUB TWO questions

markv — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 15:38:01 GMT

To be clear, this is a Plusnet HUB TWO, *NOT* at BT hub.

Re: Many HUB TWO questions

Baldrick1 — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 15:57:04 GMT

@Dan_the_Van

Yes that’s correct. You enter the Plusnet credentials then plug in the DSL cable. It is during the start up period that follows that I have known a Smarthub update its firmware. I’ve also known it take a few days.

@markv

I’m aware that you have a Plusnet hub, However this is a rebadged BT Smarthub 2 with tweeked firmware so am questioning whether they follow the same update path.

@MisterW

Agree, it is very old firmware.

Re: Many HUB TWO questions

RobPN — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 16:54:43 GMT

@markv wrote:

Not sure if I'm 'telling tales' here but..

In the eBay advert, the item was pictured in it's box, with an address label (of the original recipient), but with personal info redacted with a black marker.

When it arrived, there was no such original address label; just a clean, unadorned, unaddressed box.

What does that suggest?

Mark

(awaiting instructions to send serial number)

@markv

Just to confirm what @MisterW said in post #8 above, I just checked my unopened Hub2 package and there is indeed an address label stuck on the shrink-wrap enclosing the box.

Re: Many HUB TWO questions

markv — Sat, 19 Aug 2023 07:07:18 GMT

Checked this morning hoping it would have picked up a 2AM update, but no change.

Looks like I need to wait for a PN Mod to take the serial number.

Re: Many HUB TWO questions

Dan_the_Van — Sat, 19 Aug 2023 07:15:07 GMT

@markv

When you connected the DSL cable did the broadband username stay at setup@plusdsl.net? If it did then it is likely not enrolled on to the management system.

Is it working with your plusnet credentials?

Re: Many HUB TWO questions

Baldrick1 — Sat, 19 Aug 2023 07:24:18 GMT

@markv wrote:

Looks like I need to wait for a PN Mod to take the serial number.

Just for info, this needs to be picked up by a member of the Plusnet Help Team.

We Moderators are fellow customers who do the job voluntarily.

Re: Many HUB TWO questions

bobpullen — Sat, 19 Aug 2023 08:36:51 GMT

@markv feel free to message me with the hub serial and your Plusnet account username.

When a broadband account is cancelled, the TR069/ACS URL of any associated hub is overwritten, which completely breaks the association with the management platform and prevents firmware updates/remote management.

Re: Many HUB TWO questions

markv — Sat, 19 Aug 2023 09:00:40 GMT

@Dan_the_Van wrote:

@markv

When you connected the DSL cable did the broadband username stay at setup@plusdsl.net? If it did then it is likely not enrolled on to the management system.

Is it working with your plusnet credentials?

The username was initially setup@plusdsl.net - that appeared to Connect but not provide Internet access.

So manually changed to [me]@plusdsl.net + pw and it then connected correctly.

Re: Many HUB TWO questions

markv — Sat, 19 Aug 2023 09:02:58 GMT

@Baldrick1 wrote:

@markv wrote:

Looks like I need to wait for a PN Mod to take the serial number.

Just for info, this needs to be picked up by a member of the Plusnet Help Team.

We Moderators are fellow customers who do the job voluntarily.

Hi @Baldrick1 ,

I appreciate that, and appreciate the hard work you all do. I said PN Mod as I thought some Mods were Plusnet staff, and that was whom I was sort of addressing.

Apologies for an y confusion.

mark