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PlusNet Hub One "Access Blocked" - BY Smart Hub Manager

FIXED
frurrell
Newbie
Posts: 2
Thanks: 2
Registered: ‎10-01-2018

PlusNet Hub One "Access Blocked" - BY Smart Hub Manager

Hi,

I've noticed my broadband connection has recently become very unreliable, it seems to be dropping a lot of packets, randomly dropping video calls and timing out on HTTP requests.

I tried to log into my Plusnet Hub One router to see if I could troubleshoot but when I try to log into the PlusNet web interface via dsldevice.lan I get redirected to a BT Smart Hub Manager page on its local IP address saying "Access Blocked" at http://192.168.1.254/0000016400/gui/#/blockedAccess

I've attached a screenshot, and here's the message in full:

BT Smart Hub Manager

Access Blocked

Sorry, but you're not allowed to access the Internet at the moment.

The BT access control in your Smart Hub has been set to prevent this computer or device from accessing the internet at this time.
The access control period will need to be updated if you need to connect to the Internet immediately.

BT access control settings can be changed using the Smart Hub Manager, which is password protected.

 

Loading the router's local IP address (192.168.1.254) also shows the main BT Smart Hub Manager web interface and if I leave the PlusNet web interface at dsl.lan open in my web browser it seems to eventually redirect to the BT Smart Hub Manager interface.

I realise that the Plusnet Hub One is a rebranded BT router, but I've never seen this happen before. The router's firmware is version "4.7.5.1.83.8.237.2.2", last updated 11/08/17.

I'm wondering whether my unreliable Internet connection is related to the BT access blocking.

Apart from the unreliability and the fact that I'm now locked out of my router's web interface (!) I'm also concerned that there's a secondary BT web interface being served by my router, which won't let me log in. I'm concerned about security.

 

Any idea what's going on?

7 REPLIES 7
Mustrum
Community Veteran
Posts: 3,554
Thanks: 1,055
Fixes: 76
Registered: ‎13-08-2015

Re: PlusNet Hub One "Access Blocked" - BY Smart Hub Manager

Fix

How are you connected to your Hub One, wired or Wi-Fi? And if wired is it directly connected or via Home Plugs?

It sounds like you have inadvertently connected to a neighbours BT router, but I could be wrong.

runhare
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 556
Thanks: 69
Fixes: 3
Registered: ‎09-10-2007

Re: PlusNet Hub One "Access Blocked" - BY Smart Hub Manager

Sounds like the OP has DEFINITELY connected to someone else's network.

 

What network does the OP think he/she is connected to ? It should be possible to tell if it is their own network or not!

What happens if the OP turns off their own router? Do they still see BT Smart Hub Manager in the browser?

 

Home Plugs- the bane of my life  -  and open access wifi!

Alex
Community Veteran
Posts: 5,500
Thanks: 921
Fixes: 13
Registered: ‎05-04-2007

Re: PlusNet Hub One "Access Blocked" - BY Smart Hub Manager

Even though the Hub One underneath is the same hardware as a BT Homehub 5a, I wouldn't have thought there would be any references to BT in PlusNet's firmware - only to themselves.

So yes that doesn't sounds like you're connected to your Hub One.

frurrell
Newbie
Posts: 2
Thanks: 2
Registered: ‎10-01-2018

Re: PlusNet Hub One "Access Blocked" - BY Smart Hub Manager

Incredibly, you were right!

My computer was connected directly to my router via Ethernet, but there were some HomePlug type devices on my network. It appears my neighbour has recently installed similar devices and our home networks were leaking into each other over the power lines!

The DHCP servers on our routers were competing with each other so all of our devices kept switching from one to the other, causing the dropouts I was was seeing.

I unplugged my HomePlugs and everything went back to normal.

I'm quite surprised it's so easy for this to happen, partly because we live in two separate houses rather than a block of flats or something so I would imagine our power circuits would be more isolated, and partly because I thought the pairing process between HomePlugs was meant to prevent this kind of thing from happening.

Because I knew the PlusNet router was based on a BT HomeHub, when I saw the references to BT my assumption was that something had gone wrong with a firmware update and some old BT UI had become active. It never occured to me that I was actually looking at a different router!

I'll be having an interesting conversation with my neighbour and leaving my HomePlugs turned off, indefinitely if I can't find a way to better isolate them!

Mustrum
Community Veteran
Posts: 3,554
Thanks: 1,055
Fixes: 76
Registered: ‎13-08-2015

Re: PlusNet Hub One "Access Blocked" - BY Smart Hub Manager

Glad you have got it sorted. It is not the first time I had heard this happening. @Baldrick1 posted an interesting article earlier today here 

That said, I have them to feed stuff connected to my TV, without any problem.

runhare
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 556
Thanks: 69
Fixes: 3
Registered: ‎09-10-2007

Re: PlusNet Hub One "Access Blocked" - BY Smart Hub Manager

It is a well known problem and you can aledgedly set up Home Plugs   so that they have secure network names and passwords. If you are going to use them you should do this 

However I agre with much that , @Baldric in his article is saying in that HOme Plugs they do loose data throughput  whcih results in lost conenctions etc . Not only that,  because they are  injecting HF RF into the mains circuits they can play havock with routers and network cards resulting in them basically loosing the will to live and giving up working altogether!

bobpullen
Community Gaffer
Community Gaffer
Posts: 16,869
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Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: PlusNet Hub One "Access Blocked" - BY Smart Hub Manager

Relevant - https://community.plus.net/t5/Plusnet-Blogs/Powerline-Adapters-Make-Sure-you-use-Encryption/ba-p/131...

Bob Pullen
Plusnet Product Team
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