Plusnet - Please Allow Manual DNS on Hub One

[#1]

Just been reading through this thread as I have recently discovered the lack of ability to change the DNS settings on my Plusnet router. I need to be able to use OpenDNS in order to set some half-decent family filters, as I have teenagers and younger children in the house with multiple devices, and Plusnet Safeguard has never seemed to work properly for me, despite numerous conversations with the support line.

Can I confirm that regarding the BT Business Smart Hub 6, it's 'Type A' I should be purchasing, and not any of the other various versions? 

I appreciate that this thread is a few months old now, any help would be appreciated. It'll be a massive headache reliever to get a decent router set up with proper content filters! Thanks

Moderator's note by Dick (Strat): All caps title/text edited as per Forum rules.

[#2]

Yes the plusnet filter is useless - allows through pretty much all adult content (try just searching google images or reddit) except very obvious sites. The cleanbrowsing family filter DNS seems to filter out pretty much all the obscene material.

It is wholly unacceptable that Plusnet have blocked custom DNS setting on the router, absent a proper filter.  

@Baldrick1 can confirm but I believe if you scroll up the '088315' is what I purchased and isn't this an example:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BT-Business-Smart-Hub-6-Brand-New-Sealed-088315-BTB-EI-SI-4-0-Type-Faster...

Since installing the router has been far better than the standard Plusnet router in terms of range and it has stayed rock solid since the install. Never have to reboot or experience any disconnects or whatever. It just works, with better range and with DNS configuration possible. 

I suppose we cannot set up DNS over TLS via this router and have to do that on individual devices (encrypted DNS requests). 

[#3]

Agreed, it's bad enough that their own software doesn't work but then the router also prevents you from using an alternative!

Thanks, that looks like the one I have purchased. Someone mentioned above not to go for the one with a red port on the back, the one I've ordered seems to only have the four yellow ports. Good to hear that I'll also be getting an improvement in wifi performance with it.

[#4]

If it's a model 088315 it's a business version. Forget about the Type A bit. Note that from the photo's of a Smarthub the Residential and Business versions are identical. If you can see a photo of the box and it's labelled BT Smart Hub then it's the residential version and the DNS servers are fixed to the Plusnet ones. What you need is a box labelled BT Business Smart Hub.

Note also my final paragraph from here https://community.plus.net/t5/My-Router/Using-the-BT-Smarthub-6-on-a-Plusnet-Account/m-p/1587673#M85...

If you want to select your own DNS server(s) then go to ‘Advanced Settings’ then ‘My Network’. Select the ‘IPv4 Configuration’ tab. Under ‘DNS Servers’ input your preferred servers. Select ‘Save’. Note that if you go back to the ‘Home’ page then ‘Status’ that this will show the Primary and Secondary DNS servers to still be the Plusnet ones. However, if you have a windows PC, open a command prompt and enter ‘ipconfig /all’ you will see that your choice is actually the ones in use.

When you come to set one up take note of when to plug in the DSL cable. If you plug it in before instructed it won't accept your Plusnet log in details. Also note that you must not have special characters in your password.

[#5]

The eBay listing title and description says 'BT Business Smart Hub 6' but some of the images suggest it's a residential one. I've messaged the seller the clarify and stressed why I need to have the Business version *rolls eyes*

[#6]

As I said, apart from the box and the part number the images will be identical.

[#7]

The PlusNet Hub Zero allows manual setting of DNS.  For the sake of security I use OpenDNS.  I can configure my Windows network interfaces to achieve this but devices such as those running Linux and my HUDL2 appear to rely on DNS throught the router.  It also ties me to PlusNet DNS server for Linux and HUDL2 and one of the virtues of OpenDNS is 100% availability.

Either this is a perverse decision by PlusNet or the needs for the use to have the discretion about which DNS servers to use have been overlooked.  I am therefore ready to use a VDSL only Billion 8200 after the changeover to FTTC has been completed.  Whatever the reason, it could not have cost PlusNet any extra to get this detail right.

As a side issue, PlusNet Hub One seems to get mixed up over the identities of connected devices and their MAC addresses and whether they are connected or nor, i.e. connected devices can be shown as disconnected and vice versa.

PlusNet Hub One does not reflect any credit on its provider.

[#8]

Has anyone from Plusnet responded to this? I just tried to change my DNS settings to my pi-hole to block ads/tracking and I can't.

[#9]

Just buy the BT product on ebay discussed in this and other threads. I have used it now for many months and it has worked perfectly (with dual 2.4/5 GHz channels + much better range). I am very grateful to @Baldrick1 and others on this forum for their help in setting it up. 

[#10]

@elliotgehin 

I just tried to change my DNS settings to my pi-hole to block ads/tracking and I can't.

Disable DHCP on the Hub One and use the pi-hole as the DHCP server. That way you can change the DNS servers via the pi-hole.

[#11]

Ooh yeah, thank you

[#12]

I can't take credit for the idea , I saw it in another thread recently.

Remember , you'll need to force any existing client devices to renew their leases for it to take effect