Using the BT Smarthub 6 on a Plusnet Account

[#1]

I changed over recently with plusnet hub was getting 70mbps at the router (WiFi) but this dropped to 15 downstairs switched to the smart hub and speed is much more stable throughout the building.

[#2]

BT Smart Hubs/Business  Hub will only work with the Two providers being   Plusnet and  BT, 

[#3]

Thank you, this settles the issue!

p.s. presumably, the fact that smarthub only works on bt/plusnet is a business decision, e.g. cost of providing firmware updates, etc., rather than based on some technical / adsl factors?

Regards,

n.

[#4]

@rrfcpczkae 

Originally BT called it the Smarthub. Some call it a Home Hub 6, as it replaced their HH5. I, and others, called it a Smarthub 6 to try to catch both. When the Smarthub 2 was released, the original Smarthub became a Smarthub 1. So a Smarthub, Smarthub 6, HH6 and Smarthub 1 are all descriptions of the same device. This has been superceded in BT with the Smarthub 2. This has the same performance as the Smarthub 1 except that it is designed to work in a mesh configuration with BT discs, controlled by a BT app tied to a BT contract. The disadvantage of the Smarthub 2 compared with Smarthub 1 is that you cannot separate the bands on the newer model. Does this explain the confusion?

All Smarthubs can be used on the Plusnet service but not with non BT group ISPs. It is not unusual for ISPs to lock down their hubs.

Why not get a Business Smarthub and use that as you hub? This will give you better WiFi in that zone of your property. If necessary you can then convert your Plusnet Hub into a Wirelss Access Point and connect it to the remote Powerline unit, to give you a second wireless network. See here if you have a 2704N Hub 0:  https://community.plus.net/t5/My-Router/Turning-a-Hub-Zero-into-an-Access-Point/m-p/1687008#M14870, or here is it's a Hub 1: https://community.plus.net/t5/My-Router/Using-a-2nd-Plusnet-Hub1-as-a-Wireless-Access-point/m-p/1385...

You will then be using both an existing unused Smarhub and your existing hub so avoiding producing ewaste.

[#5]

@rrfcpczkae 

Although probably more expensive in the short run, have you considered getting someone in to run ethernet cable up the outside of the house to each floor. This would give you a good starting point for WiFi on each floor.

It would probably add value to the house if you ever came to sell it.

Brian

[#6]

Hi everyone, I hope you’re all well.

I’ve been happily using a residential BT Home/Smart Hub 6 Type A for a couple of years with Fibre Extra and it’s performed incredibly well, I have a very stable line. As you know this Hub resets after 14 days and when it’s done that my Downstream Sync Speed has always been around 70 Mbps however, after the latest reset it has gone right up to 80.00 Mbps, dead. This hasn’t resulted in actual faster speeds though, I’m still getting a very good 63 Mbps, which is very usual for my line.

Does anyone perhaps know why the Downstream Sync Speed set itself at 80.00Mbps, it’s never done that in the 2 years I’ve been using it.  Many Thanks. 

Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): Personal information removed from a public forum.

[#7]

Hi.

I recently did this upgrade (hub one to BT HH 6) and it really is an excellent upgrade. Not had a single issue since.

I also look after my mother-in-law's broad band and this shows similar wireless connection issues that I had. When I initially got broadband from plus net, we didn't know if she would really use it and thus got the standard broadband package. This uses a different router which I believe is called a hub zero (is that correct?) and looks like this:

I am wondering if I can do the same mod, i.e. get a HH6 second hand and replace this router as I did with my one? Does it work the same? Is there maybe a different help page like this explaining which other BT one to get off ebay? Maybe I need to upgrade the plus net package first then do it, although she doesn't need the speed/bandwidth of fibre just a stable wireless connection.

Any guidance welcome.

Thanks.

Keith.

[#8]

BT Smart Hub, Business Hub  and BT Smart Hub 2 all work with BT and  Plusnet.  But they presently will not work with any other company.

They all connect in the same way as the instructions given in this thread. 

See member Baldrick1 post here

https://community.plus.net/t5/My-Router/Using-A-BT-Smarthub-An-Update/m-p/1795292#M24601

[#9]

@keithscarfe 

In case there's any confusion the simple answer is Yes, you can use any Smarthub on an ADSL connection in place of a Hub Zero in exactly the same way.

The only addition I would make to this statement in case this post is picked up by others is that in the early days of Plusnet FTTC, Openreach fitted a modem and Plusnet supplied a separate Hub Zero configured as a router. If you have this configuration then both the modem and hub need to be removed as the Smarthub does both functions.

[#10]

 Hi fiddling around in my router management gui, see my MTU size is 1492,   my wireless card is set to 1500.

can i increase the ROUTER MTU setting   by 8 to Total 1500,  what will happen?   can i break anything? can it be reverted etc.

I sure it can, but dont want to overload the router or line causing a problem.     

Thanks just tinkering

Empire

[#11]

@Empire 

Fiddle all you like, you won't hurt anything. If you screw it up completely then all that you have to do is factory reset it and set it up again from scratch.

[#12]

Hi guys, I havent logged in here for a while as everything has been working fine.

Yesterday however I noticed my upload speed seemed slow. I followed the Plusnet fault guide and it was reading as upload of 1.3mbps which is about the same as the BT Hub was telling me (DL 40mbps/UL 1.3mbps), yes I live in the country so cant get any faster!!

My normal upload is around 7 mbps.

Anyway I restarted the router and bing! it was back up to 7.

Then today, same thing happened again. Back down to less than 1.5mbps. Restart router and back to over 7!

Is it possible that my Smart Hub6 has gone faulty? Can I do anything to check?

Do I need to dig out my Plusnet router just in case and use that to see if it does it with that?

[#13]

I hope someone can help me because I'm at the end of my tether with how terrible plusnet is. I'm a new customer and considering paying the cancellation fee just so I don't have to deal with them anymore.

Anyway I have the Hub One which is awful and only gives me wifi in one room of my house. I've bought a BT Smarthub 6 but was unawware that it wasn't the business one. I have it all set up and can get internet via ethernet cable, but the router doesn't show on wifi on any devices. I then noticed the wifi status in the Smart Hub Manager  which reads:

'BT Wi-fi status: Not active'

It then has a link to BT's website. 

It seems like the wifi is 'locked' and can't be activated - could someone please advise if this is the case and what I need to do to enable it if not.

Many thanks,

Dan

[#14]

On mine when on smart hub home page don't go into WiFi go into advanced settings enter admin password then switch WiFi on but that's a hub 2

[#15]

If I go into the wireless settings on advanced, wireless is switched on. But it doesn’t show at all