BT SMART HUB 2

arclight

arclight

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Two months ago a BT Smart Hub 2 was delivered (I had not heard of it at that time), but there was no information as to when it would be activated and it remains in the box.
I have had a BT Hub 1 for several years. My landline and PC's are connected to it and it worked perfectly well until yesterday when the phone died (no dial tone). The PC's/internet still work perfectly.
I have been expecting to receive an activation date for HUB 2, but no date has been forthcoming.
I don't want to risk disturbing my current set up since I can live without a landline.
Yesterday I wasted much time attempting to communicate with BT. That was harder than poking butter up a porcupine's bum with a red hot needle.
Friends tell me my landline will work as before if I connect it to the HUB 2. I am wary - can anyone offer advice, please.
 
If you already have a BT hub and you now have a new BT hub why does it need 'activating'? You just unplug the old one, plug in the new one, enter the new wifi passcode for the appropriate devices and it works. Or am I missing something here? No idea on the landline. I got a new hub a while back as I was being switched to VOIP and my existing hub didn't have the socket for it. I never use my landline but it does work - I just haven't got round to getting rid yet.
 
Jannyfox said:
If you already have a BT hub and you now have a new BT hub why does it need 'activating'? You just unplug the old one, plug in the new one, enter the new wifi passcode for the appropriate devices and it works. Or am I missing something here? No idea on the landline. I got a new hub a while back as I was being switched to VOIP and my existing hub didn't have the socket for it. I never use my landline but it does work - I just haven't got round to getting rid yet.
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The new hubs were sent out, but and the activation date was to be emailed (never happened). My devices (PC's & TV are connected with ethernet cables so no password is needed. My smart phone will need the Hub password for WiFi to work.
 
arclight said:
The new hubs were sent out, but the activation date was to be emailed (never happened). My devices (PC's & TV are connected with ethernet cables so no password is needed. My smart phone will need the Hub password for WiFi to work.
Click to expand...
 
arclight said:
The new hubs were sent out, but and the activation date was to be emailed (never happened). My devices (PC's & TV are connected with ethernet cables so no password is needed. My smart phone will need the Hub password for WiFi to work.
Click to expand...

Password should have arrived with the hub? I've never known a hub from the same isp needing actuation unless there's something different about yours, in which case........ sorry but I don't know
 
BT work in mysterious ways.

The admin password, the wireless password & SSID should all be on a label on the back of the unit.
 
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Jannyfox said:
Password should have arrived with the hub? I've never known a hub from the same isp needing actuation unless there's something different about yours, in which case........ sorry but I don't know
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I should have made the situation clearer. It is not the hub that requires activation. The activation date is when BT commission the system at their end. Without that being done the new hub will not fully function (maybe not function at all). Therefore customers need to know that the system is active or it would be a waste of time connecting their new hub.
I liked the good old days when BT sent out an engineer to do the necessary.
When I phoned BT a robot told me that they were extremely busy and asked if I wanted to phone back or join the queue. Opt to join the queue and I get told I am first, but still had to wait ages (lots of outfits do that).
 
arclight said:
I should have made the situation clearer. It is not the hub that requires activation. The activation date is when BT commission the system at their end. Without that being done the new hub will not fully function (maybe not function at all). Therefore customers need to know that the system is active or it would be a waste of time connecting their new hub.
I liked the good old days when BT sent out an engineer to do the necessary.
When I phoned BT a robot told me that they were extremely busy and asked if I wanted to phone back or join the queue. Opt to join the queue and I get told I am first, but still had to wait ages (lots of outfits do that).
Click to expand...
From your OP do I understand that you have a BT account and your Hub 1 has and is performing its job to your satisfaction?

If so, what has changed i.e. is that BT have sent you the Hub 2 as, so to speak, an update/upgrade?

Has your service been upgraded from FTTC to FTTP? Possibly requiring some remote intervention on the part of Openreach?

IIRC and AFAIK all ADSL and FTTC services utilise the TR-069 protocol to handshake the connection. Oft times not even requiring the user to make changes to the settings. NB other than changing the default password etc to secure the Hub.

It would be my understanding that unless your account has been changed and you have been explicitly advised to await instructions, then the Hub 2 should be 'plug & play'.

NB and FWIW my setup is fully manually configured because I use a BT Smart Business Hub 1 in an unconventional manner (I don't want or require it to 'auto handshake' as that is only for use on a BT account) on my Plusnet account.
 
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Hub 1 suddenly stopped supporting my BT corded phone - no dial tone. No warning of that, but if BT had advised me of a Hub2 activation date I could have changed over.

BT sent me Hub 2 ( two months ago) with no mention (not even a covering letter) that Hub 1 would suddenly not support a landline. At no time has BT stated that changing to HUB 2 is mandatory.
My Hub 1 has worked faultlessly for years with my landline phone and ethernet connections to PC's plus WiFi for my Smart phone. Why would I change when there was no warning that my Hub 1 landline would become kaput.

I still have FTTC.
 
Is your landline plugged directly into the hub ie VOIP? If it isn't you may have been switched over to VOIP (and you would definitely have been notified, several times). I was sent a new hub when I went VOIP as the older ones don't have the socket to plug the phone into. It was just plug and play. The only activation date involved was for the VOIP
 
Jannyfox said:
Is your landline plugged directly into the hub ie VOIP? If it isn't you may have been switched over to VOIP (and you would definitely have been notified, several times). I was sent a new hub when I went VOIP as the older ones don't have the socket to plug the phone into. It was just plug and play. The only activation date involved was for the VOIP
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Firstly, I have my HUB 2 up and running.
Landline comes from the BT wall skt. (no plug at BT wall skt. end) The lead is hard wired at that end.) and plugs in to the grey skt. (labelled "broadband") on the hub.
Only gripe I have with HUB 2 is that it has 3 ethernet ports. HUB 1 had 4 - I used them all. I'll get an ethernet skt. switch which will do the job. I never used all 4 ports simultaneously.
I am annoyed at the hassle I have had. I should be annoyed at the sudden unannounced loss of my landline. If I had been faced with an emergency a bad situation could have occurred. Mobile phone comms where I reside are frequently not good. Landline is my first choice at home.

Thank you folks. Have a nice night.
 
Sounds like you're sorted
Just a suggestion wrt a poor mobile signal. Many mobiles support wifi calling. Would give you a backup. I have no mobile signal in the house but don't use the landline
 
Jannyfox said:
Sounds like you're sorted
Just a suggestion wrt a poor mobile signal. Many mobiles support wifi calling. Would give you a backup. I have no mobile signal in the house but don't use the landline
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I had WiFi calling enabled on my Smart Phone. I was good some of the time, but not dependable so I preferred my landline. Poor mobile comms is common in my neck of the woods.
 
arclight said:
Firstly, I have my HUB 2 up and running.
Landline comes from the BT wall skt. (no plug at BT wall skt. end) The lead is hard wired at that end.) and plugs in to the grey skt. (labelled "broadband") on the hub.
Only gripe I have with HUB 2 is that it has 3 ethernet ports. HUB 1 had 4 - I used them all. I'll get an ethernet skt. switch which will do the job. I never used all 4 ports simultaneously.
I am annoyed at the hassle I have had. I should be annoyed at the sudden unannounced loss of my landline. If I had been faced with an emergency a bad situation could have occurred. Mobile phone comms where I reside are frequently not good. Landline is my first choice at home.

Thank you folks. Have a nice night.
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@arclight If you don't have FTTP and its associated Modem you can reconfigure Socket 1 from a WAN to a LAN
Meaning you can use your HUB as you did before with 4 Ethernet cables, instructions below
WAN to LAN
 
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