BT smart hub

Permabanned
Joined
4 Sep 2011
Posts
6,661
Location
Durham
Just wondering how much the smart hub is over the HH5 I already have? It seems like a pretty good upgrade but the HH5 has been absolute garbage for me so I'm not expecting much
 
I got one as part of joining BT and have no complaints so far. Running it Wifi only at the moment and signal reaches everywhere in my house. Made use of the ability to have a 2 & 5 ghz signal too.
 
Just wondering how much the smart hub is over the HH5 I already have? It seems like a pretty good upgrade but the HH5 has been absolute garbage for me so I'm not expecting much

The Hub 5 is much more reliable than the Smart Hub. There are still major firmware bugs with the Smart Hub that stop DHCP issuing leases, WiFi stops working etc. You then have to factory reset it to get it working again.
 
A family member is having Infinity 2 installed next week, does anyone know if they are likely to recieve the new Smart Hub or do you need to specify it at the time of ordering?

I can see me replacing it with an OpenReach modem and new router if the horror stories are true with the Smart Hub.
 
I've had the Smart Hub since June/July and it's been fine. There were DHCP issues at one point but that was many firmwares ago.
 
A family member is having Infinity 2 installed next week, does anyone know if they are likely to recieve the new Smart Hub or do you need to specify it at the time of ordering?

I can see me replacing it with an OpenReach modem and new router if the horror stories are true with the Smart Hub.

The smart hub is provided as standard.

The nature of the internet is you only get to hear the horror stories! Mine works well enough (better I should say) to have packed my Asus router away!
 
My gf has Infinity and got the Smart Hub. I find it's pretty good, there was a firmware update a few weeks ago that fixed our issues with Wifi, ever since then it's been pretty solid with a fair few devices connected.
 
The smart hub is provided as standard.

The nature of the internet is you only get to hear the horror stories! Mine works well enough (better I should say) to have packed my Asus router away!


I had a HH6 which worked fine for several months until the June 2016 firmware update then I got the WiFi issue reported and it was just a nightmare. A firmware update got released 4th October and I kept trying my HH6 and it never got the update. Now I see there was one released 23/12 yet still the BT Community sticky has 04/10 being the latest. - Actually correction just checked the other thread and .2244 is still the dodgy firmware being released.

Problem is you cant force an update.

Head over to the BT Community. The number "of horror stories" is alarming. Nature of it was the HH6 would work fine for a few weeks then get the wifi problem.

Be interesting which HH they give SteveBulluckUK family member.

Might try putting mine back to see if it gets the firmware update. Done this several times and had to go back to the trusty HH5 each time over a period of 6 months.
 
Last edited:
I'll keep you posted. My plan was to daisy chain into a stable ASUS router they have and turn WiFi and DHCP off on the SmartHub and let the ASUS do the work.

That's what I had on my Sky hub (as it has terrrible wifi!) and then used it for a short time in this config with the smart hub. Granted the Asus is an old model (N66u) it performed poorly in comparison to the smart hub around the house (on the same channels) so I got rid.
 
Just to add to this thread , I arrived here looking for a an alternative to the BT Smart Hub (HH6) as IMO it is nothing sort of Junk. The wireless is sub-par and the overall performance is extremely inconsistent, I have had nothing but problems with it.

I currently have it with the wireless disabled and am using a separate AP (N66u) and this has done nothing to help the BT Smart hub's issues and poor performance.

Save yourself the time and hassle - grab a £100 router that works.
 
Just to add to this thread , I arrived here looking for a an alternative to the BT Smart Hub (HH6) as IMO it is nothing sort of Junk. The wireless is sub-par and the overall performance is extremely inconsistent, I have had nothing but problems with it.

I currently have it with the wireless disabled and am using a separate AP (N66u) and this has done nothing to help the BT Smart hub's issues and poor performance.

Save yourself the time and hassle - grab a £100 router that works.

Thanks for this. I think i'll replace it with an OpenReach HG612 i have knocking around.
 
Just to echo the sentiments above.. the BT hubs are really awful for wireless. If you're in the same room then they seem solid but they don't deal well with these things called walls..
 
I'm not sure one can generalise with the smart hubs like is being done here. Yes all sky routers are absolute pants when it comes to wireless but as I say I am getting better throughput upstairs in a house using a HH6 than a N66u!

At my parents larger house with sky I use a AC66u and it is excellent! Perhaps you guys need to experiment with other wireless channels on the smarthub etc?
 
I'm not sure one can generalise with the smart hubs like is being done here. Yes all sky routers are absolute pants when it comes to wireless but as I say I am getting better throughput upstairs in a house using a HH6 than a N66u!

At my parents larger house with sky I use a AC66u and it is excellent! Perhaps you guys need to experiment with other wireless channels on the smarthub etc?
trust me its all been done. I've had 6 months of the thing. If I can get perfect wifi with a HH5 on same channels then on a HH6 with same channels my devices cycle connection after 24 hrs its not the channels.
This is with a device stood next to it. I've also tried splitting/combining the 2ghz/5ghz band that some people say fixed it. Dont know why I`m going through this all again you got me started now.
Anyone who doubts this just check out the BT Community forum. Loads of people complaining, threads of 19+ pages, 50+ pages.
Admit its not everyone and with some people being okay but the amount of complaints it can only point to poor quality control. There was a website somewhere that had 1000+ comments on people who have reported this to watchdog but I cant find the link now.

Just to show you its not all doom and gloom horror stories the HH5 is brilliant piece of stable kit and I've got the A version too not the better B version !
 
I was using the HH5b, no sync issues or anything like that, the wifi range was quite poor though. For an ISP provided modem/router it's a good bit of kit really.

Picked up an ASUS DSL-AC68U in a sale for £89, better sync speeds, better wifi coverage, far more features which I am using now (QoS, VPN etc).
 
trust me its all been done. I've had 6 months of the thing. If I can get perfect wifi with a HH5 on same channels then on a HH6 with same channels my devices cycle connection after 24 hrs its not the channels.
This is with a device stood next to it. I've also tried splitting/combining the 2ghz/5ghz band that some people say fixed it. Dont know why I`m going through this all again you got me started now.
Anyone who doubts this just check out the BT Community forum. Loads of people complaining, threads of 19+ pages, 50+ pages.
Admit its not everyone and with some people being okay but the amount of complaints it can only point to poor quality control. There was a website somewhere that had 1000+ comments on people who have reported this to watchdog but I cant find the link now.

Just to show you its not all doom and gloom horror stories the HH5 is brilliant piece of stable kit and I've got the A version too not the better B version !

I wasn't doubting your story I was just amused by how everyone seems to generically think these are rubbish. Perhaps I am just one of the few lucky ones. Seems like it is a QC issue as stated or perhaps not all firmwares are made the same. It is poor that you cannot update it to a custom/firmware revision of your liking.
 
I wasn't doubting your story I was just amused by how everyone seems to generically think these are rubbish. Perhaps I am just one of the few lucky ones. Seems like it is a QC issue as stated or perhaps not all firmwares are made the same. It is poor that you cannot update it to a custom/firmware revision of your liking.

I think as general rule of thumb, most people regard ISP supplied routers as being sub-par. I guess it depends how much people want to "tinker" with their setups. Most people just want out of the box PnP.

I have just been browsing the BT community forums and it does seem that the Smart Hub has issues, however nobody is going to post if they don't have issues.
 
Back
Top Bottom