BT Smarthub 2 on another FTTC isp

[Disco_P]

My parents switched from BT FTTC to Shell FTTC. Initially they were on holiday when the switch happened and they just kept the Smart Hub 2 connected, by the time they returned everything was still working so they just left it.

But BT are incompetent ******** and tried to charge them out of contract rates even though there was proof of a cancellation request and all traffic was going through shell/Talktalk. We switched the routers but they still didn't budge. Emailing their CEO made them admit their fault and refund.

Now we want to use the BT Smart Hub 2 for it's cheap mesh expandability. Are BT gonna kick up a fuss using it as it works perfectly on shell/talktalk but uses a [email protected] login for the internet?

I think it should be fine, they aren't under contract nor does it appear that BT are handling any traffic but I don't fully know how these things work. The above snafu with them refusing to end the contract has me worried that we'll get a bill for thousands for some weird disallowed usage.

 

[edGfaCTor]

This doesn't sound correct.

BT Smarthub works only on BT/EE/Plusnet.

If BT was provider of landline and broadband as you said with parents signing up for Shell then Shell take over the service meaning old provider ceases this has nothing to do with routers connected and is all handled by the new company you signed up for.

You are able to leave any provider at anytime the big thing is if in contract you will pay a early cancel fee plus the remaining bill for the contract period if it's a rolling one out of contract no fee never have I heard of a company refusing to let you leave.

The Smarthub 2 can be used as a repeater/extender not as the main router.

 

[Meddling-Monk]

When did your contract with BT originally begin? And when did you get your Smart Hub 2? Because if either if these was 13th December 2019 or later the Smart Hub 2 remains BT property and thus they may kick up a fuss that way by charging you for unreturned on loan items.

 

[Disco_P]

This doesn't sound correct.

BT Smarthub works only on BT/EE/Plusnet.

If BT was provider of landline and broadband as you said with parents signing up for Shell then Shell take over the service meaning old provider ceases this has nothing to do with routers connected and is all handled by the new company you signed up for.

You are able to leave any provider at anytime the big thing is if in contract you will pay a early cancel fee plus the remaining bill for the contract period if it's a rolling one out of contract no fee never have I heard of a company refusing to let you leave.

The Smarthub 2 can be used as a repeater/extender not as the main router.

Well it's definitely working fine with talk talk, it even auto found 79.79.79.78 as the DNS server which is TalkTalk's.

We definitely left after the contract ended, we put the date in the calendar so we could leave BT asap (June 1st). They claimed that Shell never informed them of the switch, despite us definitely getting some "we're sorry to see you go" correspondence. Shell said they had processed the switch like every other, doubled checked and put it through again. They also could see that the broadband was being used and they were the ones supplying it.

BT were just very weird, saying we were still using their service, we never cancelled. When we did email their CEO for the complaint, they admitted fault and refunded everything but it was not a fun time.

When did your contract with BT originally begin? And when did you get your Smart Hub 2? Because if either if these was 13th December 2019 or later the Smart Hub 2 remains BT property and thus they may kick up a fuss that way by charging you for unreturned on loan items.

The BT contract has been ongoing for probably more than a decade, switching to a business contract for a while, then back to a home one around 2018, then the final renewal of a contract was around May 2020 after lockdown began when we upgraded to FTTC for less than what we were paying for ADSL

Honestly I am not sure where the BT Smarthub 2 came from. I thought it was mine from a previous contract that they sent out as a goodwill gesture but I see that the SH2 is from 2018 and I haven't been with BT since 2017. It might have been from when they moved from business to consumer, or left behind in one of the houses they moved into. Either way they haven't asked for it back and it's been over 6 months.

 

[Disco_P]

I will also mention that I looked at the SH2 compatible mesh disks and they are pretty damn expensive. I think I will keep an eye out for a mesh kit going cheap on MM and grab that, they currently have a powerline backhauled multiple AP setup using old HH4s but they are a bit janky when it comes to moving around the house.

 

[~Divine~Wind~]

You may have a rather old hub, from back when they were sold in stores, they AFAIk were compatible with all ISP's
My understanding was the hubs that BT provide are locked to BT and you'll be chased as @Meddling-Monk says if you don't return it.


Expensive?

BT Whole Home Wi-Fi

BT Whole Home Wi-Fi (088269) at great prices. Full product description, technical specifications and customer reviews from BT Shop

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£130 seems alright tbh bearing in mind how much others are, Im sure they were £99.99 not so long ago mind

EDIT:

@Disco_P
This just popped up on HUD

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