Kitz Forum
Broadband Related => Broadband Hardware => Topic started by: Geekofbroadband on May 04, 2016, 08:47:08 PM
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Just got an email about it and registered :)
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It's a good way to hopefully get some more value out of their broadband. I can't help but think that this is designed to distract from the price hikes though.
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At the technical level, it will be interesting to know of what component parts that item is constructed.
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As b*cat says it'll be interesting to see whats under the hood of this one.
I wonder if it will be G.fast compatable.
I would imagine its either going to be G.fast compatable or they are looking to replace previous hubs to streamline things.
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It will certainly be interesting if it is G.Fast compatible.
Purely because G.992.1, G.992.3, G.992.5 & G.993.2 all operate in FDD (frequency division duplexing) mode whereas G.Fast operates in TDD (time division duplexing) mode.
For those wishing to do some reading on the subject, the ITU-T recommendations for G.Fast can be downloaded in PDF format -- G.9700 (https://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-G.9700-201404-I/en) & G.9701 (https://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-G.9701/en).
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A femtocell and a Broadcom hopefully.
Also seeing as this looks like a free upgrade they're probably trying to kill the HH5 which seems like a great idea.
Question is will Plusnet do the same?
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Haven't BT usually released the Type A models first, which have been Lantiq based in the past? And since Lantiq is now part of Intel, the new BT Smart Hub might be based on Intel chips? Maybe even an Atom CPU? :P
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But Intel just abandoned Atom.
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Does that mean they had a huge load of Atom CPUs to get rid of cheap? :P
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Dunno if this helps, but this is all I've yet found that makes reference to Home Hub 6 might be of interest to someone.
http://www.danieldesigner.co.uk/bt.html
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I can't see any mention of line stats, attenuation, SNR margin, Max Attainable etc.
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There'll be a speed test built in? :lol:
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@RayW Good find.
It looks like its the guy who's designing it.
I hope anyone that gets ahold of it will take some photos and spill the beans on it :)
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He said the ETA was Q3 of 2015 so the design could have changed dramatically.
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uSwitch are saying BT will unveil the new hub on 16 or 17 June (http://www.uswitch.com/broadband/news/2016/06/bt_to_unveil_home_hub_6/)
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I wonder how many rumours will actually end up 'not a reallity'....
I got signed up for this at the last minute, I hope its a major improvement on the HH5's for WiFi capabilities and that features actually work as they should.
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Likely to be locked down? ::)
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Likely to be locked down? ::)
Well to BT ofcourse.
I wouldn't mind them making it responde to ICMP on WAN
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The link that RayW found seems to now be giving a 404, looks like people noticed. Pretty much confirms that is the new design. If anyone managed to get any screen captures that would be great, as I am interested to see what the new look is.
EDIT
Found a cached version on Google web cache: https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.danieldesigner.co.uk/bt.html
Note the PDF file showing the interface, has a desktop and tablet interface as well as what looks like a possible mobile app.
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Trust google to gather deleted data
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My son has just signed up for BT Infinity and received a new BT Smart Hub for self install.
I have not seen this yet, but it's a great excuse to drop over for a nosey ...... ;-)
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Somebody over at Digital Spy has posted a picture here (http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showpost.php?p=82695330&postcount=82).
They are also claiming that 'The official unveiling will be 20th June. The official launch date is 3rd July.'
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Thank you for that link. :)
There's not a lot to look at from the technology point of view. :-X
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I was able to order via the BT Options team. I am 2/3s of the way through a 12 month Infinity 2 Unlimited contract (£19/month with free weekend calls). I was able to start a new contract from today for a further 12 months on Infinity 2 Unlimited at £17.50/month with free weekend calls. Smarthub was £50 plus £7.95 delivery, and should be here on Tuesday.
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"Picture of the new hub and the wifi boosters. The boosters are extra add ons and do not come free with the hub."
(https://forum.kitz.co.uk/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FZeVnFq3.jpg&hash=f34e73fe68aafac9156d513d4688e56b107bbe05)
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Link won't open. Content blocker doesn't like the link either.
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Does BT have access to your network with the new router?
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Yuck is all I can say.
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I was able to order via the BT Options team. I am 2/3s of the way through a 12 month Infinity 2 Unlimited contract (£19/month with free weekend calls). I was able to start a new contract from today for a further 12 months on Infinity 2 Unlimited at £17.50/month with free weekend calls. Smarthub was £50 plus £7.95 delivery, and should be here on Tuesday.
Did they tell you anything about its technical specs/features?
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They mentioned a few 'features' - think it has been reported elsewhere too that it has 7 internal antennas. Apparently the main light on it changes colour depending on hub activity (not that I care about that!!) I did mention that there was nothing about it on the BT website yet - they said that help and support would be updated shortly, and the hub was currently only available to existing customers signing up for new contracts.
I'm away this week with work so won't get a chance to set it up until the weekend. Sure someone else on here will have one by then ... but if there's anything you want to know about it let me know!
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... the specification clearly suggests a powerful device, which features 7 antennas, a modern chipset (Broadcom 63137, 4366, 43602) and built-in filters that automatically block interference....
Specification for the BT Smart Hub
* Integrated ADSL2+ and VDSL2
* No. of antennae: 7
* Dual wi-fi bands with “next generation” 802.11ac spec
* 2.GHz wi-fi band (3×3 11b/g/n/ac) = up to 217Mbps
* 5GHz wi-fi band (4×4 11a/n/ac) = up to 1700Mbps
* Built-in Advanced Filters
* Connections: 4 x Gigabit Ethernet
* USB: 1 x v2.0 Port
* On/off light control: Yes (i.e. you can switch off or dim the hub lights)
* Removable password card: Yes
* Smart Wireless: Yes
* BT Smart Scan: Yes
* Built-in 4G filters: Yes
* Power Usage (11W fully loaded and 7W idle)
NOTE: Regarding the 4G filters, these protect the 2.4GHz wi-fi receiver against neighbouring signals above and below the wi-fi band which can desensitise or “deafen” a standard wi-fi chip. This is more of a protection against future deployments as these bands are not heavily occupied, yet.
from http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2016/06/uk-isp-bt-launches-new-smart-hub-wireless-broadband-router.html (http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2016/06/uk-isp-bt-launches-new-smart-hub-wireless-broadband-router.html)
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Some more media coverage:
http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/137993-bt-smart-hub-bt-s-new-hub-is-faster-smarter-and-ready-for-the-future
http://www.trustedreviews.com/bt-smart-hub-review
http://www.seenit.co.uk/hands-on-the-new-bt-smart-hub/
http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/science-technology/680923/bt-home-broadband-speed-boost-infinity-smart-hub-launch
http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2016/06/new-bt-smart-hub-boosts-wi-fi-range-and-you-can-get-it-for-free
Initial impressions seem very positive with some big improvements quoted in WiFi speeds/coverage
The articles suggest that its free to recontracting BT Infinity users (and you can recontract again even if you have just done so) and "for those who prefer not to re-contract, with BT [are]offering them the chance to buy the Smart Hub for £50, ahead of an eventual retail price of around £130."
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Please stop labelling it as "advanced settings"
Great to see more antennae but my god no focus on any features from people reporting on it.
Please can someone post UI screenshots. Thanks.
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Guest Network.... SNM :cool:
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I managed ot buy one for £50 without re-contracting from BT site :)
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I managed ot buy one for £50 without re-contracting from BT site :)
Did my sensitive hearing detect someone taking comprehensive screen-scrapes of every accessible GUI page and then physically opening up the device to photograph the PCB (both sides) in high resolution? :D
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:D It will be here by Thursday. I'll take screen shots of the UI and if I can find an easy way of opening it without breaking anything I will :) Iv'e never opened a modem/router before so it should be interesting. Apart from that time I mashed up the openreach modem, if that counts :P
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The good news is that we know the chipsets being used - Broadcom 63137, 4366 and 43602 ( fromthe ISP Review story) - for its various functions.
I suspect like any new device it will need a few firmware versions before you see what it's fully capable of.
Edit: the user guides are at http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/10477/~/user-guides-for-bt-broadband-and-bt-infinity-hardware but not very informative - I guess they are designed for BT's typical plug and forget users..
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Peak at the Hub UI from the guide
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I wonder if BT will start to enable G.INP again for ECI cabinet users. Because in the BT Smart Hub manual it mentioned something about your old hub will no longer work when the new smart hub is activated, so maybe BT can see you have a smart hub and enable it on your line if it needs it? Because people who have BT TV still have G.INP don't they?
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I wonder if BT will start to enable G.INP again for ECI cabinet users. Because in the BT Smart Hub manual it mentioned something about your old hub will no longer work when the new smart hub is activated, so maybe BT can see you have a smart hub and enable it on your line if it needs it? Because people who have BT TV still have G.INP don't they?
I don't see that in the supplied guide. They are keen on recycling your old device though....
Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
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Sorry not the guide I think it was actually when I was ordering it. It gave an option do I want to keep my current hub. i remember seeing it somewhere :)
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The good news is that we know the chipsets being used - Broadcom 63137, 4366 and 43602 ( fromthe ISP Review story) - for its various functions.
43602 appears to be some kind of 5G WiFi Streaming (https://www.broadcom.com/press/release.php?id=s817141) chip. Aren't the other two the same chips that are in the HH5B?
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I wonder if BT will start to enable G.INP again for ECI cabinet users. Because in the BT Smart Hub manual it mentioned something about your old hub will no longer work when the new smart hub is activated, so maybe BT can see you have a smart hub and enable it on your line if it needs it? Because people who have BT TV still have G.INP don't they?
Old Hub supports DS G.INP.
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So the Hub came today, setup was quick, I disabled smart setup and split the 2G and 5G everything else is left on default, all my devices connected and all are getting lower pings and slightly higher speeds with full bars around the house. The stats page also tells you if you're on the fast path or not, some images below;
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Handy that it tells you that you are on FastPath now.
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can you get any stats out of it via telnet or putty etc?
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What features does it have. On the software side?
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You appear to get immediate IPv6 on the new hub too.
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I notice the data rate and maximum data rate are identical, I guess they don't what people wondering why they are not getting the maximum data rate.
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Not in my case I'm showing 22.4 (banded) attainable 30. They don't seem to change over time though and it states I'm on fastpath !
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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GeekofBroadbands are both identical, which I would of thought highly unlikely, sounds like bugs.
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Bugs in a Home Hub, surely not!! ;)
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The latest revelation on the BT forum is that only channels 1,6,11 and 36,40,44,48 can be selected manually. Seems unlikely, but that has been posted.
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The latest revelation on the BT forum is that only channels 1,6,11 and 36,40,44,48 can be selected manually. Seems unlikely, but that has been posted.
that is correct
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Sure even my EE brightbox2 was showing fastpath even when Interleaved or when G.INP was enabled so you were still left in the dark only an unlocked HG612 or 8800nl would enlighten me which mode I was on.
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The latest revelation on the BT forum is that only channels 1,6,11 and 36,40,44,48 can be selected manually. Seems unlikely, but that has been posted.
You need to read it again the smart wifi will use 1,6,11 on 2.4GHz even the Billion 8800NL selects channel 6 with smart wifi auto enabled.
You can turn off smart/auto and manually select channels 1 - 14 on 2.4GHz or 36 - 48 on 5Ghz
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That's not how I read it and @ardsar confirms my understanding. You would appear to either be able to select 1,6,11 manually or let smart wireless choose between 1,6 and 11 automatically.
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(https://forum.kitz.co.uk/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fuploads.tapatalk-cdn.com%2F20160623%2F834d89f80af5bf3b24651c5dbd93b955.jpg&hash=5b367e99145ca530568af054693a87219665105d)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Turn off smart and you will be able to select a channel of your choice
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Looks to me from the screenshot smart is turned off and there are 4 options to choose. Choice of 3 channels or smart.
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There is no separate toggle for smart. What I show are the only options
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My Hub rebooted around 12pm today and I checked the logs and it apparently had a firmware update for the modem but the firmware version stayed the same: SG4B100021D0 but my maximum data rate has increased by 2Mbs. I have also now got IPv6.
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Hmm so I tried a factory reset of the Hub and some things seem to have updated;
The firmware version has updated from SG4B100021D0 to SG4B100021EC
The GUI version has updated from 1.25.1 to 1.28.3
And the firmware update date has gone from 27/04/16 to 12/05/16
And by the looks of it the Event Log now displays the most recent chnages at the top instead of adding it on the bottom to a long list :)
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There is no separate toggle for smart. What I show are the only options
Your kidding me ! even when using the HH5A the WiFI smart option could be turn off and then the user could select any channel on 2.4 & 5.0 Ghz
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Did my sensitive hearing detect someone taking comprehensive screen-scrapes of every accessible GUI page and then physically opening up the device to photograph the PCB (both sides) in high resolution? :D
Here you go; @burakkucat :P :)
(https://forum.kitz.co.uk/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FT4XNN5Y.jpg&hash=2e99f589777a1577e87a626edb556d3dfe1f47fb)
(https://forum.kitz.co.uk/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FYMUkYcU.jpg&hash=4e42d44c516935cb8dd890c20574ded8efbf33b1)
(https://forum.kitz.co.uk/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FMF5nx32.jpg&hash=fbf938c8f5b4de79d2faaca9de6b6349300dd383)
(https://forum.kitz.co.uk/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FWvEvUKm.jpg&hash=08fa85124184139b33bff64d0712ccdd0dda9dd5)
(https://forum.kitz.co.uk/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FlJ4j8t9.jpg&hash=80f53b36bbeff3f8867f1ee4ce37f28be8a0abe3)
(https://forum.kitz.co.uk/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FQgtUgv2.jpg&hash=15b0e00c74fa8e7f66d221b9abb51991bc0adfd6)
(https://forum.kitz.co.uk/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FZG013tX.jpg&hash=431a763f59ab4af94782b6089e0148bd9a494c84)
(https://forum.kitz.co.uk/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FQnae9cM.jpg&hash=5b776516b40d69df1510aee37f4c8c0a57d3d576)
(https://forum.kitz.co.uk/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FM8dCFTb.jpg&hash=e8bbc698a8c3b088a338d7c2502a23f3df6cacb9)
(https://forum.kitz.co.uk/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Fo16UhqZ.jpg&hash=0e9684d2da68e57be786c13054021578b25e1e90)
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Thank you for posting those images. :)
I am sure that they will be thoroughly scrutinised by those considerably more versed in hardware matters than myself but the first interesting feature I noticed was the over-voltage gas-discharge device adjacent to the xDSL socket.
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Yes I thought the consensus was that discharge tubes slow VDSL down. Hence why they were removed in the newer NTE5 versions.
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Yes I thought the consensus was that discharge tubes slow VDSL down. Hence why they were removed in the newer NTE5 versions.
Your thought is equivalent to that of my own, when I saw that detail in the images.
I can only assume that the overall loss, caused by a capacitive shunt across the xDSL circuit, has been regarded as acceptable when compared with the financial loss, that would arise as a result of scrapping the CPE due to over-voltage incidents occurring on the circuit. :-\
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It looks surface mounted, so should be very easy to remove :cool:
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The LAL0562 information near the DSL socket is a dsl transformer http://www.linkcom.com.tw/userfiles/products/13565956713035en.pdf (http://www.linkcom.com.tw/userfiles/products/13565956713035en.pdf)
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All the good stuff is hidden behind the three metal RF shielding covers now I guess the Broadcom 63137 R2 is inside the middle one now normal chips like these have heat-sinks mounted on top to dissipate heat yet it's enclose inside the RF shielding.
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The RF shielding is probably part of BT's claim of it being less susceptible to interference from external signals. It is nice to see from them as many other manufacturers have been doing it for years.
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I guess the ARM cpu 63137 v2 runs much cooler than the older 63168 400 Mhz MIPS cpu
Broadcom BCM63137 (1Ghz dual core, Cortex A9).
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The shielding will provide some extra heat transfer which may be beneficial. Alos the shield covers pictured usually come off/on easily. I am getting one next week too and will take some pics with them removed ;D
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I am getting one next week too and will take some pics with them removed ;D
Excellent UZ i'll be zoomed in, have looked at all the pics but cannot identify the manufacturer of this Smart Hub
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. . . cannot identify the manufacturer of this Smart Hub
Quite often, inputting the device's MAC at this site (http://www.netlookup.se/) will disclose the manufacturer.
For example if I enter C4:E9:84, the first six hexadecimal digits of the MAC of a device that is in the same room as myself, I see the following output returned --
Prefix: C4E984
Vendor: TP-LINK TECHNOLOGIES CO.,LTD.
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Hmm, TP-LINK, not too scared now... :P
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Would somebody with a Smart Hub be willing to post the first six digits of their hub's MAC address so we can see the manufacturer?
@William Grimsley, the address digits burakkucat used were not from a Smart Hub, so don't get your hopes up yet.
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Hmm, TP-LINK, not too scared now... :P
I have to state that I do not have any BT HH6 or "Smart Hub" in my possession . . . I just used the MAC of the first convenient device (to paw) as an example.
We really need to know what GofB or uz will see when they enter the MAC from a "Smart Hub".
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I put mine in and it said
"Something went wrong!
Did not find any vendor for that MAC-address"
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I used;
http://aruljohn.com/mac.pl
http://www.macvendors.com/
https://www.wireshark.org/tools/oui-lookup.html
they all say "Sagemcom Broadband SAS"
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Thank you. I was expecting to see either Huawei or Sagemcom. :)
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I have to state that I do not have any BT HH6 or "Smart Hub" in my possession . . . I just used the MAC of the first convenient device (to paw) as an example.
Oh, sorry. I thought you were referencing the "Smart Hub".
Was just thinking, if this "Smart Hub" is not made by Huawei, overall would it work more efficiently on lines connected via both ECI and Huaewi cabinets?
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Was just thinking, if this "Smart Hub" is not made by Huawei, overall would it work more efficiently on lines connected via both ECI and Huaewi cabinets?
That is a good question but one that is fundamentally difficult to answer . . . Direct experimentation and the analysis of the results so obtained would be the most obvious way.
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The only time I have used a Sagem modem was a when it was connected to the USB think it was called the Speedtouch 330 now the memory's start flooding back the frog as we called it ;D
opps the 330 was made by Thomson
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Oh the memories, the frog used to lockup due to not enough power on the USB port, took ages to find out why. Those were the days. :-)
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That is a good question
Crikey! Thanks! :)
As is always the case, we need to see what the results are on this. Does anyone know if the "Smart Hub" has an unclocked telnet UI?
All I remember from the dial up days was the noise, I still love it to this day. :)
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Hmm, TP-LINK, not too scared now... :P
I don't know, TP-LInk do some good kit but there wireless region settings are quiet poor and they have rarely enabled DFS which limits the amount of 5Ghz channels... I've only come across one device using DFS and that was the VR900, but I had to send that back due to DHCP faults and when I was moaning at TP-Link about the C9's inability to use DFS they said that none of their kit including the VR900 should have the ability either.
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The latest revelation is that there are 2 versions of the hub, one with 3 LAN ports and a WAN port for FTTP customers and one with 4 LAN ports, non of which can be configured as a WAN port.
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The latest revelation is that there are 2 versions of the hub, . . .
Yes, I also noticed that fact when reading through the minimalistic documentation that is available for the device.
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Seems a bizarre decision having 2 versions, why not make LAN port4 universally configurable as a WAN?
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I really don't know. Perhaps it is the influence of a marketing department consultant -- have two variants and charge a premium price for the thee LAN + WAN device? :-\
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Unless someone has physically seen two different types of unit - I believe that there is only one model and its just the user guides are different..
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That was my assumption originally but the mods on the BT forum state there are 2 models and nobody seems to have managed to get one working with a separate modem.
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The Smart Hub went down around 2am and didnt come back until 8am, the event log is full of PPPoE error: timeouts :o
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. . . the event log is full of PPPoE error: timeouts :o
We really need to know which device dropped the link and then which device failed to reinitialise a new session, thus causing the timeouts. Obviously there are two devices, one at each end of the link and we need to be cautious not to "point the paw" at the BT HH6 without evidence!
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it just says this over and over again http://i.imgur.com/wZMyVNI.png http://i.imgur.com/sIOrFPy.png
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I really don't have a clue. It would be interesting to know which end of the link issued the NAK . . .
00:48:30,01 Jan. PPP.IPCP_NAK
Another datum point is that the BT HH6 seems to have lost all sense of date and time.
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http://i.imgur.com/btiXxUd.png
http://i.imgur.com/mV7ycvD.png
http://i.imgur.com/nq9gamY.png
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Are BT handing these out with new contracts?
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:no: I'm trying to order one of these at the moment from BT...
I was stuck in a queue on the phone for 27 mins by which time a web chat agent was found after 23 mins of waiting, now they are having issues placing the order...
However first of all the order was placed and when I asked for tracking or an order number they couldn't find one and neither could I... however then they say they couldn't find the HH6 in their list so had to cancel order... Erm OK...
Now they seem to have got a manager involved and saying they will call me when they've sorted it.... and I've been pushed out of the web chat... I've got a bad feeling I will be getting this hub for free after all.
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I highly doubt you'll get it free. When I asked about it they said no way. Not even with the most expensive contract.
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I highly doubt you'll get it free. When I asked about it they said no way. Not even with the most expensive contract.
That wasn't my point.... if they screw me around I will be getting goodwill gesture put on my account...
I'm trying to pay for it now but not having much look doing so.
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Finally its coming, costing nearly £58 quick with postage, yet won't be delivered until Wednesday... whats that £8 for again?
Oh well got BT tweeting me at the moment, will surely be making a point about these charges that to me seem like a fee that would fill a xmas part fund jar quite nicely throughout the year :lol:
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£7.99 postage £50 for the hub.
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£50! Rip off!
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To be honest its a very good price for £50, even for £100. Unless anyone else can find me an all-in-one VDSL2 modem/router with a broadcom chipset with G.INP and 3x3, 4x4 WiFi for less :P
Billion BiPAC 8900AX 2400 = £230
Netgear D7800 = £270
TP-Link Archer VR2600 = £215
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Don't know if it's just me found this wireless AC 5 GHz to have a lesser range than wireless N 2.4 GHz it didn't impress me I ended up turning off AC on the modem and just left the N for everyday wireless use.
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Doesn't 5G have worse signal than 2G anyway?
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Doesn't 5G have worse signal than 2G anyway?
Suppose it does as higher radio frequencies has less penetration through solid objects and the more you go up in frequencies the closer you get to light spectrum
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£50! Rip off!
Not when the customer getting the new kit with a retail of well above £100 is potentially leaving in a month or so...
Free if you re-contract... In my case, I've paid the £50 knowing that when I move out of this flat in January that I can sell it on ebay for £50 or maybe more depending on how the market for the new hub goes.... and that's if I don't choose to keep BT.
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I've just ordered one from the BT website, should be here in a couple of days https://www.productsandservices.bt.com/products/home-products
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I ordered mine through Customer Service Web Chat the other day and have been watching the tracking...
It's supposed to be here tomorrow but yet to be dispatched and was Ordered on Saturday :-\
Starting to think it may not have made it through the processes based on the cock up during ordering...
Will be claiming compensation of they haven't processed it.
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I have had 3 delivery dates come and go. Also had 3x SMS confirming all those 3 dates. Nothing has arrived yet... :no:
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Oh for .... sakes :no:
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Well now half 9 and still not dispatched.... I ordered it Saturday morning as well...
If it don't arrive tomorrow I'll be ordering again online and going straight to the complaints procedure in order to get compensation and another explanation for such a ridiculous level of support during my time with BT. :no:
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OK, Just placed an order vie online web page for the new hub and now about to type my complaint to BT.
The site says it will be delivered Friday, My current router has just sold on eBay too so I have to now let them know the situation.
BT will be paying me for this bull....
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It's coming ;)
According to the tracking its made it to one of Royal Mails distribution centers...
Hopefully its not a HH5 :fingers:
Still fuming at BT though.
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It's here :cool:
BT HH6a.... I wonder what A and B refers to...
Synced st 80/20 with an attainable or 85/25 so not too worried for the moment...
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You've got to love the reported speeds :lol:
Data rate: 20.00 kbps / 80.00 kbps
Maximum data rate: 34214 / 108770
Noise margin: 15.6 / 13.8
Line attenuation: 5.9
[Minor adjustments to the format to simplify the reading.]
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These are mine:
DSL uptime: 0 Days, 3 Hours 19 Minutes 53 Seconds
Data rate: 19999 / 79999
Maximum data rate: 22945 / 85330
Noise margin: 7.6 / 6.4
Line attenuation: 16.7
Signal attenuation:
VPI / VCI: 0/38
Modulation: G_993_2_ANNEX_B
Latency type: Fast Path
[Minor adjustments to the format to simplify the reading.]
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What firmware are folks currently on or rather what date does it say it was last updated?
I'm having an issue where browsing around the GUI causes the wireless to drop or potential crash the router and cause reboot.
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The latest firmware is SG4B100021EC - I gather (some?) Smart Hubs are being shipped with an older version SG4B100021D0 which is then updated.
I think the 21EC version is dated mid-May and does have some known bugs which BT are working on.
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When mine updated to the newest firmware I had to do a factory reset for it to properly configure, after I did it I saw changes that didn't happen after the update.
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What firmware are folks currently on or rather what date does it say it was last updated?
I'm having an issue where browsing around the GUI causes the wireless to drop or potential crash the router and cause reboot.
Firmware version:
SG4B100021EC
Firmware updated:
12/05/16
Presumably we've all got a Type A manufactured by Sagemcom.
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Well the wireless on this new hub isn't working to well... It's seems to keep dropping every few minutes and it's killing every bodies tablet and phone batteries....
I've been in from work for 2 hours and lost 40% battery due to wifi issues... and another android device in the house has been getting very hot and losing by battery at a similar rate.
Not quite sure what to do... Might have seek f a reset helps...
[Moderator correction of a typo.]
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Split the 2G and 5G up? Turned off smart setup?
[Moderator correction of typo.]
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Yes, turned smart setup off and Thursday night, I've just split the networks and seem to have found that 2.4Ghz is the problem....
I've been monitoring the signal using Acrylic WiFi and inSSIDer software and it shows random drops in the wifi signal, I've tried re-scanning for a new channel and also set the channel manually myself too but not made any difference...
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I hope BT's going to be pushing some firmware this week, my new hub is so unreliable...
The WiFi issues can be dealt with but the hub crashing and restarting and then getting stuck on boot is annoying.
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Mines been stable
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Would you mind using some software such as Acrylic to show how many networks their are broadcasting locally to your hub...
I'm wondering if mine is struggling with monitoring the number of networks in the area.
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Like this?
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I see the 2G is very unstable but i dont use it
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Perfect thanks, so your 2G wifi isn't great either...
Seems to be a bug for many if not all at the moment though many may not notice it...
I'm going to keep an eye on the hub and see how it copes... I think one of my issues currently will be the 2G network still being pretty busy for devices as I've yet to transfer 5G devices onto the new SSID whcih I setup when separating the bands...
If it wasn't for the 2G only devices the others in my household have, I wouldn't have 2G enabled at all...
I've already got the Access Point for when I move out sitting in front of me which will be perfect... ( Asus EA-AC87 ) 5G Only!... maybe even uses channels above 48... ::)
Thanks again ;)
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Interesting - I currently get the following 2G signal from the Smart Hub. Acrylic picked up over 35 different SSIDs here.
I use the 5G signal by preference but have several devices which don't support this (including this laptop) so end up using both. I do occasionally have WiFi issues but they are relatively infrequent and am sure they will be fixed in a future firmware fix.
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Im not the most technically minded but i've never owned a router fail so bad on shields up, i am not sure of the security implications of it are but i was always lead to believe stealth for the lot was the way to go.
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GRC's ShieldsUP! (https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2) is a good tool for a quick, simple test. However it has been observed to produce false warnings "on the diagonal" (just like your example) when there is, in fact, no problem at all.
To be absolutely sure, the best way is to ask someone to perform a remote scan on your current (public) IP address. ;)
(If you are looking in my direction, then a PM with your current IPv4 address is all I would need. :) )
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Its ok thanks, makes no difference what the real state of them is because i am using it anyway lol
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Looking again at that image of the GRC ShieldsUP! result, I suspect those blue blocks should actually be green blocks. As for the three red blocks, I suspect that they are true.
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Just noticed this on the BT forum on a post showing the hub stats.
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The SNR is only updated every 24 hours. I know this because I have a line that fluctuates over a 24hr period and with the new Broadcom chipset my S/N drops over the first few days of usage. With the smart hub I connect with a S/N of 7db. After 24hrs it is then updated and usually reduces by 0.5 to 1 db. After a further 24 hours it then drops again by say 0.3 db. There are no changes to the value between the 24hour periods. Makes people think their lines a very stable.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Interesting marketing BT use for this ....
BT Smart Hub => "The UK's most powerful wi-fi signal"
Powerful meaning "having great power or strength"
Now RF tx power levels for 802.11 are regulated @ 20 dBm (100 mW) in the EU.
And this is post antenna gain i.e. it's EIRP (Equivalent isotropically radiated power)
So, for that claim to be true :
- either all the other manufacturers do not push their Wifi products (and by "product" I mean the system of power amp and antenna) to the legal maximum (which I seriously doubt)
- the SmartHub is exceeding the legal EIRP (cannot be as it would fail Type Approval)
- "powerful" is the wrong word - a good mix of diversity in the receive side could well make it more "effective", but not more "powerful" ?
- or something else that I haven't thought of ;D
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http://home.bt.com/tech-gadgets/tech-news/bt-smart-hub-6-router-wifi-11364068260249
By that they mark with a *
"*Compared to routers from other major broadband providers in the UK."
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Shame... the TalkTalk router from next door is performing much better then isn't it... :no:
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In other news, things must be getting better.... the hub managed to reboot itself without getting stuck on the boot...
It's like a child using the potty unassisted for the first time.... hurray :no:
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Interesting marketing BT use for this ....
BT Smart Hub => "The UK's most powerful wi-fi signal"
Powerful meaning "having great power or strength"
BT have got their ASA defence already prepared- they published https://www.productsandservices.bt.com/products/lib/pdf/bt_smart_hub_test_report.pdf when they released the Smart Hub.
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Surprised to see they compared it to Plusnet's Hub One aka the Home Hub 5
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BT have got their ASA defence already prepared- they published https://www.productsandservices.bt.com/products/lib/pdf/bt_smart_hub_test_report.pdf when they released the Smart Hub.
I was joking...
Yes it's got good range, though it lacks in some area's at the moment
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Their whole campaign is based on "The BT Smart Hub provides the UK’s most powerful wi-fi signal"
And yet that "Marketing claims substantiation" states "What do we measure?" => "The most important aspect of wi-fi for customers is their Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) throughput. "
Every metric quoted in that document is throughput. This purported "most powerful signal" is never mentioned r.e. ERP/RSSI and hence appears not to be a measured metric for this claim.
If I made AA NiMH batteries for a living, and I advertised it was the "most powerful" battery for it's type, I would get slapped if the mAh rate was lower than competitors products, because "power" in the context of a battery = electrical power. Likewise, for an RF device, power = ERP, yet here we have a "most powerful signal" claim for a RF device, and the "substantiation" avoids this metric like the plague.
I am not knocking the product - it could well be a very efficient device - I just have a pet hate for marketing that leaps on buzz phrases without appearing to substantiate their claims properly :(
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Well received another new smart hub this morning, guess what... same problems... I'm now using my mobile for internet as the hub has randomly killed all network traffic internal and external....
I think I will be telling BT to refund me, give me compensation and perhaps even shove their contract where the sun don't shine. >:(
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Are you sure you weren't a victim of this morning's outage? You might find it works now.
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No the issues are not internet related, they are router related.
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Mine about an hour ago was messing up, had DNS issues, couldnt get on any websites, and the wireless seems to just stop working sometimes even though it stays connected. Maybe I will go back to my good old R7000 :P
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Did the status light turn green??
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Nope remained Blue
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Their whole campaign is based on "The BT Smart Hub provides the UK’s most powerful wi-fi signal"
And yet that "Marketing claims substantiation" states "What do we measure?" => "The most important aspect of wi-fi for customers is their Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) throughput. "
Every metric quoted in that document is throughput. This purported "most powerful signal" is never mentioned r.e. ERP/RSSI and hence appears not to be a measured metric for this claim.
If I made AA NiMH batteries for a living, and I advertised it was the "most powerful" battery for it's type, I would get slapped if the mAh rate was lower than competitors products, because "power" in the context of a battery = electrical power. Likewise, for an RF device, power = ERP, yet here we have a "most powerful signal" claim for a RF device, and the "substantiation" avoids this metric like the plague.
I am not knocking the product - it could well be a very efficient device - I just have a pet hate for marketing that leaps on buzz phrases without appearing to substantiate their claims properly :(
Yup, and its somewhat grating when they have their little small print at the bottom of the tv advert saying "compared to all major UK broadband providers" ,ie, the most 'powerful' compared to about 7 different other modem routers ignoring the dozens of other powerful ones available to buy. I think they should be made to have the words "compared to the other major providers modem routers" spoken clearly (ie not timestretched) in the audio in those adverts.
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Infinity 2 customer. Previously using HG612 and HH5. According to Openreach speed tester, I had an IP profile on 65.16/20 and achieving speed of 63.16/14.29. (I test weekly and it has been on those numbers for many months).
Installed HH6 today and frankly its rubbish.
Profile immediately dropped to 59.92/20 and speed of 50.49/12.42.
So all I've managed to achieve is a drop in speed to Infinity 1 !!!!!
Have not even bothered to test alleged WiFi improvements. Currently I intend leaving it for 24 hours and then this piece of junk is straight back to BT.
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:(
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Profile immediately dropped to 59.92/20 and speed of 50.49/12.42.
Similar story here, though not as dramatic - was attainable 48/8 and HH6 dropped it to 38/7.5 (but been stuck on banded profile of 30 for months anyway).
I presumed the difference was down to the fact G.INP wasn't enabled on the HH6?
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Just got off the phone with BT after waiting for 90 minutes for a callback from their “queue buster” system. Complete waste of time – the Indian gentleman initially told me to switch off 5gHz wireless to fix the issue!!
He then messed around with settings at the exchange and then told me he had set a “target” of 65 for synch speed but I have to wait 3-5 days for line to “stabilise”.
I was dubious about all of this. Nevertheless I reinstalled Smart Hub and, as expected, found that speeds were just as bad as before.
The stats available from the Smart Hub are sparse, but it tells me:
Sync speed = 61.39/14.22
Maximum data rate 59.9/14.22
Noise margin 6.5/6.3
Attentuation 18.1
Fastpath
However the OR Wholesale speed tester tells me that the IP profile is 59.1/20 and actual speeds are 54.63/12.18.
According to the OR tester the HG612 and HH4 provide a much higher IP profile and faster speeds.
My fear now is that he has messed my line up. Also I’ll have to wait 5 days before I can initiate the formal complaint process whilst the mythical line “stabilisation” takes place.
I don’t know whether or not to reinstall the HG612 and HH4 now, or wait for 5 days and see what the speeds are like then. Any thoughts?
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Which version of the firmware are you using? Most Smart Hubs tend to ship with an old version and are then updated - though even the latest public version needs some work to it (including to the modem code) and there is a newer firmware version being tested.
Had it been a long time sinc your HG612 had last resynced? The hotter weather now can also cause the line attenuation to increase which also leads to slower speeds. If so, when you put the HG612 back on the line you are also likely to get lower speeds than before
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Which version of the firmware are you using? Most Smart Hubs tend to ship with an old version and are then updated - though even the latest public version needs some work to it (including to the modem code) and there is a newer firmware version being tested.
Had it been a long time sinc your HG612 had last resynced? The hotter weather now can also cause the line attenuation to increase which also leads to slower speeds. If so, when you put the HG612 back on the line you are also likely to get lower speeds than before
The HH6 firmware was dated 12/5/16 - it did update itself from a previous version it was shipped with that had an April date.
Don't know the firmware number - being impatient I have now swapped out the HH6 again.
With the HG612/HH4 set up I historically have had an IP Profile of around 65/20 (I'll use round numbers for simplicity) for almost 3 years. The actual speed reported by the OR speed checker is normally around 63/14. There has been very little deviation. I have been lucky and had a very stable connection since OR fixed a major (and I mean major) problem with their ducts/wiring in our road over 3 years ago. Prior to that the connection was flaky (putting it kindly).
Before the very latest swap the OR speed checker reported the HH6 as having an IP profile of 59/20 with actual speed of 53/12. I then swapped the HG612/HH4 combination in again and the IP profile immediately improved to 62/20 and the actual speed to 59/13. The HH6 itself reports sync of 61/14 and maximum attainable rates of 60/14. I also checked the speed using another website and this validated the speeds indicated by the OR checker
It seems to me that my original surmise that the HH6 is junk may be correct.
I have managed to lose some of my previous connection speed and have also paid BT for the privilege.
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Update.
BT representative in faults dept has now agreed that the SmartHub is probably not performing properly and that my line/connection is not the cause of the speed fault. Without wanting to put words into peoples mouths, I got the distinct impression that I am not the only one who is reporting speed issues with the SmartHub. There was also an inference that it may perform better in the future - could that be taken to mean there is another firmware update being developed which may fix this?
However I now have another problem.
I asked where to return the SmartHuib and asked for my money back.
He said don't bother to return it! Whats more he said that according to their system I had not been charged in the first place for the SmartHub. Thats not what my bill says !!!!!!!
So I now have another complaint in connection with getting my money back. You couldn't make this up!!!
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Well I'm well and truly hacked off with BT again....
Just looked at my account and its now had 2 charges applied for the hubs and their postage...
The BT care team have come back with they can't help me and that the new hub testing team have also got no answers either...
I don't remember signing up to a trial/beta test...
So I've just updated my open complaint regarding BT's terrible customer service with a demand for the duplicate order to be credited immediately and also a £50 goodwill gesture to cover the the cost of the new hub due to its status (being in testing stages still)
>:(
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Well I'm well and truly hacked off with BT again....
Just looked at my account and its now had 2 charges applied for the hubs and their postage...
The BT care team have come back with they can't help me and that the new hub testing team have also got no answers either...
I don't remember signing up to a trial/beta test...
So I've just updated my open complaint regarding BT's terrible customer service with a demand for the duplicate order to be credited immediately and also a £50 goodwill gesture to cover the the cost of the new hub due to its status (being in testing stages still)
>:(
And I'm double hacked off.
As an existing customer I was given a "personalised" offer via email which enticed me to re-contract for Infinity 2 about 4 weeks ago. If I re-contracted I would avoid the upcoming general July price increase. So I signed up.
However it now seems that by accepting another "personalised" email offer regarding the SmartHub (I had registered pre-interest) about 10 days later BT have told me that I technically have re-contracted for a second time and have to pay the £4 a month Infinity 2 price increase.
So I now have a SmartHub (that they admit does not work properly -yet); which they don't want back; have had to revert back to the HG612/HH4 kit; and have ended up paying an additional £4 a month on my Infinity 2 contract.
BT have stitched me up like a kipper. They are a complete disgrace.
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Well my new or even 2nd new Smart Hub from BT is still exhibiting the sames problems as my first one... though this time I'm stuck on the first release firmware and after around a week of it being connected its still stuck on the old firmware.
BT keep asking me to send one of the hubs back but I'm not sure which one yet... if not both ::)
BT seem to be getting a bit arsy with my complaints about their poor customer service and their absolutely useless billing and ordering departments... they are now talking about Deadlock letters which in my experience is normally go waste a bit more time with an ADR who we pay and will tell you to f off too.
Only time an ADR worked in my favor was when Ofcom was also involved, so I kinda think they had no say in the matter really.
It's a shame, BT's broadband is pretty good, actually the best I've ever had, however their customer support is terrible, their way of handling things like order's and upgrades is also appalling and for that reason I think I will be avoiding in the future.
Probably not going to matter soon anyhow, I'm moving back to Birmingham and will be limited to Virgin's M25 Inspired Cable or 2-4mb ADSL.... No FTTC and No Plans for it either (depsite every other exchange in Birmingham already having it... But there's more to that story :cool:)
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Made some progress with BT today.
They have accepted that the SmartHub is not fit for purpose, has performance issues so have allowed me to return it.
They have now admitted that I am being charged £4 per month for the SmartHub so they have cancelled the current contract and reinstated the old one. This aspect aspect may be worth a word of caution to others who may be in a similar situation. As an existing customer I responded to a BT offer in May to recontract my broadband for 18 months. If I did this, I would avoid the upcoming July broadband price increase. They credit this by billing the new (post July price increase) rental at the full monthly rate, amd then allowing a £4 a month discount.
About 2 weeks later I received a second "personalised" offer of a SmartHub (I had pre-registered interest) at apparantly no charge according to the wording of the offer. I was required to re-contract again which I did. However I have just received my monthly bill and noticed that the £4 discount line had disappeared and all that can be seen is the normal full monthly (post July price increase) for Inifinity 2. This was why their Customer Service fault team said that I was not being charged for the SmartHub - they cannot see that the discount has disappeared on their systems! However the billing people can see that the discount has disappeared and that effectively I would be charged £72 for the Hub over the length of the contract. Sneaky!
I still have a fault running with them. All the swapping in and out of the SmartHub and their fiddling about at the exchange (on what was a previously a stable connection) has resulted in me getting 94% of my previous download speed with the HG612/Hub4 set up, but the upload speed has now dropped significantly below BT's estimate and stubbornly refuses to improve. Heavens knows what they have done.
Today is the fifth day that they have not fixed my speed, and I'm apparantly due an update call today. We shall see.
In view of the my experience I would counsel people to hold off using the SmartHub. I inferred from what was said at one point that another firnmware update might soon be in the offing.
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I've just made arrangements to return it, its died 3 times in the past 12 hours...
My only problem now is trying to get HH5 to play ball... unfortunately I've not had much look with the Broadcom based Type B's so I'm gonna try out the Type A for a week... probably means a wee sacrifice in upload speed if I remember correctly.
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Well just prepped the 'Smart' Hub for its return...
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I'm about to receive one of these Smart Hubs, as a good will gesture after BT accidentally cut off my infinity. The whole thing was made worse by the local fibre cabinet being at maximum capacity so my spot was immediately given to the next person on the waiting list. Nearly three months later additional capacity has been added by Openreach and I'm finally back on. The only good thing to come out of this is that I've got 12 months of Infinity 2 for the price of line rental only and one of these new routers.
But, back on subject, in the 5-6 weeks since this thread was last posted in, has there been any improvements in the issues listed? I presume there have been additional firmware updates since.
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I'm still on the same firmware SG4B100021EC there is apparently a new one ending in F4 but not sure what it improves, if anything at all.
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Do you still have problems then? And would you say it's not worth the upgrade from a HH5? I've still got the HH5 anyway so can always go back to it, and it's not as if this Smart Hub has cost me money. But our bedroom is quite a distance from the front room and the wifi signal on my smart TV up there from the HH5 isn't great, I'm struggling to stream 1080p video at times. I was hoping for an improvement with BT's claims of signal distance.
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The Wi-Fi is better for both range and speed, even though theirs currently a problem with the 2G always dropping the 5G seems stable. But for me and many others sync speed has dropped for some reason, even though its only by 2-4Mbs, i'm starting to get some new issues now, my speed went from 64/19 to 59/15 over time using the HH6 and im not sure why, it hasn't rebooted a lot from what i can see. So yes theres still problems.
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Finally opened mine up to have a nosey inside:
(https://s16.postimg.io/5qiekkp11/bcm.jpg)
Unfortunately the new Smart Hub syncs 3Mbps slower than the Home Hub 5A does, so I going to use the 5A for now:
BT Hub 5A
Software version 4.7.5.1.83.8.204.1.11 (Type A) Last updated 10/07/15
Data rate: 20000 / 65194
Maximum data rate: 23388 / 64959
Noise margin: 6.6 / 6.5
Line attenuation: 17.9 / 16.5
Signal attenuation: 17.7 / 16.5
BT Hub 6A
Firmware version: SG4B100021EC
Firmware updated: 12/05/16
Board version: 1.0
Gui version: 1.28.3
Data rate: 20.00 kbps / 61.77 kbps
Maximum data rate: 20000 / 61772
Noise margin: 6.6 / 5.9
Line attenuation: 16.6
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I get 79mb/19mb with the HH5, so if that goes down to around 75mb/16mb on the Smart Hub I'm not concerned, the difference there is the square root of zero in real world terms.
I am concerned about the 2G dropping issue though, as my 6 year old laptop isn't even n, never mind ac, so turning off 2G isn't an option. Hopefully that is an issue that's either already rectified on the firmware my Smart Hub comes with, or will be soon.
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Firmware version:
SG4B10002244
Firmware updated:
05-Jul-2017
Board version:
1.0
Gui version:
1.32.0
DSL uptime:
0 Days, 23 Hours 1 Minutes 0 Seconds
Data rate:
18.59 kbps / 80.00 kbps
Maximum data rate:
18586 / 80873
Noise margin:
5.7 / 3.4
Line attenuation:
19.4
Signal attenuation:
VPI / VCI:
0/38
Modulation:
G_993_2_ANNEX_B
Latency type:
Fast Path
Connection speed is about 5Mbps faster than my Netgear D7000.
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Recently changed from Hub One with Plusnet to the Smart Hub, which updated to the latest firmware last night, has been factory reset.
BT rarely give out release notes but they did share some.
Here's a list of firmware revisions below:
SG4B100021D0 (Initial F/W)
No Info
SG4B100021EC
No Info
SG4B100021F4
Access Controls not working correctly
VPN Not Working
Bug Fixes
SG4B10002236
No Info
SG4B1000223E
No Info
SG4B10002244
DHCP and WiFi association issues
Orange Wi-Fi Tab
SG4B1000B316 (Latest F/W)
Hub performance upgrades
GUI improvements - minor changes to layout
Features enhancements for Multicast and uPNP
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Based on the attachment looks like the Hub 6B will be coming soon. The MAC address (E4:3E:D7:E4:73:3F) is Arcadyan Corporation and the firmware version numbering looks to be the same format as the Arcadyan produced Hub 5B. Image seen here https://community.bt.com/t5/BT-Infinity-Speed-Connection/Upgraded-infinity-2-No-change/m-p/1743828 (https://community.bt.com/t5/BT-Infinity-Speed-Connection/Upgraded-infinity-2-No-change/m-p/1743828)