BT Home Hub 6 (Smart Hub) on PlusNet

[#1]

Good News ! - I just purchased a BT Home Hub 6 (Smart Hub) from ebay and it is working perfectly with Plusnet using the instructions supplied by "NorthEasterner". The settings you need are in "Advanced Settings" but the general principal is the same and you get a great improvement in Wi Fi coverage.

Don't forget to turn off the "Smart Setup" as it quickly becomes annoying when you are setting up devices on the network.

@NorthEasterner wrote:
Hi,
I have done a post on this a few years ago, but that was outdated.
Okay, so you want to use a BT hub 2, 3, 4 or 5 on your Plusnet connection?
If you are using a used hub, it is recommended that you factory reset your hub, to do so there is a little pin on the rear of the hub, pop a paperclip etc... into the hole (whilst the hub is on) and keep it firmly pushed in for 10 seconds. The hub should restart. This will wipe any data or settings on the hub.
ADSL Connections
1) To use on a ADSL connection, simply grab an RJ11 cable (usually a grey cable) and pop this into the hub's DSL port, the other end into the microfilter.
2) Pop the power cable in and turn on the hub.  Wait for it to boot up.
Your hub will have a flashing 'B' light either red/purple or orange (depending on version of hub)
3) Insert an ethernet cable from one of the yellow ports (not the red port) and insert into your computer.
4) Open a web browser and enter or click on the link - http://bthomehub.home/  OR 192.168.1.254/  These links direct you to the hub's configuration pages.
5)Along the tab, you'll see 'Settings' click on this.  You'll be prompted for a password, or creating a new password if you reset the hub.  Enter your password.  To create a new password, enter your default admin password (found on removable card or underneath hub.)
6) Click on 'Enter your Broadband username and password' Which is the last option on the list.
7) You'll then see spaces to enter your username and password.  These will be your member centre username I.E Plusnet2015 was your member centre login, you'll enter plusnet2015@plusdsl.net as the username on the BT Hub.  Your password will be the one you use to log into the member centre. For more into visit https://portal.plus.net/my.html?s=0&action=refresh_browser (login required)
Then press connect
You should then be connected.
Fibre Connection
To use on a Fibre connection on the hub 2, 3, 4 you will need a Openreach modem.  On the hub 5, the Openreach modem is not required. You will need Type B Hub 2 to use on Fibre connection as Type A Hub 2 does not have the red WAN port.
1) To use on a Fibre connection, on all hubs before hub 5, you get the ethernet cable from the Openreach modem and plug it into the red WAN port.  If you are using the Hub 5, plug RJ11 cable directly into the master socket (if you have a pre-filtered socket) or into a microfilter if you are doing a self install.  Then the other end into the Hub 5's DSL port.
2) Pop the power cable in and turn on the hub.  Wait for it to boot up.
Your hub will have a flashing 'B' light either red/purple or orange (depending on version of hub)
3) Insert an ethernet cable from one of the yellow ports (not the red port) and insert into your computer.
4) Open a web browser and enter or click on the link - http://bthomehub.home/  OR 192.168.1.254/  These links direct you to the hub's configuration pages.
5)Along the tab, you'll see 'Settings' click on this.  You'll be prompted for a password, or creating a new password if you reset the hub.  Enter your password.  To create a new password, enter your default admin password (found on removable card or underneath hub.)
6) Click on 'Enter your Broadband username and password' Which is the last option on the list.
7) You'll then see spaces to enter your username and password.  These will be your member centre username I.E Plusnet2015 was your member centre login, you'll enter plusnet2015@plusdsl.net as the username on the BT Hub.  Your password will be the one you use to log into the member centre. For more into visit https://portal.plus.net/my.html?s=0&action=refresh_browser (login required)
Then press connect
You should then be connected.

[#2]

Hi, You said you have much improved wifi coverage, what router were you using before?

Secondly, why switch off the smart setup. I have smartphones that can connect via ac to 5Ghz signal. Why not use it?

[#3]

Hi, I was using the BT Home Hub 5 and also the Plusnet One Hub before I swapped to the Home Hub 6. Although the HH5 and Plusnet One are supposed to be the same the reliability and signal was far better with HH5.

With both units I needed a signal booster upstairs to get a decent signal in my daughters bedrooms. Since the switch to HH6 I get a decent signal everywhere in the house without a booster and achieving constant speeds of 18mb upload and 48mb download.

My reason for advising the Smart Setup is switched off is that for every device you try to connect the HH6 will attempt to connect it to the BT network and not Plusnet. You can still use the 5Ghz signal without problems as turning off the Smart Setup will not effect this.

I purchased my HH6 brand new in a sealed box from ebay for £80 and I must say it was worth every penny.

Hope this helps

[#4]

Hi

I'm collecting a BT smart hub today for £45 from someone of eBay. I was reluctant at first but you have answered all my questions, I was concerned the new version might not be configurable with Plusnet as the previous versions have been but it seems to be so that's good.

I'm using wifi boosters upstairs in our house and find them virtually useless with poor speeds, hopefully this will resolve my problems.

[#5]

The Smart Hub aka 6 is not mentioned in the set up below and it is different to the previous models. I have spent hours trying to get it to work today replacing my existing set up of an older Plus net fibre router and Openreach modem. The Smart hub appears to automatically assume you are using BT BB so I managed to change it to the Plusnet username and password as mentioned below but there now appears to be an ISP conflict and I cannot get access to the Internet.  Does this need to be changed as well? I have had to change back to the Plusnet router just to get back on line again. 

[#6]

Hi, Sorry to hear that you are having problems as I didn't experience any in my setup. Not being able to see your setup it is difficult to comment, but I do have a couple of tips. I assume you have purchased the HH6 second hand and a danger with this is that you don't know what has been changed previously. There is an easy fix for this as the HH6 has a reset, which will restore it to factory settings. I cannot remember exactly where this is so you will need to have a search in the HH settings or Google while you still have internet, but it is well worth doing.

I assume you removed both the old router and modem as the HH connects directly to the wall socket, (I know this may seem obvious but I have seen someone with a HH connected to a seperate modem before now). Also did you turn the Smart Setup off as this will always try to connect any devices to BT.

Apart from that, all I did was to change the username and password to the Plusnet ones as detailed in my first post (NOT the username and password you use to log into the Member Center), and away it went.

Hope this helps you get set up, please let me know how you get on.

[#7]

Hi Bigash, Glad you found it useful, good luck with the setup and I hope the HH6 resolves your range issues.

[#8]

Just bought bt smart home hub 6. Thought all would be well as have used  bt hubs 3 4 and 5 in past, but no luck will not connect. Have done all the usual of entering user name and password but it keeps saying connecting but it does not.

All other hubs have red fibre connection the 6 does not as I have fttp I can only assume this is the problem as all other setting I think should be OK

Any Ideas?

[#9]

@thestagman

Welcome to the forums.

I read over at thinkbroadband forums that there are 2 versions of the BT Smart Hub aka HH6, 1 for FTTC and 1 for FTTP.

The thread there is called "WIsh I had never heard of the HH6" http://forums.thinkbroadband.com/bt/4494703-wish-i-had-never-heard-of-the-hh6.html?fpart=all

[#10]

There is a different version of the Home hub 6 for FTTP it has an Ethernet port to connect to the ONT, unfortunately you would seem to have the FTTC version. There is some debate ( on Kitz and/or TBB forums ) as to whether the FTTP version just has different firmware to do this. 

[#11]

Thanks for taking the time to share the additional info Guy's. I must admit I didn't know that there were two versions of the HH6 and I certainly didn't consider the setup for fttp or fttc. The majority (if not all) plusnet users around my area connect to the cabinet and the fttp is the sole domain of the business user and high end service provider.

I guess I just lucked out and purchased a fttc unit without knowing and as I said previously I just plugged it in, changed the password and away it went.

Hopefully the majority of users will have the same experience I had as I am so glad I made the change from the old HH5

[#12]

This would explain a lot I never realised there were two versions fttc and fttp I must have the fttc which is the more common and that is why it won't connect How do I know what version I have and where would I get one from

[#13]

Hi Thestagman, I have been looking into this since I was told there were two versions. Apparently, BT have said if you are a customer you will automatically be sent the correct version, but for a Plusnet user buying second hand on ebay this doesn't help much.

The only visual difference I can see is a red (WAN) sticker over port 4 on the fttp version. There is nothing meaningful on the box my fttc version came in, except on the sticker with the serial number etc. it does say (Type A) so perhaps type A is fttc and type B is fttp, (if anyone has a Type B could you kindly confirm this).

Also I have found this information on the BT website which makes interesting reading, (use link and then click on Home Hub):

http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/10477/~/user-guides-for-bt-broadband-and-bt-infinity-...

I suppose as far as ebay is concerned, the only way to be sure is to get the seller to open the box and confirm if the red sticker is there of not.

[#14]

Thanks - I am now finally up and running and the router is working well. I bought the HH6 from the BT shop and there was no 'type' option for buying either a FTTC or FTTP hence the confusion when a FTTC model arrived and instructions stated plug the BB line directly into the back of the router which 'suggested' no further use for the Openreach modem. My BB feed is FTTC so all is well. I then followed your advice of resetting the router, switching off Smart Setup via the BT Hub web page and changing the Broadband username and password (not the Account username or Network username which I had tried previously, silly me) - I found this BB username and password on my original Plusnet welcome letter and it states 'You'll only need these if you are setting up a non-Plusnet router! So human error, confused by the choice of usernames/passwords was the main problem -  but now a lot wiser than before and pleased I signed up to this Forum (and with a little help from Google of course or should that be Confused.com?) . Thanks again. 

[#15]

You are very welcome PG, enjoy the new Hub.