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Full Potential of BTHH5 Running OpenWrt

archerry
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 111
Thanks: 40
Fixes: 3
Registered: ‎15-06-2013

Full Potential of BTHH5 Running OpenWrt

we recently upgraded from ADSL to the 145/30 FTTP service.
I want to continue using my BTHH5 running OpenWrt, but I cannot get better than about 60Mb/s download.
(The supplied hub two, and previous hub one both acheive the 145 Mb/s on their original firmware, as does my old Asus DSL-AC68U.)
What setting am I missing in OpenWrt to increase the download speed?

Extract from /etc/config/network:-

config interface 'wan'
        option proto 'pppoe'
        option password 'Account_Password'
        option device 'wan'
        option username 'Account_Name@plus.net'
        option ipv6 '0'
        option mtu '1492'

config device
        option name 'wan'
        option macaddr 'MAC_Address'

Regards,

Alistair

6 REPLIES 6
MisterW
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 16,363
Thanks: 6,290
Fixes: 452
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Full Potential of BTHH5 Running OpenWrt

@archerry the HH5 doesnt have a lot of CPU power.

The native software is designed especially for the h/w and so will give better performance than Openwrt. Even the native s/w can only handle 30Mb upstream though.

However, from here https://openwrt.org/toh/bt/homehub_v5a

There may still be a 60 Mbps download cap due to CPU limitations in which case enabling “Software Offloading” will help.

https://forum.openwrt.org/t/openwrt-software-offloading-configuration/151081/2

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

archerry
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 111
Thanks: 40
Fixes: 3
Registered: ‎15-06-2013

Re: Full Potential of BTHH5 Running OpenWrt

@MisterW 

Thanks.

However, from here https://openwrt.org/toh/bt/homehub_v5a

There may still be a 60 Mbps download cap due to CPU limitations in which case enabling “Software Offloading” will help.


I kept skipping over the end of that line.

Now to read up on the offloading features.

Regards,

Alistair

MisterW
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 16,363
Thanks: 6,290
Fixes: 452
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Full Potential of BTHH5 Running OpenWrt

@archerry the offloading basically moves the NAT translation out of the main firewall. There's two types , Software & Hardware. Software just implements a more efficient version in software whereas hardware uses specific h/w to do it. There's only a few chipsets that have h/w offloading , primarily the Mediatek chipsets. The HH5 only supports software offloading.

I use a TP link ER605 which uses a mediatek MT7621 which supports h/w offloading and gives me full speed on a 900/115 FTTP connection. The downside of offloading (both s/w & h/w) is that any QoS settings are disabled.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

archerry
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 111
Thanks: 40
Fixes: 3
Registered: ‎15-06-2013

Re: Full Potential of BTHH5 Running OpenWrt

@MisterW 

Thanks,
I risked 'fat fingers' on the CLI, as per your link, and got about 10% improvement on downloads with software offloading.
I have started playing with a 'Bananapi bpi r4' running the OpenWrt development snapshots.
I do not have the matching wifi card yet, so I will have to find a way for the Grandstream HT801 to connect to Andrews & Arnold through the DSL-AC68U.
I didn't want to retire the HH5 just yet as they have been fun, well capable on ADSL, and let me set up the house network as I wanted it.

Regards,
Alistair

archerry
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 111
Thanks: 40
Fixes: 3
Registered: ‎15-06-2013

Re: Full Potential of BTHH5 Running OpenWrt

@MisterW 

I do not understand this:
I tested the connection this morning to find:

dslreports_speedtest_2024_07_31.png

That was through a wired only connection.
I can get 107Mb/s wireless!
This is on one of my BTHH5, running OpenWrt 23.05-4, WITHOUT the software offloading enabled.
I will try to build my spare unit to the same configuration.
Needless to say that I will not be touching this unit for as long as possible.
All I can think of is that I raised the subject here, and then ordered a new router.

Regards,

Alistair

MisterW
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 16,363
Thanks: 6,290
Fixes: 452
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Full Potential of BTHH5 Running OpenWrt

All I can think of is that I raised the subject here, and then ordered a new router.

🤣

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.