Plusnet v BT Router Config.

[#1]

This is a question about an apparent difference in the config of  my Plusnet Hub One and my BT Smart Hub 2 routers.  Maybe the Forum can offer some guidance.

I need to understand  this as I am anticipating being moved off PN, (see previous posts), and would like to be able to replicate the PN routers behaviour in what comes afterwards.

The issue is this.

I have a desktop PC and a laptop. Both run W11 Home and link to the router with WiFi.

Data is mastered on the PC with the laptop logging in across my home network.

The two routers mentioned above are only modified to the extent of having the same SSSID and password so the one can replace the other with minimum fuss if there is a router fault.

When using the BT router it is not possible to create update and save documents on the PC from the laptop. An attempt to save a document results in a request to save under a difference document name. If this is attempted the error message says I do not have authority to save in the location.

When using the PN router I can work on documents on the PC from the laptop without issue.

This suggests there is something in the config of the PN router which enables full access to the PC.

Naturally I would like to be able to replicate this in whatever router is used in the future.

Any thoughts on what the difference might be and where to look for it, would be welcomed.

Many thanks in advance.

Archer

[#2]

How is the laptop "logging in across the network"?

If it's using native Windows network sharing, then have you ensured that both the laptop and PC have their respective network connections set to 'Private'? If either reverts to 'Public' when the Smart Hub 2 is in situ then it's likely to scupper any attempts to communicate over the local network.

Do both the laptop and PC have the same local IP address, regardless of the router in use? If the local IP addresses are changing and you've configured the local network connection based on the machines' respective IP addresses, then that's also going to cause you problems.

[#3]

Thanks Bob.

I am just using Windows sharing. I have not done anything with IP addresses. May be I should?

My immediate question is, what is it about a BT Hub 2 what is upset by a change in network sharing setting, and why does it not effect the PN router?

Thanks.

[#4]

That’s my point. Perhaps it isn’t anything inherent to the BT hub config and it’s simply a consequence of you swapping the hubs.

Couple of theoretical examples:-

You swap the hub and your PC and/or laptop recognise that the gateway device is one they haven’t ‘seen’ before. This causes the Windows network connection to default to ‘Public’. When in this state, sharing does not work. This isn’t anything to do with the hub per se, it’s a product of how Windows has been designed to behave.

Your PC is assigned the local IP address 192.168.1.100 by the Plusnet hub. This IP assignment is ‘sticky’, so your PC pretty much always gets the same address when it connects. You (inadvertently or otherwise) configure your laptop to ‘talk’ to the PC using its local IP address. You swap the hub for the BT one. The BT hub has no awareness of the address previously assigned to your PC so gives it a new one; let’s say 192.168.1.200. Now, when you try accessing your shared files from the laptop you have a problem because it’s looking for a machine  at the address 192.168.1.100 and there is no longer anything on your network with that address. Again, not the consequence of any differences between the configuration of the two hubs.

Not to say that either of these things are happening in your case mind you.

[#5]

Thanks for your expaination.  I had not thought in that detail.

I'll investgate what IP addresses are in play. Though it still seems odd that the file sharing worked as expected as soon as the Plusnet router was used after over a year on the BT Hub.

It could be just chance I guess.

Thanks again for your guidance.