Using the BT Smarthub 6 on a Plusnet Account

[#1]

here is my line details from that page

[#2]

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@gdgreen wrote:

There is a separate post on this, but as this thread is the most comprehensive discussion of using the BT SmartHub 6 I thought it might be worth adding here that the Business SmartHub 6 firmware no longer has a Smart Setup option, so step 4 in Baldrick1's instructions can (indeed must) be skipped. I was panicking when I could not find this option, until I googled it and found that someone else had already worked out that the option is gone and hasn't just been moved.

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I agree that it's now been removed from the Home page but it's still there amongst the data on the Home Page:

[#3]

Ah, that's interesting. I did not spot that setting and instead just tried skipping step 4, which seemed to work.

I've just had a look at the setting on my router and it has smart setup on, but this does not seem to have prevented the router from dealing correctly with my Plusnet service.

So, I was wrong to say that step 4 must be skipped. It would seem sensible to find it in the Status page and switch it off, just in case. But in my case it doesn't seem to have mattered that smart setup was on when I connected to the phone line.

I've switched it off now, just in case it causes a problem in future (eg, firmware reboot)

[#4]

@gdgreen 

I had a mental block saying it has been moved from the home page to the home page. As you have picked up from the screenshot I meant it has moved to the Status page. The edit window has closed so I guess it's stuck that way now.

It shouln't cause any problems leaving it on, it's just that you get a page of irrelevent junk when you try to connect a new device.

[#5]

Just updated to SG4B1000E040. One difference i that the displayed Attenuation figures have increased again as they did on the last update - but the actual line speed is the same. It still shows BT wifi Active - hopefully that's not true on a PN line.

As it happens my S/N has dropped below 6dB for the first time, with a corresponding increase in line speed. This was before the new firmware so I'm assuming its some change at the cabinet end. 

[#6]

@Baldrick1 This may have been answered in the 40 odd pages oft his thread, but I'm a legacy Free-online customer, so my router settings point to them - username@Freeonlne.net

Do you know if these methods will still work?

John

[#7]

@John_Hull 

I haven't come across this question. I'm afraid that I don't know the amswer so all that I can suggest is that you try it.

[#8]

@John_Hull - yes, I believe it should still work.

[#9]

Thanks Bob

I was considering this to fix my problems with the 5GHz band, and the fact that access generally seems a bit flaky lately, so I may still give this a go.

John 

[#10]

@John_Hull 

Pleas do let us know how you get on, if Bob says it should work then I'm pretty sure that it will.  If it doesn't work then you can always sell it on.

[#11]

Hi @bobpullen Just thought I would let you know that I had problems using the BT Smarthub 6 so switched back to the PN Hub. Itb has now been up and running for 14 days with no problems speed is what it states and both 2.4ghz & 5ghz working absolutely fine and the wifi coverage is brilliant.

I have the Plusnet Hub One | Software version 4.7.5.1.83.8.273 | Last updated 20/08/20.

[#12]

Thanks @Baldrick1 . I have installed my new BT Business hub as per this thread's walkthrough and everything is hunkydory - your instructions and assistance are much appreciated. Thanks for taking the time to put it together and share your knowledge.

Cheers

[#13]

@Baldrick1 thank you so much for this guide. Followed it this afternoon to set up my BT Smarthub 6.

One thing I think that would be worth adding, though: I got stuck for ages because my PPP login failed. I triple-checked my password, convinced I must have it wrong. Eventually, by digging through the forum, I found someone with another router that was having the same problem and the suggested solution was that some firmwares don't like passwords with special characters in them. The solution was to change your password to something with only alphanumeric characters in it.

I checked and yep, my password had a & in it. And when the router stored the password, (checked by saving and then doing "show characters," it was storing it as "amp." 

I changed my password on Plus.net, used the new alphanumeric password in the BT Smarthub and connected no problem.

So maybe it would be worth adding something like:

Common Problems

If the router won't connect to the internet, check the log (go to Advanced Settings > Technical Log then click the Event log tab. If in the log you see "PPoE login failed," check you're using the right username and password. Also check the password only uses alphanumeric characters and no special characters like *&$ etc. Special characters work fine with the Plusnet router but not on the BT Smarthub 6. Change your password at Plus.net if you need to and then try again with the new password. 

[#14]

The special character bug will disappear once the router updates to the latest FW, had me scratching my head for a long time.

[#15]

Here's what I wasn't sure about, though: can it do the firmware update before it's managed to login?