Network Connection Problems with Homehub V.1

Last year I was supplied with a Home Hub F-16A and Vision Box. Weeks later the V-Box burned out & had to be replaced. Since then the replacement V-Box has functioned well.

A few weeks ago I began to experience regular wireless network disconnections. The only way I could reconnect was to pull out the Hub plug and reinsert it. This usually helped me reconnect.

Then the dropped connections became chronic and after several long and frustrating phone-calls to BT Technical Support I spoke to a sympathetic Supervisor who contacted the Service Department on my behalf to request they send me a Powerline adapter so I could place the Hub next my PC to obtain the best signal and connect the V-Box via the Powerline Adapter.

Services refused to supply an Adapter as I had not been given one with the F-16A in the original package. All they were prepared to do is to send me a replacement Hub and Wireless Adapter. Finally, after a long wait & more lengthy &tedious calls I received a new hub but no Wireless Adapter.

The new Hub is the 9115 model.

While the new Hub works ok I still have not been able to solve the problem of moving the hub from the living room which is 6 metres away from the PC with obstructions affecting the wireless connection and affording no more than a Low or Good signal strength. I would like to have the hub next the PC with a direct Ethernet connection and a Powerline Adapter in the living room to operate the V-Box.

Why is BT so intransigent in not being prepared to afford me the best service simply because I was on "a different package" in the early days of the Vision-Broadband offer? It seems I have no choice now but to write a complaint to BT's Chief Executive.

I would be interested to hear if others have experienced a similar problem & of any solutions they might have discovered. I think BT should help customers who have this problem by supplying them with a Powerline Adapter. Has anyone succeeded in getting them to relent & help out?

Edited by greengorilla (Mon 07-Apr-08 21:09:05)

You can go into your local GAME store and buy a 10m ethernet cable, only problem is you'll have to hide the ethernet cable from sight. Which to be honest shouldn't too hard.

Yes, that would be one solution. But it'll require pulling-up carpets to run the Ethernet extension below them. A hassle.

I have written the BT CEO asking for help with a Powerline Adapter. A temporary solution that seems to work is as follows: I have moved the 'New Shape' 9115 Hub next the PC in my study & connected via ethernet.

BT Vision Freeview works fine on a direct aerial connection to the V-box without any connection at all to the Hub! It seems that the V-box only needs a Hub connection either to upgrade data or connect to On Demand movies.

Edited by greengorilla (Mon 07-Apr-08 21:09:59)

What is an F-16A when it's at home. (Apart from a single seater jet fighter that is.)

Why do you think that your Home Hub was/is at fault? Your problem is displaying all the signs and symptoms of EM Interference . Could be from a neighbour's Wireless Network.

You will start to see the ill effects of Vision not being connected very shortly. Actually you should be able to see the effects of it now as it only stores a few hours worth of EPG. Recordings will fail, channel changing may be affected as their is no EPG info and the EPG wont be working too. The V-box needs to be connected to the hub at all times, try turning it off and then back on it wont work after that.

One thing I'm wondering is why you don't just move the powerline adaptor next to the pc and connect the hub to the powerline with Ethernet as before AND have the PC connected via Ethernet too? Seems to be the most logical option from what you have said.

Yeah would have added that it's probably on the same channel as a neighbours which BT cant really accommodate for.

As for F-16A its one nice jet which made me hard for hearing after a few flypasts! The OP is quoting the random hex number that the hub's SSID gets. 9911 model I have never heard of as the hub is v1 which is large and v1.5 which is the new shape.

"One thing I'm wondering is why you don't just move the powerline adaptor next to the pc and connect the hub to the powerline with Ethernet as before AND have the PC connected via Ethernet too? Seems to be the most logical option from what you have said."

Yes, I have experienced the problems you describe. The problem I have is that BT Services simply refuse to issue me with a powerline adapter. Their argument is that as I never received one in the first place (in the earlier package which didn't use the adapter) they can't or won't supply me with one now.

The fact that I am paying for a service that no longer works properly doesn't interest them!

My intention is to keep the hub next my PC with an ethernet connection and to use the powerline in the living room where the V-Box and TV are. That should work, shouldn't it?

Edited by greengorilla (Mon 07-Apr-08 21:10:35)

The F-16A is the earlier version of the Home Hub first supplied to customers when the BT Vision Package was marketed. The Hub replacement I have now received is the smaller 9115 with rounded ends.

Your suggestion of EM interference could be right but in their wisdom, Technical Support decided to send me a new Hub. I had already decided I no longer wanted to use the wireless connection to my PC and instead replace it with a line Ethernet connection (which is what I have as I write with nearly a 7Mb download speed. Using the wireless connection my speeds were very much lower).

Edited by greengorilla (Mon 07-Apr-08 21:11:16)

As you can see, I'm not a techy! :-) I just checked the labels on the back and now see that F-16A and 9115 relate to Wireless settings and that the new hub is a 1.5 as you say. Can't see anything on the label for the old one which must be the V.1

Truly a BT Vergelstungswaffe Revenge V-weapon too! Nothing but trouble.

Edited by greengorilla (Mon 07-Apr-08 21:08:04)

Reading FPike's Homehub Problems below what he describes sounds similar to what I experienced with the browser unable to access new pages but the green icon-lights staying on. The way I dealt with it was to unplug the hub plug & replug it. Problem was this could happen several times a day! Hence the solution given there to empty the router log might work for me as well. But how on earth does one access and empty the log?