Replacing BT "Smart" hub.

Hi.
My parents unfortunately have a BT smart hub. Every day this router gets a system error SD-100, losing connection (solid orange light so hasn't lost sync) and then spends eternity enabling/disabling UPnP, saving wireless settings, DHCP etc and not reconnecting. Even trying to access the web interface during this time is impossible, unreachable error straight away so it needs a reboot, then it works for a day till the same thing all over again.

I've replaced it with another smart hub once which worked for a week till it all started happening again.

So as the web interface becomes unreachable and it doesn't seem to lose sync it looks like it's a router problem.

So any suggestions on a replacement? My first thought was an Asus DSL-AC68U which I'm sure works solidly as a router but googling around it seems to have issues with VDSL: connections and stability.

So any suggestions/recommendations for a good, solid VDSL modem/router for BT Infinity 2 use?

Thanks

Huawei HG612 units - or as I am using a TP-Link W9770 £35 on amazon while a basic modem/router in its own right, just flip config into bridge mode and wireless turns off and you have a G.INP/Vectoring cable bridging modem. The wifi antenna don't detach without a little surgery.

Finding it very stable and if anything speeds are slightly higher than previous modem used (cursed with a supplied ECI box).

The issues with the SmartHub seem to partially affect previous versions, i.e. resyncs mean things like the wireless drops i.e. resync are more like a full reboot of the unit.

Hi Saffron
If I'm honest the wifi on the smart hub has been stable, it's just completely unable to maintain a connection without going off.
When it does DHCP still gives an IP address but can't access web interface or get an internet connection, it also responds to pings.
When I was getting the first replacement the guy in the call centre tried to tell me it was a line fault even though I told him the router becomes unresponsive and it doesn't appear to lose sync.

I'll try find an HG612 on ebay but that isn't a complete solution since if it breaks/fails I'd be back to square one trying to find a replacement again since BT don't supply them unfortunately.

The chaps at the call centre can run tests to determine if there is a line fault. How do you know there isn't, out of interest?

the online automated fault checker said it's connected and stable.
The last time i contacted BT they only bothered to check disconnections.

Yeah but "the guy in the call centre tried to tell me it was a line fault ". Was he wrong?

yes he was. simple as that.

What router do you use?

as per the first post on the line in question it's a smart hub supplied by BT when they upgraded from ADSL to VDSL

I thought that was your parents and you had a plusnet connection?

Oh right yeah I do but I have an HG612

You could swap with your parents to see what the difference is. That would demonstrate

a) if the Smart hub is faulty
b) if they have a line fault
c) a possible replacement for them

What's not to like?

When it does DHCP still gives an IP address but can't access web interface or get an internet connection, it also responds to pings.
When I was getting the first replacement the guy in the call centre tried to tell me it was a line fault even though I told him the router becomes unresponsive and it doesn't appear to lose sync.

With the HH6 when it's trying to get a sync, access to 192.168.1.254 becomes very slow and/or unresponsive entirely. When the sync returns access to 192.168.1.254 resumes normally. It does not indicate the hub is crashing entirely or faulty. It does indicate the line is dropping in the back-end which is most likely a line fault.

As previously stated the router doesn't lose sync (lights stay solid orange, no resyncs in the router logs).
It isn't waiting for the page to load, it just goes straight to an unreachable page. It isn't a sync problem as previously stated.

If the light changes orange as you stated that does indicate a drop or sync or a loss of authentication.

Purple means connection missing ie cable removed or no dial tone.

If there was no drop of sync or authentication you would see blue only.

Loss of sync = flashing orange
solid orange indicates a dropped PPP session, doesn't have to haev anything to do with the line. It coincides with SD-100 system error

Did you make that up?

It doesn't say that here http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/10282...

It says:

BT Smart Hub

Light status What it means What to do


No light
The power is off or you've turned the lights off If you haven't turned the lights off, check that the power button is on, the power supply is plugged in correctly at the mains and the power is turned on. If there's still no light, call us on 0800 111 4567. We're usually less busy between 12 and 6.30pm


Green light
The Hub is starting up Wait a couple of minutes for it to start


Flashing orange light
The Hub is connecting to broadband Give it a minute or two to connect. The light will turn steady blue when your Hub is ready


Flashing purple light
The Hub is working but isn't connected to the internet Check the broadband cable (black with grey ends) is plugged in correctly and you're using a filter if needed.

Has your broadband been activated? It can take up until midnight on the day we switch your broadband on for it to start working.

Check for any service problems in your area. The easiest way to do this is to by using the My BT app or by checking our service status pages >

If you've still got problems, try www.bt.com/help/connectionissue or get in touch >


Steady orange light
The Hub is working but isn't connected to the internet Connect a device to your Hub using a cable or wi-fi. Open a web browser and follow the on-screen help wizard to get connected


Red light
There's a problem somewhere Using the Power button, turn your Hub off and then on again. If the light doesn't turn blue, use a paper clip to press your Hub's Factory Reset button. If this doesn't fix it call 0800 111 4567. We're usually less busy between 12 and 6.30pm. Make sure you're next to your Hub with a computer or device when you call us


Blue light
The Hub is working fine If you can't get online there might be a problem with your computer, tablet or mobile device. Turn it off and then on and try again. if you've still got a problem then get some help from the manufacturer or supplier


WPS button and light
If it's flashing blue, it's waiting for you to press the WPS button on your computer or device (you've got two minutes). If it's flashing red, you didn't connect. Give it a couple of minutes and try again. No light means that it's connected successfully

What you've pasted is basically what I said?
"Connecting to broadband" is BT's way of saying it's syncing
"Isn't connected to the internet" means exactly what it says.
Broadband = sync witth the cab
Internet = actual connection to the internet

therefore solid orange = sync but no active PPP session.
BT worded in a way they hope the majority of people will understand.

Also I made a thread asking for recommendations to replace the smart hub with, 1 person has replied on topic and the rest of the replies are people insisting there's a line fault? How is that helpful to the original post? It isn't a DSL hardware recommendation.

In reply to a post by NBK:

What you've pasted is basically what I said?
"Connecting to broadband" is BT's way of saying it's syncing
"Isn't connected to the internet" means exactly what it says.
Broadband = sync witth the cab
Internet = actual connection to the internet

therefore solid orange = sync but no active PPP session.
BT worded in a way they hope the majority of people will understand.

Oh, so you're just making assumptions which may or may not be correct. There is no authoritative link for what you've written.

Also I made a thread asking for recommendations to replace the smart hub with, 1 person has replied on topic and the rest of the replies are people insisting there's a line fault? How is that helpful to the original post? It isn't a DSL hardware recommendation.

I suggested you swap your equipment with your parents. That seems like the best course of action as it addresses all 3 problems.

In reply to a post by NBK:

My first thought was an Asus DSL-AC68U which I'm sure works solidly as a router but googling around it seems to have issues with VDSL: connections and stability.

So any suggestions/recommendations for a good, solid VDSL modem/router for BT Infinity 2 use?

Yeah definitely stay away from Asus combined modem/routers due to flakey firmware, though their standalone routers are top notch.

If you don't mind splashing out, then the TP Link VR2600 is arguably the best modem/router out there currently, it uses a Broadcom modem chipset with 4 stream Mu-Mimo Qualcomm wifi radios. The Netgear D7800 is exactly the same except that it uses Lantiq chipset for the modem so get the VR2600 if you're connected to a Huawei cabinet or D7800 if you're connected to an ECI cabinet.

If the above routers are out of your budget, then the TP Link VR900 is the next best thing, its a superb 3 stream wifi router & uses a broadcom modem chipset. You'll be satisfied with any of these three

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-LINK-Wireless-Compatible...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/NETGEAR-D7800-100UKS-Nighth...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-LINK-Archer-VR900-Connec...

Edited by deleted (Mon 10-Oct-16 10:29:59)

In reply to a post by baby_frogmella:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-LINK-Wireless-Compatible...

Your first link is confusing. Although it brings up a VR2600 correctly, it plonks VR900 in the search box

In reply to a post by BatBoy:

In reply to a post by baby_frogmella:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-LINK-Wireless-Compatible...

Your first link is confusing. Although it brings up a VR2600 correctly, it plonks VR900 in the search box

Not sure how that happened, but anyway I've updated the url.

Thanks

Thanks for your reply.
I'll keep away from the netgear then as it's certainly a huawei cabinet

What are the TP link like for stability? Can they be left for months on end without needing a reboot?

I think older TP links needed updates once a week or two which was annoying...

I had to put a timeswitch on my tplink to reboot it every 24 hours to stop it locking up
£3 not the end of the world

W9970 stable with no issues

How long has it been connected?

Both the VR2600 & VR900 are very good wrt stability so you shouldn't have any issues. In case you do, I've found TP Link uk support to be very helpful. In any case you can return the router to amazon within 30 days for a refund or replacement

18 day(s) 05:33:03 and that is the time from when I switched it on again after being away for a while

In reply to a post by baby_frogmella:

If you don't mind splashing out, then the TP Link VR2600 is arguably the best modem/router out there currently, it uses a Broadcom modem chipset with 4 stream Mu-Mimo Qualcomm wifi radios. The Netgear D7800 is exactly the same except that it uses Lantiq chipset for the modem so get the VR2600 if you're connected to a Huawei cabinet or D7800 if you're connected to an ECI cabinet.

If the above routers are out of your budget, then the TP Link VR900 is the next best thing, its a superb 3 stream wifi router & uses a broadcom modem chipset. You'll be satisfied with any of these three

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-LINK-Wireless-Compatible...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/NETGEAR-D7800-100UKS-Nighth...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-LINK-Archer-VR900-Connec...

Interesting how even decent routers seem to get similarly poor reviews on Amazon.

I've had netgear nighthawk etc devices and never found the range any better than a bog standard Homehub.

If you want better range just an extra AP and link it via Ethernet. This is where a lot of disappointment lies as users expect double the range or something crazy.

The functionality of these expensive devices is certainly better though.

In reply to a post by jaydub:

Interesting how even decent routers seem to get similarly poor reviews on Amazon.

I think even the best routers will get poor reviews if the user has no idea on how to set them up correctly e.g. Placing them next to a microwave, not using the latest fw, not selecting wifi channels manually especially in a congested environment, etc. Nevertheless there are some absolutely rubbish routers out there (eg the notorious Asus DSL-68U) but as long as the router has mature fw, uses new-ish Broadcom/Lantiq/Qualcomm chipsets then you won't have many issues. Stay away from routers which use Quantenna or Mediatek chipsets!

In reply to a post by baby_frogmella:

In reply to a post by jaydub:

Interesting how even decent routers seem to get similarly poor reviews on Amazon.

Nevertheless there are some absolutely rubbish routers out there (eg the notorious Asus DSL-68U)

Which is very annoying since the RT-AC68U is actually a rather good router (when asus got around to patching the wide open security vulnerabilities

In reply to a post by NBK:

Which is very annoying since the RT-AC68U is actually a rather good router (when asus got around to patching the wide open security vulnerabilities

Indeed, the RT-AC68U is an excellent standalone router and is probably Asus' best selling model in recent times. You may want to go for a 2 box solution (I prefer this) by getting a RT-AC68U and hooking this up to an Openreach HG612 vdsl2 modem (buy an unlocked 3B version on ebay) and you'll have a rock solid setup.

Right an update on this...finally...
I got a 3B HG612 pretty cheap (brand new) and hooked it up to my old Billion 7800N as a test, no stability issues at all with the line with that. That was after my father FINALLY getting annoyed enough with the BT Smart Hub to want to do something about it. Which was rebooting daily and sometimes when it rebooted itself it rebooted itself a couple more times before it decided it was stable, truly awful.

So I've picked up a TP-Link VR900 v1 - Why not get the better RT-AC68U? Because I wanted something with a DSL modem in as a backup in case the Huawei and this was the only affordable and viable solution.

Why do I say the AC68U is better?
Well for starters the VR900 runs rather warm.
It's got 1 less ethernet port when using it in WIreless Router mode due to the need for port 4 for the connection to the modem (although I suppose the DSL-AC68U has that issue, too).
The setup had me scratching my head as to why it wasnt connection, then i realised the initial setup is strictly Modem Router mode and you need to change the operating mode AFTER setup to get it working with ethernet 4 as WAN.
The firmware is just lacking compared to Asus. You can't change the names of connected devices (when you have 8 android devices connecting things can get confusing), there's no firewall log, the system log is poor at best, it doesnt show system or connection uptime so you have to try and guess if it's dropped from the router log.
I think the wifi range is better on Asus models to be honest.

Considering it's £100-120 which can rival the asus devices depending on sales/current pricing you'd expect more but hey ho...hopefully it will last a long time and the heat won't be an issue.

(I chose the v1 over the v2 because i couldnt find any info at all on the v2, reviews etc, and a standing up router is actually preferred for where it is so...)

It's perfectly normal for a router to get warm, my Netgear R9000 gets quite warm and now and again its fans start spinning into action. Though I guess the R9000 having a 1.7ghz quad core Annapurna cpu doesn't help matters

Yeah the VR900 only has a 1ghz dual core broadcom CPU So it really does get quite hot for what it is.
I forgot to mention, I'm gonna run the VR900 in DSL modem mode for a week or two to make sure it's stable on the DSL (the modem leads they supply are really short though!)...telnet stats sort of tell you DSL uptime so i should be able to see if there's any drops in connection. Decided I better test this when checking amazon reviews and people having connection issues and drops etc, better to be safe than sorry.

How is the VR900 working out for you? I've picked up a Smart Hub and set it up last night to run for a week or so to see how it performs but will consider a TP_Link as a replacement.