Contents
- 1 Do I need a modem with BT Smart Hub 2?
- 2 Why is My BT Smart Hub 2 not working?
- 3 Is BT Smart Hub 2 a modem or router?
- 4 What are the advantages of BT Smart Hub 2?
- 5 Can I set up BT broadband myself?
- 6 Is Smart Hub 2 any good?
- 7 What do the lights mean on BT Hub 2?
- 8 Do you need a modem with a smart router?
- 9 What is the difference between BT Smart Hub and BT Smart Hub 2?
Do I need a modem with BT Smart Hub 2?
You’ll need to enable the Bridging feature. From the Hub Manager home page, go to –
Advanced Settings Broadband Routing Enable Bridging
When you enable Bridge mode, your hub light will turn orange, your Hub will act as a modem only. This will disable any router features, such as NAT, DHCP, DNS and LTE mobile connections.
What is the best position for BT Smart Hub 2?
Location, location, location – It’s vital to put your BT Hub in the right place – ideally near to where you most use the internet. Solid surfaces like walls, doors, wardrobes and cupboards will all affect your wi-fi signal, so follow our tips to get the best signal:
Position your Hub in the middle of your home. This will reduce the number of walls slowing down your signal and you’ll get better wi-fi in more places in your home Keep your Hub away from the window otherwise half your signal will be sent outside If you put your Hub in a cupboard, it’ll slow down your speed and reduce how far your signal can go Get your Hub off the floor on to a shelf or table. If it’s on the floor, a lot of your signal will be sent to your floorboards Don’t put it behind the TV or on top of a metal box. Metal objects reflect and scatter your signal
Why is My BT Smart Hub 2 not working?
Check the lights on your BT Hub – The lights on your Hub give indicators about what the hub is doing and whether everything is working correctly. If there are no lights, check the power cable is in firmly, and connected to the mains. A steady blue means that the Hub is connected to your broadband.
Is BT Smart Hub 2 a modem or router?
Features – The BT Home Hub 2.0 was a combined wireless router and phone. It supports the 802.11b/g/n wireless networking standards, and the and security protocols. It supports many of BT’s services such as, and BT Broadband Anywhere. It can also be used as a phone through BT Broadband Talk.
The BT Home Hub 3 incorporated functionality, seen on other routers, which enables the user to connect to their encrypted network by the use of a “one touch” button, and also includes “smart wireless technology”, which automatically chooses the wireless channel to give the strongest possible wireless signal.
WPS has since been (temporarily) disabled by firmware updates due to security issues with the standard. The BT Home Hub supports port forwarding. The BT Home Hub versions 3, 4 and 5 may be used for access to files stored on an attached USB stick – USB 2.0 is supported.
The server by default has the address File://192.168.1.254 and is available to the entire network. The BT Smart Hub (initially branded Home Hub 6) upgraded the wifi provision to Wave 2 of the 802.11ac specification, and increased the number of antennae for improved MIMO. The BT Ultra Smart Hub appeared visually similar to the Smart Hub, but featured a capable modem and included a which subscribers to BT Digital Voice can use to attach an analogue telephone.
Digital Voice launched in January 2020 as the replacement for analogue voice service, which planned to be turned off by 2025. The BT Smart Hub 2 provided the same technical features as the Ultra Smart Hub in a redesigned body, as well as supporting BT’s “Complete Wifi” mesh product.
Is BT Hub 2 a router?
BT Smart Hub 2 Please note: The BT Smart Hub will only work with BT broadband Our smartest hub yet is future-proofed to deliver fast speeds throughout your home
Monitors your connection and reboots if it spots a problem Use our clever app to help you set up and manage your wi-fi
BT’s next generation Smart Hub 2 is our most advanced router and comes with a combination of unique features to deliver fast speeds throughout the home. The Smart Hub 2 provides 7 antennas uniquely positioned to maximise power, the latest Wi-Fi technology, smart channel selection, smart scan and clever app-based services to help them set up and manage their home Wi-Fi.
BT Smart Hub 2 features advanced filters They filter out interference that can negatively impact on Wi-Fi performance. BT Smart Scan technology
The BT Smart Hub 2 constantly monitors your hub’s connection. If it spots a problem, it will quietly make changes, reboot and make a fresh connection. All at a time that doesn’t impact your experience. Why is it our most advanced home broadband router? The Smart Hub 2 is our only router that integrates:
Support for all access types – ADSL / FTTC / FTTP / G.fast Integrated support for Complete Wi-Fi Integrated support for Digital Voice
They filter out interference that can negatively impact on Wi-Fi performance, helping to ensure the BT Smart Hub 2 has more powerful Wi-Fi than all other major broadband providers. The BT Smart Hub 2 constantly monitors your hub’s connection. If it spots a problem, it will quietly make changes, reboot and make a fresh connection. All at a time that doesn’t impact your experience.
Product Description BT Smart Hub 2 – wireless router – DSL modem – Wi-Fi 5 – Wi-Fi 5, DECT – desktop Device Type Wireless router – DSL modem Enclosure Type Desktop Digital Signaling Protocol ADSL, ADSL2+, VDSL2, G.fast Data Link Protocol Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, DECT, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11ac Frequency Band 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz Device Type Wireless router Enclosure Type Desktop Connectivity Technology Wireless, wired Data Link Protocol Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, DECT, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11ac Frequency Band 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz Features Fibre to the curb (FTTC) Type DSL modem Digital Signaling Protocol ADSL, ADSL2+, VDSL2, G.fast Interfaces 4 x 1000Base-T – RJ-45, Phone line: 1 x, USB: 1 x Antenna Qty 7 Not quite found what you are looking for? You can find products which may be more suitable by simply checking the features that interest you and clicking the find button.
What are the advantages of BT Smart Hub 2?
Click Here For The BT Connected Home Range
Please note: The BT Smart Hub will only work with BT broadband Our smartest hub yet is future-proofed to deliver fast speeds throughout your home
Monitors your connection and reboots if it spots a problem Use our clever app to help you set up and manage your wi-fi
BT’s next generation Smart Hub 2 is our most advanced router and comes with a combination of unique features to deliver fast speeds throughout the home. The Smart Hub 2 provides 7 antennas uniquely positioned to maximise power, the latest Wi-Fi technology, smart channel selection, smart scan and clever app-based services to help them set up and manage their home Wi-Fi.
BT Smart Hub 2 comes with 2 DECT antennas and integrated support for Ultrafast broadband (G.Fast and FTTH) as well as Complete Wi-Fi compatibility. BT Smart Hub 2 features advanced filters They filter out interference that can negatively impact on Wi-Fi performance. BT Smart Scan technology The BT Smart Hub 2 constantly monitors your hub’s connection.
How to set up your Hybrid Connect and Smart Hub
If it spots a problem, it will quietly make changes, reboot and make a fresh connection. All at a time that doesn’t impact your experience. Why is it our most advanced home broadband router? The Smart Hub 2 is our only router that integrates:
Support for all access types – ADSL / FTTC / FTTP / G.fast Integrated support for Complete Wi-Fi Integrated support for Digital Voice
Does it matter which way your router faces?
What Is the Best Direction for a Router to Face? – It depends on how and where you are using the, If you are sitting close to the router, it won’t matter where you place or in which direction you face it. However, in case you sit far from your router, try to remove any obstacles from your way that can block the router signals.
Next, face the router in your direction for better results. It does not matter where the router faces as long as you reside on the same premises. However, what matters the most is the model and technology installed in the router as well as ideally having, For example, the latest router model with 6-8 antennas would generate better results regardless of the direction in which it is facing.
Besides, it is not the router that matters the most. The router antennas contribute to the efficiency and stability of its signal or overall performance. Therefore, focus more on the router features and attributes instead of worrying about where it should be directed or facing towards.
How many devices can I connect to my BT Smart Hub 2?
Smart Hub 2 Connectivity and Too Many Smart Devices Thought it was worth sharing, in case others are experiencing the same problems I did. I started to develop my Smart Home with camera’s, sensors, lights, switches and plugs. Simple automation run primarily by the Amazon fairy (Alexa).
- Everything seems like I was on track,
- ~150Mbps to the door and the Smart Hub was working very well.
- I started running quite a lot of things from my Smart Hub 2 and boosted signal with some wi-fi extenders, for good measure, to reach the extremities of the house.
- All seemed to be working fine but without realising it, as I was adding more devices, the wi-fi network was becoming more unstable.
Perhaps I should have done better homework, but I’ve now discovered that there’s a cap on how many devices can work on a wi-fi channel in a stable manner (which makes sense!) It got to a point where I was having to reboot my Smart Hub 2 every night just to maintain the network to a reasonable degree of stability.
Lots of digging into the situation later and it seems that the maximum number of devices is 32 on each SSID channel, i.e.32 devices on 2.4GHz and 32 devices on 5GHz per SSID. Most of my devices run on the 2.4GHz band (~45 devices) which was obviously, with hindsight, causing the problem. Even with extenders I was still registering all the devices back on the Smart Hub 2 DHCP and essentially the connections were being managed there.
I tried various options including a separate router running additional channels and a combination of the extenders, again. This worked fairly but it still wasn’t a stable network – not enough to play Stadia at 4k anyway, or even HD properly. Speeds at the back of the house were sitting at a reasonable ~40Mbps through the 5GHz extender but not “stable”.
The extenders, and the new router, were also used to break out the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands into separate SSID’s. I’ve now switched to a dual band Mesh wi-fi network (TP-Link Deco S4 kit – 3 units) with the primary Deco wired into the back of my Smart Hub. There are plenty of other choices, including Netgear Orbi (recommended to me by a friend but upwards of £500 for 3 units I would have needed) or the BT discs (recommended by another friend but BT want £20pcm or about £250 for the 3 units I would have needed).
I now have good speed (~70-80Mbps), and a stable network accessible across my whole house. I’ve removed all the other kits, i.e. extra router and extenders, and turned off the Smart Hub 2 wi-fi, as they serve no purpose any more with the coverage from the Mesh network (which is also rated for up to 100 devices).
Can I set up BT broadband myself?
If you’re setting up the Hub yourself, we’ll email or text you when your broadband is ready. The video below shows you how to set up your BT Smart Hub. Alternatively choose your Hub from the dropdown to find out how to connect.
Can I use my own router with BT Smart Hub 2?
Yes you can, provided you do not need a phone service, as that only works with the Smart Hub 2.
Is Smart Hub 2 any good?
Definitely money well spent. Bought this as a short term upgrade as my home will be transitioning from ADSL to FTTP but I’ve got some quite time left on my contract. Coming from a Home Hub 4, the range has improved a lot and the Wi-Fi is much more responsive and consistent.
What do the lights mean on BT Hub 2?
What do the lights on my BT Hub mean? The lights on the BT Hub tell you what’s going on with different functions and whether there are any problems. Click the dropdown for your model of Hub to learn about the different. The lights on the BT Hub tell you what’s going on with different functions and whether there are any problems.
| Light status | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | Your Hub is connected to your broadband ok | If you can’t get online, it might be your device. Try switching your device off and on. |
| No light | The power is off or the lights have been turned off using the Hub Manager | Full Fibre connection Make sure your Openreach modem is connected to the mains and all the lights are on. Fibre connection Check that the Hub is plugged in, switched on and that its lights haven’t been turned off in the Hub Manager. If this doesn’t fix your issue, contact us. |
| Green | Your Hub is starting up | Wait for at least three minutes for it to turn blue. If it stays green, turn your Hub off and on again. If the light still doesn’t turn blue, use a paper clip to press your Hub’s factory reset button. If this doesn’t fix your issue, please contact us. |
| Flashing orange | Your Hub is connecting to broadband | Give it at least three minutes to connect. The light will turn blue when your Hub is ready. |
| Flashing purple | Your Hub is working but the broadband cable isn’t connected | Full Fibre connection Check the Ethernet cable (red ends) is plugged into the modem’s PORT correctly. Then check the other end of the Ethernet cable is plugged into the WAN port of your Hub correctly – you’ll hear a click. Fibre connection Check if the broadband cable (grey ends) is plugged incorrectly. And if you’re using a filter, check that’s plugged incorrectly too. |
| Orange | Your Hub is working but isn’t connected to the internet | Connect a device to your Hub. Open a new web browser window and follow the on-screen help wizard to get connected. |
| Red | There’s a problem somewhere | Using the Power button, turn your Hub off and on again. If the light still doesn’t turn blue, use a paper clip to press your Hub’s factory reset button. If this doesn’t fix your issue, please contact us. |
| Purple | Your Hub is connected to the EE mobile network via Hybrid Connect | This may be because your broadband connection isn’t set up yet, or because there’s an issue with your broadband. |
| WPS button flashing | 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, it didn’t connect – give it a couple of minutes and try again. |
When you first plug in your hub, the lights will appear in this order. Please wait for the hub to sync – this usually takes about four minutes. This table shows how long each stage of the start-up process should last. If you see these colours when you’re not starting up your hub, follow the instructions to try to resolve the problem.
| 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 – this takes about one and a half minutes | Wait a couple of minutes for it to start |
| Flashing orange light | The Hub is connecting to broadband – this takes about 30 seconds | Give it a minute or two to connect. The light will turn steady blue when your Hub is ready |
| Steady orange light | The Hub is working but isn’t connected to the internet – this takes about two minutes | 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 |
| 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 |
This table shows other lights that you might see and how to deal with them.
| Light status | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 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. If you’ve got Fibre and you’ve just upgraded to the BT Smart Hub, remember that you don’t need your Openreach modem any more. If you try to use them together, your broadband won’t work. Just plug your Smart Hub into your master phone socket. Check for any service problems in your area. The easiest way to do this is to by using the or by checking our If you’ve still got problems, try or |
| 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 |
| 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 |
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The Broadband and Wireless icon lights only come on if there’s a problem, or as a warning – for example, if wireless is switched off.
| Icon light status | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Broadband light is orange | You’re connected to broadband but your account might not be switched on yet | Wait until after midnight on the day we switch on your broadband |
| Broadband light is red | You’ve tried to log in with the wrong username and password | Reset your Hub’s password by using a paper clip to press the recessed Reset button on the back of your Hub for a few seconds |
| Broadband light is flashing red | There’s a problem with your broadband line | Check all the cables are plugged in correctly and that it’s after midnight on the day we switch on your broadband |
| Wireless light is orange | You’ve switched off wireless security for one or both wireless channels | Turn on your security in the wireless tab in your Hub Manager |
| Wireless light is flashing orange | Your Hub is in WPS automatic connection mode | Click the button to connect (on your computer or adapter) without entering a pass key. The Hub will return to normal mode after a few minutes |
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If you need extra support watch the video below. If you still can’t get online, use our
What Wi-Fi does BT Smart Hub 2 use?
The SH2 is one of those routers that uses 802.11n (as well as 11a 11ac) on the 5GHz band and so you will never see more than maximum speed of the slowest standard (802.11n). Although the theoretical maximum speed of 802.11n is in the region of 900Mb/s the practical maximum is more like 400Mb/s.
What is the difference between BT Smart Hub and BT Smart Hub 2?
The BT Smart Hub 2 offers very similar features to the original Smart Hub 1 and now comes free with any BT Fibre broadband package. Both the Hub 1 & 2 offer dual-band Wi-Fi, but as the Hub 2 is designed for use with BT’s ‘Complete Wi-Fi system’, it’s impossible to split the SSID names for 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz.
What version of Wi-Fi is BT Smart Hub 2?
Differences between each Hub –
| BT Smart Hub | BT Smart Hub 2 | BT Home Hub 3 | BT Home Hub 4 | BT Home Hub 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complete Wi-Fi | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Number of antennas | 7 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Wi-fi bands (2.4GHz and 5GHz) | Dual Next generation AC wi-fi | Dual Next generation AC wi-fi | Single | Dual Wi-fi | Dual AC wi-fi |
| 2.5GHz wi-fi band | 3×3 11b/g/n/ac | 3×3 11b/g/n/ac | 2×2 11b/g/n | 2×2 11b/g/n | 2×2 11b/g/n |
| 5GHz wi-fi band | 4×4 11a/n/ac | 4×4 11a/n/ac | None | 2×2 11a/n | 3×3 11a/n/ac |
| Built-in 4G filters | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Connections | 4 x giga ethernet | 4 x giga ethernet | 4 x ethernet | 4 x ethernet | 4 x giga ethernet |
| USB ports | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| On/off light control | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Removable password card | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Smart Wireless | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| BT Smart Scan | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dect | No | Yes | No | No | No |
How old is BT Smart Hub 2?
Wi-Fi Disc specifications –
Is Smart Hub 2 better than Home Hub 5?
BT Smart Hub – Performance – BT brought AC wireless connectivity to its customers in the Hub 5, and it’s present again here. For non-techies this is a big deal, since the AC standard is a marked step up on the previous-generation N standard. Related: What’s the difference between N and AC Wi-Fi? On paper AC routers should be able to deliver up to three times faster performance.
The only downside is that the router requires a device with an AC-compatible card to take advantage of the tech – which is why the Smart Hub also broadcasts using the N standard for older devices. The Smart Hub features an upgraded version of 802.11ac called Wave 2. It’s currently all the rage with tech companies and is traditionally only seen on more expensive routers from specialists such as Asus, Linksys, D-Link and Netgear.
Wave 2 allows routers to broadcast on more parts of the wireless spectrum, making for more reliable and faster connections with multiple devices. During my tests (reviewed using the D-Link AC1900 Wi-Fi USB Adapter ) I found the upgrade works a treat and the Smart Hub easily outperformed the Home Hub 5. 
At five meters, with one wall obstructing me from my router, I measured a more impressive 54% speed boost over the Home Hub 5. 
10 meters away, with two walls between me and the router, the Smart Hub offered a startling 59% connection speed improvement on the Home Hub 5. 
Testing speeds at 20 meters on my balcony with four walls between me and the router, neither router was outstanding, but the Smart Hub remained 50% faster than the Home Hub 5. 
I do have one big beef with BT’s marketing, though. The company claims the Smart Hub’s seven antenna setup will let it push signal as far as 500 meters unobstructed and up to 350 meters through one wall. Living in London I couldn’t find a large enough location to test either figure, but if my experience using it in my flat is anything to go by, neither is accurate.
- During my time testing the Hub I always lost signal the moment I reached my building’s stairwell, which is a paltry thirty meters away and only blocked by two thin walls.
- This isn’t unexpected, but I can’t think why BT chose to make such big claims about the router’s range.
- The Smart Hub also deals with multiple devices connecting to it better than the Home Hub 5, which is surprising given that the router doesn’t currently have Multi-user Multiple Input Multiple Output (MU-MIMO).
MU-MIMO is a cool bit of wireless tech seen on most high-end AC routers. It’s development on basic MIMO tech that helps a router better cope with multiple devices connecting to it at the same time – if the connecting hardware supports it, that is, which many older devices don’t.
BT has pledged to add the functionality to the Smart Hub at a later date via an over-the-air update. With three laptops, three phones, two tablets, a games console and a gaming rig attached to the router, I’m yet to see any serious outages or drops in connection speed. By comparison, the Home Hub 5 hung up at least once a month facing the same workload.
Related: Best Wi-Fi extenders 2016 
Does BT Smart Hub 2 have Ethernet ports?
1. Connect your Smart Hub 2 Plug the Ethernet cable (red ends) into your hub’s WAN port. Then plug the other end into the Openreach modem’s PORT 1 / LAN 1 port.
Do you need a modem with a smart router?
Do I Need a Modem and a Router? – If you wish to use WiFi or connect numerous devices, you’ll need both a modem and a router. You can only connect one computer at a time because most modems only have one LAN Ethernet connector, but a modem won’t provide the same level of protection as a router.
If you have multiple devices that need to connect to the Internet, you’ll need a router. However, a router by itself will not allow you to connect to the Internet. A router must be connected to the modem to distribute the internet connection to your devices. Some devices combine the tasks of a modem and a router these days.
As a result, you won’t need to purchase a separate modem and router while setting up your home internet connection.
Does BT full fibre need a modem?
If you’ve got fibre broadband and a Home Hub 3 or Home Hub 4, you’ll need to use an Openreach modem to get set up. Your master socket is a small white box, usually located near the front door.
Does BT provide a modem?
If you’ve got Fibre to the Home or Fibre Home Phone you’ll get a modem, a battery back-up unit and a BT Hub (if you don’t have one already).
What is the difference between BT Smart Hub and BT Smart Hub 2?
The BT Smart Hub 2 offers very similar features to the original Smart Hub 1 and now comes free with any BT Fibre broadband package. Both the Hub 1 & 2 offer dual-band Wi-Fi, but as the Hub 2 is designed for use with BT’s ‘Complete Wi-Fi system’, it’s impossible to split the SSID names for 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz.
