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Anonymous User
Not applicable

BT Smarthub 2

I have installed the Now provided router and it is working fine. It does have a drawback though in that it has only 2 Ethernet ports and no USB port at all.

The BT Smarthub 2 has 4 Ethernet ports and a USB port and appears to be a much more sophisticated device than the Now router.

 

Has anybody successfully configured their BT Smarthub 2 to work with the Now broadband service?

23 REPLIES 23
schnapps
Legend 5
Legend 5

Hi @Anonymous User 

 

I don't think there is a workaround using the BT Hub has a direct replacement instead of the NOW Hub 2, which i have come across.

 

If you are not happy with the NOW Hub 2 performance over wifi, then there are certain third party Routers out there, but do your research before buying any new hardware.

Anonymous User
Not applicable
Thanks for replying. As I said, I need a USB port so I'll have a look for a
port expander which supports USB as well.




schnapps
Legend 5
Legend 5

Hi @Anonymous User 

 

I missed the bit about a USB port 😡.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

The final outcome is that NOW assumes subscribers will only ever use the NOW supplied router and makes no information available about using any other device. This, of course, makes no sense; broadband users change their routers for all sorts of reasons.

It's a failure on the part of NOW to work in the real world with their user base and should be recognised as such. Their support teams should have FAQs about using 3rd party routers. Setting them up is pretty much the same process regardless of manufacturer.

 

It's fair to point out that Plusnet are the same. Mentioning that you want to use a 3rd party router - ie not the PlusNet supplied one - causes a sharp intake of breath and a blank refusal to help you on the part of their technical support people.

Good old bad BT make it very easy and provide router management software to allow you to do it. Their tech people won't help either but at least you have access to the router settings and  can Google your way to setting-up a different router.

 

Probably a matter for Ofcom to sort out as, at heart, the NOW (and Plusnet) policy is driven by anti-competitive impulses. They can't stop you switching but they can make it difficult when it comes to changing infrastructure.

RoyB
Legend

@Anonymous User 

 

The final outcome is that NOW demands subscribers will only ever use the NOW supplied router.

 

It’s in the T&Cs - look it up.

 

I doubt it is being driven by anti-competitive impulses, though; I think it is being driven by support considerations, where Now want control of everything they are responsible for, which is up to and including the router, and the software on it, like Broadband Buddy and so on.

 

And what, you think Now are in competition with Netgear, TPLink, and the other router manufacturers? I don’t think so 😛

 

They just want a quiet support life, as far as possible, and that means knowing your router inside out, and not having to deal with an unfamiliar one that may or may not even be configured correctly.

 

Think of it as equivalent to the BT Master Socket your broadband likely comes in on; BT make that the dividing line between their kit and yours, and whatever you plug into the sockets out. And on Now Broadband, the equivalent dividing line is the Ethernet sockets out on the router, some way beyond the BT Master socket.

 

So you could try seeing if Ofcom want to act on this, but I doubt you will get any traction; I think it is quite legitimate for broadband providers to require that you use their router if you want their guaranteed service levels.

 

And I speak as someone who persuaded BT to let me use a Netgear router when my BT Hub was going down hourly, and they couldn’t deliver a replacement for a week, and nor could they guarantee it would work any better (this was at a time when even PC Pro was railing at the known fault in BT Hubs). BT gave me the details to make it work, but said they reserved the right to ask me to put the BT Hub back if we hit an issue they couldn’t address because I had the Netgear on. I thought that was fair enough….

 

But really, Now Broadband is only for people who are happy to treat their router as a black box and an enabler for their consumer broadband use, and anybody who wants to tinker needs an ISP more like Zen, say.

 

The only problem with all of the above, though, is that the Now router is an absolute disgrace, with a mere two Ethernet ports, and the WiFi range of a thrown anvil.

 

Two things that impact even those with ‘ordinary’ broadband needs.

 

If Now want to force their router on us, something I think they have a perfect right to do, then I do think we have the equally perfect right to demand that it is at least a half-decent one.

Set a Payment PIN on your account so that no-one but you can buy memberships on it. Check your bank accounts monthly for any other unexpected payments to Now. That way you can at least nip them in the bud, while you and Now figure out whose fault they are.
mae-3
Advocate

If Now TV has that T&C for the router and no other CPE it is almost certainly against Ofcom regulations, eg: the subscriber must be able to use their own CPE to connect to the line. It is doubtful that you'll get information from Now in the way of support for connecting alternative CPE but it is allowed and long as you can ascertain what Now use for authenticating, likely DHCP Option 61 with some key details like Sky?

Anonymous User
Not applicable
BT provide a really good app to manage all the settings on the router, NOW
don't provide anything (nor do PlusNet for that matter). Without that
access, you can't get at the settings, preventing the use of any router
except the very limited NOW box.
RoyB
Legend

@Anonymous User 

 

As I said, Now are happiest if you don’t touch anything.

 

But I think you will find that if you put the internal IP address of the router in your browser, you will get access to all the features that the router exposes in its interface,

 

For anything else you need, Wireshark is your friend 😛

Set a Payment PIN on your account so that no-one but you can buy memberships on it. Check your bank accounts monthly for any other unexpected payments to Now. That way you can at least nip them in the bud, while you and Now figure out whose fault they are.