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Re: [OT] BT Smart Hub
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Theo
Jun 1, 2022, 4:10:54 PM6/1/22
to
TimH <thn...@poboxmolar.com.invalid> wrote:
> I know I know, ridiculously OT this, but there are some clued-up
> networking people here... I've intercepted a BT Smart Hub (type A, if
> that's relevant) on its way to the tip, and wondered if there's any way to
> flash the BT-ness out of it, or whether it'll work anyway on a non-BT
> connection?
Otherwise known as a Homehub 6A.
You can flash OpenWRT (it's a Broadcom BCM63137 chip, similar to many other
routers), but there are no drivers for the DSL or the wifi. Which makes it
not very useful.
DD-WRT has an arrangement with Broadcom that gets better access to drivers,
but I haven't seen anyone has ported it to the HH6.
The Homehub 5A is much better supported with OpenWRT. The 6B is a Lantiq
chip which is better than the 6A, but seems nobody has done a port[1].
There may be a way to 'jailbreak' it to run on another ISP without
reflashing, but I haven't looked for one.
Theo
[1] https://forum.openwrt.org/t/bt-smart-hub-home-hub-6-type-b/35490/21
> I know I know, ridiculously OT this, but there are some clued-up
> networking people here... I've intercepted a BT Smart Hub (type A, if
> that's relevant) on its way to the tip, and wondered if there's any way to
> flash the BT-ness out of it, or whether it'll work anyway on a non-BT
> connection?
Otherwise known as a Homehub 6A.
You can flash OpenWRT (it's a Broadcom BCM63137 chip, similar to many other
routers), but there are no drivers for the DSL or the wifi. Which makes it
not very useful.
DD-WRT has an arrangement with Broadcom that gets better access to drivers,
but I haven't seen anyone has ported it to the HH6.
The Homehub 5A is much better supported with OpenWRT. The 6B is a Lantiq
chip which is better than the 6A, but seems nobody has done a port[1].
There may be a way to 'jailbreak' it to run on another ISP without
reflashing, but I haven't looked for one.
Theo
[1] https://forum.openwrt.org/t/bt-smart-hub-home-hub-6-type-b/35490/21
David Kennedy
Jun 2, 2022, 3:36:29 AM6/2/22
to
On 01/06/2022 19:57, TimH wrote:
> I know I know, ridiculously OT this, but there are some clued-up networking
> people here... I've intercepted a BT Smart Hub (type A, if that's relevant) on
> its way to the tip, and wondered if there's any way to flash the BT-ness out
> of it, or whether it'll work anyway on a non-BT connection?
>
TBH I'd put it back in the rubbish. It's fairly dated and AFAIK there's no way
> I know I know, ridiculously OT this, but there are some clued-up networking
> people here... I've intercepted a BT Smart Hub (type A, if that's relevant) on
> its way to the tip, and wondered if there's any way to flash the BT-ness out
> of it, or whether it'll work anyway on a non-BT connection?
>
to flash it. The performance isn't great either.
Graeme Wall
Jun 2, 2022, 4:36:03 AM6/2/22
to
--
Graeme Wall
This account not read.
Andy Hewitt
Jun 2, 2022, 9:56:07 AM6/2/22
to
On 02/06/2022 11:40, TimH wrote:
> - you had my hopes up there Theo.
>
> Looks like it's resuming its journey to electronic heaven then - but
> definitely in the electrical recycling bin!
>
> Oh - for anyone else wondering: apparently it'll work unmodified with any
> Openreach wholesale connection, e.g. Plusnet.
A lot of Plusnet users buy the BT Hubs as they can be put into Bridge
mode (I *think* it applies to all of the BT Hubs). The Plusnet Hub One
is a rebadged BT Smart Hub 6 I believe, but is on different firmware,
and can't be put into Bridge mode.
I bought a BT Home Smart Hub Enterprise version for this purpose (simply
because it's much easier to switch these into Bridge mode - just a
button to click, where the domestic version is a little fiddlier).
I then set my Mercusys Halo S12 (made by TP-Link) Mesh boxes as the
router (there was no way to avoid a double-NAT setup with the Plusnet Hub).
Works a treat here, I have stable Internet at 70Mbps download, with
867Mbps WiFi at my iMac on the third of the Mesh boxes.
--
Andy H
> On 1 Jun 2022 at 7:57:11 pm BST, "TimH" <thn...@poboxmolar.com.invalid> wrote:
>
>> I know I know, ridiculously OT this, but there are some clued-up networking
>> people here... I've intercepted a BT Smart Hub (type A, if that's relevant) on
>> its way to the tip, and wondered if there's any way to flash the BT-ness out
>> of it, or whether it'll work anyway on a non-BT connection?
>
> Thanks for the helpful replies. Shame about the limitations on OpenWRT drivers
>
>> I know I know, ridiculously OT this, but there are some clued-up networking
>> people here... I've intercepted a BT Smart Hub (type A, if that's relevant) on
>> its way to the tip, and wondered if there's any way to flash the BT-ness out
>> of it, or whether it'll work anyway on a non-BT connection?
>
> - you had my hopes up there Theo.
>
> Looks like it's resuming its journey to electronic heaven then - but
> definitely in the electrical recycling bin!
>
> Oh - for anyone else wondering: apparently it'll work unmodified with any
> Openreach wholesale connection, e.g. Plusnet.
A lot of Plusnet users buy the BT Hubs as they can be put into Bridge
mode (I *think* it applies to all of the BT Hubs). The Plusnet Hub One
is a rebadged BT Smart Hub 6 I believe, but is on different firmware,
and can't be put into Bridge mode.
I bought a BT Home Smart Hub Enterprise version for this purpose (simply
because it's much easier to switch these into Bridge mode - just a
button to click, where the domestic version is a little fiddlier).
I then set my Mercusys Halo S12 (made by TP-Link) Mesh boxes as the
router (there was no way to avoid a double-NAT setup with the Plusnet Hub).
Works a treat here, I have stable Internet at 70Mbps download, with
867Mbps WiFi at my iMac on the third of the Mesh boxes.
--
Andy H
David Kennedy
Jun 2, 2022, 1:49:47 PM6/2/22
to
Theo
Jun 4, 2022, 5:38:07 AM6/4/22
to
5) is decent and there's a modern CPU on it (roughly budget mobile phone
level of performance, rather than some 300MHz thing out of the 90s). If
there was a decent open source distro for it it would be great for DIY
routers, like the older Homehub 5a is. It's just sad that Broadcom are
hostile to open source.
Theo
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