BT SmartHub 2

[Graham J]

Just helped a friend connect one of these. His ISP is BT - the VDSL
login is btbusi...@business.btclick.com

It shows its SSID (BTB-HNFMKQ) and key; and I can see that and connect
to it from my laptop.

I use a WiFi analyser on an Android phone, and can see that WiFi signal.
On the same channel and at the same strength there is another network
called EE-WiFi, generated by the BT Smart Hub 2. Confirmed by powering
of the BT Smart Hub 2 - both WiFi signals disappear at the same time.

So why does this router generate two SSIDs? And why on the same channel?

--
Graham J

[Mark Carver]

Don't all BT/EE Hubs generate a public access WiFi network by default,
for anybodypassing by with a BT or EE account to connect to ? It's BT's
idea of philanthropy.

[Rupert Moss-Eccardt]

It used to be called BT-WiFi and originally "Fon".
As part of the "deal" the sub can use any BT/EE Wi-Fi they find as long
as they, too, offer it from their premises.

I think the business version is slightly different to the "home"
version in that it can offered as a free service rather than requiring
the "visitors" to have a BT ID.

[JMB99]

On 13/12/2023 15:44, Mark Carver wrote:
>
> Don't all BT/EE Hubs generate a public access WiFi network by default,
> for anybodypassing by with a BT or EE account to connect to ?  It's BT's
> idea of philanthropy.

It was a way of getting wider WiFi coverage originally, in an urban area
you could usually find a signal.

You could opt out but most did not. either because they did not know
they could or because they occasionally found the service useful.

[Tim+]

Random roaming Wi-Fi is nearly always worse than 4G or even 3G!

Tim

--
Please don't feed the trolls

[RayG]

The EE router also has the ability to provide a Guest Wi-Fi to which you can
assign your own password or leave it open.

--
Regards

RayG

[notya...@gmail.com]

If you are a residential customer a BT router will show EE-WiFi (formerly BT-WiFi) which BT broadband and mobile customers can log into or one can pay for access.
If you are a BT business customer IIRC you also get this, but in addition the subscriber can optionally make the SSID BT_Guest freely available to all, without sign in.

[Brian Gregory]

On 13/12/2023 15:37, Graham J wrote:

> So why does this router generate two SSIDs?  And why on the same channel?

You have to have two Wi-Fi radios if you wanted them to be on different
channels.

--
Brian Gregory (in England).

[JMB99]

On 14/12/2023 11:27, Tim+ wrote:
> Random roaming Wi-Fi is nearly always worse than 4G or even 3G!

But when introduced these either did not exist or had very little coverage.