BT COMPLETE WI-FI DISC, ADD ON DISC, dual band

A little bit of digging you read the woes of people with these discs where they connected them up and fine that there is a speed drop off as they configure themselves back to the 2.4Ghz network, then apparently the rest of the system feeding off these slow up. Needed a solution to connect the BT Smarthub 2 downstairs across into the upstairs open lounge opposite side of the house (5 bedroom house, 3 bathrooms, sunroom etc). If you are not planning to use the 2.4Ghz band if you turn it off it stops the discs downgrading the connection speed.Using our own router didn't want to use the BT Smarthub2 as a router but just as a modem but keep FON since I like it for when out and about in a rural setting, no 4G but Fon available off another BT customer. Went for the minimalist approach of having the BT Smarthub2 plug straight into a new master socket with the built in ADSL filter. Had the extension wiring disconnected and don't have a phone plugged in - thus zero interference once the BT line gets into the house. No degraduation of signal. Conversation with the Openreach engineer went, well I can disconnect these if you are not going to use the extension phones. Rod for your own back in getting the signal to your final destination or plugging the Smarthub 2 in an extention socket which can be degraded. So said disconnect the extension wiring as the new master socket went in.Rural setting so pleased that we get 37 speed from the cabinet 0.6 miles away (we don't get the 50 service here). Was shifting the broadband connection via plugs and sockets (powerline adaptors) to an Asus 3200 router before, now changed to a Zenwifi. Ripples in the power, switches going on, tumbles driers were not being kind to the powerline adapter connection. Drop out several times a day for 3 minutes or so. Think the 3 minutes could be the the Asus picking it back up again after the power line adaptors lost it.The grand plan was to use a Zenwifi node as well as the router to serve the top office and bedrooms the front and the second Zenwifi the rear. Latter in place. Now using this disc to receive the 5 Ghz signal from downstairs front, to rear upstairs and into the Zenwifi via ethernet cable from disc to Asus. 5 Ghz is achieved by turning off the 2.4 Ghz band in the BT router. I also like to select my own wifi channels. Selected channel 48 on the BT router. Since its a mesh I believe it uses other frequencies around there. You will note that the BT router doesn't allow you to use frequencies above channel 48 which suggests the mesh is using the rest or multiplexing into that channel. Found that using channel 67 or 68 on the Asus wasn't good, went to channel 32. All is fine broadband speed is coming out the same as it went in :).People try to frig with the BT router to turn it into a modem. I would not bother. If using your own router you can turn off the firewall in your own and rely on the Smarthub2 router for that.So job done with the BT disc. I bought the so called reconditioned ones (£89) - think these are returns where people have been sent additional ones by BT but give up. Probably user error. It didn't come in a box but as said simple enough to use. Plug ethernet capable into the BT Smarthub2 even if it's a BT Essentials package. Wait 5 minutes, constant blue light. Disconnect and reconnect at location - this time orange light. Ethernet out also provides a cable out (that's what I used) but also radiates the signal out again. If you go for the 5 Ghz only solution remember you can't access the router on 2.4 Ghz... can cope and know it won't trigger a down grade.Should be an improvement from the power line adaptor to get the ethernet upstairs. We will see.---FootnoteOrange light on it means at the limit, blue is fine. Now blue once the disc is placed one floor above the router in the office.Seems to be still radiating a 2.4 Ghz signal (using iNSIder to check). May be does this to get 2.4Ghz for backhaul. Will know when we move it.... ok moved to final position seems we just have the BT Fon now radiated with the Smart hub 2 2.4Ghz band turned off to keep 5Ghz fast throughput on.Footnote 2Turned the 2.4 Ghz band back on, on the BT SmartHub2. Think the light when orange means it's cut back to the 2.4 Ghz band on the disc. Always on blue, left it as it was.All works well after a month on. Rock solid and it feeds the Asus Mesh well via the Ethernet cord out of the disc back. No complaints.Tools to check all of this is InSSIDer (channel use and signal strength) and Fast.com app or site (speed check).Now working like a dream to feed an Asus Ax WiFi mesh network. The disc does the heavy lifting of internet from one floor down then via Ethernet cable straight into the Asus air mesh hub and node via backhaul across the house providing two WiFi hot spots and Ethernet via two network switches, lounge and office to serve wired devices. Getting the best of all worlds, BT connection but your own mesh router to manage your devices.BT discs alone with the Smarthub 2 are fine if you dont have heavy networking needs but add in your own router if you do and for that the discs are fine if you need to get the broadband to your own mesh equipment which might be remote from master socket and you can't lay an Ethernet cable. I wouldn't worry about "NATs" a preoccupation of network people.

Prompt delivery, easy setup and working in a few minutes, and extends the wifi coverage in the house.No problems.

EXCELLENT RESULT!! Great 3 bar signal now and less buffering too. To set up some older equipment you may need an extra Ethernet cable to pair router hub 2 with Bt disc. A power point socket of course for disc’s move to its best position - somewhere between hub and device/s in your home.Package delivered quickly, very pleased.

Not long upgraded our broadband to Halo Full Fibre. If you upgrade to Halo + you will get these discs, but you do pay more per month, hence why I just went for the normal Halo. I thought I wouldn't need one of these but the new smart hub 2 works slightly different when it comes to using either 2.4Ghz & 5Ghz then the Smart hub 1 , so was having a slight connection issue upstairs. So I bought one of these.First off, it can get a bit confusing when looking up the requirements for these, one of which I came across it looked like you needed a disc plugged into the Smart hub before you could use discs elsewhere. That is not the case, you only need to connect the disc with an ethernet cable (not supplied) to your Smart hub 2 for initial setup, after which you can then move the disc elsewhere.Set up was extremely easy. I myself didn't need to press any buttons, I just plugged in the leads and the Smart hub2 set up the disc automatically.Lights during set up, first off you get a solid purple light, this is the disc booting up. Then it should start to flash blue, which is the disc connecting with Smart hub, which once connected it will turn solid blue.DO NOT SWITCH OFF JUST YET! The disc will more likely start flashing purple soon after, this is the disc updating the software, after which it will go back to solid blue light. You can then unplug the leads and move the disc to a place of your choosing. If you are using the "MyBT App" you can run a set up for the disc which will help you place the disc in a area that can receive a good signal from the Smart hub in order to broadcast to weak areas of your house.Top tip. Once you have the disc set up & running, go to any devices which in my case was a wifi plug, Google Home mini & Apple speaker & switch them off at the mains & wait for about 30 seconds. So when you switch them back on they will pick up the stronger signal (from the disc) and reconnect to your wifi easily.Last but not least, the size of the disc took me a little bit by surprise, as I wasn't expecting it to be that big. Wasn't an issue for me, but might do for others, especially when it comes to deciding where to place the disc. (Diameter 16.5cm)

Works a charm

With thick walls, this is necessary to get decent signal upstairs & in conservatory- easy enough to set up

Very easy setup and working well. I wanted this so I could get better WiFi in the garden. I've put this on the fridge (probably not the best location) but the WiFi signal speed is almost identical to the router upstairs.You don't need to pay additional fees to BT for this.For installation, you'll need an ethernet cable (which isn't supplied in the package).You literally plug the WiFi Disc into your Homehub router via the ethernet cable and follow the instructions. It takes a few munites to run some updates. Once done, the light will indicate that its ready. Probably a god idea to install the BT App to make life easier.Once ready, remove the ethernet cable and then you can place this around the house and it should connect to your existing WiFi with the same name. No separate WiFI SSID or anything required.When its connected to your router, it displays a blue light so you know you're all good to go.I hope this helps.Definitely worth it. I just wish BT did faster speeds. :-)