BT Home Hub Wireless connection problems

Hello there

To begin with, bare with me as I'm not very technical :o

Had BT Home Hub plus USB Voyager Wireless thingy (now attached to my computer) delivered approx 10 days ago. I set it up myself and everything was hunky dory for a week.

Yesterday evening I had a <<no connection>> problem with the wireless. Got through to BT India - the bloke explained to me over phone and he got it working. Turned on this morning and <<no connection>> again. Been on to BT India for two calls this morning through ethernet cable - second one about an hour when he messed around for ages and downloaded Firefox (I don't understand this at all) as he said my problem was IE7. Didn't seem to be able to get past my Norton Security. Had to leave it eventually as didn't have the time.

Problem is - I can get broadband access OK with ethernet cable attached to my HomeHub. If I try to connect via wireless it won't take it - the bloke in India couldn't get it to work in an hour!I don't think it is my IE7 as this doesn't seem to cause a problem on ethernet link.

Can anybody give me idiot proof instructions on how to get my wireless connection to work please.

Thanks very much in advance.

Comments

  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 385
    Forum Member
    I might be having a similar problem and strangely it might have coincided with upgrading to IE7.

    First do you know which version of Hub Firmware you have the latest is 6.1.1R but you might still have 6.1.1M.

    I was having problems with Wireless Networking before the Hub upgraded to 6.1.1R at that time I was on IE6 since the Hub Manager with 6.1.1M doesn't work with IE7. Once I got 6.1.1R my main problems with Wireless Networking were Fixed. and everything worked fine for a week (with IE6). So then I took the plunge and Upgraded to IE7 upgrading three seperate computers over three days. I have also installed the free Norton Antivirus on each computer.

    So today twice my Wireless connection to the computer upstairs has dropped with the message Little or no connectivity?

    Each time I clicked on the Wireless icon and selecte repair wireless network and then the network worked fine again. This seems to have only happened since upgrading to IE7.

    Since upgrading to IE7 I have also had a few other problems as well so it looks like we are in for a few month of agro until Microsoft fix the bugs and other software vendors discover their own incopatibilities.

    A further question does the wireless connection always work when you do a clean reboot. (by clean I mean disconnect the mais to the PC with the Wireless connection and reconnect.? The reason I ask is that most wireless connection always work after a cold reboot. I am suggesting a cold reboot because I assume you have a USB connected wireless dongle. Since these are powered by USB they remain "switchedon " even when you have switched off your computer unless it is switched off at the Mains socket.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 19
    Forum Member
    Hello Kentishman10

    Do you know how I find out which Hub Firmware I have?

    My Message is also Little or no connectivity.

    Re Clean Reboot - I always turn my PC off at the mains at night. Doesn't seem to make any difference.

    Funnily enough I downloaded IE7 just after I started on Wireless Broadband and it worked OK for a week with no problems - apart from a Smartbridge Alert window when I first turned PC on - BT India have told me that this message was related to IE7 - but if I closed the window it didn't effect my connection.

    If BT Help are useless where does one go from here to get it sorted? Oh to get somebody who knows what they are talking about at BT Help.

    Thanks for responding.
  • yorkie100yorkie100 Posts: 9,372
    Forum Member
    As I understand it there is a known conflict with IE7 - if you do a search of the threads I am sure you will find this has been covered - although I did not know it affected wireless connections.

    Anyway there is no problem with the Firefox browser which many think is superior to IE. So you could try downloading Firefox and see if this cures your problems.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 19
    Forum Member
    I have no problems with IE7 and Broadband whilst on an ethernet cable connection - that is why I don't think it has anything to do with IE7. I just can't get a wireless connection from my PC to my BT Homehub. I know it will be something really simple but unfortunately BT Help are clueless at the moment. Am seriously thinking of sending the lot back and changing to another ISP.

    Have found out that my Hub Firmware is 6.1.1.R so this sounds like it could be latest version anyway.

    All very frustrating!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 18
    Forum Member
    I dont know if it is the same But my hum is connected directly to my PC via ethernet cable and is perfect. Tried adding my sisters laptop to the network and about 6feet away it DC's and RC's ever few minutes its really bad when using wireless and i don't know why.

    The hub apprently should rach something like 40meteres my house isn't even that tall what can i do to fix this?
  • robbie2robbie2 Posts: 166
    Forum Member
    Have you tried disabling Windows Zero Configuration? See http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,63705-0.html?tw=wn_story_page_prev2
  • yorkie100yorkie100 Posts: 9,372
    Forum Member
    Can you tell us how far from your computer your hub is?

    Also have you changed the channel number your hub signal is broadcast on? By default the hub comes with channel 1 selected but many including myself had to change this to get reasonable coverage. In my case I had to have the hub about 6 inches from my computer to get any signal at all - but when I changed to channel 11 everything was fine.

    The exact method to do this has been posted on here try the main BT thread. If you cant find it let me know and will post it again - sorry but not at home just now otherwise would have posted it now.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 385
    Forum Member
    To find the software version click on Hub Manager which is an Icon on your Desk Top installed by BT software that came with your Hub.

    Scroll down the page and see what it says at the bottom mine says:-

    Software version:6.1.1.R

    To change your Wireless settings click on Advanced

    Click Switch to another User

    Type User Name - Admin
    Password Admin

    Select <Home Network>
    Select <Interfaces>
    Select <configure> from the options at the Top

    Check your SSID is Correct

    Select Channel Selection <manual>
    Select a high Channel such as 11 or 12

    Scroll down to security

    Make Sure Use Wep Key is selected

    Make a note of the Wep Key being used

    (Copy and paste this into a Text File eg Notepad is best)

    Click apply and exit the Hub Manager

    Then go to your sisters laptop and see if the Wireless Network is detected (Make sure Wireless is switched on)

    It now depends on wether you are using Windows Zero Configuration or the Wireless software that came with your Wireless Adaptor or even the Software that came with BT installation.

    If you know any of this then post details.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 18
    Forum Member
    Ok thanks for the help here are some responses:

    Software Release: 6.1.1.R

    ok

    My SSID is the same as the one provided on the back of my hub as is the WEP key

    My sis's laptop had Wireless Zero Config on Stopped, I'm tempted to delete all the network settings on the laptop and start a fresh maybe i made an error somewhere?

    Is there any set of instructions that i can follow for Windows XP that should set it up perfectly?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 19
    Forum Member
    Just an update on the wireless connection problems I was having at the start of this thread.

    Spent 4 hours on email with BT India last night - one fella actually got my wireless connection up and running after I had finished making about 20 "click on this open that" manouvers. However when I turned the PC off and then back on the connection was lost again. This happened several times. Didn't relish the idea of another evening lost with all this this "blind leading the blind" stuff so today asked a fella I know who is head of IT for an international company (I walk his dog :D ) to come round cos I just knew it would be something really simple.

    He sat down at PC - fiddled around with it for literally FIVE minutes - disconnected the BT Wireless Manager and at the exact moment he did this the wireless connection sprang into life!! Windows is now the Wireless Manager. He has uninstalled all the BT software that came with the HomeHub and Wireless Hub as he said it wasn't required and I am now using IE7 or Firefox as my browsers on wireless with no problems! Yes IE7 folks!

    Very happy at the moment but why are people being put through all this when the BT helpdesks are useless and when the software sent out by BT apparantly is the cause of many of the problems. :cry:

    Hope this helps somebody who is in the same position as I was a couple of hours ago before my IT angel came to call. :)
  • yorkie100yorkie100 Posts: 9,372
    Forum Member
    Glad your up and running. Having read the threads on here before I got the hub I did not use the BT cd at all. As you say its not necessary and apparently useless.

    I think its a case of BT getting this product out too quickly and causing more problems than necessary - and BT India call centres are clearly not doing their reputation any good at all.

    Anyone at BT listening?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 385
    Forum Member
    You certainly got that right the BTYahoo software is absolute Pants and BT/Yahoo should be shot for offering such C---P.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 18
    Forum Member
    This stuff as absouloute Crap I still cant download becuase for some reason it says i'm behind a firewall but the ports for the downloader are open and wireless well i hate it.
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