topic Router starts to disconnect wifi devices after a while, requiring a restart in Broadband & Landline

Router starts to disconnect wifi devices after a while, requiring a restart

LongCat — Sun, 26 Jan 2025 19:23:39 GMT

I have the EE Smart Hub Plus + Smart WiFi Plus + Smart Hybrid Connect. I have approx. 30 connected devices across the home (including IoTs) but this can spike when the kids have friends around. Rarely goes above 40 devices though.

Roughly every 3 weeks, the router will start to disconnect wifi devices (or will allow them to connect to the router, but won’t route their traffic across the network so they’re effectively disconnected). I say WiFi devices because the devices connected by Ethernet cable all work just fine. Restarting the router resolves the wifi problem immediately. Then after another 3 weeks or so, it will recur and devices will lose connectivity. There are schedules set for the kids’ devices (blocked after 11pm), but this happens to non-kids devices even in the middle of day. I have re-saved and double-checked rules to be sure, but otherwise I have not touched the router configuration since I got it. I used to have a similar problem with my previous BT Smart Hub (before EE upgrade) but the interval was much longer (like 6-8 weeks) before restarts were required.

Has anyone else had this issue? What is the root cause of this problem and is there a way to resolve it without restarts?

Re: Router starts to disconnect wifi devices after a while, requiring a restart

JimM11 — Sun, 26 Jan 2025 19:56:31 GMT

@LongCat This is a suspected fault with the EE Smarthub+ at present, i have 36 devices and offloaded a few onto another router network to help, i am monitoring the EE Router to see when and currently at 80 day's so far with no issue apart from looking at the router with the web interface which is getting slower and slower by the day, but as yet has not dropped anything so good that way, only advice is be diligent at present and reset the router as it is the only known way to rid the issue.

There is new FW out sometime shortly, nothing is ever published to what/why it's done so the process start's all over again. Not the news you will expect but it's the best that can currently be advised. The more you do with the router and you are doing a lot as i need not any off the parental etc, so suspect that is why your time scale is so short.👍😶

Re: Router starts to disconnect wifi devices after a while, requiring a restart

LongCat — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 18:42:03 GMT

Thank you - very useful info and glad to know I’m not the only one! I’m wondering if I can simply buy my own (hopefully more reliable) third party router and plug it into the Ethernet outlet on the fibre optic modem? In my old place I used a Netgear Orbi system which had its quirks but never disconnected devices. Do I need the Smart Hybrid Connect for 4G backup or is there a SIM card I can remove and install in another device?

Re: Router starts to disconnect wifi devices after a while, requiring a restart

Timbo45 — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 18:53:24 GMT

@LongCat

Is it possible that wifi devices are using private addressing (iOS term) so that each time the device connects it gets a new ip address and eventually fills the hub's ip table which a restart will clear. This is a problem with BT's hubs don't know about the EE versions.

Re: Router starts to disconnect wifi devices after a while, requiring a restart

LongCat — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 18:59:12 GMT

I checked and some of the iOS devices were using private addresses but they were fixed (not rotating) so presumably the same one on each connection. Not sure about their friends’ phones though but I will probably struggle to check all their settings. Is this an issue with all routers, or could I buy a third-party router that doesn’t have this problem?

Re: Router starts to disconnect wifi devices after a while, requiring a restart

XRaySpeX — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 19:17:30 GMT

You may use your own router but if you have DV you must have the EE router as nearest where the BB comes in, be it ONT for FTTP or phone socket for FTTC..

You can't use the 4G HC's SIM in another mobile router.

Re: Router starts to disconnect wifi devices after a while, requiring a restart

Timbo45 — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 19:11:37 GMT

@LongCat

I think most third party modem/routers will work OK and release devices after a set time period.

I use Asus devices and you can set a lease time before a devices' ip address gets released/renewed.

Depending what service you have determines whether you need a modem/router or just a router. FTTP services require only a router but be aware that with Digital Voice the EE hub must be the first device connected to the internet.

Re: Router starts to disconnect wifi devices after a while, requiring a restart

LongCat — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 20:19:04 GMT

This is very helpful, thank you. I have FTTP but don’t have Digital Voice. I’ll check out some routers.

Re: Router starts to disconnect wifi devices after a while, requiring a restart

JimM11 — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 20:21:11 GMT

@LongCat If you want to do that then look no further than Asus, they are expensive but BOY do they work...

Re: Router starts to disconnect wifi devices after a while, requiring a restart

XRaySpeX — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 20:32:52 GMT

In Using & Configuring a Third Party Router you'll find everything you need to set up your router incl. the BB PPPoE creds. which are now the same as BT's.

Re: Router starts to disconnect wifi devices after a while, requiring a restart

LongCat — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 22:54:22 GMT

I’ve found an Asus WiFi 7 router which also has a backup 4G modem. Can I take the SIM card out of the Smart Hybrid Connect and use it in that router? (Since I’m paying an additional monthly fee for the 4G backup I don’t want lose it by switching router!)

Re: Router starts to disconnect wifi devices after a while, requiring a restart

JimM11 — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 23:00:15 GMT

@LongCat From the reply earlier the answer is NO you CANNOT, the sim only works in conjunction with the EE Hybrid unit and the Hybrid only works with the EE Router, chicken and egg...

Re: Router starts to disconnect wifi devices after a while, requiring a restart

LongCat — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 23:29:46 GMT

Ah apologies I missed that part. I will have to get a data SIM separately and will see if I can get the Hybrid Connect removed from my plan

Re: Router starts to disconnect wifi devices after a while, requiring a restart

JimM11 — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 23:41:58 GMT

@LongCat Heads up so you do not miss anything else. The EE Smarthub+ and the EE Smart wireless extenders go hand in hand, they will work only as a group of devices and with each other.

If you go down the Asus route, you need to look at how to extend your wireless signal on whichever method you do, if using Asus as a multiple device ie, 2-3 unit then they will work in Asus AI mesh wireless backhaul, wired is way better but is not always able to be done due to home layout and hiding network cables etc.

Asus is expensive no matter what...

All the Asus unit's support 4g/5g dongle connection, it is just how it is done and how expensive it gets, you can even tether a mobile phone to the main Asus router, so do not dive in feet first until you know what/how it's done. The Asus web site will allow you to download the complete User Technical Manual for the units that you are looking at, would advise go get the manual and have a read at it...

Re: Router starts to disconnect wifi devices after a while, requiring a restart

LongCat — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 11:49:36 GMT

I ended up getting a 2-pack of the TP-Link Deco XE75 Pro (I figured we’d just use mobile hotspot if the FTTP went down). I put the main node where the EE Smart Hub Plus was, and the second unit in the exact same location where the previous EE Smart WiFi Plus (extender) was. So far so good, with download speeds up about 2x compared to what I was getting before from the side of the house connected to the extender. I’m calling EE to change my plan to one that doesn’t include the Smart Hybrid Connect (looks like I can get faster speeds for the same price by removing the extra equipment from the plan).

Now to see if I have the same issues after a month… 🤞🏽

Re: Router starts to disconnect wifi devices after a while, requiring a restart

JimM11 — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 19:34:42 GMT

@LongCat Should be fine, the deco mesh is actually pretty good and at least you upped the spec with the x75, lets just hope EE play ball now and grant you what YOU require not what they need. You will need to hang on to the EE Router just incase they ever want to test, can only do so with there kit.👍👍