topic Re: Smart Hub Pro client roaming in Broadband & Landline

Smart Hub Pro client roaming

ben_flugel — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 10:19:49 GMT

Good morning,

I moved over to EE's 1.6gbps service on 21st Jan. I have a Smart Hub Pro and 3 Smart WiFi Pro extenders. Two of those extenders are wired in with one wireless. We live in a large property with thick walls, so signal is always a struggle.

Coverage with the 4 units is excellent, I have no issue with the coverage or with the speed of the service whilst connected to any of the nodes.

My problem is with our mobile phones - two Pixel 8 Pros and one Pixel 8. When moving around the house, the drop off they WiFi and onto the 4G. The message on the phones' WiFi says "Connected/No internet access". We have turned off the Adaptive Connectivity options on the phones.

We had 4 x Eero 6 Pros before this setup and had no such issue with client roaming.

A quick dive into the phone WiFi to flick WiFi off and back on again, and the phone connects immediately.

It appears that the Smart WiFi systems struggles to move the phones between the APs as we move around the house.

We've tried with WiFi Enhancer on and off and with advanced security on and off. These don't appear to affect the roaming - the problem happens whether these are on or off.

Any suggestions or help is welcome.

Re: Smart Hub Pro client roaming

JimM11 — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 10:46:51 GMT

@ben_flugel Do you have a landline on DV and for that reason are using the EE Router and smart wireless devices?

Re: Smart Hub Pro client roaming

ben_flugel — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 10:49:41 GMT

No, I don't have a landline connected.

The Eeros were supplied by Talk Talk and have to go back. And their throughput wasn't good enough, even for the 900mb speeds.

Re: Smart Hub Pro client roaming

JimM11 — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 11:03:24 GMT

@ben_flugel With you now, was going to be the next question, so apart from the Pixel mobile issue, anything else struggling with the EE Seamless roaming on the Wi-Fi side, EE Mesh appears to be a bit of a mess, Asus AI mesh user myself, obvious by the sound EERO does a good job also, Mobile's are very sensitive best of times, but you are trying hard to compensate hope that one of the Pro user's replies if they are seeing it for you, EE smarthub+ seems ok, and Samsung user so not seeing it, but then again not looked close at it, but will do now and if i do will flag it up on your post.

Re: Smart Hub Pro client roaming

ben_flugel — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 11:11:33 GMT

@JimM11 it's just the mobiles we've noticed at the moment. Most of our other devices are static. I do have a couple of tablets I can test with. I will do that and report back here. Apple and Android tablets.

But yes, the "feel" of the mesh appears a bit flaky. I imagine this will improve as EE releases new firmware but given the cost of the service, I hope this is sooner rather than later.

Re: Smart Hub Pro client roaming

JimM11 — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 11:15:36 GMT

@ben_flugel DO NOT set you expectations of that happening, had the + for nearly a year now, at least two FW updates, and still major oops on halve off the doo doo complaints, The saying it only get's better DOES not apply.

Re: Smart Hub Pro client roaming

humeka — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 11:44:11 GMT

I purchased my EEROs a few years ago and now have 6 around the property , so when changed to EE Smart Hub Plus last week , I decided to keep my EERO mesh (the only issue being BT/EE TV which requires some odd protocols , so I'm using the EE Wifi 6 on a different SSID for BT/EE TV boxes) .

I did change the EEROs to Double NAT'ing rather than bridging the EEROs and achieved better end device speeds.

I have very poor mobile 4G connectivity at home so always use WIFI calling over the FTTP , as you say client steering works well in the EEROs.

Digital Voice on Advanced ALEXA phones working OK other than the lack of contact IMPORTation , but of course these DV handsets are DECT and not WIFI.

Doesn't help you problems, just my current experience 😄

Re: Smart Hub Pro client roaming

ben_flugel — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 23:45:54 GMT

I did like the Eeros very much. Very reliable, great coverage and great client steering. But throughout I felt was a bit poor. Though 600mb over wifi from a phone so hardly slow!

I've been doing some testing tonight. The WiFi 7 system with EE is definitely better if you have no WiFi connected nodes. I removed my 4th and repositioned one of my others, leaving me the router and two ethernet connected nodes. It seems more stable and client hand off is quicker but there is still a big delay and my Pixel 8 Pro still decides to report no internet.

Re: Smart Hub Pro client roaming

JimM11 — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 08:40:56 GMT

@ben_flugel Wi-fi mesh is difficult at the best off times, and a lot of people do not get that too many wi-fi extenders can be just as bad as too little, smooth transition from one to the other all down to how good that they play with each other and also that the device's happy as they move from one to the other, getting them just right will be the challenge and the EE app tools do not aide much in helping for that. Ethernet connected backhaul is most certainly the way to go with the extenders. Hope that you manage to solve the pixel Pro moving between units.👍

Re: Smart Hub Pro client roaming

ben_flugel — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 12:39:06 GMT

@JimM11 I've taken the extender that was wifi connected, out of the environment and moved one of the wired ones to the top of a bookcase. This gives better signal upstairs to the area where the WiFi connected unit was. If I take any of the 3 total units out now, that area is a complete dead spot.

It's slightly more reliable now but phones are still dropping off and go to 4g. It's really annoying. I rang EE who are sending one of the engineers out to me on Monday.

There's nothing wrong with the positioning of the APs now, it has to be the way the mesh system is handing devices between nodes.

It's not a cheap service, so I'm getting frustrated.

Re: Smart Hub Pro client roaming

JimM11 — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 13:15:17 GMT

@ben_flugel Have you tried the simple one, but not a google pixel user, with Samsung turn Mobile data off, and see if it remains locked on wi-fi.

Re: Smart Hub Pro client roaming

humeka — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 13:21:46 GMT

On SAMSUNG I turn off VoLTE calls (in Mobile Neworks) this stops my mobile reverting o 4G if it sees a signal when using WIFI calling. Maybe also something to try .

Re: Smart Hub Pro client roaming

JimM11 — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 13:32:56 GMT

@ben_flugel If you are able to on a laptop/pc have a look with the web manager http://192.168.1.254 and advanced / wireless / the extenders will give you idea, have a look at 2 things, FW has updated on the extenders to match the router, they are showing as ethernet connected wired devices. Latest FW is i think as below, not a EE Pro user.

r2.64.3-R-1213091-PROD-1 you will also see this in the Status screen for the router.

Re: Smart Hub Pro client roaming

ben_flugel — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 10:12:23 GMT

Thanks @JimM11

I spent a lot of time on the weekend testing with various devices. The problem was apparently on our two Pixel 8 Pros and two of our cheap Nokia T10 tablets. Apple devices and my daughter's Pixel 8 was fine. I took the drastic approach to reset the Pixel 8 Pros. Viola - problem resolved. Obviously something wrong in those phones after several months of various updates. It only happened whilst connected on the 6ghz band. Either way, I've resolved the problem.

I don't care too much about the tablets, we don't us them at home, more for media consumption when travelling.

I notice firmware on all EE nodes has jumped to r2.64.5-R-1298597-PROD-1

Re: Smart Hub Pro client roaming

JimM11 — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 18:41:08 GMT

@ben_flugel As you say it's all about what it takes to get them going, bit off head scratching, and the EE not the best at giving any help, but glad you sorted it all out, the routers are not that bad as everyone moans and complains, but they are ISP and free so something has to give, new FW hot off coals, just hope that it fixes more than it breaks...👍

Re: Smart Hub Pro client roaming

ben_flugel — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 13:53:30 GMT

It seems be pretty stable now. Though there was yet anther update last night and we've now moved to 2.64.7

I do find I need to manually restart all the noses after a firmware update. Our Google screens don't connect properly until a restart.

But it's good to see EE providing regular updates. Some release notes would be nice though.

Re: Smart Hub Pro client roaming

JimM11 — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 15:31:06 GMT

@ben_flugel Certainly would be nice, but doubt it's going to happen any time ever, as long as it keeps working that's the good thing, and it may just be the idea to restart, FW update will do it as part off the install process. If there is anything strange happening, more than likely on the Forum sometimes just a little hard to pin down the exactness.👍🤞