topic Re: Using Smart Hub as a wifi extender in Broadband & Landline

Using Smart Hub as a wifi extender

mistertomonline — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 13:06:29 GMT

Hi I am struggling to configure my old Smarthub as a wifi extender for my new smart hub plus.

I tried this previously with different equipment and had similar issues... I've tried following all the different guides I've found including those posted by @XRaySpeX but not got anything working even with this newer kit.

Principally I have done the following:

Hooked up new smart router plus. All working fine.

Connected laptop via ethernet to old Smarthub. Configured IP address as 192.168.1.198
Subnet left as 255.255.255.0
DCHP server off

Given Secondary SmartHub a different name and password so I can clarify it is working.

Connect Primary SmartHubPlus LAN port to Secondary SmartHub WAN port by Ethernet cable

Devices can see the 'Boost Smart' Hub, but no internet if I connect.

Really could do with some instruction here! Don't see what I am doing wrong!

(Also, when I changed the IP address to 192.168.1.198 my laptop abruptly couldn't find it and the router settings page disappeared, even though it was connected via ethernet cable. Is this normal, or show Ive made a mistake somewhere?)

Kind thanks,

Tom

Re: Using Smart Hub as a wifi extender

XRaySpeX — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 13:56:01 GMT

If you are connecting the WAN port of the Secondary SH to the LAN port of the main SH+ (by presumably following Re: To make a second Brightbox as a WAP on your LAN to the main Brightbox) to make it act as a further router you should keep its DCHP server ON with a Range on a diff subnet from that of Primary router..

You only keep the Secondary router's DCHP server OFF when you are having it act as a WAP with it being connected by 1 of its LAN port (as in To make a second Brightbox as a WAP on your LAN to the main Brightbox).

Re: Using Smart Hub as a wifi extender

JimM11 — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 14:02:16 GMT

@mistertomonline Lan to Lan connection for devices, NO Wan to Lan port connection at ALL!

Re: Using Smart Hub as a wifi extender

XRaySpeX — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 14:42:13 GMT

@JimM11: But LAN to WAN is OK! 😉

Re: Using Smart Hub as a wifi extender

mistertomonline — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 14:42:17 GMT

Thanks for the rapid reply both!

In both instructions it says

Connect Primary BB LAN port to Secondary BB WAN port by Ethernet cable -

So I was a little confused!

I have now attached LAN to LAN... still no connection

The following I cannot find in the router settings:

Set Broadband Type of Secondary BB = Fibre/Ethernet for a BB1 or Ethernet for a BB2 (untick the "Enable ADSL/Fibre auto sensing" 1st), under Basic Settings.
Set Protocol of Secondary BB = Bridging, under Basic Settings.
Disable NAT on Secondary BB.
Reserve the Secondary BB's Gateway IP Addy in the DHCP of the Primary BB.

Re: Using Smart Hub as a wifi extender

XRaySpeX — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 14:53:54 GMT

In the instructions for a WAP it should be LAN to LAN.

The 1st 3 of those router settings are only applicable for a BrightBox. Ignore them for a SH.

In My Network of the Primary SH+ you should see an entry for the Secondary router. You should make it as "Always use this IP".

Re: Using Smart Hub as a wifi extender

mistertomonline — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 17:16:33 GMT

Thanks, still having trouble though.

I have the secondary SHub connected directly LAN to LAN to the main hub, I cannot see it in the network as an ethernet connection. I connected my laptop directly to the LAN and can see this as an ethernet connection in the network s...

There is a wireless connection to 'ET0021B7BF2A33' which has 0kb traffic up and down, as it seemed to stay there and not disappear, I presumed this is my router and not one of my sonos speakers. I have set "always use this IP", and set the IP address to 192.168.1.198

However I just checked the back of the secondary router and its mac address is different, and Ive not seen it at any point.

Still no connection... any ideas why I might not see the secondary router show up at all?

Re: Using Smart Hub as a wifi extender

mistertomonline — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 17:38:39 GMT

Tried resetting the secondary router and keeping the IP as 192.168.1.254 and still cannot see it. However when navigating through the hub manager options it occasionally tries to connect to the new Smart Hub plus, (which I can tell because it keeps asking for a password and they are different for each device) Even though my laptop is only connected via ethernet to the secondary hub with the wifi turned off, so they MUST be connected in some fashion...

Re: Using Smart Hub as a wifi extender

XRaySpeX — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 18:01:23 GMT

It's not the router. MAC 00:21:B7:BF:2A:33 belongs to Lexmark. Is that your printer?

Re: Using Smart Hub as a wifi extender

XRaySpeX — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 18:41:36 GMT

Routers don't ask for each others' pwds.

Re: Using Smart Hub as a wifi extender

mistertomonline — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 18:36:12 GMT

No I understand that, it's just connecting to the primary router, via the LAN ethernet connection, which is not showing up in the Hub manager.

Re: Using Smart Hub as a wifi extender

mistertomonline — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 21:40:47 GMT

So I ran it all through from the beginning.

Used 192.168.1.2 as the second router IP addy instead of .198

After some router resets for some reason this worked! Thank you for the support!

Not sure why the smarthub light kept flashing aqua though...?

Unfortunately it seems that the wired cat5e cable across the house doesn't seem to be working properly - god knows why.

It had me wondering however whether it is possible to still use the router as a wifi extender, but wirelessly without LAN connection?

Re: Using Smart Hub as a wifi extender

XRaySpeX — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 22:39:45 GMT

The Secondary SH.s light is flashing as it does not have a direct connection to BB as it it would expect.

You won't be able to use it as an extender over WiFi as it's not built for that.

Thanks! You're welcome 🙂 ! Glad I could be of assistance & trust it is now sorted.