topic Re: Smart hub external ping response in Broadband & Landline

Smart hub external ping response

Jaggies — Tue, 19 May 2026 22:25:01 GMT

I set up a new BQM on Thinkbroadband when I migrated from Plusnet (where I had a static IP address), but the Smart Hub doesn't respond to pings from outside my network, or at least I haven't found a setting where this can be activated.

I was going to try opening a firewall rule to direct inbound pings to my TP-Link router, which is now working as a WiFi and Ethernet extender, but setting up the rule requires Port numbers to be specified, and I don't want to open random ports.

Has anyone tried and succeeded (or failed...) and if so, what Port numbers worked?

Or can the Smart Hub be set up to respond to external pings and I've just missed the setting(s) I need?

TIA...

Re: Smart hub external ping response

XRaySpeX — Tue, 19 May 2026 22:38:58 GMT

EE Smart Hubs Pro & Plus can't be made to respond to pings.

Re: Smart hub external ping response

JimM11 — Tue, 19 May 2026 23:03:53 GMT

@Jaggies There is no ICMP response on any off the EE Hubs/Routers or the BT versions, you will need to get a real hub if you wish to do a BQM from thinkbroadband.... Is there a reason that the hub from EE is connected, ie landline for digital voice , old fttc connection that the TP does not do?

Your on a FTTC connection and require to use the EE supplied hub for your digital voice,

Broadband Quality Monitor FAQ | thinkbroadband

Not Supported*

BT Home Hub or Smart Hub
PlusNet Hub Zero / Hub One (aka BT Home Hub 5a)

* These routers do not support responding to ping packets on the WAN port, however you can configure a Default or DMZ host which can respond to pings directed at your public IP address; we strongly advise you to only do this if you understand the security implications of running a publicly accessible host on the Internet.

Re: Smart hub external ping response

Jaggies — Tue, 19 May 2026 23:16:50 GMT

Thanks both @XRaySpeX & @JimM11

I'm using the Smart Hub in order to use Digital Voice, which is the reason I joined EE.

The TP-Link router worked fine with the BQM on Plusnet, and when I set up a new one for EE. I'll look in to adding it to a DMZ if I can't get the required ports to simply add a firewall rule.

Thanks again.

Re: Smart hub external ping response

JimM11 — Tue, 19 May 2026 23:21:38 GMT

@Jaggies IP assigned from the EE to the TP, that is all you need to place in the EE hub's DMZ.

Re: Smart hub external ping response

Jaggies — Wed, 20 May 2026 22:14:02 GMT

@JimM11

Thanks, I'll give that a try.

Re: Smart hub external ping response

Jaggies — Wed, 20 May 2026 22:38:58 GMT

@JimM11

Hasn't worked... ☹️

Tried setting up a firewall rule, leaving the port numbers blank, but when I clicked on Save it said everything was up-to-date, and didn't save, so I guess Port numbers may be required to complete the setting. Same issue when trying to set up a pinhole in the IPv6 settings.

Tried putting it in a DMZ as well, but in both cases TBB gave me an error saying Host unreachable.

I've deleted the monitor for now, but any further suggestions welcome.

Re: Smart hub external ping response

XRaySpeX — Thu, 21 May 2026 00:22:47 GMT

ICMP is port-less.

Re: Smart hub external ping response

JimM11 — Thu, 21 May 2026 05:57:20 GMT

@Jaggies Take it that you have enabled the response also on the TP-Link router, it would have been the old plusnet that was responding when you had it set originally. From the TBB link and then the IpV4 address shown when setting the BQM but think you have done that before. Is there a reason you are needing to check. DMZ placed IP should be bypass and direct to the TP once that is saved on the EE.

TP-Link
(System Tools > Manage Control > Service Configuration > enable ‘remote)

Re: Smart hub external ping response

Jaggies — Thu, 21 May 2026 22:25:05 GMT

@JimM11 & @XRaySpeX thanks again.

The TP-Link is configured to respond to internal and extra ICMP pings, but the Smart Hub isn't passing them through.

The "Smart" Hub won't even let me set up a firewall rule or DMZ to allow traffic through. Also, I don't know why the hub can't be set to respond to pings - they aren't really a security risk. This is one of the reasons I don't like ISP routers as a general rule - they are too tied down for use by anyone with a degree of understanding of the risks (or lack of them) involved.

I'm now wondering if connecting the TP-Link to the VDSL and placing the Smart Hub downstream of that instead might be the way to go? I imagine the digital voice would still work in that configuration, which would mirror the use of a FTTP NTE.

That's something to think about for another time.

Re: Smart hub external ping response

XRaySpeX — Thu, 21 May 2026 22:42:30 GMT

@Jaggies wrote:
I imagine the digital voice would still work in that configuration

Not at all! For DV you must have the EE supplied router as 1st downstream from the ONT.

Re: Smart hub external ping response

Jaggies — Thu, 21 May 2026 23:33:33 GMT

No ONT involved, @XRaySpeX - I'm on FTTC, not FTTP, so in this case the TP-Link router would be performing modem duties, and the Hub would be connected by Ethernet cable to the WLAN socket.

I clearly don't know if that would work, but I'll give it a try at some point. If it works - YAY!

If not, meh...

Re: Smart hub external ping response

XRaySpeX — Fri, 22 May 2026 00:59:51 GMT

Sorry, then I must mean "1st downstream from the phone master socket" but I was put off by your "FTTP" in your preceding post. What I said still applies. It won't work!

@Jaggies wrote:
Hub would be connected by Ethernet cable to the WLAN socket.

You mean "WAN", not the Wireless LAN which is WiFi?

Re: Smart hub external ping response

JimM11 — Fri, 22 May 2026 05:46:52 GMT

@Jaggies The EE has to be connected to the Phone Master socket, that is the one getting the wan IP from the EE DHCP server IpV4 and 6, and for the DV to operate for you. How is your TP setup after that, is it wan output connected to the Lan input on the EE and routing, or do you have it Lan/Lan connected between them both....

If set correctly everything is done via the Tp, you should be able to admin both the TP and the EE by going to the correct web manager, EE is https://192.168.1.254 to get to that, no idea what you would have on your TP one....

Why does the EE hub not allow you to add the IP off the TP in the DMZ, it is the only single connection that is there?

Re: Smart hub external ping response

Jaggies — Fri, 22 May 2026 23:50:10 GMT

@JimM11 wrote:
Why does the EE hub not allow you to add the IP off the TP in the DMZ, it is the only single connection that is there?

@JimM11 I've no idea. When I try setting it up and click Save, it says there are no changes to save.

TBH I'm not all that bothered. I'll test out swapping the routers round at some point, but frankly life's too short...