topic Re: Smart Hub 7 Plus - Signal rubbish? in Broadband & Landline

Smart Hub 7 Plus - Signal rubbish?

RiskyJ — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 11:29:05 GMT

New to EE and really struggling with signal strength from the Smart Hub 7 Plus. In all my time having home WiFi I’ve never experienced such weak signal. It seems the router is completely incapable of penetrating walls. House is a very average size 4 bed.

Rang tech support who were worse than useless. After failing to understand the issue was the WiFi signal they then misinformed me that no extenders were available for the 7 Plus. Eventually they conceded that they do exist, but that they can’t order them. I was then directed to the ‘value team’ who don’t seem to answer the phone.

My point is; in 2026 surely extenders shouldn’t be necessary in an ‘average’ house?

Re: Smart Hub 7 Plus - Signal rubbish?

JimM11 — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 12:58:55 GMT

@RiskyJ Opinions do vary, the older Hubs are way better signal wise, and the WiFi7 BE chipset that you are using just may not be cutting the Mustard so to speak...

Those who have the 7 Plus do rave about it, as you are new connection then hopefully it has done all it's FW updates etc. You can see the version if your app is working. Getting Extenders may be an issue, connecting them has been a problem and EE are throwing multiples out the door so some may have loads and yet to return them all!

Re: Smart Hub 7 Plus - Signal rubbish?

RiskyJ — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 13:18:52 GMT

The firmware version is r3.35.23-R-1648107-PROD-84001

I couldn’t see anywhere in the hub manager to check for a firmware upgrade.

Just ran a speed test, 918Mbps at the hub, just 63Mbps upstairs directly above the hub.

The BT Smart Hub 2 we had before this was miles better.

Re: Smart Hub 7 Plus - Signal rubbish?

RiskyJ — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 13:23:37 GMT

Apologies for double post but I can’t see an edit button.
Looks like I’m at least one version behind (the firmware updates page here on the community confusingly says r3.35.24 is the latest but then further down says there is an r4

Re: Smart Hub 7 Plus - Signal rubbish?

JimM11 — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 14:01:11 GMT

@RiskyJ This is the history so far, the proposed one in the pinned post has not transpired as yet or NO one has posted it otherwise. Edit if you have it is on the actual post circled V symbol within 1 hour of the actual post, level dependant also!

You cannot do an upgrade, only EE push it out when they get round to doing so! BT Smart Hub 2 is a wifi 5 device so has way better penetration than the wifi 7, was there a reason you did the upgrade, that BT hub is good to FF900 but may be a little lower on wifi around the 600Mb/s mark at a reasonable distance. Your device does it have a number in the bar's etc 4,5,6,7 or blank for 2.4Ghz connected. EE have confirmed that until ALL the hubs are updated/upgraded then that is the point they will go correct the Table Entry....

Smart Hub 7 Plus
FW: r3.29.4-R-1511690-PROD-84001 and the gui is at App version 3.7.4 19/12/2025
FW: r3.35.15-R-1597208-PROD-84001 and the gui is at App version 3.11.2 19/12/2025
FW: r3.35.24-R-1648110-PROD-84001 and the gui is at App version 3.11.3 23/01/2026

See the linked posting below.

Solved: Switch from bt - The EE Community

You can if you still have it just put the BT Smart Hub 2 back on the connection, it will work fine.

Re: Smart Hub 7 Plus - Signal rubbish?

MrMirza — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 17:09:01 GMT

I just switched from Virgin Media to EE. I have a Smat Hub Plus 7. The EE router is in the exact same location as the Virgin Media Hub 5 was (downstairs, center of the house). I never had any issues with the Virgin Media hub but the signal strength of this EE router is very poor. If I go upstairs and into my bedroom (which is still the middle of the house), I lose signal if I am on the left side of my bed but laying on the right side, the signal comes back. If I go into the next bedroom or the bathroom after that, forget about it! no Internet access here! This is really poor. What can I do? I am not interested in wifi extenders - the router should match or better the signal that the Virgin Media hub provided. I did request a Smart Hub Pro 7 the day I joined but they said they couldn't provide me one. I understand the pro version has better signal strength? I am on firmware version r3.35.24-R-1648110-PROD-84001 and connected using 2.4GHz. I have tried different channels.

Re: Smart Hub 7 Plus - Signal rubbish?

JimM11 — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 18:26:14 GMT

@MrMirza If you are not happy invest in your own Equipment! EE Smart Hub 7 Plus is just a typical ISP Hub and your VM was no were near that spec at all!

Flea market and one off these. EE WiFi Extender 7 Plus Device Guide | Device Help

And the proposed around the corner when EE get's to it all.

EE Hub firmware versions - The EE Community

Please note that Wi-Fi 7 routers will only benefit Wi-Fi 7 clients (not Wi-Fi 4/5/6 clients). And once you
do actually have Wi-Fi 7 clients, there is very little point in upgrading your router to Wi-Fi 7 if you are
not currently noticing any speed issues. Give Wi-Fi 7 technology time to mature.
The benefit for Wi-Fi 7 will be mainly for devices that are 'near to' (in the same room) as the router/AP-- expect a maximum PHY speed of around 4.8 Gbps for a 320 MHz 2×2 channel.
Understanding the speed increase: Wi-Fi 7 will make 320 MHz channels commonplace, instantly
doubling throughput over the 160 MHz channels in Wi-Fi 6. The impact of MLO remains unknown
(waiting for Wi-Fi 7 clients to appear).

Re: Smart Hub 7 Plus - Signal rubbish?

MrMirza — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 21:47:58 GMT

@JimM11 I shouldn't really be expected to do that. I don't expect the router to be amazing but good enough for basic functions. The fact that I go upstairs and over one room (which is still central to the home) and I lose signal is really very poor. What do you mean my Virgin Media hub was no where near that spec? It performed way better than this EE router. I could go to the back of my house and still have a signal, a weaker signal but still present. No need for a Wi-fi extender. Now with this router, I can't travel very far at all.

I'm not interested in Wifi 6 or 7. I'm interested in the pro router as it's my understanding that it provides better coverage due to having more antennas.

Re: Smart Hub 7 Plus - Signal rubbish?

JimM11 — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 22:20:09 GMT

@MrMirza You have TWO choices, go buy a Pro 7 hub off the Market mentioned earlier, or return to VM in your cool off period. You think the 7 Pro is better that is what you said, do you also have any idea's how many the Plus has compared to the Pro.

Third choice that may be way better and also financial would be pick up a BT Smart Hub 2 used, will probably penetrate wireless wifi were you need it most upstairs.

Re: Smart Hub 7 Plus - Signal rubbish?

MrMirza — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 03:22:31 GMT

My cool off period? I joined EE almost 1 month ago. I wouldn't leave an ISP purely based on a poor router. I left Virgin Media because they were overcharging me and won't give me a good deal (they did once I joined EE but then I told them enough messing around, it's too late).

EE offers the Pro router to some customers. What is the criteria for that? I'm on a 900mb package. I might take your suggestion and look on eBay for a Pro model. From my limited research, the pro has better antennas and coverage than the Plus but I couldn't tell you any more than that as I don't know.

I have a TP-Link AXE5400 router but that's used exclusively for VR.

Re: Smart Hub 7 Plus - Signal rubbish?

JimM11 — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 07:01:20 GMT

@MrMirza The Pro is the one offered for the 1.6Gb/s high speed package as far as i am aware, you can get one but it's an additional £15 extra per month, As you have the TP and a FF900 connection, if that is working well and putting the wireless wifi signal about the home, unless you require to have a landline connection for DV Digital Voice you can ditch the EE one altogether and just promote the TP to be it....

Did you see the link earlier in the post with what EE are doing to the FW update on the EE Smart Hub 7 Plus version, that is currently in the wind somewhere and may just improve the wireless on the unit...... People either Rave about or Hate it, personally never used, 100% pure Asus Router user my self but do have Mesh as 50's style home with solid brick walls everywhere and a single hub just does not cut it anymore, It's the way off the units, the Faster the suckers go and depending on what you are doing, more gets required......

Your case i do think, 1 7+ Hub and 1 Smart Extender you will be set to go, Pro may work a bit better but you just could end up an additional Pro Smart Wireless also required......

Re: Smart Hub 7 Plus - Signal rubbish?

JimM11 — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 07:12:44 GMT

@MrMirza Your TP will be connected to the EE more than likely Ethernet possibly, if you have it's Wireless Wifi on it do you see the signal all over your home, Tp's are good i do have the Powerline in use and had to use one RE with the Son's VM 5x Hub as that was the only way to get the Ring Doorbell to work, it just would not see the VM Hub at all.... Is it the Archer AXE75 you have?

Re: Smart Hub 7 Plus - Signal rubbish?

JimM11 — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 08:05:15 GMT

@MrMirza If the go get one from the other market place is what you intend to do, please say there are Factors in play that you have to be made aware off as ALL EE Hubs are the property off EE and you are just in theory renting it from them to be Returned when they request so and the UNIT is tied by Serial Number to your EE Account.... Below was just a quick look but gives you the Idea from the EE Website as a new Customer TODAY....

FF900 Core get's you 7+ at £37.99

FF900 Ultimate get's you the 7 Pro at £61.99

Re: Smart Hub 7 Plus - Signal rubbish?

RiskyJ — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 11:56:36 GMT

The Smart Hub 2 was for the FTTC connection that was here when I moved in. I went with EE for FTTP. I’ll try your suggestion of plugging the Smart Hub in instead of the EE Hub.

This house is 70s with all solid brick walls, I didn’t realise Wifi7 struggled so much with this. Weirdly though I get good signal in the garden which I can’t work out.
When you mentioned the bars with WiFi 4/5/6 is that shown in the hub admin panel?

Re: Smart Hub 7 Plus - Signal rubbish?

XRaySpeX — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 13:12:40 GMT

The BT SH2 does work on FTTP as well as FTTC or even ADSL.

Re: Smart Hub 7 Plus - Signal rubbish?

MrMirza — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 16:28:48 GMT

@JimM11

Yes, I have an Archer AXE75 but I use that for VR gaming and VR content. The Archer router is plugged into the back of my PC. The Ethernet cable from the EE router is plugged into the back of the Archer. I don't use the Archer for anything else currently. I use to own an ASUS router many years ago.

I live in a house built in the 1900s, with solid brick walls.

I am not interested in paying for a subscription for a pro router at the price of £37.99 and £61.99. That's almost double and triple what I pay now. 900MB is plenty fast enough for me. I was on a 250MB package with Virgin Media and that was also fine for me.

Maybe the new firmware would help but it is too late now, as I ordered a Pro router yesterday night from eBay for £50 and it's on the way now. I figured for the price, it was worth a try and gives me additional features and better performance. If this is the property of EE and linked to the accounts serial number, if the original purchaser is asked by EE to return the router and he/she cannot because they sold it, what happens? With Virgin Media, you would usually be charged a fee for not returning the router. Does this affect me at all? Can the router be locked and inoperable? I wouldn't have purchased one if I was aware.

Re: Smart Hub 7 Plus - Signal rubbish?

JimM11 — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:34:54 GMT

@MrMirza Think you are good and the Original Reseller is the one with the issue, as far as the Forum see's the Hub still get's it FW updates, and you still get control over it, the only slight fallback is when you use the app, it still displays there as a 7+ because that is what you have tied to the account. All you can do is give it a try, and see if it is any better than what you have currently.

Re: Smart Hub 7 Plus - Signal rubbish?

JimM11 — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:40:18 GMT

@RiskyJ The numbers in the bars are on the mobile device, my Samsung shows WiFi6 when connected to the AP or the Hub, and drops back to bars only when it connects on the powerline.

Re: Smart Hub 7 Plus - Signal rubbish?

XRaySpeX — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:47:30 GMT

@MrMirza wrote:
if the original purchaser is asked by EE to return the router and he/she cannot because they sold it, what happens?

They are charged a non-return fee of £125. Otherwise nowt changes. The router does not belong to you. The legal owner remains EE.

Re: Smart Hub 7 Plus - Signal rubbish?

MrMirza — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 18:22:04 GMT

If the original seller is charged a non-return fee of £125, as you said, that falls on him/her and not myself. Once this fee has been charged (and paid), there will be no more challenges made on this specific Pro router. Therefore, EE won't require it back and so the router belongs to me? But you say that is incorrect? How does it belong to EE if I paid for it and the non-return fee has been charged (and hopefully paid)?