topic Re: Alternative to Smart Hub Plus - DNS and VOIP service in Broadband & Landline

Alternative to Smart Hub Plus - DNS and VOIP service

liamgc1993 — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 19:01:00 GMT

Openreach only brought FTTP to my area in the last few months.

After 18 months with Hyperoptic I have now switched my broadband provider over to EE's Full Fibre 500.

Like many other people on this forum seem to be, I frankly am very disappointed with the "Smart Hub Plus", particularly with the firmware preventing users from changing the DNS settings.

I have a Raspberry Pi with Pihole as a network-wide adblocker and this requires the router to have alterable DNS settings.

I am considering buying a different router to use in place of the so-called Smart Hub Plus, however I quite like speaking to my Nanan on my landline phone and as far as I understand it the VOIP landline service accessible via the router is a proprietary service based on the BT Digital Voice system and currently not available via third party routers.

What routers provided by BT consumer group companies are compatible with Digital.Voice VOIP landline AND also allow you to set custom DNS settings?

Frankly I find it contemptible that EE should be locking customers out of using such a basic feature on the router but alas we live in an age where companies think their customers are too thick to make their own choices about how tech works.

I have read many other posts and threads wherein people outline their problems with the smart hub plus

Re: Alternative to Smart Hub Plus - DNS and VOIP service

XRaySpeX — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 19:19:45 GMT

The following are compatible with DV:

EE Smart Hub Plus (SH31B)
EE Smart Hub (2023) (SH20A)
BT Smart Hub 2

These 2 EE Smart Hubs do not allow you to config DNS or DDNS. Can't speak for the BT SH2.

Re: Alternative to Smart Hub Plus - DNS and VOIP service

XRaySpeX — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 19:32:30 GMT

Since the launch of New EE BB, EE has had many BT BB users migrating to it. EE customer & technical staff are not used to dealing with so many users who are highly knowledgeable of BB, networking & routers, much more so than themselves. So they have dumbed down on their routers & foolishly off-loaded much of their config to a flimsy app on the false assumption that many new users of New EE BB were too incompetent to do it for themselves.

Re: Alternative to Smart Hub Plus - DNS and VOIP service

liamgc1993 — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 20:13:30 GMT

wait so there are more settings available on the app? I don't use the app because I wrongly assumed the router would have everything I need on its firmware.

I kind of resent needing an app to manage basic hardware stuff I'm more than capable of doing myself.

This is so lame

Re: Alternative to Smart Hub Plus - DNS and VOIP service

liamgc1993 — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 20:17:06 GMT

If anyone out there has the BT Smart Hub 2 with its most recent firmware, can you please let me know if it let's you change DNS settings?

Re: Alternative to Smart Hub Plus - DNS and VOIP service

XRaySpeX — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 20:56:02 GMT

Same here x 2 !

Yes, the EE app has Manage WiFi Controls to config much of the router, but it doesn't work well, or not at all, for many users. Hence my calling it "flimsy"!

Re: Alternative to Smart Hub Plus - DNS and VOIP service

liamgc1993 — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 20:33:39 GMT

Downloaded the EE app and found it refuses to open because my mobile uses LineageOS which doesn't have the Google Services Framework or Google Play Services.

Its incredibly annoying for EE to make their services less accessible to the portion of customers who happen to take any kind of hobbyist interest in telecoms, networking, software, or technology.

By dumbing down their firmware, locking basic setting out of reach, and restricting the android app's functionality to only standard factory installation versions of Android, EE are actively encouraging technological illiteracy whilst penalising customers who are interested in the world of telecoms.

Re: Alternative to Smart Hub Plus - DNS and VOIP service

XRaySpeX — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 20:36:03 GMT

It's also incredibly annoying for EE to make their services less accessible to the portion of customers who happen to not have a smart phone let alone a mobile at all!

Re: Alternative to Smart Hub Plus - DNS and VOIP service

niarb — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 14:19:50 GMT

I have replaced the EE Smart Hub 2 Plus with a router, a TP-Link ER605, and a modem, a TP-Link TD-W9970. This seems to work well, and allows me to set a DNS proxy as well as have another internet connection load balanced. Happy to provide the config to achieve this. I am now going to try reinstating the "Smart" Hub inside the network solely for connecting the phone line, with all other features turned off. Wish me luck!

Re: Alternative to Smart Hub Plus - DNS and VOIP service

bobpullen — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 20:06:48 GMT

@liamgc1993 wrote:
I have a Raspberry Pi with Pihole as a network-wide adblocker and this requires the router to have alterable DNS settings.
I am considering buying a different router to use in place of the so-called Smart Hub Plus, however I quite like speaking to my Nanan on my landline phone and as far as I understand it the VOIP landline service accessible via the router is a proprietary service based on the BT Digital Voice system and currently not available via third party routers.

Late to the party, but a solution here is to simply enable DHCP on the Pihole, and disable it on the Smart Hub Plus. That will result in your Pihole dishing out IP leases/DNS addresses to all of the devices on your network (so the ad blocking works), whilst leaving the Digital Voice service etc. intact.

Re: Alternative to Smart Hub Plus - DNS and VOIP service

Gunther — Mon, 14 Oct 2024 20:37:00 GMT

Yes, the two-router solution works (I had it running for a while with the SH being the DNS). However doing a guesstimate that it needs about 10W it clocks up over 7kWh per month, that's £2.50 or more for a box that you don't actually want but have to use because BT/EE don't give you the VoIP login details. That's why I moved to another provider.

Don't like it that BT/EE force you to use their equipment? Complain to Ofcom. I'm saying that because they don't seem to be pro-active with new techonology. I did ask them: Ofcom mandates that ISP give you connection details for broadband but not for VoIP. However when she asked me whether that prevented me from using my own equipment and I said "yes" I think I had her attention. I suggested that procedures be updated for VoIP. I reckon they will mandate it sooner or later. If you want it sooner: Go call them and suggest so, it might speed it up. Just saying...