EE Smart Hub Pro – Ethernet Ports Dropping Connection Overnight

[NL87]

Hi all,

I’ve recently switched from BT (using the BT Smart Hub 2) to EE and am now using the new EE Smart Hub Pro. Since the switch, I’ve been experiencing a frustrating issue with my solar battery setup.

Here’s what’s happening:

• I have two Sonnen batteries (part of my Solar PV system) connected directly to the router via ethernet cables (ports 2 and 3).

• During the day, everything works perfectly – the batteries stay connected, and I can access all the data as expected.

• But every night, the ethernet ports go down, then up briefly, then down again, and the connection to the batteries is lost.

Here’s what the technical log shows from a typical night:

• 10.05.2025, 04:48:22: “Network interface eth2 down"
• 10.05.2025, 04:48:38: “Network interface eth2 up”
• 10.05.2025, 04:48:47: “Network interface eth2 down”

After this, I have to manually restart the batteries to restore the connection. If I don’t, they sometimes reconnect automatically the next night – only to be disconnected again the night after. So it’s a bit of a loop.

To clarify:

• Everything worked fine before with the BT Smart Hub 2 – same hardware setup, just a different router.

• I’ve tried using both static and dynamic IPs (with DHCP on and off), but the issue persists.

Has anyone experienced something similar with the EE Smart Hub Pro? Is there a setting I might be missing, or could this be a power-saving feature or bug that’s affecting the ethernet ports overnight?

Any ideas or suggestions would be really appreciated!

Thanks in advance.

[JimM11 · Accepted solution]

@NL87 Is the time always fairly consistent, and in the same sequence of down/up/down leaving the port off. There was an issue with the Plus router but others report not the Pro, and not going to say the Pro suffers same, but the Plus on a network connection to the Ethernet port NO matter which one would always take 20-30 seconds to establish the handshake, this was overcome by having a switch interface on the EE Nic port, as the switch always kept the port up. The Tp-Link TL-SG105S works 100% for sure, and if you wish you can also power via the 5V with the USB port cable needed is the Lindy No 70266 USB A MALE TO DC-PLUG ADAPTER DC-PLUG: 3.5mm/1.35mm. Both available from Amazon.

[NL87]

Hi Jim,

thanks very much for the suggestion - this indeed sounds like a good solution. I have now ordered the switch and will come back with feedback.

Thanks again,

Nils

[NL87]

Hi Jim,

just a short update: the proposed solution of adding a switch has successfully solved the problem and we now have a stable connection.

I was in lengthy contact with EE (their technical support is a joke), Sonnen and the company who did the installation - nobody had a solution. So, very happy that you replied and showed a pragmatic way.

Thank you very much again!

All the very best,

Nils

[JimM11]

@NL87 Glad it all worked out for you, have always had the sneaky feeling the Pro suffered a little with the Nic port timing but was a lot quicker than the plus!👍

[Cardiffjamesh]

Got the same issue iv used multiple switches and same issue port 2 is the worst I was toy each port can only handle one device and not to use any switch and 30 devices in house was to much for the wifi pro and to turn some off and the ones that where hard wired ie when whe had ee tv thay where the only things that can be directly plugged in to ethernet everything els was to go on wifi even the extender had to go on wlan backhall nearly to say I think I must of been speaking to some one from the  flintstones as didn’t have a clue just managed to get a engineer to come next week  

 

[JimM11]

@Cardiffjamesh Would be better if you had some more up to date info rather than months ago data, and Sam Knows is really little bit out of date as they have now completely dropped all there hardware years ago now and can be highly miss leading, but as you say got to start somewhere to see what is going on.

If and when you do get the Engineer visit, just let them do there own thing focus on the task at hand is the best way, stay quite and do NOT offer up any opinions to anything, just gather all the response back from the Engineer visit!