Looking for those on the 1.6Gbit service and having problems (see inside).

[allamavortex]

Hello all,

Ever since switching to the 1.6Gbit service and moving to the Smart Hub Pro (the white, but tall WIFI 7 router) provided by EE I, as well as many others are experiencing issues with what seems to be a firmware issue on the hub. It seems to totally fall over multiple times an hour.

I am looking for people on the 1.6Gbit service using the Smart Hub Pro that are noticing issues with websites failing to load, or taking much, much longer than normal. This can look like a YouTube video buffering for a very long period of time, or even failing altogether. Switching from one YouTube video to another failing or also taking a very long time. Pages not loading, or taking a VERY long time, even when just switching between pages on the same website.

It does not seem to impact connections that already exist, so you're unlikely to see the issue inside of games, etc.

I won't go into the technical side of this as I'm just trying to collect data (and see how many other people just from this forum are noticing the problem. There is a thread where it's covered in much more detail, if you are interested - https://community.ee.co.uk/t5/Broadband-Landline/1-6Gbit-connection-new-smart-hub-white-small-box-s...

I am in a bit of a different situation to most of you I would imagine. I was able to get them to change my service from the 900Mbit to the 1.6Gbit service, when in reality it's only 'meant' for new customers apparently. On the 900Mbit service and the slightly older black Smart Hub I did not have this issue.

The issue is not related to my connection dropping, the hub stays connected and the PPPOE session remains intact, it's a software failing of the router itself.

If you are having this problem, it WILL effect your entire network, so the same thing should happen on all devices.

Please let me know if you're seeing issues like this as I'm trying to get EE to address this issue as it's really starting to become a problem.

[ben_flugel]

I've posted in the linked thread above, but I am having this issue too. 

[tnj]

I have had these problems and in particular found that the Smart Hub Pro cannot support a large number of WiFi devices. EE have been to my house to investigate and said nothing can be done apart from through a firmware upgrade. At the moment I have gone back to using my BT Smarthub2.

[TraderTravel]

I am not sure why you needed to open another thread on the issue @allamavortex . What you are describing is exactly the same as that in your original thread where a number of us are all chiming in. 🙂

I don't know if it is an issue which impacts people on the 900 service, but I suspect anyone who has EE's new Smart Hub Pro and Smart Wifi Pro will be experiencing these firmware related issues.

[allamavortex]

@TraderTravel 

Simply to try and direct anyone else having this issue to that thread. As it quietens down I'm sure it'll fall down the pages and is unlikely to be seen unless accessed via a google search. I don't think this is something that's likely to get sorted soon so it's not going to hurt to have as many people as possible to report it.

It is likely the case that people on a 'slower' service would be impacted if they were using the SH Pro. I don't recall the order process and how it works but I'd imagine the newer hub comes at a premium that the majority wouldn't fork out for when signing up on the 900Mbit service.

I think I mentioned that I was previously on the 900Mbit service with EE before moving to the 1.6Gbit, but that was with the black smart hub and I had no issue with that at all. The smart WiFi extender was included, but it's not something I actually use.

I've decided to purchase some Ubiquiti equipment which arrives today. Yesterday was a particularly bad day for this issue, so much so the SH Pro is going back into the box for the foreseeable.

I hope for everyone's sake they sort it soon.

[allamavortex]

Interesting that they've come out and actually said that it's only something a firmware issue can fix. Did they say anything to you about escalating it to have it investigated further?

For me the only devices connected on the wireless are my phone, printer, 3D printer and sometimes my macbook but I still have this issue and often when the issue happens none of the wireless devices are actually in use.

[Bakelentil]

I've just changed to EE after 25 years with Virgin, I've got the 1.6GBit package and I'm getting the exact same problems described above (and in the other thread mentioned) on WiFi and on my wired PC. I'm not techy enough to understand details described and I really don't want to buy into different equipment as I'm seeing this as an EE problem that ought to be fixed! It seems that when I go to a 'new' website there are big delays or I get 'ee.co.uk DNS could not be found' messages. After a successful conection it seems to work OK on subsequent visits (but not every time, BBC weather seems to have a big delay). I'm also getting occasional pauses in streaming (TennisTV etc) and I notice that when the pauses happen other devices (phones on the WiFi etc) also refuse to connect while it's happening.

Speeds according to EE and Internet Speed Test seem fine.

I've also had problems with the Smart Wifi Pro box. It worked as expected when I first plugged it in then a day or so later lost connection and continued to flash orange. I couldnt get it to connect over wifi using the WPS button or from the (pretty useless) app. I had to connect with a CAT5 cable to establish connection but it still forgot the connection when I powered it down to move it to the correct location! Not impressed 

Is it worth phoning them or are they just going to tell me to reboot everything? Seems like a widespread problem (going by the dialogue above) with the 1.6Gbit service, can I get a downgrade?

Not impressed with EE so far, service is worse than with Virgin, just cheaper.

[TraderTravel]

@allamavortex I don't think having an extra thread to point people to your old thread which is in fact still very active is helpful. On other boards, opening up an extra thread on exactly the same issue tends to be frowned upon, but I guess to each their own.

[AHarMan2]

Im on the 1.6Gbit service and ive had this issue since i got back from Holiday on the 12th August (was away 1st to 10th) and afaik was working ok before going on Holiday.

Firmware is r2.64.7-R-1303938-PROD-1 which afaik has been around since before the issue started. Does not matter if its Wifi or Ethernet same thing.

I have set my devices to look at googles DNS but even then the issue still occurs.

Funny how it seems to align with end of July when age verification checks were introduced. I do wonder if this is to do with some sort of traffic capture / monitoring by EE ?

Either way its made an otherwise reliable connection for best part 14 months to a very unreliable one at times. 

[Thawke]

I too have started experiencing these issues with Websites taking ages to load and sometimes even failing with a DNS resolver issue before hitting refresh and it starts working.

Already established connections carry on working and the Hub doesn’t drop the connection with the internet being connected for days without issue. Only new website requests slow down to a crawl and error out only to start working after a few F5 refreshes.

Am on EE’s 1.6Gbps service.

Changing DNS servers on the PC only seems to fix it for 5 mins for it to come back again, so the issue isn’t my end.

The only permanent solution I have found was using a separate router to EE Smart Hub Pro (bought a TP-LINK BE550) and the issue has gone away.

Numerous tests conducted, successful outcomes, can guarantee the issue is gone.

As to what caused this? I don’t know but it’s certainly left me with a Smart Hub Pro and Smart hub WiFi pro pieces of kit that are next to useless.