Router starts to disconnect wifi devices after a while, requiring a restart

[LongCat]

I have the EE Smart Hub Plus + Smart WiFi Plus + Smart Hybrid Connect. I have approx. 30 connected devices across the home (including IoTs) but this can spike when the kids have friends around. Rarely goes above 40 devices though.

Roughly every 3 weeks, the router will start to disconnect wifi devices (or will allow them to connect to the router, but won’t route their traffic across the network so they’re effectively disconnected). I say WiFi devices because the devices connected by Ethernet cable all work just fine. Restarting the router resolves the wifi problem immediately. Then after another 3 weeks or so, it will recur and devices will lose connectivity. There are schedules set for the kids’ devices (blocked after 11pm), but this happens to non-kids devices even in the middle of day. I have re-saved and double-checked rules to be sure, but otherwise I have not touched the router configuration since I got it. I used to have a similar problem with my previous BT Smart Hub (before EE upgrade) but the interval was much longer (like 6-8 weeks) before restarts were required.

Has anyone else had this issue? What is the root cause of this problem and is there a way to resolve it without restarts?

[JimM11]

@LongCat This is a suspected fault with the EE Smarthub+ at present, i have 36 devices and offloaded a few onto another router network to help, i am monitoring the EE Router to see when and currently at 80 day's so far with no issue apart from looking at the router with the web interface which is getting slower and slower by the day, but as yet has not dropped anything so good that way, only advice is be diligent at present and reset the router as it is the only known way to rid the issue.

There is new FW out sometime shortly, nothing is ever published to what/why it's done so the process start's all over again. Not the news you will expect but it's the best that can currently be advised. The more you do with the router and you are doing a lot as i need not any off the parental etc, so suspect that is why your time scale is so short.👍😶

[LongCat]

Thank you - very useful info and glad to know I’m not the only one! I’m wondering if I can simply buy my own (hopefully more reliable) third party router and plug it into the Ethernet outlet on the fibre optic modem? In my old place I used a Netgear Orbi system which had its quirks but never disconnected devices. Do I need the Smart Hybrid Connect for 4G backup or is there a SIM card I can remove and install in another device?

[Timbo45]

@LongCat 

Is it possible that wifi devices are using private addressing (iOS term) so that each time the device connects it gets a new ip address and eventually fills the hub's ip table which a restart will clear. This is a problem with BT's hubs don't know about the EE versions.

[LongCat]

I checked and some of the iOS devices were using private addresses but they were fixed (not rotating) so presumably the same one on each connection. Not sure about their friends’ phones though but I will probably struggle to check all their settings. Is this an issue with all routers, or could I buy a third-party router that doesn’t have this problem?

[XRaySpeX]

You may use your own router but if you have DV you must have the EE router as nearest where the BB comes in, be it ONT for FTTP or phone socket for FTTC..

You can't use the 4G HC's SIM in another mobile router.

[Timbo45]

@LongCat 

I think most third party modem/routers will work OK and release devices after a set time period.

I use Asus devices and you can set a lease time before a devices' ip address gets released/renewed.

Depending what service you have determines whether you need a modem/router or just a router. FTTP services require only a router but be aware that with Digital Voice the EE hub must be the first device connected to the internet.

[LongCat]

This is very helpful, thank you. I have FTTP but don’t have Digital Voice. I’ll check out some routers.

[JimM11]

@LongCat If you want to do that then look no further than Asus, they are expensive but BOY do they work...

[XRaySpeX]

In Using & Configuring a Third Party Router you'll find everything you need to set up your router incl. the BB PPPoE creds. which are now the same as BT's.