Smart WiFi Pro Connection Issue

[Twitters]

I pay £10 a month for a Smart Hub Pro and a Smart WiFi Pro as I had a lot of dead zones in my house so the Pro removes these. However, since the weekend my Smart WiFi Pro refuses to connect to my Smart Hub Pro, and no matter what I do it doesn't seem to want to connect.

It first started flashing orange, so I tried to reconnect using the WPS but nothing happened. So I then tried to do a factory reset on the booster, and tried again but this doesn't work either. My next step was to try and take it downstairs and place it next to the main hub and reconnect that way, but no luck with that either. It would flash blue for several minutes, then change and start flashing aqua but never actually connect. If I move it back to the office, where I have had it before with no issues, it won't connect there either.

If I try and reconnect via WPS again, the WPS button on the back of the Smart WiFi Pro doesn't respond unless I do another factory reset. Even when I do this though, it refuses to connect and I get stuck in a loop.

I've been in this situation for a week, I've tried every guide possible to get the two to connect with no luck, apart from using the app (as I can never find where in the app I need to do it and anything I click takes me back to the main website) or tried with an ethernet cable as where I want the booster to be I don't have anywhere to plug a cable.

Any suggestions on what I can do would be welcomed, or do I just need to bite the bullet and request a new booster from EE as this is broken?!

[JimM11]

@Twitters Have you tried the Factory reset Smart Wireless device only and once it has done that leave it powered off for 10 minutes, then next to each other connect the Router to the Smart Wireless with an Ethernet cable, let them do the connect and JUST leave them sitting like that for the 24hr period, any updates MAY be applied etc. Disconnect power move it to its position power up and just leave it few day's to work itself out and learn the mesh, Aqua and Orange ok, flashing Amber is the NOT!

[bobpullen]

Have you tried rebooting the hub before factory resetting and attempting to re-pair the extender? You haven’t changed the WiFi security mode on the hub have you? WPS won’t work with WPA3-Personal.

[Twitters]

I have tried rebooting and doing a factory restart yes, and neither seem to have the desired effect. I've tried pairing it when it's next to the main hub as well and nothing has happened. To my knowledge I have not changed any of the settings, they have been the same since I first set it up. The extender just lost the connection to the hub one night and via Wifi I haven't been able to get it back since. The only time it connects is using an Ethernet cable, but that isn't a foreseeable option going forward as I don't have the ability to wire it up where I want it.

The closest I get to pairing is after a factory reset where it flashes aqua but that is the best I get.

[Twitters]

Erm well that was unexpected! I rang EE and they arranged for their diagnostic bot to do a main hub refresh and that seems to have sorted the extender as well! 😲

[JimM11]

@Twitters Did you not know about the secret method that they have!

[Bakelentil]

I had the same problem with my new installation, worked using the WPS button first time then the WiFi extender lost connection and started to flash orange after a day and just would not reconnect using WPS or via the App. In the end I just connected via a CAT5 cable to the hub and it connected no problem, stayed connected when I removed the cable but then disconnected when I powered off to move it to where I wanted it! Had to find a longer CAT5 cable to  connect when its in the position I need it to be.

I assume that I'll have to go through this again if we get a power cut?