Smart WiFi Pro connection

[Dannywalls76]

I recently moved over to EE from BT and have full fibre 900. I opted to pay the extra £7 for a Smart Hub Pro and Smart WiFi Pro, to replace my old BT Smart Hub 2 and WiFi Disc, which arrived promptly. The Smart Hub Pro was a breeze to set up, but the Smart WiFi Pro has been a nightmare.

Initially it would only connect via an Ethernet cable to the hub, but would revert to flashing orange once moved into position. I ended up leaving it connected overnight and then moving it which worked for some reason, although the app saw it as a Smart WiFi Plus 2547 and said it was too close.  

Today I had to unplug the Smart WiFi Pro to re-arrange some bits and now it won’t connect again and is flashing orange. I’ve reset it and re-connected back to the hub via Ethernet which has given me a solid aqua light, but the app still sees it as a Plus and the hub manager on my laptop doesn’t see it at all (although it shows an iPad and an Apple Watch under wireless extenders). 

Is there something I’m doing wrong here? I’m an Openreach engineer and set up devices for customers all the time and I’ve never come across anything as infuriating as this. 

[Mustrum]

@Dannywalls76  others have reported that leaving the extender connected via ethernet for a lot longer than you think it needs helps. Seems they can take longer than the leds show!!!

[Dannywalls76]

I think that’s what I’ll do again. I’ll leave it overnight again. Just seems like it should just re-connect after a power cycle. Don’t fancy doing all this if we get a power cut. 

[JimM11]

@Dannywalls76 Leaving it is a good idea as @Mustrum has pointed out, the smart wireless would test the patience off a saint and know doubt they just got a mind off there own.👍

[mikefairgrieve]

The app is crap for showing the connection status, my smart wifi pro extender is in the loft and is setup to reboot weekly along with the outdoor cameras and everything reconnects fine for months now.. 

Only issue i have is my Pro routers picture shows up as a Plus router which is weird and the cameras are all ethernet connected to a switch  > extender yet all show up as connected via 6Ghz wifi .

[JimM11]

@mikefairgrieve Is the Pro wireless extender connected to the Pro Router also by an Ethernet cable for it's backhaul or do you have the units connected to each other over wireless.?

[mikefairgrieve]

Wireless to the hub , then use the ethernet from the extender to the switch to connect the 3 cameras. All works perfect and speed is amazing on the extender when tested ( 900Mbs on ethernet and 600+ Mbs on wifi )

[JimM11]

@mikefairgrieve It is always kind off hard for Devices on the network when you look at them although the EE Routers mostly do a poor show getting what is right/wrong displayed, i have just moved back to Sky and there router is the same when you try to look what devices are connected, it just throws up it's hands. 

The mesh system becomes really bad, when you look see what is going on the 6000, 6Ghz band whatever that is showing you that you HAVE it connected as a wireless backhaul unit to unit, then devices connected to the Extender in your case mostly your 3 camera's Ethernet connected, if you connect on with the laptop by Ethernet also it may show up, it's just all does the Router see it, does refresh sometimes help, most off the time app/web interface, hope, wing on a prayer etc etc....

[Dannywalls76]

Well I left it plugged into the hub overnight. The light stayed aqua when I disconnected the Ethernet, but when I moved it into another room and plugged it back in, it went straight back to flashing orange. It’s like it forgets the connection unless there’s a hard connection. I think a phone call to CS is on the cards. 

[JimM11]

@Dannywalls76 Although you have moved it, and it is flashing orange, have you also let it just try to connect over time?

https://ee.co.uk/help/broadband/getting-started/setting-up-smart-wifi

https://ee.co.uk/help/broadband/fix-problem/fix-problems-with-smart-wifi