Smart Wifi Plus Discs not connecting as extenders

[pst99]

Hi, I've recently migrated to EE from BT and got all new Kit...Smart Hub Plus, 3 Smart Wifi Plus discs and Hybrid Connect.

No matter which way I add the Smart Wifi Plus discs I cannot get them to show up as extenders which means I can't manage them (i.e. turn the lights off as they are too bright at night in my bedroom) and I can't see through any interface which devices are connecting through them...

I've tried adding using a Cat5 cable, using WPS button on hub and adding through EE app. I always end up with the solid aqua light and they do appear to be working (I see the additional BSSIDs being broadcast against my SSID) but they stubbornly refuse to show up as extenders in the router admin interface or in the EE app.

Has anyone else experienced this and found a solution...or are there EE bods here that can help?

[Leanne_T]

Hi there @pst99 

Thanks for coming back to the community and sharing this feedback. 

If you're WiFi extenders are not showing in the app, please get in touch with our tech guides and they will get this looked into for you. 

Thanks. 

Leanne. 

[pst99]

Hi @Leanne_T ,

Before trying to ring support, I thought I'd have a go and see if I could work out anything my end...Unfortunately my experience with ringing EE for support is that, they don't/don't want to understand my network...and normally say, hey lets just reset your router...

Here's my setup:

1 x Hub (FTTP) - App: 2.36.9/FW:r2.72.3-R-1302579-PROD-83002
3x Smart Wifi Plus Discs - FW:r2.72.3-R-1302579-PROD-91002 - This is the version they are now after having gotten management of them back working...
DHCP on Hub disabled. (I have AdGuard Home doing DHCP as it's the only way to get DNS to point to Adguard. The new seeting on the Hub to allow us to set DNS Servers also adds the Hub as DNS which defeats the object...not all requests go via AdGuard...)
DHCP on Adguard configured with CloudFlare for upstream DNS - except for the Mac Addresses of the Discs which have the EE Hub configured for upstream DNS. This previously worked and allowed me to pair and manage Smart Wifi discs...but somewhere along the line one of the firmware updates stopped this. They were still paired, but did not appear in EE App/Hub GUI etc.

So, here's what I've sussed out:
If AdGuard is serving DHCP, whilst I can pair a SmartWifi disc - it does not appear in the GUI/App
If I stop Adguard DHCP and start it on the Hub, pair the SmartWifi disc, then switch DHCP back to Adguard - they appear to remain manageable...
So far this has survived a reboot of the hub too...

It really shouldn't be this complicated...and if the Hub GUI allows us to set DNS, it really shouldn't be adding additional DNS that are invisible in the GUI (you can just see if on clients)

Anyway...right now - all appears to be working...watch this space...if anything changes I'll no doubt be back 😉
Hope my ramblings help others.

I really hope we get more technical info from EE for us 'more complicated' customers so we don't have to just flounder around on our own....

Phil

[Leanne_T]

Hi there @pst99 

Thanks so much for coming back to us and letting me know this is working for you. 

If anything does change, please pop back to the community. 

Thanks 🙂

Leanne.