I am due to move from a FTTC BT plan to a FTTP EE 900Mbps plan on 28th Jan 2025. I have elected to get the EE Smart Hub Pro and EE Smart Wi-fi Pro for which I am pay an additional £10 pm plus a phone service retaining my existing number.
My current set up includes a BT Home Hub 6 and I have given different names to the 2.5Ghz and 5 Ghz wireless service so they appear as two different networks eg. "xxxxxhub2.4Ghz" and "xxxxxhub5Ghz" . This makes it easy to connect Internet of Things (IOT) devices, cameras, switches, Google Home etc that will only accept 2.4Ghz wireless. My understanding is that the EE Smart Hub Pro does not allow different names for the 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz networks. I have some question regarding possible solutions to this below, I have bolded the sections where the questions are, just for clarity, I am not shouting!
I am trying to avoid having to modify all of the IOT devices settings to accept the new set up, my initial thought was just to rename the EE network to "xxxxxhub2.4Ghz", which of course will rename both the 2.4Ghz and the 5Ghz networks. Then temporarily switch off the 5Ghz network, which I believe assists in getting IOT devices to connect to the correct network. On consideration I thought that this was a little inelegant and also misleading (perhaps it is just me)!
So I wondered naming the EE Smart Hub Pro something completely different and then using of an Access Point connected via an Ethernet cable (I have a number installed around the house) and name the wireless from that "xxxxxhub2.4Ghz" and hopefully the IOT devices will connect to that. I have an old BT Hub 5 which I modified ages ago to act as an Access Point which works fine. However the Home Hub 5 is quite old and only has Wi-Fi 5, and limited range so I wondered if I would be better to get a new access point to replace the Home Hub 5.
So my 1st question is can any of the clever people on here recommend an Access Point that will fulfil my requirement, i.e. being able to rename the 2.4 Ghz and 5 Ghz wireless so that they have different names and with the ability to turn off the 5Ghz wireless if needed (to be honest it probably does not need 5Ghz)
Then I wondered if there was actually a solution already existing within the EE Smart Hub Pro. I am hoping that there are people on here with experience of the EE Smart Hub Pro as I have been unable to find a very comprehensive manual (does anyone have a link please) but I understand that the EE Smart Hub Pro as well as the Main Wi-Fi it has a compatible Wi-Fi and a Guest Wi-Fi. I am unsure what the Compatible Wi-Fi is for but can it be renamed differently from the Main Wi-Fi so that if I renamed it "xxxxxhub2.4Ghz" and switched off the compatible 5Ghz system could my IOT devices could be encouraged (fooled) into connecting to that? Is the same true for the Guest Wi-Fi? Also are their any limitations in using either of these 2 additional Wi-Fi facilities. So for example does the Smart Wi-Fi Pro work with these additional Wi-Fi facilities?
I am unsure which of the above is the better solution, or indeed if either of them are the best way to proceed. So any advice would be gratefully received, my thanks in anticipation of assistance.
Michael
