XPost: alt.windows7.general
From: nospam@needed.invalid
On Sun, 12/28/2025 7:06 PM, Char Jackson wrote:
> On Sun, 28 Dec 2025 14:34:43 -0500, Paul wrote:
>
>> On Sun, 12/28/2025 1:18 PM, Char Jackson wrote:
>>> On Sun, 28 Dec 2025 05:51:10 -0500, Paul wrote:
>>>
>>>> The Smart Hub 2 has seven antennas... but you cannot see them.
>>>>
>>>> https://bestbroadbanddeals.co.uk/broadband/providers/bt/routers/
>>>>
>>>> It would apparently be shipped with a 900Mbit/sec service.
>>>
>>> "Up to" 900 Mbit/sec, is what I've read.
>>>
>>>> It has an
>>>> older Wifi version. You might want to plug into a LAN Ethernet
>>>> port when running the Speedtest to verify the service is correct.
>>>>
>>>> Perhaps Char knows what that connector on the left is.
>>>> It would be coming from the ONT (Optical Network Termination or so).
>>>>
>>>> https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51jeEVwxqWL._AC_.jpg
>>>
>>> It looks like the connector on the lower left might be a DECT-compatible
>>> RJ-11 phone jack, only enabled for customers who sign up for digital
>>> voice service. Of the 4 gigabit LAN ports, one is labeled WAN, as a
>>> suggestion that customers should use that one to connect this unit, the
>>> router, to the modem/ONT. The power jack, power switch, and reset switch
>>> are straightforward, but I'm not sure what that switch on the RH edge
>>> (as viewed from the rear) might be - perhaps WPS to facilitate easy WiFi
>>> connections. Overall, this might have been a fine unit when it was first
>>> introduced in 2018, but it's not so impressive now.
>>>
>>>> The ventilation holes will let all of that beautiful Wifi signal out.
>>>>
>>>> If you do Speedtest.net or Ookla via the Wifi capability, you
>>>> will likely get the wrong answer. One of the yellow ports
>>>> would be better for test.
>>>
>>> I'm a big fan of wired connections in general, only using WiFi where
>>> it's required.
>>>
>>
>> The white one on the lower left says "Broadband" over top of it.
>
> Thanks. I wasn't able to make out what it said there. If I'm reading
> right, there should be an RJ-11 port somewhere, so I assumed it was down
> there, away from the ethernet ports. For me, the photo is just blurry
> enough that I can't tell the difference between RJ-11 and RJ-45. If
> that's intended to be a connection to an ONT, then it's definitely
> RJ-45.
>
>> My assumption was the ONT went in there. The title at the bottom
>> says FTTP version
>>
>> "FTTP stands for fibre to the premises. It uses fibre cables all the way
>> into your home. This means it can deliver ultrafast broadband speeds
>> up to 900Mb, and makes it the UK's most reliable broadband technology
too."
>> [they had me, right up to that last clause...]
>
> Most of the Internet is interconnected with fiber/fibre. It's much
> faster and more reliable than copper, right? Which part did you object
> to?
Anything can be reliable if it is installed properly.
In countries where they lay the media on the lawn,
that would be an example of where the reliability is
only as good as the last time you mowed the lawn.
The installs in this case, are "shallow spaded". You cut
a slot in the grass, and the fibre is laid in there
at some depth. If you cut a slot in the lawn, that's
not known for allowing deep installs. Where I live,
there are rules for the minimum depth of utilities,
and perhaps you have those same rules. I don't think
this fibre install necessarily follows that.
The fibre installed in my neighborhood was moled in.
A machine with tracks and a remote, rolled up the
driveway, and a device in the center of that,
runs the fibre underground and even, right under
the street paving of any intersections in the way.
The project went over budget and there have been no more
installs since, and none were done on my side of the street,
because an angry supervisor showed up and sent
all the contractors off.
But at least that fibre is not under the lawn.
It's *way* under the lawn.
The equipment was here for a week, and some of it
needed a "do-over" during some phase of the work.
Something wasn't right on the first try so they
did part of it again.
>> Whereas if you use the router part with a separate broadband modem,
>> that would go into WAN.
>
> With FTTP, there's no modem on premises, AFAIK, so you're talking about
> another type of data transmission in that case, xDSL perhaps?
This product comes with an ONT and a router. The ONT would be the demarc.
The BT Hub 2 thing is just a router. You can also use your own router.
The only detail would be what connector is on the end of the ONT output cable.
It should be an RJ45, but there have been other options in other
parts of the world. (People at DSLReports, where fibre is also discussed,
were "changing modules on something", to get bitrates over 1Gbit/sec
to work properly.) The fastest fibre you can get here is 3Gbit/sec,
but that's mostly a sparkle pony or a Unicorn. At least today, we've
got more interfaces at up to 10Gbit/sec that can be used on the house side.
>
>> It's aged, but at least you could plug something else into a LAN wired port.
>> I'm always doubtful of any Wifi delivering the goods, as a lot of
>> reviews on smallnetbuilder always started out hopeful, but all the
>> results seemed to say 100MB/sec when all was said and done :-)
>> Somewhere in the test house, the performance wasn't there. As a
>> result of reading those reviews, I try not to get people too excited
>> about the latest whizzy Wifi version. Although the current delivered thing,
>> the design intent was "more reliable deliver of the same bandwidth we
>> promised in the last release". And considering that was 4096 QAM or
>> similar silly promise, that's a good objective to have.
>
> I have fast and reliable WiFi here, but it's not by accident. I
> installed a 3-node mesh system about 4-5 years ago, so not only is the
> house fully saturated, but also the entire back yard, the front
> yard/driveway, extending about a block in either direction.
>
> For most other people, it's a crap shoot. The ISP guy puts the
> router+WiFi where he wants, and calls it a day. On the other side of the
> house, or out in the yard, the signal can be spotty or worse. For those
> people, WIFi is usually hit or miss, and complaints soon follow. I don't
> have any of those problems now, but pre-mesh I certainly did.
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)
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