Author Topic: BT Home Hub 4  (Read 12561 times)

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Offline Simon

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BT Home Hub 4
« on: Sep 02, 2014, 19:56:22 »
These seem to be going for a song on Fleabay, presumably the locked versions.  Anyone know what they're like, and if they are easy to unlock?  I always liked my 2Wire BT Hub, and presumably these are just newer versions of that?  A friend has just bought a new unlocked one, and is very happy with it.
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Offline Den

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Re: BT Home Hub 4
« Reply #1 on: Sep 02, 2014, 20:12:19 »
I had a HH4 and a openreach box when I signed up for Infinity. When I had the option of purchasing a HH5 cheaply off BT I jumped at it as it does everything but all from one box. ;D
Mr Music Man.

Offline Simon

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Re: BT Home Hub 4
« Reply #2 on: Sep 02, 2014, 21:04:55 »
Yeah, but I'm more interested in how to get it to work with an ISP other than BT.
Simon.
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Offline Lance

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Re: BT Home Hub 4
« Reply #3 on: Sep 02, 2014, 21:38:48 »
Remember though that the 2wire was business orientated whereas the home hub, obviously, isn't. Whether that has any implications on build quality I wouldn't know.
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Offline Simon

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Re: BT Home Hub 4
« Reply #4 on: Sep 02, 2014, 21:40:06 »
Not really worried about build quality, as it's only got to sit on a desk or be hooked to a wall.  :dunno:
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Offline Baz

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Re: BT Home Hub 4
« Reply #5 on: Sep 02, 2014, 21:45:57 »
Why are they going so cheap then and what is cheap to save me looking.So i'm guessing they locked to BT are they.

Offline Den

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Re: BT Home Hub 4
« Reply #6 on: Sep 02, 2014, 21:48:33 »
As I am on fibre it may not apply for you Simon, but it seems to hold sinc over a very long line and every bit as good as my 2wire was if not better.  :)

They are going cheap because folk have upgraded when they have moved up to Infinity.
Mr Music Man.

Offline Baz

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Re: BT Home Hub 4
« Reply #7 on: Sep 02, 2014, 21:50:01 »
Ah ok   sorry I dont know much about them.So with infinity you get all new gear and they let you keep the old one .....and sell it on  ;D

Offline Den

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Mr Music Man.

Offline Simon

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Re: BT Home Hub 4
« Reply #9 on: Sep 02, 2014, 22:18:27 »
I lost the one I was bidding on.  It went from £8.69 to £22 with about 3 seconds to go.  Bloody snipers!   :rant2:
Simon.
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Offline Clive

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Re: BT Home Hub 4
« Reply #10 on: Sep 02, 2014, 22:23:15 »
Computeractive rates it as the best router Simon. 

Offline Simon

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Re: BT Home Hub 4
« Reply #11 on: Sep 02, 2014, 22:26:38 »
I'll keep my eye out for one.  ;)
Simon.
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Offline Gary

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Re: BT Home Hub 4
« Reply #12 on: Sep 02, 2014, 23:12:29 »
WiFi on them is not great in fact its quite poor, they only have one gigabit Ethernet the rest are 10/100 , the HH5 is an AC router but it has issues, and many people dumped them hence the 4 and 5 were cheap to pick up, they are limited on basic  features too, the HH5 is a ECI chipset the HH4 I think is a broadcom. The HH5 has a huge thread on the BT forums as it kept rebooting when using on its own without a separate modem VDSL modem. The HH4 does not get great reviews http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/wireless-routers/1301443/bt-home-hub-4

Offline Simon

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Re: BT Home Hub 4
« Reply #13 on: Sep 02, 2014, 23:35:11 »
I've only got one device that uses Ethernet, which is the main PC, so that won't bother me.  Actually, I tell a lie, I also have my Bluray player connected, but I don't really think it matters if that's only 10/100.  Looking at that review, I certainly wouldn't pay £50 or £100 for one, but for less than £20, it's got to be worth a punt, just to see if the wifi is better than the 7800DXL, which is not as good as the 7800N.

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Offline Gary

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Re: BT Home Hub 4
« Reply #14 on: Sep 03, 2014, 00:28:14 »
I've only got one device that uses Ethernet, which is the main PC, so that won't bother me.  Actually, I tell a lie, I also have my Bluray player connected, but I don't really think it matters if that's only 10/100.  Looking at that review, I certainly wouldn't pay £50 or £100 for one, but for less than £20, it's got to be worth a punt, just to see if the wifi is better than the 7800DXL, which is not as good as the 7800N.


Routers with internal aerials are generally not as good, I get a weak signal from the HH4 sitting 4 feet away from it at my mothers, your mileage may vary. Also you will need to disable the remote access command for firmware updates in it as they occur in the backround. I would have gotten wifi extenders/Homeplugs or one of the Asus/Netgear new AC routers which have wifi that knocks your socks off and flogged the DXL, not a home hub, that's just me though. Cant you just put high gain aerials on the 7800DXL?  :)

Offline Simon

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Re: BT Home Hub 4
« Reply #15 on: Sep 03, 2014, 00:45:43 »
The Asus routers are so ugly!  I hate all the antennas sticking up like that.  Probably silly, as I know performance counts first, but I have to look at the thing too.  I don't think I'd want another Netgear.  They seem to be troublesome, and you have to make sure you get the right firmware, etc...  Too much hassle for me these days. 

I already have a BT Wifi Extender which works well enough with the DXL.  It's only because a friend got a HH4 that I've been looking at them.  Guess I should really be saving my money for the new iPhone.  ;D
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Offline Simon

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Re: BT Home Hub 4
« Reply #16 on: Sep 03, 2014, 00:48:12 »
By the way, I believe the HH4r is factory unlocked, and can work with any ISP, so the background updates shouldn't be an issue with that one, should they?  I hope not, because the friend is with IDNet and they managed to set theirs up relatively hassle free.
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Offline Gary

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Re: BT Home Hub 4
« Reply #17 on: Sep 03, 2014, 07:39:40 »
The Asus routers are so ugly!  I hate all the antennas sticking up like that.  Probably silly, as I know performance counts first, but I have to look at the thing too.  I don't think I'd want another Netgear.  They seem to be troublesome, and you have to make sure you get the right firmware, etc...  Too much hassle for me these days. 

I already have a BT Wifi Extender which works well enough with the DXL.  It's only because a friend got a HH4 that I've been looking at them.  Guess I should really be saving my money for the new iPhone.  ;D
My R63300v2 has been trouble free and has a huge wifi coverage as its has wifi signal amplifiers in it, most new Routers now have external aerials and it gives much better performance, its lot like you stare it 24/7 well hopefully not :)

 I thought the HH4 are all locked to BT and you would need to unlock it like the BT Business Hub, also it has BT Fon which needs disabling, and the BT background service looks for new firmware etc automatically. I thought they were all locked and had to be unlocked. :dunno:

 
 I'm not getting the new iPhone this year, its a new shape new screen size and looks like it will have the same ram as my 5s I'll stick to the two year S cycle or whatever they will call it from now on as those models tend to have the glitches taken out of them that the previous model had put in. That's if I do update, tbh my phone does all I want it to anyway. I have given up on the upgrade everything because its new cycle, it generally either brings issues or disappointments as new is not always better and Apple has gone down in its build quality and OS stability in my view over the years. The best phone they made was the iPhone 4s 
« Last Edit: Sep 03, 2014, 07:51:28 by Gary »

Offline Den

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Re: BT Home Hub 4
« Reply #18 on: Sep 03, 2014, 07:44:14 »
I live in quite a large house so I added Devolo power extenders and find no problems. The range on the 4 and 5 was better than the 2wire but my needs changed when I bought smart TVs so the extenders made sense.
Mr Music Man.

Offline Gary

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Re: BT Home Hub 4
« Reply #19 on: Sep 03, 2014, 07:48:06 »
I live in quite a large house so I added Devolo power extenders and find no problems. The range on the 4 and 5 was better than the 2wire but my needs changed when I bought smart TVs so the extenders made sense.

The 4 and 5 have been given bad reviews for range, and from seeing my mothers if hers is typical its not that great, I guess a lot depends on where you live and what's around you and what your walls are made of.

Offline MisterW

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Re: BT Home Hub 4
« Reply #20 on: Sep 03, 2014, 10:51:01 »
http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/networking/1305838/how-to-use-the-bt-home-hub-5-with-another-isp
That article's a bit misleading, it's not really configuring it for use with another ISP, it's just how to use it as a wireless AP with an existing router.

Offline Gary

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Re: BT Home Hub 4
« Reply #21 on: Sep 03, 2014, 10:54:46 »
any router thats thin enough to go though a letterbox and hit the floor I find worrying, they also get damn hot too.  ;)

Offline Lance

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Re: BT Home Hub 4
« Reply #22 on: Sep 03, 2014, 15:29:53 »
Not really worried about build quality, as it's only got to sit on a desk or be hooked to a wall.  :dunno:

Sorry, I was thinking about the quality of the internal components and circuitry rather than external casing.

My in-laws use a HH5 without any issues on their BT line.
Lance
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Offline Simon

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Re: BT Home Hub 4
« Reply #23 on: Sep 03, 2014, 15:50:40 »
Your concerns and Gary's point about it getting hot perhaps correlate, Lance. 
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Offline Den

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Re: BT Home Hub 4
« Reply #24 on: Sep 03, 2014, 17:23:12 »
Simon, I have a HH4 and openreach box going spare as BT let me upgrade to HH5 for about £30. Make me an offer.   >:D
Mr Music Man.

Offline Simon

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Re: BT Home Hub 4
« Reply #25 on: Sep 03, 2014, 18:03:54 »
Too late, sorry Den.  :)
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Offline Steve

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Re: BT Home Hub 4
« Reply #26 on: Sep 03, 2014, 19:46:26 »
I personally wouldn't sell the modem it cuts down the options, there are some good routers available which need it to connect to FTTC.
Steve
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Offline Gary

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Re: BT Home Hub 4
« Reply #27 on: Sep 04, 2014, 11:15:24 »
I personally wouldn't sell the modem it cuts down the options, there are some good routers available which need it to connect to FTTC.
I agree, I prefer two box setups myself, the modem works well and leaves you to swap and make changes to your router without your FTTC line being disturbed possibly causing DLM to interfere, also as Steve said there are some great routers out there that hook up to the modem.

Offline Den

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Re: BT Home Hub 4
« Reply #28 on: Sep 04, 2014, 19:28:13 »
I'm not having any problems with Homehub 5 (yet) so don't see the point of changing a router.  :dunno:
Mr Music Man.

Offline Gary

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Re: BT Home Hub 4
« Reply #29 on: Sep 06, 2014, 09:27:27 »
I'm not having any problems with Homehub 5 (yet) so don't see the point of changing a router.  :dunno:
If you have a all in one set up Den, if you upgrade firmware or need to make static IP addresses using say address reservation (home hub cant do this I don't think) the router may reboot, if that happens you will have the FTTC re sync if the router goes wrong it can keep rebooting as some HH5's did ruining peoples lines with major DLM interaction. With a two box setup that wont happen, as the modem is separate and stays in sync with the cab even when the router disconnects. The HH5 is an ok router, wifi could be stronger as it is weak and it does choke a bit when lots of data flows though it (not my words HH5 users who push their routers hard)  and having BT control firmware upgrades in the backgorund would not make me happy as not every firmware upgrade is a good one. Also I don't think you can change DNS or have a guest network on the HH5, I may be wrong about DNS but no guests network would mean I couldn't use it as I run multiple networks from one router, but if it floats your boat that's all that matters. :)

 With a separate modem if you need to replace your router (they do go wrong Den) you can disconnect from the modem, stay in sync with the cab still, not worry about DLM seeing to many disconnections as a fault on the line and add your new route. Also most routers without modems tend to be more advanced, faster and have a better feature set not all, there are some great all in ones for ADSL but like Hi-Fi  separates give more options and better features, and when you put everything in the same box things don't always work out well as there is always a compromise.
« Last Edit: Sep 06, 2014, 09:31:53 by Gary »

Offline Den

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Re: BT Home Hub 4
« Reply #30 on: Sep 06, 2014, 11:07:09 »
I thought I had a problem the other week and BT sent me a new HH5 but the problem was a update on Glary Utilities (got rid) and not the hub. BT have not chased me for the older HH5 (yet) so I have a spare. There is a guest network which works great when my Grandson comes over. I agree with you about Hi-Fi separates though as that is the way I have always gone but these days things are moving so fast with streaming etc' so our opinion may change in time.

At this moment in time Homehub 5 works for me and as I use Devolo Powerline I have the best of both worlds and as I said before I do not have an issue even though I live in a large house.  :)
Mr Music Man.

Offline Gary

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Re: BT Home Hub 4
« Reply #31 on: Sep 06, 2014, 21:27:58 »
Powerlines can effect FTTC "Homeplugs (or any other powerline networking) uses similar frequencies to the VDSL that is connecting the cabinet to the modem. In bad cases this can reduce your VDSL rate" Just so you know. If it works for you, fine but separates are always better than one unit no matter what in my eyes and always will be.  :)


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