By BT’s Complete Wi-Fi service gives you a guaranteed wi-fi signal in every room of your home, or £100 back.
At home, the strength of your wi-fi signal rapidly drops as you move away from the router. This means you might have poor wi-fi in parts of your home, leading to dropped connections, buffering and slow downloads.
In the UK, BT now offers Complete Wi-Fi as an optional add-on to all of their fibre broadband plans. It gives you a guaranteed wi-fi signal in every room of your home so you can work, learn, stream and game wherever you are. It does this using mesh networking technology to improve the wi-fi signal in your home.
In this article, we’ll review BT’s Complete Wi-Fi service. We’ll start by looking at how it works, how you can get it and the main benefits of using Complete Wi-Fi. We’ll also look at BT’s latest broadband offers and at the technical specifications of the Smart Hub 2 router and Complete Wi-Fi Disc. Finally, we’ll look at how you can change your broadband provider to BT.
| Prices From: | £41.99 per month (£12 per month for existing BT Broadband customers) |
|---|---|
| Best Offer: | £50 reward card (available on BT Fibre 2 with Complete WiFi) |
| Contract Length: | 24 months |
| Router: | BT Smart Hub 2 |
| Key Features: |
|
Contents
What is BT Complete Wi-Fi?
For many people, a major frustration when using the internet at home is having a poor wi-fi signal in parts of your house. This leads to dropped connections, buffering when you’re watching videos online and downloads taking a long time. It can also worsen the battery life on mobile devices like your smartphone.
BT’s Complete Wi-Fi service is an add-on for BT Broadband that improves the Wi-Fi signal through your home. It uses a combination of BT’s Smart Hub 2 router and up to 3 Wi-Fi Discs that boost the signal from it. It does this using mesh networking technology so you’ll get one seamless wi-fi network with better overall speeds through your home.
The Complete Wi-Fi service is backed by BT’s Complete Wi-Fi Guarantee. This says you’ll be able to get a reliable wi-fi signal in every room of your home. If it isn’t possible, you’ll get £100 back from BT.
How To Get BT Complete Wi-Fi
To get BT’s Complete Wi-Fi service, start by choosing your BT Broadband plan online. At present, you can get BT’s fibre broadband service from £29.99 per month, with a range of special offers available like a £50 reward card on Fibre 2.
Get BT Broadband with Complete WiFi →
Once you’ve chosen your new BT Broadband plan, tap the button to “customise your package”. You’ll be given the option to add Complete Wi-Fi for an extra £12/month. You can also add BT TV and Hybrid Connect to your plan if you like.
As an alternative to adding Complete Wi-Fi to your fibre broadband plan, you can also get it as part of BT’s Halo 3+ unbreakable home wi-fi service.
BT Complete Wi-Fi Features
Wi-Fi Coverage In Every Room
The main benefit of having BT’s Complete Wi-Fi add-on is the ability to get a reliable Wi-Fi signal in every room of your home.
To enable this, BT will give you their latest Smart Hub 2 router along with one Wi-Fi Disc to get started. The Smart Hub 2 and Wi-Fi Disc work closely with each other to give you a stronger wi-fi signal that reaches every room.
Once you’re able to get a reliable wi-fi signal in every room of your home, you’ll be able to stay connected whichever room you’re in (for instance, allowing you to work from the attic or from a spare bedroom).
Fast & Seamless Home Wi-Fi
The Complete Wi-Fi service uses mesh networking networking to give you one seamless home wi-fi network. There’s no need to reconnect to different networks as you walk around your home: everything happens automatically in the background to give you the best performance.
Adding a Complete Wi-Fi Disc to your home wi-fi network should improve the overall speeds you get. According to BT, a typical four-bed home will see a 25% increase in wi-fi speeds when using a single Wi-Fi Disc. In many cases, the improvement can be even larger, especially if you’re currently suffering from poor wi-fi in certain places.
Because Complete Wi-Fi uses mesh networking technology, it’s very different from cheaper wi-fi range extenders and repeaters that you can buy on the high street. Older wi-fi range extenders and repeaters normally reduce the speeds available on your network by around 50%. You’ll also need to change wi-fi networks as you walk around your home (e.g. to manually switch between the wi-fi signal from your hub and the extender).
Complete Wi-Fi Guarantee
The Complete Wi-Fi Service is backed by BT’s Complete Wi-Fi Guarantee.
When you initially take out the service, you’ll get a Smart Hub 2 router and a single Wi-Fi Disc to get started. According to BT, one Wi-Fi disc should be enough to cover most homes. However, up to two further discs are available at no extra charge if you need them.
If, after the installation of three Wi-Fi Discs, you’re still unable to get reliable Wi-Fi in every room of your home, you’ll get a £100 credit applied to your bill. BT says you should be able to get a download speed of at least 10Mbps in every room of your home. This is more than enough for smooth HD-quality video streaming.
According to BT, the Complete Wi-Fi Guarantee “covers your main home” and “does not cover outbuildings, gardens or sheds”.
Hybrid Connect
If you have BT’s Hybrid Connect service, you can use Complete Wi-Fi together with it.
With Hybrid Connect, you’ll get a 4G-based backup broadband connection. If there’s ever a disruption to your fibre broadband service, it will automatically switch over to 4G, keeping you connected to the internet. This happens seamlessly and transparently at the hub so there’s no need to switch wi-fi networks or to sign in again on your devices.
If you’re using Complete Wi-Fi with Hybrid Connect, it will continue boosting your home wi-fi signal regardless of whether you’re connected using fibre or 4G. However, the Complete Wi-Fi Guarantee does not apply when you’re connected to 4G. This is because the speeds on the 4G network may be affected by external factors like 4G coverage or congestion.
BT Broadband Plans
At present, BT offers a range of fibre broadband plans from £29.99 per month.
The following table shows BT’s latest fibre broadband offers:
| Service | Download Speed | Monthly Cost (will rise each April by £3) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
 Fibre Essential | 36Mbps average download | £29.99 per month No upfront fee 24 month contract | See deal |
Fibre 2 | 67Mbps average download | £29.99 per month No upfront fee £50 reward card 24 month contract | See deal |
Fibre 1 | 50Mbps average download | £30.99 per month plus £31.99 upfront £50 reward card 24 month contract | See deal |
In addition, if you’re living in one of 7 million homes with access to full fibre (FTTP) broadband, you’ll also have access to BT’s Full Fibre broadband plans:
| Service | Download Speed | Monthly Cost (will rise each April by £3) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
Full Fibre 100 | 150Mbps average download | £29.99 per month No upfront fee £50 reward card 24 month contract | See deal |
Full Fibre 300 | 300Mbps average download | £32.99 per month No upfront fee £50 reward card 24 month contract | See deal |
Full Fibre 500 | 500Mbps average download | £39.99 per month No upfront fee £50 reward card 24 month contract | See deal |
Full Fibre 900 | 910Mbps average download | £44.99 per month No upfront fee £50 reward card 24 month contract | See deal |
Once you’ve chosen your BT Broadband plan, you can choose to “customise your package” to add Complete Wi-Fi to it.
To see which fibre broadband plans are available at your address, use the availability checker on BT’s website. This will also give you a personalised estimate of the download speeds available.
Technical Specifications
If you add Complete Wi-Fi to your BT Broadband plan, you’ll receive BT’s latest Smart Hub 2 router. You’ll also get a Complete Wi-Fi Disc to go with it (with a further two discs available at no extra cost if required for your home).
The following table shows the technical specifications of the BT Smart Hub 2 router and the Complete Wi-Fi Disc:
| BT Smart Hub 2 | BT Complete Wi-Fi Disc | |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
| Availability | ||
| Complete Wi-Fi: | Smart Hub 2 is provided to Complete Wi-Fi customers† | One Wi-Fi Disc is provided to all Complete Wi-Fi customers (2 further discs available at no extra cost if required) |
| Connectivity | ||
| Dual-Band Wi-Fi: | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi Connectivity: | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac |
| Wi-Fi Speed: | Up to 2022Mbps total | Up to 2118Mbps total |
| 2.4GHz Wi-Fi: | 3×3 MIMO (up to 289Mbps) | 4×4 MIMO (up to 385Mbps) |
| 5GHz Wi-Fi: | 4×4 MIMO (up to 1733Mbps) | 4×4 MIMO (up to 1733Mbps) |
| Ethernet: | 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports | 1 Gigabit Ethernet port (per disc) |
| Phone: | 1 FXS phone port (Digital Voice) 2 DECT antennas |
N/A |
| USB ports: | 1 USB 2.0 port | – |
| Other: | WPA2 / WPA security Built-in firewall Automatic channel selection & optimisation |
Requires Smart Hub 2 |
| Other | ||
| Colour: | Black | Black |
| Dimensions: | 25.4 x 15.7 x 3.0 cm | 16.5 x 16.5 x 3.6 cm |
| More Information: | BT Website | BT Website |
† The Smart Hub 2 is now provided to BT Broadband customers with at least one of the following products: Complete Wi-Fi, Hybrid Connect, Halo 3+ and Digital Voice. Other BT Broadband customers may receive the Smart Hub instead.
Both your Smart Hub 2 router and your linked Wi-Fi Discs can be managed through the My BT app. The app will also help you to set-up and optimise your wi-fi network.
Switching to BT Broadband
If you’re currently using another broadband provider, it’s easy switching your service to BT. This will allow you to take advantage of BT’s Complete Wi-Fi for a guaranteed Wi-Fi signal in every room of your home.
To begin the switch, start by ordering your new BT Broadband plan online. When you do this, you’ll be given the option to “customise your package” and to add Complete Wi-Fi to your plan.
Once you’ve completed the online order process, you’ll be given a date for your service to switch over. This will normally be in around 2-3 weeks time. In advance of the service going live, BT will send you a Smart Hub 2 router and a Complete Wi-Fi Disc. You’ll need to plug these in on the date that your BT service goes live.
For step-by-step instructions on how to switch to BT Broadband, please select your current provider from the drop-down menu below:
Switch to BT Broadband
Your step-by-step guide to switching
For more information, see our full guide to switching broadband providers in the UK.
Frequently Asked Questions
| What is BT Complete Wi-Fi? | Complete Wi-Fi is an optional add-on for BT’s fibre broadband service in the UK. It gives you a guaranteed wi-fi connection in every room of your home with download speeds of at least 10Mbps. This is provided using a Smart Hub 2 router and up to 3 Wi-Fi Discs. |
|---|---|
| How does BT Wi-Fi in every room work? | BT’s Complete Wi-Fi service uses mesh networking technology to extend the range of your home Wi-Fi network. It does this by having the Smart Hub 2 router link up with a Wi-Fi Disc. If further discs are required to get Wi-Fi in every room, BT will send you a further 2 discs at no extra cost. |
| What is the Complete Wi-Fi Guarantee? | BT’s Complete Wi-Fi Guarantee gives you a minimum download speed of at least 10Mbps in every room of your home. If you’re unable to get this, you’ll get a £100 bill credit once you’ve been using the service for 3 months. |
| How many discs do I get with BT Complete Wi-Fi? | To begin with, you’ll get 1 Wi-Fi Disc provided to you on the Complete Wi-Fi service. If further discs are required, you can get another 2 discs sent out to you at no extra cost. |
| How much does BT Complete Wi-Fi cost? | You can add Complete Wi-Fi for an extra £12/month to any of BT’s fibre broadband plans. This means you can get a fibre broadband service with Complete Wi-Fi included from £41.99/month. You can also get Complete Wi-Fi as part of a BT Halo 3+ bundle. |
More Information
For more information about the Complete Wi-Fi service, please see the official BT website. You may also find it useful to read our BT Broadband review.
Rod Patterson said:
Our lounge has good wifi at both ends but very poor in the middle because of the chimney. We have a single disc that I’ve tried in various places. So whilst I do have “wifi in every room” I have a black area in part of the room. Will this qualify for an additional disc? Thanks.
Jane replied:
2 months ago I was told by a technician that we could get the complete WiFi compensation because 3 discs do not cover all of our house. (It has stone walls, is an L shape and long and thin. And the router is at one end of it.
The money has not arrived and I have chased up twice. I have now been told that Complete WiFi only guarantees coverage in 6 rooms, by two different tech people. They say it is in the t&c. I cannot find anything about 6 rooms only anywhere and I think they are lying to try not to give us the money.
It is escalated to a complaint now.
Pat Staples said:
Wifi no longer works in my bedroom. It used to!
I am disabled and live alone so need any provision fitted for me by BT.
Please advise.
Richard Horton said:
We have 3 extra dishes, each with “excellent” status but degradation due to thick walls means router speed of 150mb/s downgrades to 50 at point of use.
My power line adaptors don’t work. They connect but give minimal speed.
Power line would overcome the wall issues.
How can I connect them or can you recommend adaptors that will work with BT hub?
Fred Johnson said:
We already have a BT Home Hub with BT broadband, how easy is it to add the “Mesh” option with 4 discs?
Ken replied:
Hi Fred,
Thanks for your comment. There are three things you can do here:
1. You can add Complete Wi-Fi to your broadband plan for an extra £10/month (a new contract will also apply when you get this). This will give you a Smart Hub 2 and up to 3 Wi-Fi Discs if required.
2. You could order the individual items yourself from the BT website. It would cost you £400 for a Smart Hub 2 and 3 Complete Wi-Fi Discs.
3. Alternatively, it’s worth considering other mesh wi-fi systems as well. For instance, BT’s Whole Home Wi-Fi system is available for £200 with 3 discs. This is probably a better option if you want to go down the do-it-yourself route.
Hope this helps,
Ken
Michael Hill said:
Hello
We have broadband from BT. Our SH 1 is located in a basement area and I don’t want to move it. At the moment the house is served by four wirless access points which are connected to the SH 1 by ethernet cables. Will the BT Complete Wifi system function as intended IF I connect the disc(s) to the new SH 2 via the existing ethernet cables? I ask because when Sky installed their Q box and (three) mini boxes they said that their mesh system would not function correctly if the mini boxes were connected to the router by ethernet cables.
Thanks in advance.
Michael
Almac7 said:
Hi Ken
Great website! I recently acquired one of the BT Black Complete wi-fi disks purchased direct from BT (not on subscription). This has sorted out patchy access on the first floor of my house. I am considering buying another to extend better access [Fibre 2 – 74 Mbps – from the Smart Hub 2) to the rear of the house where it is not so good. Before I do that I wanted to check out 3 things with you:
1. A friend has given me 2 of the BT white disks (the Whole Home setup) that he no longer uses. Reading round on the web it seems these are incompatible with a Black Complete wi-fi disk setup when this is in situ with a Smart Hub 2. Can you confirm this and if they are incompatible give me the technical reason why? I haven’t yet tried to set them op as I needed to check the compatibility first.
2. Some time back, before the Black disk, I bought a TP Link powerline range extender set (TL-PA4010 for the ethernet link to the hub and TL-WPA4220 for the extender itself) originally for upstairs but they didn’t work well as the downstairs ring and the upstairs one are on separate electrical ring mains. Now I am trying to use them to extend to the rear of the house on the ground floor where the Smart Hub 2 is. I have changed the SSID to the same one as on the Smart Hub 2 and Mesh network in an attempt to use them to extend this network. My questions is: will this powerline set clash with the BT Black disk setup and cause degradation for the signal or other problems with my home network?
3. Likewise for a Netgear EX6120 wireless extender which is still plugged in in one of the downstairs rooms. Should I remove this or will it continue to improve the signal in that room. I note what you said in the article about range extenders, even with the same SSID as the main router, as in the case here, tending to degrade the bandwidth being broadcast.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts on this.
Al
Ken replied:
Hi Almac,
Thanks for your comment, and apologies for the delay in getting back to you.
Unfortunately, the white BT Whole Home Wi-Fi discs cannot pair with the black BT Complete Wi-Fi discs to work as one complete network across the whole of your home. I’m not sure if there’s a technical reason for this, or if it’s just that they’re not designed to talk to each other. You’ll need another Complete Wi-Fi disc if you want it to work as part of your existing mesh network. Alternatively, you can also just use the Whole Home Wi-Fi discs, by plugging one of them in to your Complete Wi-Fi disc (you’d essentially be using it in a daisy chain formation). This obviously isn’t the recommended way of doing things, and you’ll end up with two separate networks, but it could be an option to try if you don’t want to buy another disc.
With regards to 2 & 3, I’m unfortunately not 100% sure about this. Perhaps someone else reading this might know the answer, or I’d possibly also recommend asking on a few other places like the ISPReview forum.
Ken
Almac7 replied:
Thanks for replying Ken .. I didn’t get any further feedback on this so I installed the TP link powerlines in the downstairs rooms with the BT Black disk setup upstairs and it seems to work with the powerlines if not brilliantly .. I may at some stage bite the bullet and get another black disk .. Thanks for your help .. Al
Simona said:
Thank you for this article, really interesting, and so Useful! One clarification:
I have Halo 1 and would like one disc to extend reach. Paying £10 for 25 months seems expensive. Can I just buy a disc? From your conversation with Michael above it looks as if it only works with Halo2 hub, but BT is offering also FIBRE WITH HALO 1 AND COMPLETE WI-FI, does that work with a different hub than my Halo 1 hub?
Ken replied:
Hi Simona,
Thanks for your comment. The Complete Wi-Fi solution only works with the Smart Hub 2 – it isn’t compatible with the Smart Hub 1. If you add Complete Wi-Fi to your plan, you’ll get both a new Smart Hub 2 router and Wi-Fi Disc for it. Alternatively, you can buy these on a standalone basis: it’s £200 for a Smart Hub 2 with a Wi-Fi Disc (the Complete Wi-Fi Guarantee isn’t available on this).
Alternatively, if you don’t want to change your existing router, you can always buy the BT Whole Home Wi-Fi system instead. This is a slightly older system but is cheaper at £124 and it works with any broadband router and ISP (including your Halo 1 hub).
Hope this helps,
Ken
Derek M said:
We just had smart hub 2 fitted. I hadn’t realised it wasn’t going to be simply plugged in where the old hub went in the kitchen. Also Open Reach told me they weren’t supposed to go much further than 2 m into the house during the CoVid pandemic. This means we have a hub ‘upgrade’ placed at the front of the house with its cable, now find wi fi doesn’t get as far as previously!
Would BT provide a free disk to extend the wi fi so it gets to areas it reached before?? I believe they should.
Ken replied:
Hi Derek,
Thanks for your comment. Are you able to move the Smart Hub 2 yourself to where it was previously located, or is there something that prevents you from doing this? I don’t believe BT will provide you with a free Disc – you’ll need to add Complete Wi-Fi if you want to get one, or you can buy one from their website for £100.
Ken
Michael Keetley said:
Hi Ken – good article.
I am currently paying for BT broadband and considering 2 options – either:
1) paying an extra £10 a month to get the guaranteed speed. So £240 over the next 2 years; or
2) Buying 2 discs outright (£100 per disc = £200).
I know I don’t get the guarantee in option 2), but after 2 years I will own them outright and make future savings.
Is there any other difference in the complete wifi package – e.g. is the technology any different to just doing it yourself?
Thanks
Michael
Ken replied:
Hi Michael,
Assuming you have a Smart Hub 2 router, you can simply buy 2 discs outright as you mention in your message (obviously, without the Wi-Fi guarantee as you already mention in your message). However, you’ll also need to pay £100 for the Smart Hub 2 unless you’re on a package that already includes it. Most fibre broadband plans come with the original Smart Hub – you’ll need a Halo 2 package or Complete Wi-Fi to get a Smart Hub 2 router.
Hope this helps,
Ken
Graham said:
Hi, just received the new BT equipment…we have a long home, with the hub at one end. Can we place one mesh booster half way and the second further away? Basically will the second booster pick up the signal from the first one, or only directly from the new hub?
Ken replied:
Hi Graham,
Thanks for your comment. Yes, you can put one of the discs in the middle of your home, and the other disc on the opposite end. They’ll all to each other to distribute the Wi-Fi signal from one end of your home to the other.
Hope this helps,
Ken
Ray ruzewicz said:
I have the Smart hub 2 and 3 discs. However I still get poor wifi / dead spots my house is Georgian G2 with very thick walls.
Can I use a BT repeater within this set up to enhance reception.
Can I add BT have been less than helpful.
Ken replied:
Hi Ray,
Great question. I assume you’ve already had your money back from BT as part of the Complete Wi-Fi package? If so, I believe you can still order additional discs through this page at a cost of £100 each.
Ken
Jim said:
My tests today have shown me that the WiFi discs seem to be working like conventional extenders with a speed drop rather than the claimed no speed drop with a true mesh network.
Setup one disc directly inline between the Smart hub 2 and bottom of my garden through an open window.
Using the BT app to setup the disc was placed in an “excellent” location according to the app.
Speed test connected via the disc returned speeds in the high 50’s.
Went back in the house and switched off the power to the disc and returned to the same location down the garden and did another speed test, now connected directly to the Smart hub 2 at the opposite side of our house through 2 walls and the open window.
The signal strength on my phone was showing as being less than when connected to the disc as expected, however the speed test was now returning faster speeds in the mid to late 90’s.
Just for reference I get mid 130’s at close proximity to the Smart hub 2.
Surely if this system is working as the mesh network that it’s advertised as being, when connected to the disc I should be getting the same mid to late 90’s or higher that I get when connected directly to the Smart hub 2 through some additional walls.
Anyone have a reasonable explanation for my findings?
Thanks in advance.
Tony Cashman said:
I have just ordered 900 fibre. Is it really as quick as advert.
Damien McKeand said:
Great website Ken!
Really useful information. I have just upgraded to the BT 900 deal. I was told by a friend that the 500 deal was pulled by BT in order to get people to buy the 900.
Well I phoned (27/6/20) them to sort out a deal but they had all the speeds available, 100, 300, 500, 900.
They are however pushing the 900 deal in that it was cheaper than the 500!
So, my bundle is: 900 full fibre plus the Complete Wi-Fi service for £56.99!!! Amazing deal.
The BT guy I spoke to reminded me to make sure I get all 3 discs from BT as the 2nd 2 are free as you said in your article.
Stuart said:
What will likely range of a mesh disc placed just inside a ground floor window in the garden ?
Ken replied:
Hi Stuart,
Thanks for your comment. I don’t think BT publish any information on the expected range of their discs. However, I believe you can normally get up to 30 meters of range on similar products.
Ken
Stanley said:
Great website and article. I agree on using a Mesh versus an Extender. Can you advise on whether a Powerline system, or Mesh network is better though?
1. In terms of having multiple networks, a Powerline can use the same network SSID, but does it have the same issue where e.g. you will be connected to the main ISP Router as you walk through your house, and then suddenly the connection would go even if the Powerline Wifi overlaps the middle of the house?
2. Would the Mesh Wifi give you a faster Wifi than the Powerline distributer/node that is plugged into a wall theoretically dispersing the “full” bandwidth from your router?
3. Allowing for going through a few walls, hypothetically in the case of Full Fibre (e.g. speeds of 330 to 1000), would the Mesh, or Powerline solution be able to deliver as close as possible Wifi speeds equivalent to the Full speed? I notice that the BT package for instance only seems to mention a guarantee of 30Mbps, which seems extremely low for such a high speed?
Thus far I have used a Powerline for very slow ADSL service (1-3Mbps), and noticed it disperses virtually full signal when it works (which constantly goes because of the copper line) on the extreme ends of the house (the ISP router and Powerline are on opposite ends, one upstairs, one downstairs), though the middle of the house, or far corner upstairs can have a lower Wifi signal.
Been using 4G this whole time to survive, but incredibly FTTP “up to 1000” has now become available at the property, so very interested to know the best way to distribute a solid Wifi signal to maximise the speed throughout the house and keep it simple?
Ken replied:
Hi Stanley,
Thanks a lot for your comment, and for the kind words about the website!
With regards to 1: I believe your device would automatically connect to the router with a stronger signal if both routers are using the same SSID. Of course, though, you’ll need to configure your routers to work together properly with each other (slightly easier with mesh as that’s how it’s always designed to work).
With regards to 2 & 3 (whether mesh or powerline is better), it’s really difficult to give a precise answer for this! Ideally, you would always use a wired Ethernet connection through your home if possible – especially if you want to benefit from full gigabit speeds. However, mesh is normally a decent alternative if you don’t want to go to all of this hassle, though speeds won’t be quite as good as using a wired connection. I think the quality of powerline really depends on how your house is wired up: it might work great for some people and really badly for others! From the two, I’d personally try out using mesh wi-fi first given it’s a newer technology, tends to be more flexible, probably offers better speeds for most people, etc. Saying that, if you already have a powerline network set up, you may as well test this out first before purchasing some new kit to try the mesh networking solution.
Hope this helps,
Ken
Stanley replied:
Hi Ken,
Thanks! And this website is awesome. That helps.
I actually use a Powerline system with Wifi at the moment. I’m wondering how to best disperse the FTTP that has become available (waiting to see what will be on offer after March).
I came across a Powerline Mesh Wifi network as well, which I suppose would combine the best of both worlds? Be great to see a review or recommendations on that. I saw the Devolo Powerline Magic Mesh Wifi system for instance. Would something like that (I think TP Link and Huawei also do such Powerline Mesh Wifi units) be better than a purely Wifi mesh system like Google Wifi?
Keep up the great site,
Stanley
Monsters said:
Most bog standard routers will reach every normal size house.. Its a con we gaurentee every room. Any generic router will do that..
Ally T replied:
That’s not true, we have an old house with stone walls and no stander router works, we have to have a mesh.
Duf replied:
If you live in a bedsit i agree but I’ve never lived anywhere where I get full coverage in every room. In fact I can be 10 meters away from my router with no walls or doors in the way and I just get buffering.
Gill said:
We’re about to order Fibre 250, with BT Complete Wi-Fi. The most convenient place to bring fibre into the house is at one end (nearest the road). However the house is long so normal wi-fi won’t reach and I’ve already been looking at mesh systems. Am I right in thinking that with a spread of discs, the mesh system means that it doesn’t really matter where the original line comes into the house?
Ken replied:
Hi Gill,
Thanks for your comment. Yes, with mesh wi-fi there shouldn’t be much impact from where the original line comes in to the home. There might still be a small difference as traffic from the other end of the home needs to “hop” through more discs before reaching the actual router. However, I imagine this should be fairly minor/negligible.
Ken
Peter said:
No u are not the only one to deliver WiFi in every room, stop lying, and don’t try to say about terms and conditions, because u always say, ur fake
Ronnie said:
Hi I used to have BT Whole home and we positioned disks to bounce the wifi through a window to an annex which has a seperate electric circuit
It worked fine albeit not huge speeds.
I have now upgraded to Smart Hub 2 and am not getting anything in the annex – i have smart hub 2 + 3 disks do the disks need to be on the same electric circuit? how do they talk to each other – do they need to point through glass to bounce off each other?
Ken replied:
Hi Ronnie,
Thanks for your comment. The Whole Home Wi-Fi uses mesh networking technology so the discs will communicate wirelessly with each other. There’s no need for them to be on the same electrical circuit. Unfortunately, it’s really difficult for me to say what the issue is here (e.g. it might be a configuration issue on the Smart Hub, or perhaps something else may have changed in the set-up of your Whole Home Wi-Fi system)?
Ken
Mark Pearson said:
Hi,
I have installed a new router and a single disc but am still getting complaints about poor wifi around the house? Is there an app I can use to show the single strength at any point in the house to check before getting more discs?
Many thanks
Mark
Ken replied:
Hi Mark,
Thanks for your comment. Yes, it should be possible to do this through the My BT app 🙂
Ken
Lisa said:
I am about to get a smart hub 2 with discs but is says no guarantee for out buildings. Can you use an extender as well in combination with the disc system. An extender system currently works with my BThub6 and gets signal albeit at lower speed in my stables some 30m or so away
Ken replied:
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for your comment. Yes, I believe it should be possible to use an extender in combination with the Smart Hub 2 and Complete Wi-Fi Discs. However, it sounds like this might be a fairly complex set-up. How far away is the outbuilding that you’d like to cover? It might be best to look at an alternative mesh networking solution instead (e.g. BT’s Whole Home Wi-Fi), or having a wired connection to your outbuilding when then terminates in another disc/hub.
Ken
Carolyn said:
I like the sound of enhacing the wi-fi in the home and the BT complete service with the mesh networking, sounds great. Does the router have a SIM card slot? Or, is it just for wired broadband connections?
I suspect, as its not mentioned, there won’t be a SIM card slot and is therefore of no use to me in our situation. We receive poor download speeds (typically 3-5 Mbps) due to our old copper wiring and country location and are challenged internally by thick stone walls which make wi-fi hit or miss.
We do however receive upwards of 30 Mbps by 4G. so I am exploring the possibility of purchasing my own home 4G router with a SIM card slot and adding an unlimited SIM deal.
I would therefore like to find out what home routers with a SIM slot might be as good as this BT one sounds, with mesh networking if possible. Any ideas?
Thank you.
Ken replied:
Hi Carolyn,
Thanks for your comment. The BT Complete Wi-Fi solution consists of a fibre broadband router with built-in mesh networking functionality. If you’d like 4G broadband with mesh networking, you’re best off having two separate products. Use the 4G router from your 4G home broadband provider in conjunction with BT’s Whole Home Wi-Fi solution (or an alternative mesh networking product like Google Wi-Fi). Whole Home Wi-Fi works in conjunction with your existing router, creating a mesh wi-fi network from it.
Hope this helps,
Ken