So I’m now paying Virgin Media £16.50 extra a month (I’ve cancelled Sky Movies + HD package to cover the extra cost) to utilise a stable internet connection (152Mbs) while I try and debug the ever increasing frequent dropouts from the BT Infinity Home Hub 5.
Bear in mind that this is the second Home Hub 5 I’m using (BT never sent the package for me to send back the first Home Hub 5). I’ve now reset it back to factory defaults and the only setting I’ve changed is the admin password.
The plan is to slowly add devices back on the Home Hub 5 every 8 days (7 days is the maximum amount of time the connection has remained up without the connection or Home Hub dropping/restarting). For the first 8 days, it’s just me switching wireless networks on my MacBook Air (2012) from the Virgin Media Super Hub 2 to the BT Home Hub 5. Just to check the uptime.
If that works, on day 9 I’ll add the Sky+HD box via ethernet. Another 9 days. If that works, the PS3 via ethernet (which tends to remain off these days) and the iPad and the iPhone (2.4Ghz only via separate SSID due to problems I’ve mentioned earlier on in this blog).
I believe that there is something with either the firmware or hardware with the Home Hub 5 which is causing these problems. Problems that simply do not exist with Virgin Media’s Super Hub 2 (which has it’s own fair share of problems, but nothing as bad as this).
If this is the case, I either expect BT to release me from my contract and I’ll stick with Virgin Media for broadband, or they can pay for a Draytek Vigor 2860 which is VDSL compatible and now offers dual band wireless – and hopefully should a damn sight more reliable.
