A Win 10 PC with a PCI wifi card cannot connect to a router's wifi. It
shows as "Secured" (so it has passed the WPA authentication) but DHCP is
not obtaining an IP address. Even setting a static IP in the correct
DHCP range, with the router's IP as gateway and DNS doesn't work: I
cannot ping the router.
The PC and card can connect to a wifi network that my phone shares as tethering from its mobile phone connection.
Unfortunately although the PC has an Ethernet port, Windows is not
seeing it as a device (it's not even showing as present but
disabled/can't start etc) and the link light on the router doesn't show
a physical connection.
NY <me@privacy.net> wrote:
A Win 10 PC with a PCI wifi card cannot connect to a router's wifi. It
shows as "Secured" (so it has passed the WPA authentication) but DHCP is
not obtaining an IP address. Even setting a static IP in the correct
DHCP range, with the router's IP as gateway and DNS doesn't work: I
cannot ping the router.
Is the wifi network WPA3 only and the wifi card can only do WPA2, or something like that? What model is the card?
I'm not sure that 'Secured' means WPA has completed successfully, did you confirm that?
It may be useful to run Wireshark or another packet capture tool on the
wifi interface to see if any traffic is flowing.
The PC and card can connect to a wifi network that my phone shares as
tethering from its mobile phone connection.
Perhaps that is WPA2+WPA3?
Unfortunately although the PC has an Ethernet port, Windows is not
seeing it as a device (it's not even showing as present but
disabled/can't start etc) and the link light on the router doesn't show
a physical connection.
Have a look in BIOS and see if it's disabled.
Does the ethernet show in Device Manager? Perhaps you need a driver for
it?
I'm not sure that 'Secured' means WPA has completed successfully, did you confirm that?
Theo wrote:
I'm not sure that 'Secured' means WPA has completed successfully, did you
confirm that?
My Win11 laptop shows "connected, secured" so I don't think "secured" implies connected, unless Windows can tell you what wep/wpa2/wpa3
security setting, and what speed it's connected at, I don't think you
are connected ...
On 20/07/2026 15:45, Andy Burns wrote:
Theo wrote:
I'm not sure that 'Secured' means WPA has completed successfully, did
you
confirm that?
My Win11 laptop shows "connected, secured" so I don't think "secured"
implies connected, unless Windows can tell you what wep/wpa2/wpa3
security setting, and what speed it's connected at, I don't think you
are connected ...
It was showing a connection speed even though DHCP or static IP didn't
work and I couldn't see any traffic from the adaptor's MAC.
Anyway I tried with a USB wifi adaptor and that worked perfectly. So everyone is happy.
I do wonder whether wifi with the old card has never worked and
previously the connection was by Ethernet - until the Ethernet adaptor vanished from Windows. It shows up in the BIOS and appears to have
"working" status there. But Windows cannot see it in Device Manager.
One of life's little mysteries. The main thing is that the PC is now connected to the internet again.
I have an old Win10 laptop which was working well via wifi to my old
router, then I was forced to migrate from Plusnet to EE and the new
router did not see it on the network.-a It turns out that the new router only works with a new standard (new to me anyway) called Wifi6.
The laptop would work with a an Ethernet cable but I wanted a--- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
solution that would allow the laptop to be moved around. I solved
it by buying a USB dongle which supported Wifi6.
I wanted a solution that would allow the laptop to be moved around.-a I solved it by buying a USB dongle which supported Wifi6.
On 20/07/2026 16:39, NY wrote:
On 20/07/2026 15:45, Andy Burns wrote:I have an old Win10 laptop which was working well via wifi to my old
Theo wrote:
I'm not sure that 'Secured' means WPA has completed successfully,
did you
confirm that?
My Win11 laptop shows "connected, secured" so I don't think "secured"
implies connected, unless Windows can tell you what wep/wpa2/wpa3
security setting, and what speed it's connected at, I don't think you
are connected ...
It was showing a connection speed even though DHCP or static IP didn't
work and I couldn't see any traffic from the adaptor's MAC.
Anyway I tried with a USB wifi adaptor and that worked perfectly. So
everyone is happy.
I do wonder whether wifi with the old card has never worked and
previously the connection was by Ethernet - until the Ethernet adaptor
vanished from Windows. It shows up in the BIOS and appears to have
"working" status there. But Windows cannot see it in Device Manager.
One of life's little mysteries. The main thing is that the PC is now
connected to the internet again.
router, then I was forced to migrate from Plusnet to EE and the new
router did not see it on the network.-a It turns out that *the new router only works with a new standard (new to me anyway) called Wifi6*.-a The laptop would work with a an Ethernet cable but I wanted a solution that would allow the laptop to be moved around.-a I solved it by buying a USB dongle which supported Wifi6.-a That may be the same problem you had.
On 21/07/2026 11:01, Clive Page wrote:
On 20/07/2026 16:39, NY wrote:
On 20/07/2026 15:45, Andy Burns wrote:I have an old Win10 laptop which was working well via wifi to my old
Theo wrote:
I'm not sure that 'Secured' means WPA has completed successfully,
did you
confirm that?
My Win11 laptop shows "connected, secured" so I don't think
"secured" implies connected, unless Windows can tell you what wep/
wpa2/wpa3 security setting, and what speed it's connected at, I
don't think you are connected ...
It was showing a connection speed even though DHCP or static IP
didn't work and I couldn't see any traffic from the adaptor's MAC.
Anyway I tried with a USB wifi adaptor and that worked perfectly. So
everyone is happy.
I do wonder whether wifi with the old card has never worked and
previously the connection was by Ethernet - until the Ethernet
adaptor vanished from Windows. It shows up in the BIOS and appears to
have "working" status there. But Windows cannot see it in Device
Manager.
One of life's little mysteries. The main thing is that the PC is now
connected to the internet again.
router, then I was forced to migrate from Plusnet to EE and the new
router did not see it on the network.-a It turns out that *the new
router only works with a new standard (new to me anyway) called
Wifi6*.-a The laptop would work with a an Ethernet cable but I wanted a
solution that would allow the laptop to be moved around.-a I solved it
by buying a USB dongle which supported Wifi6.-a That may be the same
problem you had.
That claim about WiFi6 only sounds very strange.
Every version of WiFi is backward compatible with the earlier versions.
In any case the vast majority of in service devices which EE customers
want to connect to the router will not have WiFi6.
I have an old Win10 laptop which was working well via wifi to my old
router, then I was forced to migrate from Plusnet to EE and the new
router did not see it on the network.-a It turns out that the new router only works with a new standard (new to me anyway) called Wifi6.-a The
laptop would work with a an Ethernet cable but I wanted a solution that would allow the laptop to be moved around.-a I solved it by buying a USB dongle which supported Wifi6.-a That may be the same problem you had.
On Tue 21/07/2026 13:15, MikeS wrote:
On 21/07/2026 11:01, Clive Page wrote:
On 20/07/2026 16:39, NY wrote:
On 20/07/2026 15:45, Andy Burns wrote:
That claim about WiFi6 only sounds very strange.
Every version of WiFi is backward compatible with the earlier versions.
In any case the vast majority of in service devices which EE customers want to connect to the router will not have WiFi6.
I was going to say that!
More likely the router has been set to work WiFi6 only and earlier
versions are disabled?
Clive Page wrote:
I wanted a solution that would allow the laptop to be moved around.-a I
solved it by buying a USB dongle which supported Wifi6.
When the inevitable snapping of the dongle in the USB port by small
child or feline occurs, you might want to look for a suitable (M.2 or miniPCIe) internal wifi card.
On 2026-07-21 11:01, Clive Page wrote:
I have an old Win10 laptop which was working well via wifi to my old
router, then I was forced to migrate from Plusnet to EE and the new
router did not see it on the network.-a It turns out that the new
router only works with a new standard (new to me anyway) called
Wifi6.-a The laptop would work with a an Ethernet cable but I wanted a
solution that would allow the laptop to be moved around.-a I solved it
by buying a USB dongle which supported Wifi6.-a That may be the same
problem you had.
I'm very surprised that there was no backwards compatibility.-a-a I have a BTHH5a running OpenWRT, and it will connect seamlessly to hardware
running 802.11g, n, or ac.
On 21/07/2026 18:48, Java Jive wrote:
On 2026-07-21 11:01, Clive Page wrote:
I have an old Win10 laptop which was working well via wifi to my old
router, then I was forced to migrate from Plusnet to EE and the new
router did not see it on the network.-a It turns out that the new
router only works with a new standard (new to me anyway) called
Wifi6.-a The laptop would work with a an Ethernet cable but I wanted a
solution that would allow the laptop to be moved around.-a I solved it
by buying a USB dongle which supported Wifi6.-a That may be the same
problem you had.
I'm very surprised that there was no backwards compatibility.-a-a I have a >> BTHH5a running OpenWRT, and it will connect seamlessly to hardware
running 802.11g, n, or ac.
I was surprised too that EE made no attempt, or at least no successful attempt, to provide backwards compatibility. But the EE user forums
have quite a number of postings from people like me who found that older devices of various sorts would not connect to the EE router.
Clive Page <usenet@page2.eu> wrote:
On 21/07/2026 18:48, Java Jive wrote:
On 2026-07-21 11:01, Clive Page wrote:
I have an old Win10 laptop which was working well via wifi to my old
router, then I was forced to migrate from Plusnet to EE and the new
router did not see it on the network.-a It turns out that the new
router only works with a new standard (new to me anyway) called
Wifi6.-a The laptop would work with a an Ethernet cable but I wanted a >>>> solution that would allow the laptop to be moved around.-a I solved it >>>> by buying a USB dongle which supported Wifi6.-a That may be the same
problem you had.
I'm very surprised that there was no backwards compatibility.-a-a I have a >>> BTHH5a running OpenWRT, and it will connect seamlessly to hardware
running 802.11g, n, or ac.
I was surprised too that EE made no attempt, or at least no successful
attempt, to provide backwards compatibility. But the EE user forums
have quite a number of postings from people like me who found that older
devices of various sorts would not connect to the EE router.
But itrCOs not EE is it? TheyrCOve purchased them in from some manufacturer, and probably have no real idea how they work in detail.
On Wed 22/07/2026 06:42, Tweed wrote:
Clive Page <usenet@page2.eu> wrote:
On 21/07/2026 18:48, Java Jive wrote:
On 2026-07-21 11:01, Clive Page wrote:
I have an old Win10 laptop which was working well via wifi to my old >>>>> router, then I was forced to migrate from Plusnet to EE and the new
router did not see it on the network.-a It turns out that the new
router only works with a new standard (new to me anyway) called
Wifi6.-a The laptop would work with a an Ethernet cable but I wanted a >>>>> solution that would allow the laptop to be moved around.-a I solved it >>>>> by buying a USB dongle which supported Wifi6.-a That may be the same >>>>> problem you had.
I'm very surprised that there was no backwards compatibility.-a-a I have a >>>> BTHH5a running OpenWRT, and it will connect seamlessly to hardware
running 802.11g, n, or ac.
I was surprised too that EE made no attempt, or at least no successful
attempt, to provide backwards compatibility. But the EE user forums
have quite a number of postings from people like me who found that older >>> devices of various sorts would not connect to the EE router.
But itrCOs not EE is it? TheyrCOve purchased them in from some manufacturer, >> and probably have no real idea how they work in detail.
Yes but, if you are a major ISP as BT/EE is, you will likely be buying
huge quantities of routers - heavens, they even have them logo printed - which gives them enormous power to tell the supplier what they want the beast to do. (Remember BT Labs still exist and likely have their fingers
in it!)
I am cynical enough to suspect that this is a deliberate action to try
to force users to update their associated equipments. (Much the way that
M$ have tried to do with W11 - and so far seem to have failed - despite
what they would like us to believe.)
Woody <harrogate3@ntlworld.com> wrote:
On Wed 22/07/2026 06:42, Tweed wrote:WhatrCOs in it for EE to force equipment upgrades? ItrCOs much more likely that
Clive Page <usenet@page2.eu> wrote:
On 21/07/2026 18:48, Java Jive wrote:
On 2026-07-21 11:01, Clive Page wrote:
I have an old Win10 laptop which was working well via wifi to my old >>>>>> router, then I was forced to migrate from Plusnet to EE and the new >>>>>> router did not see it on the network.-a It turns out that the new
router only works with a new standard (new to me anyway) called
Wifi6.-a The laptop would work with a an Ethernet cable but I wanted a >>>>>> solution that would allow the laptop to be moved around.-a I solved it >>>>>> by buying a USB dongle which supported Wifi6.-a That may be the same >>>>>> problem you had.
I'm very surprised that there was no backwards compatibility.-a-a I have a
BTHH5a running OpenWRT, and it will connect seamlessly to hardware
running 802.11g, n, or ac.
I was surprised too that EE made no attempt, or at least no successful >>>> attempt, to provide backwards compatibility. But the EE user forums
have quite a number of postings from people like me who found that older >>>> devices of various sorts would not connect to the EE router.
But itrCOs not EE is it? TheyrCOve purchased them in from some manufacturer,
and probably have no real idea how they work in detail.
Yes but, if you are a major ISP as BT/EE is, you will likely be buying
huge quantities of routers - heavens, they even have them logo printed -
which gives them enormous power to tell the supplier what they want the
beast to do. (Remember BT Labs still exist and likely have their fingers
in it!)
I am cynical enough to suspect that this is a deliberate action to try
to force users to update their associated equipments. (Much the way that
M$ have tried to do with W11 - and so far seem to have failed - despite
what they would like us to believe.)
the new routers were never tested against old equipment. Probably also the procurement specifications were focussed on the shiny new protocols.
On 22/07/2026 07:39, Tweed wrote:
Woody <harrogate3@ntlworld.com> wrote:The claim about the EE router issue still seems unlikely.
On Wed 22/07/2026 06:42, Tweed wrote:WhatrCOs in it for EE to force equipment upgrades? ItrCOs much more likely >> that
Clive Page <usenet@page2.eu> wrote:
On 21/07/2026 18:48, Java Jive wrote:
On 2026-07-21 11:01, Clive Page wrote:
I have an old Win10 laptop which was working well via wifi to my old >>>>>>> router, then I was forced to migrate from Plusnet to EE and the new >>>>>>> router did not see it on the network.-a It turns out that the new >>>>>>> router only works with a new standard (new to me anyway) called
Wifi6.-a The laptop would work with a an Ethernet cable but I
wanted a
solution that would allow the laptop to be moved around.-a I
solved it
by buying a USB dongle which supported Wifi6.-a That may be the same >>>>>>> problem you had.
I'm very surprised that there was no backwards compatibility.-a-a I >>>>>> have a
BTHH5a running OpenWRT, and it will connect seamlessly to hardware >>>>>> running 802.11g, n, or ac.
I was surprised too that EE made no attempt, or at least no successful >>>>> attempt, to provide backwards compatibility.-a-a But the EE user forums >>>>> have quite a number of postings from people like me who found that
older
devices of various sorts would not connect to the EE router.
But itrCOs not EE is it? TheyrCOve purchased them in from some
manufacturer,
and probably have no real idea how they work in detail.
Yes but, if you are a major ISP as BT/EE is, you will likely be buying
huge quantities of routers - heavens, they even have them logo printed - >>> which gives them enormous power to tell the supplier what they want the
beast to do. (Remember BT Labs still exist and likely have their fingers >>> in it!)
I am cynical enough to suspect that this is a deliberate action to try
to force users to update their associated equipments. (Much the way that >>> M$ have tried to do with W11 - and so far seem to have failed - despite
what they would like us to believe.)
the new routers were never tested against old equipment. Probably also
the
procurement specifications were focussed on the shiny new protocols.
My line switches to digital tomorrow and BT have sent me a new router
(with a telephone socket for Digital Voice). It works perfectly with all
my devices including one 15 years old with only 2.4GHz WiFi.
BT and EE devices are now interchangeable apart from logos. For example
BT also gave me a free Digital Voice adapter branded EE.
On 2026-07-22 10:32, MikeS wrote:
On 22/07/2026 07:39, Tweed wrote:
Woody <harrogate3@ntlworld.com> wrote:The claim about the EE router issue still seems unlikely.
On Wed 22/07/2026 06:42, Tweed wrote:WhatrCOs in it for EE to force equipment upgrades? ItrCOs much more
Clive Page <usenet@page2.eu> wrote:
On 21/07/2026 18:48, Java Jive wrote:
On 2026-07-21 11:01, Clive Page wrote:
I have an old Win10 laptop which was working well via wifi to my >>>>>>>> old
router, then I was forced to migrate from Plusnet to EE and the new >>>>>>>> router did not see it on the network.-a It turns out that the new >>>>>>>> router only works with a new standard (new to me anyway) called >>>>>>>> Wifi6.-a The laptop would work with a an Ethernet cable but I >>>>>>>> wanted a
solution that would allow the laptop to be moved around.-a I
solved it
by buying a USB dongle which supported Wifi6.-a That may be the same >>>>>>>> problem you had.
I'm very surprised that there was no backwards compatibility.-a-a I >>>>>>> have a
BTHH5a running OpenWRT, and it will connect seamlessly to hardware >>>>>>> running 802.11g, n, or ac.
I was surprised too that EE made no attempt, or at least no
successful
attempt, to provide backwards compatibility.-a-a But the EE user forums >>>>>> have quite a number of postings from people like me who found that >>>>>> older
devices of various sorts would not connect to the EE router.
But itrCOs not EE is it? TheyrCOve purchased them in from some
manufacturer,
and probably have no real idea how they work in detail.
Yes but, if you are a major ISP as BT/EE is, you will likely be buying >>>> huge quantities of routers - heavens, they even have them logo
printed -
which gives them enormous power to tell the supplier what they want the >>>> beast to do. (Remember BT Labs still exist and likely have their
fingers
in it!)
I am cynical enough to suspect that this is a deliberate action to try >>>> to force users to update their associated equipments. (Much the way
that
M$ have tried to do with W11 - and so far seem to have failed - despite >>>> what they would like us to believe.)
likely that
the new routers were never tested against old equipment. Probably
also the
procurement specifications were focussed on the shiny new protocols.
My line switches to digital tomorrow and BT have sent me a new router
(with a telephone socket for Digital Voice). It works perfectly with
all my devices including one 15 years old with only 2.4GHz WiFi.
BT and EE devices are now interchangeable apart from logos. For
example BT also gave me a free Digital Voice adapter branded EE.
Yes, and I suspect also that there may be something to Woody's point
about failure to test properly, in this case against old equipment.
Of course I can't really know because I haven't got one of these, but
it's possible that a deep trawl through the settings by a knowledgeable person might throw up some configuration error that would be easy to fix.
Clive Page <usenet@page2.eu> wrote:
On 21/07/2026 18:48, Java Jive wrote:
On 2026-07-21 11:01, Clive Page wrote:
I have an old Win10 laptop which was working well via wifi to my old
router, then I was forced to migrate from Plusnet to EE and the new
router did not see it on the network.-a It turns out that the new
router only works with a new standard (new to me anyway) called
Wifi6.-a The laptop would work with a an Ethernet cable but I wanted a >>>> solution that would allow the laptop to be moved around.-a I solved it >>>> by buying a USB dongle which supported Wifi6.-a That may be the same
problem you had.
I'm very surprised that there was no backwards compatibility.-a-a I have a >>> BTHH5a running OpenWRT, and it will connect seamlessly to hardware
running 802.11g, n, or ac.
I was surprised too that EE made no attempt, or at least no successful
attempt, to provide backwards compatibility. But the EE user forums
have quite a number of postings from people like me who found that older
devices of various sorts would not connect to the EE router.
But itrCOs not EE is it? TheyrCOve purchased them in from some manufacturer, and probably have no real idea how they work in detail.
On 22/07/2026 06:42, Tweed wrote:
Clive Page <usenet@page2.eu> wrote:Maybe, but you'd think that among the tests they use on new equipment is that it is compatible with the sort of stuff that the average customer
On 21/07/2026 18:48, Java Jive wrote:
On 2026-07-21 11:01, Clive Page wrote:
I have an old Win10 laptop which was working well via wifi to my old >>>>> router, then I was forced to migrate from Plusnet to EE and the new
router did not see it on the network.-a It turns out that the new
router only works with a new standard (new to me anyway) called
Wifi6.-a The laptop would work with a an Ethernet cable but I wanted a >>>>> solution that would allow the laptop to be moved around.-a I solved it >>>>> by buying a USB dongle which supported Wifi6.-a That may be the same >>>>> problem you had.
I'm very surprised that there was no backwards compatibility.-a-a I have a >>>> BTHH5a running OpenWRT, and it will connect seamlessly to hardware
running 802.11g, n, or ac.
I was surprised too that EE made no attempt, or at least no successful
attempt, to provide backwards compatibility. But the EE user forums
have quite a number of postings from people like me who found that older >>> devices of various sorts would not connect to the EE router.
But itrCOs not EE is it? TheyrCOve purchased them in from some manufacturer, >> and probably have no real idea how they work in detail.
has at home, and in many case that will include Win 10 laptops and
similar devices, such as alarms and CCTV systems.
Clive Page <usenet@page2.eu> wrote:
On 22/07/2026 06:42, Tweed wrote:
Clive Page <usenet@page2.eu> wrote:Maybe, but you'd think that among the tests they use on new equipment is
On 21/07/2026 18:48, Java Jive wrote:
On 2026-07-21 11:01, Clive Page wrote:
I have an old Win10 laptop which was working well via wifi to my old >>>>>> router, then I was forced to migrate from Plusnet to EE and the new >>>>>> router did not see it on the network.-a It turns out that the new
router only works with a new standard (new to me anyway) called
Wifi6.-a The laptop would work with a an Ethernet cable but I wanted a >>>>>> solution that would allow the laptop to be moved around.-a I solved it >>>>>> by buying a USB dongle which supported Wifi6.-a That may be the same >>>>>> problem you had.
I'm very surprised that there was no backwards compatibility.-a-a I have a
BTHH5a running OpenWRT, and it will connect seamlessly to hardware
running 802.11g, n, or ac.
I was surprised too that EE made no attempt, or at least no successful >>>> attempt, to provide backwards compatibility. But the EE user forums
have quite a number of postings from people like me who found that older >>>> devices of various sorts would not connect to the EE router.
But itrCOs not EE is it? TheyrCOve purchased them in from some manufacturer,
and probably have no real idea how they work in detail.
that it is compatible with the sort of stuff that the average customer
has at home, and in many case that will include Win 10 laptops and
similar devices, such as alarms and CCTV systems.
Evidence points to the contraryrCa.
On 23/07/2026 17:48, Tweed wrote:
Clive Page <usenet@page2.eu> wrote:
On 22/07/2026 06:42, Tweed wrote:
Maybe, but you'd think that among the tests they use on new equipment is >>> that it is compatible with the sort of stuff that the average customer
But itrCOs not EE is it? TheyrCOve purchased them in from some
manufacturer,
and probably have no real idea how they work in detail.
has at home, and in many case that will include Win 10 laptops and
similar devices, such as alarms and CCTV systems.
Evidence points to the contraryrCa.
What evidence?
As far as I can see the debate about EE in this thread is based on one person guessing that an issue with his laptop was because his EE hub
only connects with WiFi6 devices.
On 2026-07-23 20:23, MikeS wrote:
On 23/07/2026 17:48, Tweed wrote:
Clive Page <usenet@page2.eu> wrote:
On 22/07/2026 06:42, Tweed wrote:
Maybe, but you'd think that among the tests they use on new
But itrCOs not EE is it? TheyrCOve purchased them in from some
manufacturer,
and probably have no real idea how they work in detail.
equipment is
that it is compatible with the sort of stuff that the average customer >>>> has at home, and in many case that will include Win 10 laptops and
similar devices, such as alarms and CCTV systems.
Evidence points to the contraryrCa.
What evidence?
As far as I can see the debate about EE in this thread is based on one
person guessing that an issue with his laptop was because his EE hub
only connects with WiFi6 devices.
Note that the OP of the thread was NY, but the OP for this subthread is Clive Page in his post of 2026/7/21 at 11:01 wherein he first describes
the problem, and that in his reply to me of 2026/7/21 at 22:42 he stated:
"[...] But the EE user forums have quite a number of postings from
people like me who found that older devices of various sorts would not connect to the EE router."
So it seems to me that it's rather more than one person and rather more
than guessing, and even though he did not link to any of those online discussions, you don't have any reason to suppose he's so very badly mistaken or even lying, particularly when a simple search shows that
he's speaking the truth, and even gives a possible fix:
<https://www.google.com/search?q=old+devices+won%27t+connect+to+EE+router>
"Step-by-Step Fixes
1. Enable "Compatible WiFi" (Recommended)
EE routers combine 2.4GHz and 5GHz into one network (smart band), which confuses older devices and smart home gear.
[Step by step instructions follow at the link]
2. Adjust Router Security Settings
Newer EE routers (like the Smart Hub Plus) use highly advanced security standards like WPA3, which older phones, laptops, and printers cannot read.
[Again, step by step instructions follow at the link]"
On 23/07/2026 23:56, Java Jive wrote:
On 2026-07-23 20:23, MikeS wrote:Your search reveals that there has been a fix for the problem for at
On 23/07/2026 17:48, Tweed wrote:
Clive Page <usenet@page2.eu> wrote:
On 22/07/2026 06:42, Tweed wrote:
Maybe, but you'd think that among the tests they use on new
But itrCOs not EE is it? TheyrCOve purchased them in from some
manufacturer,
and probably have no real idea how they work in detail.
equipment is
that it is compatible with the sort of stuff that the average customer >>>>> has at home, and in many case that will include Win 10 laptops and
similar devices, such as alarms and CCTV systems.
Evidence points to the contraryrCa.
What evidence?
As far as I can see the debate about EE in this thread is based on one
person guessing that an issue with his laptop was because his EE hub
only connects with WiFi6 devices.
Note that the OP of the thread was NY, but the OP for this subthread is
Clive Page in his post of 2026/7/21 at 11:01 wherein he first describes
the problem, and that in his reply to me of 2026/7/21 at 22:42 he stated:
"[...] But the EE user forums have quite a number of postings from
people like me who found that older devices of various sorts would not
connect to the EE router."
So it seems to me that it's rather more than one person and rather more
than guessing, and even though he did not link to any of those online
discussions, you don't have any reason to suppose he's so very badly
mistaken or even lying, particularly when a simple search shows that
he's speaking the truth, and even gives a possible fix:
<https://www.google.com/search?q=old+devices+won%27t+connect+to+EE+router> >>
"Step-by-Step Fixes
1. Enable "Compatible WiFi" (Recommended)
EE routers combine 2.4GHz and 5GHz into one network (smart band), which
confuses older devices and smart home gear.
[Step by step instructions follow at the link]
2. Adjust Router Security Settings
Newer EE routers (like the Smart Hub Plus) use highly advanced security
standards like WPA3, which older phones, laptops, and printers cannot read. >>
[Again, step by step instructions follow at the link]"
least 18 months: https://community.ee.co.uk/t5/Broadband-Landline/Smart-Hub-3-SH31b-Plus-DDNS-back-Older-WiFi-devices-wont-connect/td-p/1486903
Not the same as the claim in this thread that it is impossible to ever
use the hub with older devices.
On 2026-07-22 10:32, MikeS wrote:
On 22/07/2026 07:39, Tweed wrote:
Woody <harrogate3@ntlworld.com> wrote:The claim about the EE router issue still seems unlikely.
On Wed 22/07/2026 06:42, Tweed wrote:WhatrCOs in it for EE to force equipment upgrades? ItrCOs much more
Clive Page <usenet@page2.eu> wrote:
On 21/07/2026 18:48, Java Jive wrote:
On 2026-07-21 11:01, Clive Page wrote:
I have an old Win10 laptop which was working well via wifi to my >>>>>>>> old
router, then I was forced to migrate from Plusnet to EE and the new >>>>>>>> router did not see it on the network.-a It turns out that the new >>>>>>>> router only works with a new standard (new to me anyway) called >>>>>>>> Wifi6.-a The laptop would work with a an Ethernet cable but I >>>>>>>> wanted a
solution that would allow the laptop to be moved around.-a I
solved it
by buying a USB dongle which supported Wifi6.-a That may be the same >>>>>>>> problem you had.
I'm very surprised that there was no backwards compatibility.-a-a I >>>>>>> have a
BTHH5a running OpenWRT, and it will connect seamlessly to hardware >>>>>>> running 802.11g, n, or ac.
I was surprised too that EE made no attempt, or at least no
successful
attempt, to provide backwards compatibility.-a-a But the EE user forums >>>>>> have quite a number of postings from people like me who found that >>>>>> older
devices of various sorts would not connect to the EE router.
But itrCOs not EE is it? TheyrCOve purchased them in from some
manufacturer,
and probably have no real idea how they work in detail.
Yes but, if you are a major ISP as BT/EE is, you will likely be buying >>>> huge quantities of routers - heavens, they even have them logo
printed -
which gives them enormous power to tell the supplier what they want the >>>> beast to do. (Remember BT Labs still exist and likely have their
fingers
in it!)
I am cynical enough to suspect that this is a deliberate action to try >>>> to force users to update their associated equipments. (Much the way
that
M$ have tried to do with W11 - and so far seem to have failed - despite >>>> what they would like us to believe.)
likely that
the new routers were never tested against old equipment. Probably
also the
procurement specifications were focussed on the shiny new protocols.
My line switches to digital tomorrow and BT have sent me a new router
(with a telephone socket for Digital Voice). It works perfectly with
all my devices including one 15 years old with only 2.4GHz WiFi.
BT and EE devices are now interchangeable apart from logos. For
example BT also gave me a free Digital Voice adapter branded EE.
Yes, and I suspect also that there may be something to Woody's point
about failure to test properly, in this case against old equipment.
Of course I can't really know because I haven't got one of these, but
it's possible that a deep trawl through the settings by a knowledgeable person might throw up some configuration error that would be easy to fix.
On 23/07/2026 17:48, Tweed wrote:Well if that was me you are referring to - I did have a very long
Clive Page <usenet@page2.eu> wrote:What evidence?
On 22/07/2026 06:42, Tweed wrote:
Clive Page <usenet@page2.eu> wrote:Maybe, but you'd think that among the tests they use on new equipment is >>> that it is compatible with the sort of stuff that the average customer
On 21/07/2026 18:48, Java Jive wrote:
On 2026-07-21 11:01, Clive Page wrote:
I have an old Win10 laptop which was working well via wifi to my old >>>>>>> router, then I was forced to migrate from Plusnet to EE and the new >>>>>>> router did not see it on the network.-a It turns out that the new >>>>>>> router only works with a new standard (new to me anyway) called
Wifi6.-a The laptop would work with a an Ethernet cable but I
wanted a
solution that would allow the laptop to be moved around.-a I
solved it
by buying a USB dongle which supported Wifi6.-a That may be the same >>>>>>> problem you had.
I'm very surprised that there was no backwards compatibility.-a-a I >>>>>> have a
BTHH5a running OpenWRT, and it will connect seamlessly to hardware >>>>>> running 802.11g, n, or ac.
I was surprised too that EE made no attempt, or at least no successful >>>>> attempt, to provide backwards compatibility.-a-a But the EE user forums >>>>> have quite a number of postings from people like me who found that
older
devices of various sorts would not connect to the EE router.
But itrCOs not EE is it? TheyrCOve purchased them in from some
manufacturer,
and probably have no real idea how they work in detail.
has at home, and in many case that will include Win 10 laptops and
similar devices, such as alarms and CCTV systems.
Evidence points to the contraryrCa.
As far as I can see the debate about EE in this thread is based on one person guessing that an issue with his laptop was because his EE hub
only connects with WiFi6 devices.
On 2026-07-23 20:23, MikeS wrote:
On 23/07/2026 17:48, Tweed wrote:
Clive Page <usenet@page2.eu> wrote:
On 22/07/2026 06:42, Tweed wrote:
Maybe, but you'd think that among the tests they use on new
But itrCOs not EE is it? TheyrCOve purchased them in from some
manufacturer,
and probably have no real idea how they work in detail.
equipment is
that it is compatible with the sort of stuff that the average customer >>>> has at home, and in many case that will include Win 10 laptops and
similar devices, such as alarms and CCTV systems.
Evidence points to the contraryrCa.
What evidence?
As far as I can see the debate about EE in this thread is based on one
person guessing that an issue with his laptop was because his EE hub
only connects with WiFi6 devices.
Note that the OP of the thread was NY, but the OP for this subthread is Clive Page in his post of 2026/7/21 at 11:01 wherein he first describes
the problem, and that in his reply to me of 2026/7/21 at 22:42 he stated:
"[...] But the EE user forums have quite a number of postings from
people like me who found that older devices of various sorts would not connect to the EE router."
So it seems to me that it's rather more than one person and rather more
than guessing, and even though he did not link to any of those online discussions, you don't have any reason to suppose he's so very badly mistaken or even lying, particularly when a simple search shows that
he's speaking the truth, and even gives a possible fix:
<https://www.google.com/search?q=old+devices+won%27t+connect+to+EE+router>
"Step-by-Step Fixes
1. Enable "Compatible WiFi" (Recommended)
EE routers combine 2.4GHz and 5GHz into one network (smart band), which confuses older devices and smart home gear.
[Step by step instructions follow at the link]
2. Adjust Router Security Settings
Newer EE routers (like the Smart Hub Plus) use highly advanced security standards like WPA3, which older phones, laptops, and printers cannot read.
[Again, step by step instructions follow at the link]"
On 23/07/2026 23:56, Java Jive wrote:
On 2026-07-23 20:23, MikeS wrote:Yes, that's more useful than most Google advice, and some of us tried
On 23/07/2026 17:48, Tweed wrote:
Clive Page <usenet@page2.eu> wrote:
On 22/07/2026 06:42, Tweed wrote:
Maybe, but you'd think that among the tests they use on new
But itrCOs not EE is it? TheyrCOve purchased them in from some
manufacturer,
and probably have no real idea how they work in detail.
equipment is
that it is compatible with the sort of stuff that the average customer >>>>> has at home, and in many case that will include Win 10 laptops and
similar devices, such as alarms and CCTV systems.
Evidence points to the contraryrCa.
What evidence?
As far as I can see the debate about EE in this thread is based on
one person guessing that an issue with his laptop was because his EE
hub only connects with WiFi6 devices.
Note that the OP of the thread was NY, but the OP for this subthread
is Clive Page in his post of 2026/7/21 at 11:01 wherein he first
describes the problem, and that in his reply to me of 2026/7/21 at
22:42 he stated:
"[...] But the EE user forums have quite a number of postings from
people like me who found that older devices of various sorts would not
connect to the EE router."
So it seems to me that it's rather more than one person and rather
more than guessing, and even though he did not link to any of those
online discussions, you don't have any reason to suppose he's so very
badly mistaken or even lying, particularly when a simple search shows
that he's speaking the truth, and even gives a possible fix:
<https://www.google.com/search?
q=old+devices+won%27t+connect+to+EE+router>
"Step-by-Step Fixes
1. Enable "Compatible WiFi" (Recommended)
EE routers combine 2.4GHz and 5GHz into one network (smart band),
which confuses older devices and smart home gear.
[Step by step instructions follow at the link]
2. Adjust Router Security Settings
Newer EE routers (like the Smart Hub Plus) use highly advanced
security standards like WPA3, which older phones, laptops, and
printers cannot read.
[Again, step by step instructions follow at the link]"
that, but it didn't work.-a Buying a Wifi6-compatible dongle did work at
a cost of few quid.
On 23/07/2026 23:56, Java Jive wrote:
On 2026-07-23 20:23, MikeS wrote:Yes, that's more useful than most Google advice, and some of us tried
On 23/07/2026 17:48, Tweed wrote:
Clive Page <usenet@page2.eu> wrote:
On 22/07/2026 06:42, Tweed wrote:
Maybe, but you'd think that among the tests they use on new
But itrCOs not EE is it? TheyrCOve purchased them in from some
manufacturer,
and probably have no real idea how they work in detail.
equipment is
that it is compatible with the sort of stuff that the average customer >>>>> has at home, and in many case that will include Win 10 laptops and
similar devices, such as alarms and CCTV systems.
Evidence points to the contraryrCa.
What evidence?
As far as I can see the debate about EE in this thread is based on
one person guessing that an issue with his laptop was because his EE
hub only connects with WiFi6 devices.
Note that the OP of the thread was NY, but the OP for this subthread
is Clive Page in his post of 2026/7/21 at 11:01 wherein he first
describes the problem, and that in his reply to me of 2026/7/21 at
22:42 he stated:
"[...] But the EE user forums have quite a number of postings from
people like me who found that older devices of various sorts would not
connect to the EE router."
So it seems to me that it's rather more than one person and rather
more than guessing, and even though he did not link to any of those
online discussions, you don't have any reason to suppose he's so very
badly mistaken or even lying, particularly when a simple search shows
that he's speaking the truth, and even gives a possible fix:
<https://www.google.com/search?
q=old+devices+won%27t+connect+to+EE+router>
"Step-by-Step Fixes
1. Enable "Compatible WiFi" (Recommended)
EE routers combine 2.4GHz and 5GHz into one network (smart band),
which confuses older devices and smart home gear.
[Step by step instructions follow at the link]
2. Adjust Router Security Settings
Newer EE routers (like the Smart Hub Plus) use highly advanced
security standards like WPA3, which older phones, laptops, and
printers cannot read.
[Again, step by step instructions follow at the link]"
that, but it didn't work.-a Buying a Wifi6-compatible dongle did work at
a cost of few quid.
On 24/07/2026 13:02, Clive Page wrote:
On 23/07/2026 23:56, Java Jive wrote:No idea about the Google advice but here are BT's instructions which
On 2026-07-23 20:23, MikeS wrote:Yes, that's more useful than most Google advice, and some of us tried
On 23/07/2026 17:48, Tweed wrote:
Clive Page <usenet@page2.eu> wrote:
On 22/07/2026 06:42, Tweed wrote:
Maybe, but you'd think that among the tests they use on new
But itrCOs not EE is it? TheyrCOve purchased them in from some
manufacturer,
and probably have no real idea how they work in detail.
equipment is
that it is compatible with the sort of stuff that the average
customer
has at home, and in many case that will include Win 10 laptops and >>>>>> similar devices, such as alarms and CCTV systems.
Evidence points to the contraryrCa.
What evidence?
As far as I can see the debate about EE in this thread is based on
one person guessing that an issue with his laptop was because his EE
hub only connects with WiFi6 devices.
Note that the OP of the thread was NY, but the OP for this subthread
is Clive Page in his post of 2026/7/21 at 11:01 wherein he first
describes the problem, and that in his reply to me of 2026/7/21 at
22:42 he stated:
"[...] But the EE user forums have quite a number of postings from
people like me who found that older devices of various sorts would
not connect to the EE router."
So it seems to me that it's rather more than one person and rather
more than guessing, and even though he did not link to any of those
online discussions, you don't have any reason to suppose he's so very
badly mistaken or even lying, particularly when a simple search shows
that he's speaking the truth, and even gives a possible fix:
<https://www.google.com/search?
q=old+devices+won%27t+connect+to+EE+router>
"Step-by-Step Fixes
1. Enable "Compatible WiFi" (Recommended)
EE routers combine 2.4GHz and 5GHz into one network (smart band),
which confuses older devices and smart home gear.
[Step by step instructions follow at the link]
2. Adjust Router Security Settings
Newer EE routers (like the Smart Hub Plus) use highly advanced
security standards like WPA3, which older phones, laptops, and
printers cannot read.
[Again, step by step instructions follow at the link]"
that, but it didn't work.-a Buying a Wifi6-compatible dongle did work
at a cost of few quid.
will be much the same with the corresponding EE router: https://www.bt.com/help/broadband/manage-service/connect-all-your-devices-with-compatible-wi-fi
Its not exactly rocket science.
On 24/07/2026 13:02, Clive Page wrote:
On 23/07/2026 23:56, Java Jive wrote:The dongle worked for your laptop but its NOT a universal solution. I
On 2026-07-23 20:23, MikeS wrote:Yes, that's more useful than most Google advice, and some of us tried
On 23/07/2026 17:48, Tweed wrote:
Clive Page <usenet@page2.eu> wrote:
On 22/07/2026 06:42, Tweed wrote:
Maybe, but you'd think that among the tests they use on new
But itrCOs not EE is it? TheyrCOve purchased them in from some
manufacturer,
and probably have no real idea how they work in detail.
equipment is
that it is compatible with the sort of stuff that the average
customer
has at home, and in many case that will include Win 10 laptops and >>>>>> similar devices, such as alarms and CCTV systems.
Evidence points to the contraryrCa.
What evidence?
As far as I can see the debate about EE in this thread is based on
one person guessing that an issue with his laptop was because his EE
hub only connects with WiFi6 devices.
Note that the OP of the thread was NY, but the OP for this subthread
is Clive Page in his post of 2026/7/21 at 11:01 wherein he first
describes the problem, and that in his reply to me of 2026/7/21 at
22:42 he stated:
"[...] But the EE user forums have quite a number of postings from
people like me who found that older devices of various sorts would
not connect to the EE router."
So it seems to me that it's rather more than one person and rather
more than guessing, and even though he did not link to any of those
online discussions, you don't have any reason to suppose he's so very
badly mistaken or even lying, particularly when a simple search shows
that he's speaking the truth, and even gives a possible fix:
<https://www.google.com/search?
q=old+devices+won%27t+connect+to+EE+router>
"Step-by-Step Fixes
1. Enable "Compatible WiFi" (Recommended)
EE routers combine 2.4GHz and 5GHz into one network (smart band),
which confuses older devices and smart home gear.
[Step by step instructions follow at the link]
2. Adjust Router Security Settings
Newer EE routers (like the Smart Hub Plus) use highly advanced
security standards like WPA3, which older phones, laptops, and
printers cannot read.
[Again, step by step instructions follow at the link]"
that, but it didn't work.-a Buying a Wifi6-compatible dongle did work
at a cost of few quid.
(and many others) connect numerous older WiFi devices which have no
means of using a dongle.
On 24/07/2026 18:11, MikeS wrote:
On 24/07/2026 13:02, Clive Page wrote:
On 23/07/2026 23:56, Java Jive wrote:The dongle worked for your laptop but its NOT a universal solution. I
On 2026-07-23 20:23, MikeS wrote:Yes, that's more useful than most Google advice, and some of us tried
On 23/07/2026 17:48, Tweed wrote:
Clive Page <usenet@page2.eu> wrote:
On 22/07/2026 06:42, Tweed wrote:
Maybe, but you'd think that among the tests they use on new
But itrCOs not EE is it? TheyrCOve purchased them in from some >>>>>>>> manufacturer,
and probably have no real idea how they work in detail.
equipment is
that it is compatible with the sort of stuff that the average
customer
has at home, and in many case that will include Win 10 laptops and >>>>>>> similar devices, such as alarms and CCTV systems.
Evidence points to the contraryrCa.
What evidence?
As far as I can see the debate about EE in this thread is based on
one person guessing that an issue with his laptop was because his
EE hub only connects with WiFi6 devices.
Note that the OP of the thread was NY, but the OP for this subthread
is Clive Page in his post of 2026/7/21 at 11:01 wherein he first
describes the problem, and that in his reply to me of 2026/7/21 at
22:42 he stated:
"[...] But the EE user forums have quite a number of postings from
people like me who found that older devices of various sorts would
not connect to the EE router."
So it seems to me that it's rather more than one person and rather
more than guessing, and even though he did not link to any of those
online discussions, you don't have any reason to suppose he's so
very badly mistaken or even lying, particularly when a simple search
shows that he's speaking the truth, and even gives a possible fix:
<https://www.google.com/search?
q=old+devices+won%27t+connect+to+EE+router>
"Step-by-Step Fixes
1. Enable "Compatible WiFi" (Recommended)
EE routers combine 2.4GHz and 5GHz into one network (smart band),
which confuses older devices and smart home gear.
[Step by step instructions follow at the link]
2. Adjust Router Security Settings
Newer EE routers (like the Smart Hub Plus) use highly advanced
security standards like WPA3, which older phones, laptops, and
printers cannot read.
[Again, step by step instructions follow at the link]"
that, but it didn't work.-a Buying a Wifi6-compatible dongle did work
at a cost of few quid.
(and many others) connect numerous older WiFi devices which have no
means of using a dongle.
I agree.-a I was lucky that all my other older devices worked with this
EE router (slightly to my surprise, actually), and that only this one
laptop didn't.-a Others may well find that this solution isn't available
to them.-a I'm not expert enough to suggest what they should do instead, except keep on badgering their ISP's helpdesk.
On 24/07/2026 18:22, MikeS wrote:
On 24/07/2026 13:02, Clive Page wrote:I thought I'd said much earlier that the router's "compatibility mode"
On 23/07/2026 23:56, Java Jive wrote:No idea about the Google advice but here are BT's instructions which
On 2026-07-23 20:23, MikeS wrote:Yes, that's more useful than most Google advice, and some of us tried
On 23/07/2026 17:48, Tweed wrote:
Clive Page <usenet@page2.eu> wrote:
On 22/07/2026 06:42, Tweed wrote:
Maybe, but you'd think that among the tests they use on new
But itrCOs not EE is it? TheyrCOve purchased them in from some >>>>>>>> manufacturer,
and probably have no real idea how they work in detail.
equipment is
that it is compatible with the sort of stuff that the average
customer
has at home, and in many case that will include Win 10 laptops and >>>>>>> similar devices, such as alarms and CCTV systems.
Evidence points to the contraryrCa.
What evidence?
As far as I can see the debate about EE in this thread is based on
one person guessing that an issue with his laptop was because his
EE hub only connects with WiFi6 devices.
Note that the OP of the thread was NY, but the OP for this subthread
is Clive Page in his post of 2026/7/21 at 11:01 wherein he first
describes the problem, and that in his reply to me of 2026/7/21 at
22:42 he stated:
"[...] But the EE user forums have quite a number of postings from
people like me who found that older devices of various sorts would
not connect to the EE router."
So it seems to me that it's rather more than one person and rather
more than guessing, and even though he did not link to any of those
online discussions, you don't have any reason to suppose he's so
very badly mistaken or even lying, particularly when a simple search
shows that he's speaking the truth, and even gives a possible fix:
<https://www.google.com/search?
q=old+devices+won%27t+connect+to+EE+router>
"Step-by-Step Fixes
1. Enable "Compatible WiFi" (Recommended)
EE routers combine 2.4GHz and 5GHz into one network (smart band),
which confuses older devices and smart home gear.
[Step by step instructions follow at the link]
2. Adjust Router Security Settings
Newer EE routers (like the Smart Hub Plus) use highly advanced
security standards like WPA3, which older phones, laptops, and
printers cannot read.
[Again, step by step instructions follow at the link]"
that, but it didn't work.-a Buying a Wifi6-compatible dongle did work
at a cost of few quid.
will be much the same with the corresponding EE router:
https://www.bt.com/help/broadband/manage-service/connect-all-your-
devices-with-compatible-wi-fi
Its not exactly rocket science.
was one of the first things I tried, but that it wasn't actually any
use.-a I agree it isn't rocket science, because rocket science usually works.
On 25/07/2026 16:45, Clive Page wrote:
On 24/07/2026 18:11, MikeS wrote:So, after 4 days of pointless discussion you have finally confirmed the fallacy of your original claim "It turns out that the new router only
On 24/07/2026 13:02, Clive Page wrote:
On 23/07/2026 23:56, Java Jive wrote:The dongle worked for your laptop but its NOT a universal solution. I
On 2026-07-23 20:23, MikeS wrote:Yes, that's more useful than most Google advice, and some of us
On 23/07/2026 17:48, Tweed wrote:
Clive Page <usenet@page2.eu> wrote:
On 22/07/2026 06:42, Tweed wrote:
Maybe, but you'd think that among the tests they use on new
But itrCOs not EE is it? TheyrCOve purchased them in from some >>>>>>>>> manufacturer,
and probably have no real idea how they work in detail.
equipment is
that it is compatible with the sort of stuff that the average >>>>>>>> customer
has at home, and in many case that will include Win 10 laptops and >>>>>>>> similar devices, such as alarms and CCTV systems.
Evidence points to the contraryrCa.
What evidence?
As far as I can see the debate about EE in this thread is based on >>>>>> one person guessing that an issue with his laptop was because his >>>>>> EE hub only connects with WiFi6 devices.
Note that the OP of the thread was NY, but the OP for this
subthread is Clive Page in his post of 2026/7/21 at 11:01 wherein
he first describes the problem, and that in his reply to me of
2026/7/21 at 22:42 he stated:
"[...] But the EE user forums have quite a number of postings from
people like me who found that older devices of various sorts would
not connect to the EE router."
So it seems to me that it's rather more than one person and rather
more than guessing, and even though he did not link to any of those >>>>> online discussions, you don't have any reason to suppose he's so
very badly mistaken or even lying, particularly when a simple
search shows that he's speaking the truth, and even gives a
possible fix:
<https://www.google.com/search?
q=old+devices+won%27t+connect+to+EE+router>
"Step-by-Step Fixes
1. Enable "Compatible WiFi" (Recommended)
EE routers combine 2.4GHz and 5GHz into one network (smart band),
which confuses older devices and smart home gear.
[Step by step instructions follow at the link]
2. Adjust Router Security Settings
Newer EE routers (like the Smart Hub Plus) use highly advanced
security standards like WPA3, which older phones, laptops, and
printers cannot read.
[Again, step by step instructions follow at the link]"
tried that, but it didn't work.-a Buying a Wifi6-compatible dongle
did work at a cost of few quid.
(and many others) connect numerous older WiFi devices which have no
means of using a dongle.
I agree.-a I was lucky that all my other older devices worked with this
EE router (slightly to my surprise, actually), and that only this one
laptop didn't.-a Others may well find that this solution isn't
available to them.-a I'm not expert enough to suggest what they should
do instead, except keep on badgering their ISP's helpdesk.
works with a new standard (new to me anyway) called Wifi6."
Common sense says there is a problem with your laptop's WiFi adapter
which not surprisingly is avoided by using a WiFi dongle.
On 25/07/2026 16:43, Clive Page wrote:
On 24/07/2026 18:22, MikeS wrote:Its not rocket science that "compatibility mode" was no use when, as
On 24/07/2026 13:02, Clive Page wrote:I thought I'd said much earlier that the router's "compatibility mode"
On 23/07/2026 23:56, Java Jive wrote:No idea about the Google advice but here are BT's instructions which
On 2026-07-23 20:23, MikeS wrote:Yes, that's more useful than most Google advice, and some of us
On 23/07/2026 17:48, Tweed wrote:
Clive Page <usenet@page2.eu> wrote:
On 22/07/2026 06:42, Tweed wrote:
Maybe, but you'd think that among the tests they use on new
But itrCOs not EE is it? TheyrCOve purchased them in from some >>>>>>>>> manufacturer,
and probably have no real idea how they work in detail.
equipment is
that it is compatible with the sort of stuff that the average >>>>>>>> customer
has at home, and in many case that will include Win 10 laptops and >>>>>>>> similar devices, such as alarms and CCTV systems.
Evidence points to the contraryrCa.
What evidence?
As far as I can see the debate about EE in this thread is based on >>>>>> one person guessing that an issue with his laptop was because his >>>>>> EE hub only connects with WiFi6 devices.
Note that the OP of the thread was NY, but the OP for this
subthread is Clive Page in his post of 2026/7/21 at 11:01 wherein
he first describes the problem, and that in his reply to me of
2026/7/21 at 22:42 he stated:
"[...] But the EE user forums have quite a number of postings from
people like me who found that older devices of various sorts would
not connect to the EE router."
So it seems to me that it's rather more than one person and rather
more than guessing, and even though he did not link to any of those >>>>> online discussions, you don't have any reason to suppose he's so
very badly mistaken or even lying, particularly when a simple
search shows that he's speaking the truth, and even gives a
possible fix:
<https://www.google.com/search?
q=old+devices+won%27t+connect+to+EE+router>
"Step-by-Step Fixes
1. Enable "Compatible WiFi" (Recommended)
EE routers combine 2.4GHz and 5GHz into one network (smart band),
which confuses older devices and smart home gear.
[Step by step instructions follow at the link]
2. Adjust Router Security Settings
Newer EE routers (like the Smart Hub Plus) use highly advanced
security standards like WPA3, which older phones, laptops, and
printers cannot read.
[Again, step by step instructions follow at the link]"
tried that, but it didn't work.-a Buying a Wifi6-compatible dongle
did work at a cost of few quid.
will be much the same with the corresponding EE router:
https://www.bt.com/help/broadband/manage-service/connect-all-your-
devices-with-compatible-wi-fi
Its not exactly rocket science.
was one of the first things I tried, but that it wasn't actually any
use.-a I agree it isn't rocket science, because rocket science usually
works.
made obvious by your other post, the problem was with a fault in the
laptop WiFi adapter which you bypassed by using a WiFi dongle.
On 25/07/2026 17:52, MikeS wrote:
Common sense says there is a problem with your laptop's WiFi adapter
which not surprisingly is avoided by using a WiFi dongle.
I'm sorry I don't see how you come to that conclusion, or indeed why you
are bothering to post.
I stand by my initial statement that the new EE router only works with
the devices that can handle the newish Wifi6 standard. There is a "compatibility mode" which didn't in fact help. And the best resources
of the EE helpdesk couldn't get it to work with my old laptop either.
Clive Page <usenet@page2.eu> wrote:
On 25/07/2026 17:52, MikeS wrote:
Common sense says there is a problem with your laptop's WiFi adapter
which not surprisingly is avoided by using a WiFi dongle.
I'm sorry I don't see how you come to that conclusion, or indeed why you
are bothering to post.
I stand by my initial statement that the new EE router only works with
the devices that can handle the newish Wifi6 standard. There is a
"compatibility mode" which didn't in fact help. And the best resources
of the EE helpdesk couldn't get it to work with my old laptop either.
That's not correct. Bob's post explains. Normally older devices work just fine on wifi 6 networks - I'm running wifi 6 and few of my devices support it. The TPLink page about the issue is this: https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/faq/2303/
Certain Intel wifi cards have a bug that makes them not work, even on
the compatibility network which supports older WPA encryption. Intel has decided they're end of life so there are no driver updates to fix the bug. Those wifi cards would then fail to work with any modern router. The only option is an alternative adapter, which you've done.
If there's anyone to blame it's Intel for refusing to fix problems with
their hardware. Sooner or later the ISP was going to update the router to a newer wifi standard and trigger the bug, it was just a matter of time.
Theo
On 27/07/2026 10:55, Theo wrote:
Certain Intel wifi cards have a bug that makes them not work, even on
the compatibility network which supports older WPA encryption. Intel has decided they're end of life so there are no driver updates to fix the bug. Those wifi cards would then fail to work with any modern router. The only option is an alternative adapter, which you've done.
If there's anyone to blame it's Intel for refusing to fix problems with their hardware. Sooner or later the ISP was going to update the router
to a newer wifi standard and trigger the bug, it was just a matter of
time.
Alternatively one might think that if there is a bug in an Intel chipset which is commonly installed in consumer laptops with no fix, then one
might expect a competent ISP to arrange a work-around for these devices.
It might be the *fault* of Intel, narrowly defined, but there's no
reason why consumer grade devices should not "just work" out of the box.
But I did make reference to a competent ISP above - and note that I've
been using EE. I make no further comment.
The newer kit demands higher wifi capability: if people are buying gigabit broadband they expect the router to be able to keep up. Sitcking with the old standard of wifi 5 (released 2013) just because a few people have wifi hardware that hasn't been manufactured since 2016 would be a terrible business decision. And when do you stop... do you stick with a standard that is 13, 18, 23 years old until the tiny minority of hardware concerned
is 10, 15, 20 years old? All when a cheap dongle solved your problem.
On 27/07/2026 22:56, Theo wrote:
The newer kit demands higher wifi capability: if people are buying gigabit broadband they expect the router to be able to keep up. Sitcking with the old standard of wifi 5 (released 2013) just because a few people have wifi hardware that hasn't been manufactured since 2016 would be a terrible business decision. And when do you stop... do you stick with a standard that is 13, 18, 23 years old until the tiny minority of hardware concerned is 10, 15, 20 years old? All when a cheap dongle solved your problem.
EE claim that the hubs support 20 year old wifi standards.
https://ee.co.uk/help/device-help/compare-our-smart-hubs
A Win 10 PC with a PCI wifi card cannot connect to a router's wifi. It
shows as "Secured" (so it has passed the WPA authentication) but DHCP is
not obtaining an IP address. Even setting a static IP in the correct
DHCP range, with the router's IP as gateway and DNS doesn't work: I
cannot ping the router.
The PC and card can connect to a wifi network that my phone shares as tethering from its mobile phone connection.
The mobile phone in non-tethering mode can connect to the router.
What could be the difference?
Unfortunately although the PC has an Ethernet port, Windows is not
seeing it as a device (it's not even showing as present but disabled/
can't start etc) and the link light on the router doesn't show a
physical connection.
I'm about to try a different wi-fi device. I was going to try a USB
Ethernet adaptor, but the only one I have has a USB-C plug, and I don't
have a female USB-C to male USB-A adaptor :-(
The router is a Zyxel and it uses both 2.4 and 5 GHz bands.
On 20/07/2026 15:08, NY wrote:
I'm about to try a different wi-fi device. I was going to try a USB
Ethernet adaptor, but the only one I have has a USB-C plug, and I
don't have a female USB-C to male USB-A adaptor :-(
The router is a Zyxel and it uses both 2.4 and 5 GHz bands.
For the wireless, MAC filtering perhaps?
Is there an 'allow' or 'disable' option in the router GUI, or a physical button that must be pressed after entering the password, and attempting connection?
I'd expect some diagnostics from the router on the failure.
Given that an Ethernet cable was plugged in when I was called to look at
the PC, my theory is that:
- wifi had never worked to his present router (even if it had to a
previous one for which the wifi-a card was bought)
- the PC had used Ethernet
- the Ethernet controller on the motherboard had failed
I wonder if the mobo has suffered some minor damage (power spike?) which
has a) slightly compromised the soft-power circuit, and b) killed the Ethernet controller.
On 2026-07-29 11:26, NY wrote:
I wonder if the mobo has suffered some minor damage (power spike?)
which has a) slightly compromised the soft-power circuit, and b)
killed the Ethernet controller.
Yes, that was what was occurring to me as I was reading through your description.-a At this time of year, lightning is a possible culprit,
either from a storm or created by wildfires.
Yes, usually its the PSU that takes the brunt of a lighting strike power-surge (obviously not a direct hit on your overhead mains feed to
the house!). But stranger things have happened.
On 2026-07-29 14:50, NY wrote:
Yes, usually its the PSU that takes the brunt of a lighting strike
power-surge (obviously not a direct hit on your overhead mains feed to
the house!). But stranger things have happened.
Yes, I suspect that is most common, but it doesn't always happen like that.-a Sometimes it comes down some other cable, for example down the
phone line into the router and along the network cable.
On 29/07/2026 19:32, Java Jive wrote:
On 2026-07-29 14:50, NY wrote:
Yes, usually its the PSU that takes the brunt of a lighting strike
power-surge (obviously not a direct hit on your overhead mains feed to
the house!). But stranger things have happened.
Yes, I suspect that is most common, but it doesn't always happen like
that.-a Sometimes it comes down some other cable, for example down the
phone line into the router and along the network cable.
I remember buying a power-strip (multiple mains sockets) which had surge protection built in, and there were also RJ11 and BT sockets to allow a phone cable to be looped through the surge protector in case the phone
line was struck.
NY <me@privacy.net> wrote:[]
I remember buying a power-strip (multiple mains sockets) which had surge
protection built in, and there were also RJ11 and BT sockets to allow a
phone cable to be looped through the surge protector in case the phone
line was struck.
Most of those alleged surge protectors are entirely useless. Their
breakdown voltage is well beyond the destruction voltage of any of the silicon circuits and they are too small to absorb a sizeable strike that might burn your house down.
On 2026/7/30 13:58:52, Tweed wrote:
NY <me@privacy.net> wrote:[]
I wasn't aware of that aspect; what I am aware of is that there's oftenI remember buying a power-strip (multiple mains sockets) which had surge >>> protection built in, and there were also RJ11 and BT sockets to allow a
phone cable to be looped through the surge protector in case the phone
line was struck.
Most of those alleged surge protectors are entirely useless. Their
breakdown voltage is well beyond the destruction voltage of any of the
silicon circuits and they are too small to absorb a sizeable strike that
might burn your house down.
no indication as to whether the protection is still active - the
plugboard continues to work as a plugboard even after the built-in
protection has sacrificed itself, thus giving a false sense of security.
I wouldn't expect it to protect against a direct strike. Hell, even
thick copper lighting conductor strips down the outside of buildings
often fail to do that. Though they may alter the electric field around
the protected building and reduce the change of being struck in the
first place - or is that bit a myth?
On 30/07/2026 20:57, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
On 2026/7/30 13:58:52, Tweed wrote:
NY <me@privacy.net> wrote:[]
I wasn't aware of that aspect; what I am aware of is that there's oftenI remember buying a power-strip (multiple mains sockets) which had surge >>>> protection built in, and there were also RJ11 and BT sockets to allow a >>>> phone cable to be looped through the surge protector in case the phone >>>> line was struck.
Most of those alleged surge protectors are entirely useless. Their
breakdown voltage is well beyond the destruction voltage of any of the
silicon circuits and they are too small to absorb a sizeable strike that >>> might burn your house down.
no indication as to whether the protection is still active - the
plugboard continues to work as a plugboard even after the built-in
protection has sacrificed itself, thus giving a false sense of security.
I did buy a single-plug surge-protector (you plugged a power strip into
its outlet) and it had an LED which lit only if protection was still
being applied (or maybe only if it was not).
I imagine that surge-protectors are useful only for small over-voltage spikes that might damage sensitive equipment but which would be harmless
to the house wiring.
I wouldn't expect it to protect against a direct strike. Hell, even
thick copper lighting conductor strips down the outside of buildings
often fail to do that. Though they may alter the electric field around
the protected building and reduce the change of being struck in the
first place - or is that bit a myth?
NY <me@privacy.net> wrote:I'm sure they _do_ affect the field around the building - they must,
On 30/07/2026 20:57, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
On 2026/7/30 13:58:52, Tweed wrote:
NY <me@privacy.net> wrote:[]
I wasn't aware of that aspect; what I am aware of is that there's oftenI remember buying a power-strip (multiple mains sockets) which had surge >>>>> protection built in, and there were also RJ11 and BT sockets to allow a >>>>> phone cable to be looped through the surge protector in case the phone >>>>> line was struck.
Most of those alleged surge protectors are entirely useless. Their
breakdown voltage is well beyond the destruction voltage of any of the >>>> silicon circuits and they are too small to absorb a sizeable strike that >>>> might burn your house down.
no indication as to whether the protection is still active - the
plugboard continues to work as a plugboard even after the built-in
protection has sacrificed itself, thus giving a false sense of security.
I did buy a single-plug surge-protector (you plugged a power strip into
its outlet) and it had an LED which lit only if protection was still
being applied (or maybe only if it was not).
I imagine that surge-protectors are useful only for small over-voltage
spikes that might damage sensitive equipment but which would be harmless
to the house wiring.
I wouldn't expect it to protect against a direct strike. Hell, even
thick copper lighting conductor strips down the outside of buildings
often fail to do that. Though they may alter the electric field around
the protected building and reduce the change of being struck in the
first place - or is that bit a myth?
I canrCOt think of a circuit that proves that a transient suppressor is working and can light an LED. ThererCOs some merit in protecting the 230V
side of things. ItrCOs going to limit excess voltage going into the power supply and gives the regulation circuit a fighting chance. That said, who knows what the suppression components on a cheap power strip actually are.
I bet a lot of them donrCOt do very much.
Protecting silicon at the low voltage level is quite hard. Devices that let 5V through but clamp hard at 6V are relatively expensive.
I canrCOt think of a circuit that proves that a transient suppressor is working and can light an LED.
Protecting silicon at the low voltage level is quite hard. Devices that
let 5V through but clamp hard at 6V are relatively expensive.
Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
I canrCOt think of a circuit that proves that a transient suppressor is
working and can light an LED.
I'd be applying a small 400V pulse and measuring the current flow. If the current is much higher at 400V than it is at 340V (240V AC peak to peak voltage) then the suppressor is operational. At low duration / low current that pulse is less likely to damage anything.
But that's perhaps too expensive for a -u10 power strip.
Protecting silicon at the low voltage level is quite hard. Devices that
let 5V through but clamp hard at 6V are relatively expensive.
It's not too hard to make something that goes low resistance at a few volts - Zener
diodes do that, and ESD protection diodes are common on digital inputs,
which don't like voltages higher than about 4V in modern processes: https://monthly-pulse.com/2022/03/29/introduction-esd-protection-concepts-for-i-os/
Active circuits can do it more precisely if you want that. But the problem is where do you dump the current that flows? If you want to siphon off energy that would ordinarily be damaging the low voltage electronics, you have to send it somewhere. If you suddenly get a kA pulse it doesn't matter how sensitive your 'clamp' is if the thing it's using to absorb the energy
is instantly vapourised.
Theo
I canrCOt think of a circuit that proves that a transient suppressor is working and can light an LED.
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