BT Admits ‘Whole Home Wi-Fi’ Mesh Connectivity Bugs

BT has acknowledged connectivity problems with its Whole Home Wi-Fi wireless networking system that been reported by users since the telco rolled out a firmware update in late February.

Whole Home Wi-Fi creates a mesh network that extends the range of a user’s existing router to provide access throughout a home. The system consists of a set of several white plastic discs that are placed around the house to eliminate dead spots.

Users had previously reported stability issues, and it was thought the firmware update might address those problems. BT said the update adjusted the way the discs connected to one another.

But users said after they’d applied the patch their devices would no longer remain connected to the network. Rebooting the discs temporarily solved the issue in some cases, but it would soon reassert itself, users said on BT’s support forums.

Patch ‘on the way’

“Been tearing my hair out having spent nigh £400 on this kit,” one user wrote, saying they had run the hardware for several months without problems before the update. “If it continues much longer I’ll be sending the whole lot back.”

“All devices suddenly stop working,” another user wrote. “The system shows as working but there is no internet connectivity.”

The user, like others, said the system now needed to be rebooted several times a day to function at all.

On the forums, a BT support representative told users the firm is working on another update, “following our release process”.

“There is no definitive answer on timescales at this stage but it will not be in days,” the representative wrote.

BT said the issue was only affecting a “small” number of users.

“We’re aware that a small number of customers have been having problems with their Whole Home Wi-Fi,” BT said in a prepared statement. “We’re working to fix the issue as quickly as possible.”

On its website BT describes Whole Home Wi-Fi as a way to eliminate Wi-Fi dead spots.

“Now you can have TV, films, music and games on any device, in any room, with no deadzones or drop-outs,” the site’s description says.

Do you know all about broadband and the ultra-fast future? Try our quiz!