July 2023 Update - BT Complete Wifi Disc has been replaced!

BT are now rolling out replacements to the BT Complete Wifi Disc with EE Smart Wifi, bizarrely there is no fanfare and very limited information at present, we got our hands on one and can see that they have cleverly kept the same management via the My BT App and the good news is that the standards have been kept.

So you can still use your BT Smart Hub 2 with BT Complete Wifi Disc and EE Smart WiFi up to a maximum of 6 units in a Mesh

The great coverage and simplicity is there for adding them to your existing setup either using a newtork cable to the back of your BT Smart Hub 2 or via the WPS option.

The EE Smart Wifi unit is a different form factor and won't be to everyone's liking, it is discreet, weighs almost exactly the same and supplies wireless on the same dual band frequency.

Setup is straight forward, click the main unit into the sturdy base and plug into the mains. Press the WPS button on you EE Smart WiFi and then press the WPS button on your BT Smart Hub 2, wait up to 5 minutes - once you see a blue light on the EE Smart WiFi you're paired up. 

Now unplug your EE Smart WiFi and aim to put it halfway between your hub and the dead spot in your home where you want better Wi-Fi. Ensure its off the floor, away from other electrical devices that could interfere and well ventilated!

If you see an orange light you're too far away and need to relocate the EE Smart WiFi.

We setup ours in less than 5 minutes using the My BT App and were suitably impressed with the additional coverage and speed in our dead spots.

 Check our stock levels here

How do I improve my Wi-Fi connection?

Running a business or working from home, streaming movies or playing games online, a strong reliable wireless signal is important. For those that live in a large house or cottage with thick walls, a consistent strong connection in every room of the house is hard to achieve.

BT Complete Wi-Fi according to the network giant claims to put an end to patchy Wi-Fi.

Improving your Wi-Fi Connection is not always straight forward as all the factors below can contribute to poor reception

Device - 2.4GHz or 5GHz compatibility (2.4 has better range but lower throughput) 5GHz has faster throughput but poor range, so disc placement is key when wanting better throughput/bandwidth download speeds. Check your devices to see what works on each frequency.

Thick Walls/Amount of floors - reduces the signal strength(more discs may be required). 

Interference - Microwaves, switching gear (elevators/power sources) can drop your signal out intermittently, try to raise your discs off the floor to improve coverage and keep away from other electronics. In flats other neighbours wireless equipment may overlap with your band and make your wireless drop out periodically, check with an Weak Wifi/wireless detection app like inSSIDer

Driver updates - phones, laptops and desktops all get updates periodically, ensure you check that they are up to date.

Distance - by strategically placing your discs you can cover greater distances, the further away the weaker the signal will be.

 

What does BT Complete Wi-Fi do?

BT Complete Wi-Fi increases the strength of your broadband using discs in strategically placed locations, creating a mesh system network in your home.

It is compact, reliable and, according to BT, guarantees flawless Wi-Fi in every room of your home.

BT claims if you live in a four-bedroom house you could potentially see up to an 25% increase - via one disc.

Who is it for and how can I get it?

You’ll need to be on a BT Supplied internet service currently to get the WiFi Guarantee using a BT Smart Hub 2 router(note this is the only router with the correct compatible software at time of writing)

You cannot use the Complete Wi-Fi discs with Sky, Plusnet, Virgin Media or any other household-name supplier. EE has been bought out by BT so this may change in due course.

However, customers from other providers can sign up for a comparable service from BT in one of the new disc ranges of BT Mini Whole Home, BT Whole Home Wifi or the BT Premium Whole Home Wi-Fi system. They are similar, but do not require you to use to a BT Smart Hub 2.

How does BT Complete Wi-Fi work?

It works by creating a complete ‘mesh’ network throughout your home. using a combination of BT Complete Wi-Fi discs and a BT Smart Hub 2.

 

As you can see, the disc connects to the hub with a strongest signal, increasing the signal from the hub as you go about the house, and reduces the chance of hitting a poor signal.

The network is effectively extended so no need to change network ID or remember more passwords

For best placement of the disc for the optimum signal, download the ‘My BT’ app available for IOS and Android. Once downloaded, check your Wi-Fi signal in every room and validate if other devices are connected successfully too.

 

How much does BT Complete Wi-Fi cost?

At the time of writing, you can get Smart Hub 2 for £200.

If you already own at Smart Hub 2 you can get a single disc for £100, two discs for £300 and three for £300.

You can also add Complete Wi-Fi to your package which will add a hefty £10 charge to your bill each month.

 

How many Complete Wi-Fi discs will I need?

This will depend on the size of your house/flat/cottage, factors such as the number of floors and thick walls need to be considered. However, in most environments one disc should be adequate.

What do I need to get started with a BT Complete Wifi Disc?

BT Complete Wi-Fi will only work with the BT Smart Hub 2, you cannot mix disc models either, ie run a BT Whole Home Wifi Disc(White) with this.

 

How to connect a BT Complete Wifi disc?

1. Simply plug a network cable into the back of your BT Smart Hub 2 into one of the 4 Yellow Lan ports and the other end into the yellow port on the rear of the disc.
2. The light on the BT Complete Wi-Fi disc will start flashing blue and will turn solid blue after a couple of minutes.
3. You can now unplug the cable and relocate the disc to another room

 

How to reset a BT Complete Wifi Disc?

On the rear of the disc, insert a pin into the pinhole marked factory reset, hold it for 1-2 seconds, the disc will now take a few minutes to reset

 

How many BT Complete Wifi Discs can I have?

The internal software with the My BT App reports up to 6 discs can be used (this has not been verified)

 

What about BT Complete Wifi vs BT Whole Home Wifi?

Some key facts below

	BT Complete Wifi	BT Whole Home Wifi
Router	Only works with BT Smart Hub 2	Can be used with most Vendors
ISP Support	BT Only	Any ISP
Wireless Speeds	Wi-Fi 5 technology AC2200 (802.11ac) with maximum speeds of 2.4GHz: 385Mbps 5.4GHz: 1733Mbps	Wi-Fi 5 technology AC2600 (802.11ac) with maximum speeds of 2.4GHz: 800Mbps 5GHz: 1733Mbps
Ports	1 x Gigabit Ethernet Network Port	1 x Gigabit Ethernet Network Port
Max Discs in a mesh	6	6
Guest Network Supported	NO	YES