BT Business Smart Hub 3

What is the BT Business Smart Hub 3?

Smart Hub 3 is the router BT supplies with its newer business broadband connections. It handles the broadband connection, the business Wi-Fi network, guest Wi-Fi and wired connections for desks, printers and phones.

BT's headline points for Smart Hub 3:

• Wi-Fi 6: the current generation of Wi-Fi, which helps when many devices share the network at once. Devices need to support Wi-Fi 6 to get its full benefit.
• Over 100 devices: BT says it supports over 100 compatible devices.
• Built for Full Fibre speeds: it is the hub BT supplies with Full Fibre tiers up to 900Mbps.
• The base for BT's newer features: Complete Wi-Fi Plus discs and Wi-Fi Security Controls both need Smart Hub 3.
• Managed in the BT Business app: set-up, Wi-Fi settings and, on Pro, security controls are handled from the app.

Do not confuse it with the BT Business Hub 3, a much older hub with a similar name. If you are searching for help with lights or settings, check which hub you have first; BT's help pages have a guide to identifying your hub.

Which plans come with Smart Hub 3?

The hub depends on the access type at your address and the plan you choose:

So there are two ways to get Smart Hub 3: be at an address with BT Business Full Fibre, or choose Pro on SOGEA. BT made Pro the first time Standard Fibre customers could get Smart Hub 3. BT Ultra Broadband is different again: BT replaces the Smart Hub as your router with a Cisco Meraki security appliance (on Standard Fibre, BT's briefing shows a Smart Hub kept in place as the modem).

Smart Hub 3 vs Smart Hub 2

Both are capable business hubs. The practical differences come down to Wi-Fi generation, access type and which add-ons work with them:

BT does publish comparisons of Wi-Fi speed between the two hubs, but they depend on test conditions and Wi-Fi 6 devices, so we do not repeat them here. What matters more in most workplaces is coverage: where the hub sits, how many walls it has to get through, and whether you add discs.

Getting the best from Smart Hub 3

A hub in a cupboard at one end of the building will struggle however good it is. Some practical points:

• Position: put the hub in the open, as central as the incoming line allows, away from large metal objects and not inside a cabinet.
• Wire what you can: desk PCs, printers, phones and screens that do not move are better on a cable, which leaves the Wi-Fi free for laptops and phones.
• Add discs for coverage: if upstairs rooms or a back office are weak, Complete Wi-Fi Plus discs pair with Smart Hub 3 to make one network. They are included with Pro.
• Retire old extenders: BT recommends removing existing Wi-Fi extenders once Complete Wi-Fi is set up, to avoid interference.
• Separate visitors: switch on guest Wi-Fi rather than sharing the business Wi-Fi password.

Our business Wi-Fi guide goes further on planning coverage across a workplace.

What you can manage on Smart Hub 3

BT's Smart Hub 3 guide covers the settings most businesses need. From the hub's manager page or the BT Business app you can, among other things:

• Change the Wi-Fi name, password and wireless settings
• Set IPv4 and IPv6 DNS servers, or dynamic DNS
• Change the hub's local IP address
• Assign multiple static IP addresses, if you have a static IP range
• Create port forwarding rules for cameras, servers or remote access
• Control the times when devices can access the internet
• Restrict which wireless devices can connect
• Use a VPN with the hub
• View the hub's status and control its light

On Pro, Wi-Fi Security Controls adds device groups, website filtering and threat reports in the BT Business app on top of these hub settings.

Smart Hub 3 also matters for phones. If you take a BT digital phone line (Cloud Voice Express) with your broadband and choose Unlimited UK Calls, BT says you receive a compatible cordless phone that plugs into the back of the Smart Hub rather than a wall socket. See broadband and phone.

Using your own router with Smart Hub 3

BT allows compatible third-party routers and firewalls, but how you connect one depends on the access type:

• Full Fibre: BT says modem-only mode does not apply, because you can plug your own router directly into the Optical Network Terminal (ONT) that Openreach fits at installation.
• Standard Fibre and other non-FTTP lines: BT says modem-only (bridge) mode is not currently supported on Smart Hub 3, so you cannot put your own router behind it on these lines at the moment.

There is a trade-off. BT says that using your own router, or a hub in modem-only mode, means you cannot use Hybrid Backup, Complete Wi-Fi or the Wi-Fi security features, and BT's helpdesk does not support third-party routers. Our own router guide covers the settings BT requires and when it is worth doing.

Ownership, returns and help

BT keeps ownership of the Smart Hub and any Wi-Fi discs. BT says that if you leave BT Business, or remove Complete Wi-Fi from your service, the equipment needs to be returned within 60 days to avoid charges, and it explains how to return it free of charge.

For hub lights, the admin login, Wi-Fi name and password changes, port forwarding, static IP set-up, VPNs and device restrictions, BT publishes a Smart Hub 3 guide in its BT Business help pages. Those pages are the right place for step-by-step instructions, as they match the current firmware. If something is not working, report faults to BT; see support and fault fixes for how BT's care levels work.

Getting Smart Hub 3 through Forever Communications

We check whether your address has Full Fibre or Standard Fibre, tell you which hub each plan would come with, and help you decide whether Pro is worth it for Smart Hub 3, Complete Wi-Fi Plus and Wi-Fi Security Controls. Pricing is confirmed at quote. Contact us to find out which hub your address and plan would get.