# BT home hub 5 - switch off at night?



## sunnyV5 (Jul 26, 2006)

Hi guys

I am thinking of a way to switch off the home hub at night (without having to go to the plug each night and again in the morning......)

I can't find a powersave option in hub settings. I thought about getting a timer plug - anyone had one before?

Reason for this - since setting up the hub in bedroom been suffering from headaches and wondering if it is related to the wifi... :s


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## Clancy (Jul 21, 2013)

Timer plug or you can get plugs with remote controls as well, not limited to a specific time then


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## matt-rudd (Jan 4, 2015)

Buy a plug in timer, can get them weekly one where it has days etc and even digital ones to be more specific with timings. Used primarily for lighting etc for Christmas lights. Best way imo!

Or as Clancy says a remote one (I have a lime one I think it's called?) uses just a normal tv remote and you can specify which button you want to use to operate the switch


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## Natalie (Jan 19, 2011)

Not on a hub but we use Draper digital timers (currently got the Crimbo tree on one) and I'd recommend it. You can have it set so that it switches on/off at the same time every day or set it for each day individually, including multiple times a day.


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## cossiecol (Jun 29, 2014)

Personally I wouldn't be turning my router off at night as the feedback to the exchange would register it as a fault and change the transmission if I kept turning off each night.

BT (i believe) monitors the UP time of your router at the exchange and any disconnects counts as a fault with the connection. If you have too many faults they will-or their kit will downgrade the speed on your line in an attempt to improve your connection up-time.

However I am not a BT engineer and will be happy to be proved wrong.


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## Natalie (Jan 19, 2011)

cossiecol said:


> However I am not a BT engineer and will be happy to be proved wrong.


My bro is, I'll ask him his thoughts


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## Natalie (Jan 19, 2011)

He says "it would cause the DLM to kick in and lower speeds to try and stabilise the connection. What's the reason for wanting to switch it off?"

http://www.skyuser.co.uk/forum/sky-dlm/23760-what-dlm-everything-you-need-know.html

HTH?


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## spursfan (Aug 4, 2009)

cossiecol said:


> Personally I wouldn't be turning my router off at night as the feedback to the exchange would register it as a fault and change the transmission if I kept turning off each night.
> 
> BT (i believe) monitors the UP time of your router at the exchange and any disconnects counts as a fault with the connection. If you have too many faults they will-or their kit will downgrade the speed on your line in an attempt to improve your connection up-time.
> 
> However I am not a BT engineer and will be happy to be proved wrong.


that is true, it's to do with synchronisation, it takes 24 hours I believe to achieve maximum speed, every time you turn it off it will have to resync to max speed, taking another 24 hours, the homehub 5 does go to a power save mode apparently overnight.


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## Kimo (Jun 7, 2013)

We were told not to switch ours off for some reason


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## Natalie (Jan 19, 2011)

He says you can on into the settings to turn off the WIFI at certain times.

http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/...urn-wireless-on-and-off---bt-home-hub-4-and-5

http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/...2LzEvdGltZS8xNDUxNjc4Njg2L3NpZC9EVUNVc3NGbQ==


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## turbosnoop (Apr 14, 2015)

Is there a genuine radiation/health risk or something with these. Ours is on 24/7 and its located at the side of my favorite chair


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## packard (Jun 8, 2009)

Just leave it on, it won't cost a fortune and allows the connection to be always on..


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## Hereisphilly (Nov 17, 2014)

Unless you live next to no one else, chances are your house will have next doors WiFi network filling your rooms, so turning yours off isn't going to help

I've personally not heard of radio waves causing headaches, but the inconvenience to me of turning off a router every night is massive


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## turbosnoop (Apr 14, 2015)

Hereisphilly said:


> Unless you live next to no one else, chances are your house will have next doors WiFi network filling your rooms, so turning yours off isn't going to help
> 
> I've personally not heard of radio waves causing headaches, but the inconvenience to me of turning off a router every night is massive


I used to always use next doors WiFi,until one day they put a password on it


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## James_R (Jun 28, 2007)

My next door neighbours had their own IT business and worked from home.

Both houses were brand new, they had broadband fitted straight away and told me not to bother, and gave me the password to get on their network.

Did this for a couple of years til they moved to be closer to one of their parents who were ill.

After that I was on TalkTalk for about 7 yrs
Been with BT on a Hub5 for last couple of years

I leave mine plugged in and on all the time.
On my 2nd router to be fair, the first one packed in.


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## Titanium Htail (Mar 24, 2012)

The hub is only at that position as that maybe where the external line is located, could it be moved internally or have it moved to an alternative location, use 6wire. That would be preferable than as mentioned, turning it on and off which will cause problems in the long run.

Evidence that symptoms of this nature may be caused by what you suggest are unsubstantiated currently.

Move the location, John Tht. Ex BT/ST


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## Starbuck88 (Nov 12, 2013)

Interesting on the Headache front.

I've become convinced that Mobile Phone use gives me a headache and also being close to Wifi routers. For many years, nearly 10 years.

Now, I am unsure on whether it is actually the case, as when tipsy/not thinking about it/slightly drunk on New Years eve, I was on various mobile phones and didn't even get a twinge.

Some things can be mind over matter but breaking that can be hard. Especially if you've now convinced yourself it's definitely giving you headaches.

However, I for god knows how long now, only use Ethernet connections and always use a mobile phone on speaker (I never really use them to talk on).

Apparently though, if you read up, the amount of waves/radiation, reduces substantially with distance. for example I read somewhere that even a small ( think it said approx 30cms) extra bit of distance reduces the radiation 5 fold. Hence why next doors or an older router wouldn't affect you as much.

All of the mobile phone SAR ratings are done believe it or not with phones on belt holsters apparently. Not directly in someone's pocket next to their crown jewels.

As Electro Magnetic Sensitivity isn't currently able to be diagnosed, more DRs and health care people are seeing more things like this occur.

In my mind, I'd prefer to knock wi-fi off and just use Ethernet where possible. 

I even have a micro USB to Ethernet adapter for my Galaxy Tab S 10.5 as I have convinced myself the MIMO Wi-Fi gives me a headache (multiple antennas for faster speeds etc), where as the Wi-Fi in my old iPad 1 doesn't seem to affect me. Even though, SAR values are higher on the old iPad than the new Samsung.

It's one of the reasons I opted for an LG G4 over a Galaxy S6 or iPhone 6S. It has no MIMO.

Again I might be dreaming it all up but I'd rather be safe.


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## m4rkymark (Aug 17, 2014)

I get a headache if I'm on a mobile phone for a long time so I don't use them at all. I don't get headaches in the house from wireless kit at all but I don't believe that means they are safer.

I did read a study a while back about men who suffer from bowel cancer and it's very common in what called the ascending colon - this is apparently around the same spot as most men keep their mobile phones, in their right hand coat pocket of right hand trouser pocket. Woman don't suffer cancer in the same place nearly as much as men and the study suggested it was because woman don't keep a phone near to their body - they kept them in a hand bag away from the body. That's what the study was trying to make out anyway - no idea if it is true or not but thought it was an interesting article.

My neighbour wrote a study for World Health Organisation on the effects of radio waves/radiation and how they can affect the brain (he is a neurologist/neurosurgeon) and he said his study shows radio waves from phones and masts don't affect people however agreed that long term, many tens of years, the results may be different. He said it was better to be closer to a mast as the power from the phone needed to make the connection is smaller whereas if you are further from the mast the phone needs to put out a stronger signal to connect.


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## sunnyV5 (Jul 26, 2006)

Thank you for everyone's replies


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## slineclean (Dec 23, 2011)

I remember looking when first had broadband and from memory there wasn't a great deal of costs just leaving it switched on. My only Personel thoughts are ? It's more hassle that it's worth incase of losing connection etc.


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## LeadFarmer (Feb 23, 2011)

When speaking on a mobile phone, always plug the opposite ear with your finger as this stops the radiation from passing through your head.


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## RedUntilDead (Feb 10, 2009)

turbosnoop said:


> Is there a genuine radiation/health risk or something with these. Ours is on 24/7 and its located at the side of my favorite chair


do a search about EMF or the dark side of smart meters:thumb:

Has anyone actually read instructions on the use of apple smart phones? they recommend never pressing the phone directly to your ear, always maintain an air gap.
The MOD knew about the effects of radio waves in the 70s, special forces received advice during the struggles in Ireland - allegedly

I love a good conspiracy


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