New Smart Meters Followed Shortly by New Broadband Provider

inspectorperez

Having just moved from EDF to Octopus for dual fuel, I'm getting smart meters fitted next week.

By pure coincidence, my broadband/landline contract expires the week after, and have decided to switch from EE to BT in order to continue landline feature via Digital Voice.

My question is, will the installation of a new router involve any form of reprogramming with the new meters, and if so, is this something which a reasonably savvy customer can do themselves?

Ayr_Rage

No.

Smart meters use their own communication network.

They do not interact with your broadband or phone service in any way.

brook_heather

Smart Meters have nothing to do with your home internet - they have their own communications module.

debitcardmayhem

Nothing to do, meters nothing to do with the router

MWT

inspectorperez said:

My question is, will the installation of a new router involve any form of reprogramming with the new meters, and if so, is this something which a reasonably savvy customer can do themselves?

The others are correct that the meter does not use your internet connection, but ...

The Zigbee link between the smart meter and the IHD does use the same frequency band as your WiFi, so you might want to note the channel your current WiFi router is using and set the new one up the same, as your smart meter comms hub will hopefully have avoided that channel when it was first activated. 

Gerry1

Good luck if you have a power failure or rota power cut when you're on Digital Voice.

Unlike a copper landline you won't be able to receive or make any calls, not even to 999, unless you have battery backup that lasts for the duration.  Recent storms knocked out some people's power for up to two weeks.

Don't rely on a mobile phone either, your local mast may well go off the moment your lights go out.

Remember not to have a fire, stroke, heart attack or other medical emergency until power has been restored...😱

brook_heather

MWT said:

The Zigbee link between the smart meter and the IHD does use the same frequency band as your WiFi, so you might want to note the channel your current WiFi router is using and set the new one up the same, as your smart meter comms hub will hopefully have avoided that channel when it was first activated. 

Smart Meters are not set up to use a specific 2.4GHz channel - the Zigbee protocol uses one of 16 channels within the same 2.4GHz range as Wifi and will just hop to a different channel if there is interference so no need to use the same Wifi channels on your router.

MWT

brook_heather said:

MWT said:

The Zigbee link between the smart meter and the IHD does use the same frequency band as your WiFi, so you might want to note the channel your current WiFi router is using and set the new one up the same, as your smart meter comms hub will hopefully have avoided that channel when it was first activated. 

Smart Meters are not set up to use a specific 2.4GHz channel - the Zigbee protocol uses one of 16 channels within the same 2.4GHz range as Wifi and will just hop to a different channel if there is interference so no need to use the same Wifi channels on your router.

In my experience the comms. hub tried to hang onto a channel that was conflicting far too tenaciously, moving my WiFi resolved the issue. If the current configuration is working well I would at least note what it is and be prepared to change the new router if needed.

I'm also not sure that it will auto change channel after the initial setup.

[Deleted User]

I'm also not sure that it will auto change channel after the initial setup.

I think that the comms hub selects a channel when it is first commissioned, and it retains this channel until power is turned off (eg; grid failure or comms hub reset).

QrizB

Gerry1 said:

Remember not to have a fire, stroke, heart attack or other medical emergency until power has been restored...😱

On the other hand, exactly how many times in your life have you had to call 999 or 112? What's the chance of it happening during a power cut?

[Deleted User]

I don't have a landline at all like lots of other people I know. I wonder how we have managed to stay alive?

p.s. hope I'm not tempting fate