Vodafone Sure Signal

[George]

This issue has the following symptoms:

For version 1 Sure Signal (the one with four lights on the front):

• Lights one, two and four are all solid
• Incoming calls, texts and internet all work correctly
• When making a call on a registered phone, the error ‘Call Failed’ or similar is displayed

For version 2 Sure Signal (the one with 3 lights on the front):

• The power and system lights are both solid
• Incoming calls, texts and internet all work correctly
• When making a call on a registered phone, the error ‘Call Failed’ or similar is displayed 

For version 3 Sure Signal (the plug in version):

• The power, internet and service lights are all solid and the in use light is either solid or flashing
• Incoming calls, texts and internet all work correctly
• When making a call on a registered phone, the error ‘Call Failed’ or similar is displayed

Troubleshooting steps:

Check for planned maintenance:
Planned maintenance can cause periods of downtime, so check the forum for any planned maintenance. If there is, this will be announced at the top of the Sure Signal forum.

Reset your Sure Signal:

For versions 1 and 2:

-Hold in the reset button until all lights go solid

-Pull the power lead out with the reset button still pushed in

-Continue to hold down the reset button and reconnect the power lead

-Wait for all lights to come on and then release the reset button

For version 3:

-Locate the button on the base of the box next to the Ethernet ports.

-Press and hold the button for approximately 30 seconds.

-Once the lights come back on, release the button.

The Sure Signal will be back online in around 1 hour.

If you’re still unable to make calls, there may be a compatibility issue with your Sure Signal and your location information (also known as SAC/LAC compatibility).

A SAC (Service Area Code) connects to a mast and is used to determine the rough location of where a call’s made. It's needed for the emergency services to know where a call was made from.

As a Sure Signal can be used anywhere in the country, it doesn't automatically come with a SAC. The SAC is generated based on the postcode you enter when registering your Sure Signal and it's created based on the nearest cell to your location.

In order for calls to be made, they must go over an MSC (Mobile Switching Centre). If the MSC doesn't hold the SAC for your area on its database, the call will fail.

The MSCs should now hold all SACs for Sure Signal calls. For anyone who is still affected please post in this thread and we can look into it further.

Thanks,

Jenny

[rickfraser]

Just about reached the end of my tether now...

Been a VF customer for many many years and always been happy with the service - especially when travelling abroad.

However, move house a couple of years ago to a village where (although VF's coverage map says the coverage is 'good') the network coverage is barely existant - mostly not.

Results in lost calls and mobile dying in a few hours as it struggles to find a signal.

So, I bought a backup mobile on another network PAYG - that works fine all day, every day. I still wanted to keep my VF contract phone going.

Complained countless times to VF about lack of coverage, but nothing changed. Finally, after the price fell to a 'reasonable' level (although why I should have to pay for VF's shortcomings I don't know), I bought a SureSignal.

It arrived quickly and I set it up and registered it with no problem, connecting to my BT Home Hub. In about an hour, I have full bars on my 3G signal. I could receive calls great, and send and receive texts without problem.

Now comes the head against wall bit.

Because it's time, I decided to upgrade my mobile. So, I chose the phone I wanted on VF online and got all the way through to actually ordering it when I saw my address was wrong - so I backed out.

I went to the "My Account" to change the address but it wouldn't let me - kept failing to save.

So I rang 191 - only it disconnected immediately. I tried a few times - same thing. Tried other numbers - all started to ring but after the first ring, the call disconnected with a "connection failure" error.

Used my landline to phone 0870...191. Related problem to bod. Was told I had an old simm card and needed a new one. Ok - send me one but must have the same phone number as I use it for business. Was assured it would stay the same.

New simm arrived (with same phone number). Put in phone and had VF activate it.

Then had no signal at all from the SS - receive or send. Phoned again. Ah, need to do a re-sync because the serial number of the simm was different to my old simm - will take up to 24 hours (why does it always take so long?).

Eventually got my full bar 3G signal back - could receive all ok - Cannot make any calls !!

Tried simm in another 3G phone - same thing happens. Phones work fine outside the range of the SS.

Phone VF yet again (at least 20 mins this time). Reset SS and hard rest mobile. Eventually get a signal back on my mobile, but guess what? Still cannot make a call to anyone.

The last guy I spoke to said he would call me after an hour to see how I was getting on. Did he call? Did he heck.

So now I am just about sick and tired of phoning VF, trawling through forums and countless other complaints about SureSignal. Even tried configuring my Home Hub, but didn't change things - it is plug and play anyway.

Why can I receive ok, and make and receive texts, but not make a call? What different mechanism is being employed?

I am almost (but not quite yet) at the point of transferring my contract to the other network provider whose signal I never have a problem with.

So, does anyone have an answer?

[Lee]

Hey FlickLaser,

Is it possible you can confirm for me that you've tried all the troubleshooting in this thread?

If so, and you've still had no success, then there's information on how to get in touch at the bottom of post #1. Please include all the information requested and we'll see what we can do

Cheers,

LeeH
eForum Team

[rickfraser]

Requested details sent via "contact us" form

[rickfraser]

Confirmed that I have tried all these things, several times.

[rickfraser]

Got this from George on Saturday....

"it's caused by a mis-match between the Sure Signal server and the Mobile Switching Centre which handles your calls. I've raised a case to our support teams for this to be rectified. Once they've made the necessary changes, you'll need to perform a factory reset on your Sure Signal. I'll email you to let you know when to do this."




I am still waiting Tuesday.

I recommended SureSignal to five other people in the same boat before I realised I couldn't make any calls. At present they are all on hold, pending the outcome of this resolution (or not).

[George]

Hi FlickLaser,

Apologies for the delay in responding. I've just sent you an email in regards to this issue, I'm confident it's now fixed .

George
eForum Team

[rickfraser]

Thanks George

All fixed now after hard resetting both SS and mobile.

Why couldn't the support guys I phoned originally get this moving instead of it taking a week to resolve, and costing me a small fortune in land line charges to VF?

Satisfied it does work now though. Thanks again.

[George]

Hi FlickLaser,

I'm pleased to hear that your issue is now resolved . I'm not sure why the support guys you phoned weren't able to fix this, but I'll ensure it's fed back to them.

If you do need any further assistance then don't hesitate to ask. Also, if you'd like to leave any feedback regarding how I've handled your issue then please click the link in my signature.

George
eForum Team

[tree]

Hi

I am literally at the end of my tether with this.  I have had this problem now for 3 weeks but whoever I speak to at Vodafone they tell me there is no longer a problem

I have emailed all the info on George's email thread but no response

Please help!!!

[BenJ]

Hi tree

Welcome to the eForum!

I'm sorry to hear of your problems and can appreciate your frustration.

I've just checked o ur Sure Signal teams email que which is where this query would be directed,  unfortunatly I am unable to find an email from you which is why you may have never had a response,  if possible could you send again and I will make sure it gets answered for you.

Thanks
BenJ
eForum Team

[tree]

Hi there

OK, I'm just emailing all my info again, but this will now be my 3rd time so please can you let me know if it doesn't come through

Thanks

Tree

[Martin]

Hi tree

Thanks for trying to send the email again.

I have just checked and cannot see this in any of our queue's, so I have sent you an email, if you reply back to that, it will come directly back to us.

Thanks

Martin
eForum Team

[spelliott]

Had this problem since October 30th - a friend told me about this forum solution today- pity that the VSS telephone support group then I've spent a fortune with on landline calls don't seem to read it - at least the half a dozen or so 2nd level VSS guys that I've got through to.

I have just submitted as much of the recommended Template as the Contact Us Form actually allows - here's hoping that our 2 brand new, but fairly useless iPhones (at least when we're at home with our beloved VSDS box) will be able to be used soon!!

Steve

[tree]

Surprise, Surprise - still no luck!!  5 weeks in!!!

An hour onto technical support level 3 last night who told me that this SAC code thing had been 'blown out of proposrtion' and that everything on this forum was rubbish.... Interesting!!

I've now been told that my first box wasn't working (although all the lights are as they should be), nor is my replacement box working so they are going to send me another box.  Which I can guarantee won't work either.......

Please, please can someone help.  This is ridiculous, I pay £40 per month for 600 minutes of calls that I can't use because I've no signal at home.

[tree]

It definitely went through because I got an initial reply through

Good afternoon Tree

Thanks for your email.  I will now proceed to have this looked into and see if we can get a new SAC allocated as quickly as possible.

Turn around days may be anything up to a few days and anything from 24 hours. We will advise when this has occured.

Kind regards

Reidar

eForum Team

Still nothing back since......

[George]

Hi tree,

Thanks for posting, I'm sorry to hear that this issue is still ongoing for you. I'm going to take a look back through our records and will be in touch directly once I know what's happening.

George

eForum Team

[MattC9]

Hi everyone

I have had this problem since before Christmas, I've tried several resets to no avail

I logged a support call and they are adamant it's not a SAC issue and suggest I call customer services to arrange exchanging the box

My question is: has anyone who's had this issue had it fixed by a new SS box?

Many thanks

Matt

[Wayne]

Hi MAttC9

Thanks for your post here. I'm sorry to hear that you are having trouble with this. Don't worry though, help is at hand.

You'll find all the information you need on this thread to get things working again.

Sure Signal Call Failed when making outbound calls

Thanks

Wayne

eForum Team

[mattgelder]

Hi Matt,

I've had exactly the same issue with my Sure Signal. It's been driving me nuts for ages. Eventually customer services relented (having made about 6 - 10 calls to them and each one ending with them insisting in 4 hours time it would magically work and they'd ring me to check (they didn't)) and got me to send the box back.

I sent it back and received a different refurbished model just after Christmas. I've since plugged it in and surprise surprise I am having the same problems. I've gone through all the troubleshooting steps I've acqured over the months of ownership and still no good. Yesterday I decided enough was enough and replaced my Draytek router with a DLink one again making no difference. All my port forwarding rules are back in place.

I've just seen this thread and when I get home tomorrow I'll try pasting that info into the Contact Us box to see how I get on. I'm getting to the end of my tether with it all too - I get next to no Vodafone signal at home; my work phone is Vodafone and all I want to do is make calls.

Plus if Customer Services ask me to check with my broadband provider that my line is working one more time I'll end up swearing at them.

Cheers

Matt