Vodafone Sure Signal

[simonb007]

Hello.

I have a problem with my Samsung S2 whereby the phone will connect to my Suresignal Box only if I switch it off and on, or by switching between WCDMA and GSM. The phone will then randomly disconnect from the Suresignal box going back to 1 bar.

I have been in contact with Customer Services who told me last week "This is how the phone is supposed to operate. All smartphones work like this," which is obviously not the case. I then ended up speaking to someone in technical support who reset the box, which I might add is a week old, but it has made no difference. I have done a factory reset but it has made no difference.

I have tried everything to resolve this. I have even taken the device to a friends house and plugged it into their broadband and added their HTC (vodafone) phone to the device, but the same problem exists. I have put my sim card into my old BB9700, same problem.

I am now on my third Suresignal Box. The last one worked for about 6 months before it just gave up and hence I have the new one.

I would like to add, that all my firewall ports are set correctly.

So has anyone got any ideas what could be wrong..?

Many thanks.

[James]

HI simonb007,

Thanks for your post here.

To be honest with the details that you have provided it is hard to say exactly what is happening.

When it comes to the Sure Signal it won’t allow the phone to connect (camp) onto it if there is an active connection on the normal (Macro) network, this can be a call or data connection.

The Sure signal needs to wait until the active Macro network connection has ended before it will camp onto the Sure Signal (Femto) network.

By switching from WCDMA to GSM manually on the phone it will automatically disconnect you from the Sure Signal as the Sure Signal only operates using 3G (WCDMA) services.

However, another cause of this issue could be down to the SIM.

Can I ask if you have issues picking up signal in other areas away from the Sure Signal?

How old is your sure signal?

Also when you are connected to the Sure Signal, if you set the phone to use WCDMA only do you still get the same issue?

If you can let me know the above with your Sure Signal serial number then I will be able to look at this in more details for you.

James

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[gilesric]

Did you manage to resolve this? Both my Galaxy S2 and my wifes S1 are behaving the same way. This is my second suresignal after the first suddenly stopped working. I didn't have this problem with the first however. Switching to 3g only and back does resolve the problem but only for a limited amount of time.

[simonb007]

James,

Thank you for your reply.

I have been going through somewhat of a nightmare over the past few weeks with handsets - I have had 3 replacement S2 handsets, as the first 2 were both faulty. Luckily I now have a working one.

I can now provide a bit more information for you.

On Friday, I went to my London office which has a Suresignal box sitting behind a cisco router. On that day, I did not have my replacement S2, so was using a 7 year old Sony Ericsson K750 with my current SIM in it. The phone immeditately connected to the Suresignal without me even touching it. I left the office on several occassions and each time the phone connected up to the Suresignal box without intervention. So I know the Sim is fine.

The new S2 handset I now have exhibits the issues of other S2 handsets I have had. When you initially turn the phone on, it will connect to the Suresignal and maintain the signal, so long as you remain near it. As soon as you go out of range of the Suresignal box and then come back into range, it will not automatically re-connect. I have to switch to GSM and then WCDMA to reconnect with the Suresignal box.

The current Suresignal box I have is approx 3 weeks old - my last one gave up the ghost. I would point out the latest suresignal appears to be re-furbished as there are stickers underneath the IMEI sticker on the box.

My Suresignal number is 40121022152

Hopefully you can provide a solution.

Many thanks.

Simon

[DaveCD]

Hi simonb007

Thank you for your post.

This sounds as though this is a handover issue between the two types of network and unfortunately we are unable to support this as it is not a feature of the device.

Please can you advise me what type of stickers are present and where the device was obtained.

Many Thanks

DaveCD

eForum Team

[simonb007]

Davecd,

Thanks for your email.

I am confused by your answer. You are talking about a handover issue between networks ?

There is clearly a problem here. When I had my second S2 handset (and I am now on my fifth), the phone worked perfectly well with the Suresignal Box, albeit, the firmware was not Ice Cream Sandwich. I did not have any issues described above. I sued to have my phone set to automatic and it would always find my SS Box upon entering my home.

I have seen other members on here suffering with the same problem. HTC One X users seem to have the same problem ...

http://forum.vodafone.co.uk/t5/Vodafone-Sure-Signal/HTC-One-X-not-connecting-to-Sure-Signal/td-p/110...

As regards my Suresignal Box, it was a replacement given to me by Vodafone Bluewater, after  I was advised my  old one would need to be sent away to be repaired. The Box has a sticker underneath the IMEI sticker with a bar code etc. So I guess the box was reconditioned witha REC DATE of 15/05/2012.

I look forward to your reply.

Simon

[chrise]

---

DaveCD wrote:

Hi simonb007

Thank you for your post.

This sounds as though this is a handover issue between the two types of network and unfortunately we are unable to support this as it is not a feature of the device.

Please can you advise me what type of stickers are present and where the device was obtained.

Many Thanks

DaveCD

eForum Team

---

Handover to SS *during calls* isn't supported.  But that doesn't seem to be the issue here.

[simonb007]

Thanks Chrise fro your reply...

Im glad someone else recognises that there is an issue here..

Just for the record, I have also attempted turning off my data connection, going out of range of the suresignal box and then coming back into range - still the same problem.

Does anybody know if a firmware update has been applied to the suresignal boxes over the past few months ? Reading other posts from members, there seems to be a pattern whereby everyones phones worked flawlessly with the SS and now some work and some dont.

Simon

[tonytango]

i have the same problem with my galaxy s my galaxy note my sons galaxy s3 and my wife's galaxy note every time any one of us go out we disconnect from the sure signal box and when we come home they don't connect until we change to airplane mode and back again there must be a problem with the firmwhere on the sure signal boxes,i got a replacement box two week's ago and still have the same problem.

[Dave]

Hi guys,

As James and chrise have mentioned, the handover of calls from network to Femto cell (Sure Signal) is not something supported on the Sure Signal. This isn't a firmware issue on the Sure Signal itself, as it is not designed to do this. 

This shouldn't be affecting the handset when there is no call taking place as you move into Sure Signal range though. 

Simonb007 - It would be useful to know if the problem persists when you have the Galaxy S2 at that same London Office, and if the older handset works on your Sure Signal at home with the same SIM. The more combinations of the same components with just one different element, the easier it will become to identify the source of the issue.

Can I also get you both to try a factory reset for me at this point, just to ensure the Sure Signals are running with the latest updates?

• Hold down the reset button until all the lights show (about 30 seconds)
• Keeping the reset button held down, remove then re-insert the power lead.
• Once all lights display release the reset button.
• The Sure Signal will come online in around 1 hour.

Dave

[simonb007]

Thanks for your email Dave.

I would like to point out that at no time have I complained about the SS not picking up a live call when I move in to range.

My complaint is that when coming into my house, the phone does not log onto the box, and thus does not obtain a 3G signal - the very thing it is supposed to do. A lot of people are complaining of the same problem which has started happening over the past few months, with a number of different handsets... Hence, I asked if a firmware update has been pushed out to the SS boxes, in an attempt to provide more stability, and in doing so, introduced a new bug. 

It might be useful for a future release of SureSignal, to provide status information by way of a web page, which the user could get by logging onto the local IP Address of the box. You could then see if the box had all the necessary updates and would make troubleshooting these issues much easier.

As regards my latest SS box at home, my old K750 will not work with it, but works perfectly with the one in the office. The S2 handset works with the one at home for a period of time, if I switch between GSM and WCDMA to get the phone to log onto the box. After several hours (e.g overnight), the handset loses connectivity to the box and I have to reconnect.As regards the S2 handset working in the office, I will not be able to test this until Friday.

I have done several factory resets to the box, the last one being Thursday of last week. Is there really any point doing another one ? Surely I already have the latest updates, unless of course you have pushed out some others in the past week.

Thanks

Simon

[Lee]

Hello simonb007,

Thanks for coming back to us.

I appreciate that handover from the network to the femtocell (Sure Signal) may have worked in  the past, but this is a functionality that is not supported. It will especially not work if there is an active connection, whether that be for voice or data, when you move into range of the Sure Signal.

In terms of the K750; this device is a 2G only device, according to the link provided. I'm confused that you say it works in the office though. Is this definitely a 3G signal you're picking up?

Cheers,

Lee

[simonb007]

Thanks for your input Lee...

The plot thickens.. You say handover may have worked in the past by is now not supported... Why is that ?

Have Vodafone turned this simple feature off ?

I work in IT and go to various client sites, all with Wireless routers. When I turn on my laptop, it connects to each wireless access point without Intervention. Why is this not the case with a Sure Signal box which in essence is a wireless router for 3G phones ?

The whole point of my renewing my Vodafone contract was due to the SS, which you now say no longer supports the function it is designed to provide ! 

I find that shocking.

I have already tried turning off data if you read my post above and the problem still exists.

My K750i is a 3G phone and yes it does receive  a 3G Signal. When I phone out from it at work, all lights come on on the suresignal box and I get a crystal clear phone call. I will be able to advise tomorrow whether my S2 also connects without Intervention.

Simon

[simonb007]

Lee,

My mistake... The other handset is an K800i.. I also have a k750i and got the model numbers mixed up.

It is the 800i that connects to my work SS without a problem.

Simon

[simonb007]

Just a quick update...

Samsung S2 works fine in my office with the SS Box. The only difference is that there seems to be a blackspot with regard to voice / data near my office, which may explain why my phone connects ok at this location.

However, it does not explain why my phone used to connect at  my home and now it does not. Toggling into flight mode and out again to log onto the sure signal seems ridiculous.

A lot of people are reporting the same problem as me... Their phones also used to connect and now dont without intervention.

Why the change ?

[Paul-42]

Now that is interesting - my Note has the same issue. Have to go to flight mode when returnig to SS box. Also happens during the day or night at random. Tried Wifi off etc etc.

However it was fine for the first 2 months of ownership only started happening in last few weeks (no update to Note, still with stock GB).

GUESS WHAT - a new cell has just come online about 500m away giving me a usable signal at home, whereas before there was no signal most of the time, hence the SS!

Wife's Nokia is fine just the Note giving the problem.

So maybe the combination of Galaxy Note (maybe all Galaxy boxes) SS & a usable signal from regular cell tower is the problem combination - what do you think Voda, & please don't repeat the handover not supported stuff, we know that. Maybe it just dosn't like to handover if the outside signal is still usable, prefferring the main network signal.

Thanks, Paul

[simonb007]

Same here...

I had my first SureSignal Box for ages and it worked a treat with my BB 9700. Then I got my Samsung S2 running Gingerbread and that worked great for a while as well. Then the SS box started playing up so I got a new one which also worked for a while. It eventually gave up the ghost the same time I started having problems with the S2.. After the S2 ICS firmware update came out, things have not been the same.

I do not believe it to be a handset problem. It is definitely a SS problem.

It is not acceptable that you have to manually log on to the box.. Why can't Vodafone just admit that there is a problem and they will try to fix it, rather than saying that handover is not a feature that is supported , when they know full well it should be and has been in the past !

[simonb007]

And another thing.....

If we are take the words of Vodafone at face value with regard to the handover problem and were to accept that you have to log on to the sure signal by either switching to WCDMA or toggling flight mode, it does not explain why my phone disconnects from the SS, especially when I have my phone connected to my WI-FI at home.

For example, when I leave my phone overnight it is connected to the SS and when I wake up in the morning, it is disconnected. No hanover there ! 

[Lee]

Hi there simonb007,

Thanks for the feedback.

I'm afraid handover from macro to femto has never been supported. But you're right; there's no handover overnight so you shouldn't be seeing a disconnection.

As you've stated yourself, the only thing that has changed is the firmware on the handset. Personally, I think this is something that has changed the way the handset talks to the VSS since there have been no firmware upgrades pushed to any VSS' in the recent past.

I'll raise this with the support teams and come back when I have anything to share.

Cheers,

Lee

[tonytango]

Hi Lee,if this is the case then how come both my galaxy s and my sons s3 my wifes galaxy note and my galaxy note all disconnect from the sure signal box at some point during the day,so it can not be the firmware on the phone.