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Solution

SS3 works with BT HomeHub 5 (or does it)

HuwM
2: Seeker
2: Seeker

Okay,  so here's a weird one for the tech-team. The house I live in has no Vodafone signal at all and with 2 teenagers, 5 iPhones and 3 IPads in the household that's a real pain. I have BT infinity fibre business broadband (business, because I need a fixed IP address)

 

About 3 years ago, I bought an SS2 - Fantastic - it solved my problems. In fact it worked so well I asked Vodafone if two would work on the same broadband connection. They said yes, so I bought another one. All was well and both worked well for months, then about 2 years ago they suddenly and randomly stopped working (at the exact same moment ) despite their being no obvious changes to my network or ISP.

 

During a very lengthy process, I then spent days (it felt like weeks) on the phone and on-line to second line tech teams, trying to get even one of the SS2s to work. The two SS2s were replaced with SS3s FOC by Vodafone and since then despite a lot of trying, they never worked. I was told by Vodafone that they would never work on PPoE ( but they had been working before ! )  I was told to map internal ports ( strange because if ports needed to be mapped – how did I ever get 2 to work at once ?) I activated, reactivated, waited 24hours more times than I could count and in the end …..gave up !

 

So, sitting on a shelf, I had two SS3's (1 18 months old and 1 was replaced under warranty last week)  I have never managed to get them to work with my ISP. But then I read promising posts on this forum. They said that the new BT HomeHub4 works with the SS3, so I paid to upgrade ( I got an even newer HH5)

 

I installed the new hub, got my network up and running and connected to broadband. Everything looked good so I plugged in one SS3 and crossed my fingers. After quite a while with a red power light and a flashing white internet light, - success !!!!! FANTASTIC  !!!! - IT WORKED. I then tried the other SS3 and got the same result - 2 working SS3s. Life was looking good.

 

All was well, until I noticed that my email wasn’t working. Checking through I found that I had accidentally connected my HH5 to the Domestic BT infinity service, so I was operating under a randomly allocated IP address. Glad I had found the issue, I reconnected using my BT business login and password. All good, connection made, IP address restored to what it should be. Reset the two SS3s, and waited..........after a few minutes  - arghhhh - the dreaded two orange flashing lights !!  - retried several times, still no good.

 

So, as I had had that initial success, I re-connected the HH5, using the retail username - the SS3s leapt into life. I reconnected on business username - no go. I played with this for a while, trying the SS3s plugged in at various locations in my network and every time the SS3s worked on retail but not on business.  I then tried connecting on retail and left the SS3s plugged in, while I (very quickly) clicked the disconnect button on the HH5 from retail and reconnected on business on the fly !    Strangely the SS3s seemed not to notice - they were happily sitting there with their 2 lights glowing. Stranger and stranger - I tried making calls on my iPhones and they both worked fine - Okay that seemed like success to me.

 

Unfortunately after a few hours, first one and then the second SS3 dropped back to their obstinate 2 flashing orange lights status. Having experimented, the time taken to drop off the Vodafone connection seems random but eventually they do drop out and I have to reset my HH5 to retail to get them working again. 

 

I seem to have to choose between a Vodafone signal, or my fixed IP address but I can’t have both.

 

Now I am not a complete luddite but this is beyond me. I've spoken to BT and they kindly say they can't help me because the SS3 is not a product they support, although they did say that the 'back-end' on their Openreach network is exactly the same, whether it's retail of business !!

 

Anyone got any thoughts ?

 

I am very willing to try alternatives and I guess I am in a reasonably unique position, to act as a bit of a test bed for the BT infinity, Vodafone Sure Signal issues that litter these boards.

7 REPLIES 7

Retired-Andy
Moderator (Retired)
Moderator (Retired)

Hi HuwM,

 

It sounds like there’s an issue with using a static IP address, especially as you say the Sure Signal works when connected to the domestic BT service and a dynamic IP.

 

Is it possible to have the Sure Signal connected to a domestic service and use the business broadband for your business needs?

 

Cheers,

 

Andrew

Uhm, yes of course it's possible but it will mean paying a substantial amount of money to have another broadband installation and then a monthly fee to keep it,when I've already paid you guys for two SureSignals that don't work.

 

Isn't it possible for you to investigate why the SS3 won't connect via a fixed IP ?

 

Would you please check whether my IP is blocked on your system. Its 81.133.26.102.

Retired-Kay
Moderator (Retired)
Moderator (Retired)

Hi HuwM, 

 

Your IP address is on our whitelist so that's fine. 

 

Can you let me know your Sure Signal serial number? 

 

Thanks, 

 

Kay

Yes, of course. As per my post, there are 2 of them. They are Serial No's 40132317641 ( which I call SS1) and 40123600245 (SS2)

 

In case you need the standard tests, here they are ( there are 2 sets,labelled business and retail - depending on which way I connect )

 


ON BT Fibre - Business

Broadband network IP address: 81.133.26.102
Default gateway: 81.148.0.1
Primary DNS: 194.72.9.38
Secondary DNS: 62.6.40.162


Traceroute:

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\Main>tracert 212.183.133.177

Tracing route to cluster4.vap.vodafone.co.uk [212.183.133.177]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms BThomehub.home [192.168.0.254]
2 22 ms 22 ms 22 ms host81-148-0-1.in-addr.btopenworld.com [81.148.0.1]
3 22 ms 22 ms 22 ms 213.120.178.141
4 23 ms 22 ms 23 ms 213.120.177.98
5 23 ms 23 ms 23 ms 217.41.168.45
6 23 ms 23 ms 23 ms 217.41.168.107
7 23 ms 23 ms 23 ms acc1-10GigE-0-0-0-5.l-far.21cn-ipp.bt.net [109.159.249.78]
8 25 ms 30 ms 27 ms tye-0-0-0-4.faraday.ukcore.bt.net [109.159.249.41]
9 23 ms 23 ms 67 ms peer1-xe8-2-0.telehouse.ukcore.bt.net [213.121.193.129]
10 25 ms 26 ms 26 ms lndgw2.arcor-ip.net [195.66.224.124]
11 24 ms 24 ms 24 ms 85.205.116.2
12 * * * Request timed out.
13 * * * Request timed out.
14 * * * Request timed out.
15 * * * Request timed out.
16 * * * Request timed out.
17 * * * Request timed out.
18 * * * Request timed out.
19 * * * Request timed out.
20 * * * Request timed out.
21 * * * Request timed out.
22 * * * Request timed out.
23 * * * Request timed out.
24 * * * Request timed out.
25 * * * Request timed out.
26 * * * Request timed out.
27 * * * Request timed out.
28 * * * Request timed out.
29 * * * Request timed out.
30 * * * Request timed out.

Trace complete.

 

 

SPEED TEST:

http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/3136877960
<a href="http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/3136877960"><img src="http://www.speedtest.net/result/3136877960.png" /></a>
Ping 29ms
Down 34.79Mbps
Up 7.08 Mbps

 

PING TEST:

http://www.pingtest.net/result/89949241.png

 

Line Quality B*

Mos4.33
Ping 25ms
Jitter 0ms

Unable to test packet loss ( ?? ) - so tried again -

 

http://www.pingtest.net/result/89949287.png

Line Quality A
Mos4.39
Ping 26ms
Jitter 2ms

Packet loss 0%


On BT Broadband (Fibre) Domestic/Retail

Broadband network IP address: 31.52.92.244
Default gateway: 217.32.141.35
Primary DNS: 213.120.234.2
Secondary DNS: 194.72.0.114


Traceroute:

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\Main>tracert 212.183.133.177

Tracing route to cluster4.vap.vodafone.co.uk [212.183.133.177]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms BThomehub.home [192.168.0.254]
2 16 ms 15 ms 15 ms 217.32.141.35
3 15 ms 15 ms 15 ms 217.32.141.62
4 19 ms 18 ms 19 ms 213.120.161.50
5 18 ms 18 ms 19 ms 31.55.164.219
6 19 ms 19 ms 19 ms 31.55.164.109
7 18 ms 19 ms 18 ms acc2-10GigE-0-1-0-6.bm.21cn-ipp.bt.net [109.159.248.222]
8 24 ms 26 ms 26 ms core1-te-0-2-5-0.ilford.ukcore.bt.net [109.159.248.128]
9 24 ms 24 ms 24 ms peer1-xe3-1-0.telehouse.ukcore.bt.net [109.159.254.213]
10 53 ms 26 ms 27 ms lndgw2.arcor-ip.net [195.66.224.124]
11 25 ms 25 ms 27 ms 85.205.116.6
12 * * * Request timed out.
13 * * * Request timed out.
14 * * * Request timed out.
15 * * * Request timed out.
16 * * * Request timed out.
17 * * * Request timed out.
18 * * * Request timed out.
19 * * * Request timed out.
20 * * * Request timed out.
21 * * * Request timed out.
22 * * * Request timed out.
23 * * * Request timed out.
24 * * * Request timed out.
25 * * * Request timed out.
26 * * * Request timed out.
27 * * * Request timed out.
28 * * * Request timed out.
29 * * * Request timed out.
30 * * * Request timed out.

Trace complete.


SPEED TEST:

http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/3136908818
<a href="http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/3136908818"><img src="http://www.speedtest.net/result/3136908818.png" /></a>

Ping 32ms
Down 34.74Mbps
Up 7.04 Mbps


PING TEST:

http://www.pingtest.net/result/89949836.png

Line Quality A
Mos4.39
Ping 25ms
Jitter 0ms

Packet loss 0%

 

 

Anything else you need - please ask

Retired-Kay
Moderator (Retired)
Moderator (Retired)

Hi HuwM, 

 

Thanks for supplying this information. Both Sure Signals stopped connecting to our servers on the 1st December. 

 

I've done a resync on both devices, can you do the following reset to complete the process?

 

1 - Hold the reset button until all 4 lights are solid. Don't let go of the button until step 4

2 - Remove the power cable then the LAN cable

3 - Insert ONLY the power cable

4 - When the lights flash 1, 2, 3 then 4 release the reset button and wait for the unit to boot (5 minutes should do it).

5 - Insert the LAN cable and wait. 

 

Let us know how you get on, 

 

Kay

Yes I Know they stopped sync-ing then. That's when I last connected using the BT retail log in - since then they have been flashing the two last lights continuously.

 

I am happy to re-connect using retail for a limited time (limited only because my mail will be off-line for that period) if it helps you to see what's happening. However is the 'reset' proceedure you quote for the Sure Signal 3 ? ( It doesn't sound like it as it has no power lead to disconnect and holding the reset button for as long as you like will never make 4 lights go solid ? )

Retired-Dave
Moderator (Retired)
Moderator (Retired)

Hi HuwM,

 

Apologies for the confusion. For a Sure Signal 3, you'll need to follow these steps:

 

  • Remove the Ethernet cable from the Sure Signal.
  • 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.
  • Plug the cable back in
  • The Sure Signal will come online in around 1 hour.

 

Dave