Sure Signal 3, poor coverage

[yelchinmi]

Since purchasing my VSS 3 last December it has worked well, apart from the need to re-sync in February. Two or three weeks ago it ceased to work; the Power light was solid with the in service and in use lights flashing orange. I called customer service who did a re-sync, which changed nothing. After a few days during which I did a couple of resets and left the VSS as well as my BT Homehub switched off overnight, the lights returned to the normal display. What has become evident since then is that although my iPhone 4 picks up a five bar signal when in close proximity to the VSS, when I go upstairs from the basement where it is located, the signal drops to one or two bars and drops calls, when before these problems, it was showing three or four bars and holding on to calls. I had a one or two bar signal before purchasing my VSS, so at the moment, the benefit of the improved signal has been lost, though the 3G signal seems to have suffered no loss of strength.

Can anyone help, please?

[Retired-Matt_Vo]

Hi 

Please take a look at our Sure Signal Troubleshooting thread. If this doesn’t resolve your query, please post your reply either below, or in the relevant thread, together with the details requested, including the following information.

Your speed test results from here.

Your ping test results from here.

Your external IP address from here.

The results of a traceroute.

Your Sure Signal serial number:

VSS Traceroute command

On a PC:

Click on Start and select Run

Type CMD into the Run box and press enter/click ok

A black box will appear.

In this box type tracert 212.183.133.177 press Enter

Paste the output of this command into your reply.

This will help us get the quickest possible resolution for you.

Thanks

Matt
Moderator

[yelchinmi]

Mark,

Here is the information you requested.

Download: 4.75

Upload: 0.29

Ping: 56

IP: 31.50.194.92

FSN: 40123608982

Traceroute as follows.

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

C:\Users\User>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 [192.168.1.254]
  2    31 ms    31 ms    30 ms  esr8.birmingham5.broadband.bt.net [217.32.86.147
]
  3    32 ms    31 ms    31 ms  217.32.86.30
  4    34 ms    32 ms    36 ms  213.1.69.94
  5    32 ms    32 ms    30 ms  31.55.164.102
  6   145 ms    32 ms    31 ms  31.55.164.177
  7    32 ms    32 ms    32 ms  31.55.164.107
  8    33 ms    32 ms    33 ms  acc1-10GigE-0-5-0-6.bm.21cn-ipp.bt.net [109.159.
248.100]
  9    44 ms    39 ms    39 ms  core2-te-0-15-0-7.ilford.ukcore.bt.net [109.159.
248.22]
 10    37 ms    37 ms    37 ms  peer1-xe3-1-1.telehouse.ukcore.bt.net [109.159.2
54.217]
 11    41 ms    43 ms    43 ms  lndgw2.arcor-ip.net [195.66.224.124]
 12    38 ms    38 ms    39 ms  85.205.116.10
 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.

C:\Users\User>

Thanks for helping, hope you can make something of this.

yelchinmi.

[Retired-Andy]

Hi yelchinmi,

Your ping test and traceroute are fine and your IP address is on our whitelist so no problems there.

Your speed test does how a possible cause for the issue

The version 3 Sure Signal needs an upload speed greater than 0.36Mbps to keep a connection to our servers. Can you re-run the speed test to see if the figure changes?

If it doesn’t, you’d need to speak with your internet provider about increasing the speed.

I’ve checked your serial number and can see that it connected to our servers yesterday at 16:43, are you still having reduced signal?

To make sure it’s as up to date as possible, I’ve just resynced your Sure Signal.

So that the resync completes, can you do a factory reset for me:-

• Find the button on the base of the unit 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 come online in around one hour

Let me know how you go on.

Cheers,

Andrew

[yelchinmi]

I have just run a speed test and got an upload of 0.439, which is above your stated minimum. But this begs other questions, I can find no reference on your website nor in the literature that came with my VSS that states a minimum upload speed, additionally one of your customer service people told mt that I needed a minimum of 1.5, so what are the facts and why are they not consistently and fully disclosed?

I checked my signal upstairs immediately after the above test but still had a one bar signal and I have found that I get a better signal with the VSS switched off completely. I happily admit to being a layman in the these matters so can you please explain to me in simple terms how I can get a full strength signal when in close proximity to the VSS, but it weakens drastically when I move away? Also, why is my device not performing satisfactorily when it has done so for several months? Is it faulty and in need of replacement?

I have done the reset as requested, without success. Other reset instructions I have seen say that the VSS must be swittchewd off after pressing the reset button. Again an inconsistency, Why the difference?

Regards,

yelchinmi

[Retired-Kay]

Hi yelchinmi, 

I understand your point regarding the upload speeds, this doesn't appear on the website apart from on the forum. I'm feeding this back to see if I can get this information added. 

Can you possibly try it at a friend or neighbours house to see if it has a steady connection? This will then rule out a fault with the Sure Signal itself. 

Let us know how you get on, 

Kay

[yelchinmi]

In order to try my VSS at another address, would I have to de-register and re-register to the new point of use?

Does the fact that my phone receives a constant 5 bar signal when close to the VSS have any bearing on your point?

Regarding the absence of any information from Vodafone regarding the minimum upload speed, in my view this failure to disclose what is being claimed to be crucial information would entitle me and perhaps many others, to a full refund. This sort of ommission is not acceptable.

[Retired-Kay]

Hi yelchinmi, 

You wouldn't need to deregister the Sure Signal to test it at a different location. 

It could be a fault with the Sure Signal that it's only working once you're standing next to it as it has a range of 30 metres. We'll know more once we know if the same thing happens somewhere else. 

The speeds required for the Sure Signal are minimal, it's rare we see upload speeds below 0.33Mbps. There is also a 7 day cooling off period from when you purchase the device to make sure your Internet connection will work with the Sure Signal. We won't be able to offer any refunds. 

Thanks, 

Kay

[yelchinmi]

While I've been trying to find another location where I can try my VSS it now seems to have completely broken; the red light is on solid but no other lights are showing and it has been like this for two days. I have tried to do a reset and I have unplugged the device for a few hours then reconnected it, but no joy. What next?

[Sukhi]

Hi yelchinmi

If you're unable to rest it at a different location then the next step would be a repair.

See ways to arrange this here.

Thanks

Sukhi