Sure Signal not transmitting a 3G signal

[Retired-George]

This issue presents the following symptoms:

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

• Lights one and two are solid which indicates the Sure Signal is connected, but isn't giving a 3G signal.
• Light four doesn’t light up or lights occasionally and then goes out at certain times of day.

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

• The power and system lights are both solid, indicating that the Sure Signal is giving a 3G signal.
• Your registered phones don’t pick up a 3G signal.

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

• Power, internet and service lights are solid and the ‘in use’ light is either solid or flashing
• Your registered phones don’t pick up a 3G signal

Troubleshooting steps:

Check that your broadband connection meets our minimum requirements.
Please run the broadband speed checker.

If your connection fails any part of the test, this indicates an issue with your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and you’ll need to contact them to discuss this.

Your connection speed will vary throughout the day, so we recommend running it at various times to get an accurate reading.

To ensure the Sure Signal broadcasts at the correct frequency, it sends and receives small amounts of data to a Network Time Protocol Server hosted by ourselves. If these packets of data take longer than 240ms to make a round-trip, the accuracy can no longer be ensured and so the Sure Signal will automatically stop broadcasting and light four will go out.

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:

1. Hold in the reset button until all lights go solid
2. Pull the power lead out with the reset button still pushed in
3. Continue to hold down the reset button and reconnect the power lead
4. Wait for all lights to come on and then release the reset button

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

Configure your Router Firewall.
The IP address and ports used for NTP (Network Time Protocol) synchronisation are listed below. You may need these to configure the correct firewall settings on your router.

This step isn’t usually necessary, but it may help if you’re using a complex network (such as a corporate or office LAN), or a complex router.

We recommend contacting your ISP or router manufacturer directly for detailed instructions on exactly how to change your router settings. Alternatively, select your router make and model over at http://portforward.com and follow the default guide there.

Destination IP addresses:

• 212.183.133.181
• 212.183.133.182
• 212.183.131.128/26

• Protocol = UDP
• Port = 123

Please note that in the list of IP addresses above, the notation "212.183.131.128/26"means the entire range of IP addresses between 212.183.131.128 and 212.183.131.191

Perform a PathPing to our server.

In order to check if the Sure Signal's able to communicate with our NTP server, a PathPing can be performed as a test. In order to do this, you'll need to open the command prompt in Windows as follows:

• For XP just click Start > Run and type cmd then hit enter
• For Vista/Windows 7, press Start and type 'cmd' into the search bar
• Right click the result and click ‘Run As Administrator’

Once you're in the command prompt, type in PathPing 212.183.133.181. This will perform a trace route to the NTP server and will show you the route it took to get there. One of the columns will display packet loss, if this occurs before hitting our server, you'll need to contact your ISP for further assistance.

If you've completed all the troubleshooting steps above and not identified the cause of the issue, your Sure Signal may be faulty. Please post in this thread and we can look into it further.

Thanks,

Jenny

[Ben_H]

Hi wvandyk,

Please take a look at our Sure Signal Troubleshooting thread, and then post back your results if you’re not directed to an existing thread.

Cheers, Ben

[grolschuk]

Hi simon_perkins

The 28xx routers work fine with the suresignal, however that is replacing the openreach modem with it's inbuilt one.

(could that be the issue people are having?)

Anyway, if you have not tried already, take a look in the VPN setup area of the config pages, and untick the IPSEC VPN Service tickbox... If you are not needing the PPTP one for inbound vpn connections I would also untick that for good measure too.

Reboot the router, reset the suresignal, and leave for a few hours to see if it will connect and download the config files.

[Rx7aiii]

Hi Sarah
My suresignal still isn't connected. I have only lights 1 and 2 on. Any ideas why?
Thanks for looking.

[simon_perkins]

Sarah,

Do you have any update on this? I posted my Sure Signal number in a previous post.

I'm getting ready to jump ship to EE. The major advantages being:

1) Signalbox that works?

2) Wifi calling from iPhone coming sson

3) Visual voicemail on iPhone

How come Vodafone doesn't seem to care about these items?

[jeffmeadows]

Over a week ago my version 1 Sure Signal stopped providing a 3G signal to two registered 3G phones: an iPhone 5  and an iPhone 6.

Lights 1,2 & 4 are on steady - Light 3,the phone light, is off.

My ISP is BT and I’m using their DNS servers. My IP address is 81.135.77.49. You can see my speedtest results here: http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/3800548678

I’ve tried pinging 212.183.133.181 without success. Here is a trace route printout:

traceroute to 212.183.133.181 (212.183.133.181), 64 hops max, 72 byte packets

 1  192.168.0.1 (192.168.0.1)  2.668 ms  1.218 ms  1.253 ms

 2  217.32.99.250 (217.32.99.250)  29.282 ms  29.148 ms  28.310 ms

 3  217.32.99.193 (217.32.99.193)  29.382 ms  27.691 ms  29.978 ms

 4  213.1.69.46 (213.1.69.46)  39.408 ms  39.106 ms  39.172 ms

 5  217.41.169.103 (217.41.169.103)  34.914 ms  37.220 ms  36.099 ms

 6  213.120.180.169 (213.120.180.169)  36.116 ms  36.960 ms  35.601 ms

 7  217.41.169.109 (217.41.169.109)  36.248 ms  36.019 ms  35.907 ms

 8  acc2-xe-2-0-3.sf.21cn-ipp.bt.net (109.159.255.223)  42.174 ms  58.955 ms  35.077 ms

 9  core1-te0-2-2-0.ilford.ukcore.bt.net (109.159.251.145)  42.831 ms  44.356 ms  48.306 ms

10  peer1-xe11-0-0.telehouse.ukcore.bt.net (109.159.254.124)  42.181 ms  43.144 ms  43.846 ms

11  lndgw2.arcor-ip.net (195.66.224.124)  64.997 ms  49.587 ms  47.609 ms

12  85.205.0.93 (85.205.0.93)  41.785 ms  42.828 ms  43.942 ms

13  * * *

14  * * *

15  * *

Can you help please? 

[MysticChris]

I am getting the issue with two Sure Signals one version 1 and one version 2.  They are on separate broadband lines supplied by BT

SS1 Serial No. 21197068741 External Static IP 81.136.204.10

SpeedTest reults are fine as is latency and Jitter

traceroute: Warning: cluster4.vap.vodafone.co.uk has multiple addresses; using 212.183.133.179

traceroute to cluster4.vap.vodafone.co.uk (212.183.133.179), 64 hops max, 72 byte packets

 1  10.10.11.2 (10.10.11.2)  1.072 ms  0.896 ms  0.808 ms

 2  host81-134-112-1.in-addr.btopenworld.com (81.134.112.1)  22.500 ms  22.091 ms  22.592 ms

 3  213.120.182.141 (213.120.182.141)  23.226 ms  23.321 ms  23.475 ms

 4  213.120.161.82 (213.120.161.82)  24.177 ms  23.667 ms  23.343 ms

 5  31.55.164.33 (31.55.164.33)  23.510 ms  22.925 ms  23.864 ms

 6  31.55.164.107 (31.55.164.107)  23.504 ms  23.931 ms  23.436 ms

 7  acc1-10gige-0-2-0-6.bm.21cn-ipp.bt.net (109.159.248.108)  23.186 ms  23.475 ms  23.625 ms

 8  core1-te-0-13-0-4.ilford.ukcore.bt.net (109.159.248.136)  33.289 ms  32.806 ms  32.214 ms

 9  peer1-xe3-1-0.telehouse.ukcore.bt.net (109.159.254.213)  28.943 ms  28.815 ms  28.065 ms

10  lndgw2.arcor-ip.net (195.66.224.124)  33.028 ms  35.336 ms  31.724 ms

11  85.205.0.86 (85.205.0.86)  30.642 ms  30.697 ms  30.229 ms

12  * * *

13  * * *

14  * * *

15  * * *

16  * * *

No Ping is returned from any of the vodafone cluster addresses.

Currently SS1 is sat with Lights 1 & 2 solid but 3 & 4 are not lit.  4 Flashes after reboot for a few minutes then goes out.

I spoke with Vodafone Helpdesk yesterday and they said there is an issue with BT to vodafone connections is this true?  IP address 85.205.0.86 shown is the traceroute is a Vodafone address so it is getting that far.

[JulieBuckmaster]

I have the sure signal with four lights.  Lights one and two are on.  The fourth light (tick) goes off or just flashes.  I have checked speed while on the phone to customer support and that was ok and also did a reset.  But Not working!  what next?

[mark-cripps]

Hi,

All ports and such are setup. Lights one and two are solid white, but only get intermittant 3g Signal to registered devices.

Serial Number - 42142469602

Tracert results are as follows:

Tracing route to 212.183.133.181 over a maximum of 30 hops

  1    13 ms    <1 ms    <1 ms  192.168.0.2
  2    66 ms    36 ms   144 ms  lo0-central10.pcl-ag03.plus.net [195.166.128.184]
  3    81 ms    23 ms    24 ms  link-b-central10.pcl-gw02.plus.net [212.159.2.170]
  4    28 ms    23 ms    23 ms  xe-10-2-0.pcl-cr02.plus.net [212.159.0.202]
  5    23 ms    36 ms    23 ms  ae2.pcl-cr01.plus.net [195.166.129.6]
  6    30 ms    24 ms    23 ms  ae1.ptw-cr01.plus.net [195.166.129.0]
  7    32 ms    28 ms    26 ms  ldngw1.arcor-ip.net [195.66.224.209]
  8    26 ms    28 ms    26 ms  85.205.0.93
  9     *        *        *     Request timed out.
 10     *        *        *     Request timed out.
 11     *        *        *     Request timed out.
 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.

[AndyWheeler]

hi -  my sure signal stopped working last week, after working OK for several years. It is version 1. LIghts 1 and 2 are on solid, but light 4 stays off. I have 40MB download speed and 9MB upstream and no firewall restrictions. Everying else on my home network is fine.

I have reset the sure signal, following the instructions in this forum, and run pathping with no packet loss as below. I have rebooted the ADSL router and all other network devices and everything else is still working fine. Is this a Vodafone problem? 

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

Many thanks.

Andy

C:\Users\andy>pathping 212.183.133.181

Tracing route to 212.183.133.181 over a maximum of 30 hops

  0  PC-PC.Home [192.168.1.11]
  1  SkyRouter.Home [192.168.1.1]
  2     *        *        *
Computing statistics for 25 seconds...
            Source to Here   This Node/Link
Hop  RTT    Lost/Sent = Pct  Lost/Sent = Pct  Address
  0                                           PC-PC.Home [192.168.1.11]
                                0/ 100 =  0%   |
  1    0ms     0/ 100 =  0%     0/ 100 =  0%  SkyRouter.Home [192.168.1.1]

Trace complete.

[Retired-Matt_B]

Hi @AndyWheeler,

Please take a look at our Sure Signal Troubleshooting thread. If this doesn’t resolve your query, please post your reply below including the following information:

Your ping test results from here.

Your external IP address from here.

Your Sure Signal serial number:

Thanks,

Matt B