Help! My New VSS V3 will not install

[mikebrunger]

After having problems with V2 that mysteriously stopped working after many years I have de-registered it and bought a new V3. After a total of about 36hrs trying to get it to work I am at a loss. Please help! Has my VSS connected with your servers yet??? T/S steps so far:

1. Serial number 42160534600

2. De-Registered old V2

3. V3 has registered through My Vodafone web page

4. Speedtest results: Ping 30ms; Download 30.84Mbps; Upload 6.6Mbps

5. Router is a Plusnet 2704N fibre connect

6. Port Forwarding set as per instructions. See attached screenshot

7. Tracert:

Traceroute has started…

traceroute to 212.183.133.177 (212.183.133.177), 64 hops max, 72 byte packets

 1  dsldevice.lan (192.168.1.254)  5.326 ms  2.089 ms  1.978 ms

 2  * * *

 3  * * *

 4  be3-3104.psb-ir01.plus.net (195.166.143.136)  30.125 ms  18.467 ms  16.746 ms

 5  core1-be1.southbank.ukcore.bt.net (195.99.125.130)  18.613 ms  16.746 ms  19.053 ms

 6  62.172.103.23 (62.172.103.23)  19.113 ms  17.225 ms  16.814 ms

 7  t2c3-et-3-1-0-0.uk-lon1.eu.bt.net (166.49.211.236)  20.032 ms  19.538 ms  16.950 ms

 8  166-49-211-254.eu.bt.net (166.49.211.254)  18.369 ms  19.228 ms  16.979 ms

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40  * (and so on....)

8. VSS is assigned an IP address from router

9. After going through supplied install steps I waited 26hrs and still the Power light is on solid and internet light slow-flashes.

10. I then tried reset by holding reset button for 5 secs. Still same state after a further 12hrs.

11. I can ping the VSS IP address ok

Getting really frustrated with these boxes. What hope do non-techie users have???

[mikebrunger]

1. Local store have no availability of SS yet, so am waiting for stock.

2. In the meantime I talked to Vodafone Tech Support and was told that there are no problems noticed at vf end or with the SS3. I was asked to request help from Plusnet to verify the router configuration and was sent the following:

Dear customer;
Vodafone sure signal device is designed to be plug and play device for most of the internet routers makes and models in market , in some rare cases internet routers block Vodafone sure signal connection due to firewall settings  then a manual settings will need to be applied.
Kindly contact your Internet Service Provider to apply the below settings on your internet router:
1.        Vodafone sure signal Service is only guaranteed on a PPPoA internet connection type.
2.        Required internet specs of: download speed 4.13 Mbps , upload speed 1.5 Mbps , You can test your internet speed and confirm it using speedtest.net
3.        Ensure that your Sure Signal device is assigned to an internal permanent static IP address on your router’s settings and that IP address should be assigned to Sure Signal device’s MAC address (the sure signal MAC address is written on the back of the sure signal device)
4.        The maximum connection MTU size to guarantee the connection is 1500
5.        The below is a list of ports required to be forwarded with their proper protocol types:
• 8 TCP UDP
• 50 TCP UDP
• 53 TCP UDP
• 67  UDP
• 68  UDP
• 123  UDP
• 500  UDP
• 1723 TCP UDP
• 4500  UDP
• 33434 - 33445  UDP
6.        Finally to allow all ports on the firewall settings on the internet router.
7. Enable VPN Type: IPSec

After talking with Plusnet support I am told that as I am on a Fibre Connection only PPPoE protocol will work and changing to PPPoA will break my broadband connection.

Download/Upload speeds are well within spec.

Plusnet will not assist in Port Forwarding verification as it is a non-std config. They suggested requesting help from their Community !!??

So I am now a Table Tennis ball between VF and ISP! 

Checking on Plusnet Community, one expert states that PPPoE or PPPoA does not matter as the SS3 traffic will travel down the VPN. 

The one thing that everyone has missed is that I had my SS2 working on BT HH Fibre config before Plusnet Fibre config so why won't the SS3??? 

I cannot see another (3rd) SS3 fixing this so looks like I either get my money back and either move from Vodafone and/or ISP. Nobody is capable or willing to help with what should be a simple issue.

[YoungDude]

I too can't see how PPPoA or PPPoE should make any difference. I'm on PPPoE (fibre to the cabinet), and my SS2 is now working fine after the earlier hiccup. I upgraded some 18 months ago from ADSL to fibre, and the SureSignal service went over without a hitch.

[mikebrunger]

What router do you have? I've decided to give this one more shot and buy a better router and see what happens. Plusnet community posts show that the supplied router from PN is a box standard one with minimal features so may be causing issues.

If it works with SS3 then it shows that Vodafone are selling this as a consumer plug&play when in  fact it is nowhere near that. can't imagine how my mother-in-law would have coped!

[YoungDude]

Router is a TP-Link TD-W8980. 

[Rahim]

@mikebrunger Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. 

Were you able to exchange the V3 Sure Signal in your local store yet? 

Has getting a replacement router helped? 

[mikebrunger]

I did not replace the SS3 because there were none in stock. However,after replacing my Plusnet provided router with a Billion 6300NXL router and configuring the Port Forwarding for the SS, it now works. This was from advice received from a poster on the forum and NOT from either Vodafone or Plusnet. I can only presume that the Plusnet standard router was blocking traffic to the SS even though Port Forwarding was setup and the SS was in a DMZ.

The whole concept of the SS should be completely Plug&Play otherwise how can ordinary non-technical users get this thing to work when there is no real help from either Vodafone or the broadband provider. This has taken me nearly 1 month to get sorted at a cost of over £100 (SS and router). If I had not been in a contract with all the early termination fees I would have ditched VF and moved to Three as they provide a free WifI-Calling App which I have tested works in my home.