Sure Signal 3 disconnects every few days

[billybigbrains]

I have a BT Infinity connection (FTTC) via a BT Openreach modem and an ASUS RT AC68U modem. This setup allows me to use OpenDNS instead of BT's relatively slow DNS Servers. My Sure Signal connects fine but  then disconnects after a few days (usually 2 or 3). I can see nothing in my router logs that give any clue why this happens.

As a matter of interest I replaced my modem and router with the default BT Home Hub 5 and the symptoms are exactly the same. Sure Signal works for a few days and then disconnects.

Once it has disconnected, the Sure Signal shows a red power light and a flashing Internet connection light. It can only be reset and reconnected by resetting (powering off and on) both the router and the Sure Signal. 

Sure Signal Diagnostics are as follows:

Speed Test: Download 51.42 Mbps Upload 9.46Mbps Ping 22ms

External ip: 109.148.150.227

SS3 Serial Number: 42151595206

C:\Users\Bill>tracert 212.183.133.177

Tracing route to 212.183.133.177 over a maximum of 30 hops

1     3 ms   <1 ms   <1 ms router.asus.com [192.168.1.200]

2     *       *       *     Request timed out.

3     *       *       *     Request timed out.

4     6 ms     6 ms     6 ms 217.41.216.69

5     7 ms     7 ms     7 ms host109-159-245-130.range109-159.btcentralplus.com [109.159.245.130]

6     6 ms     6 ms     6 ms 31.55.165.241

7     7 ms     6 ms     6 ms 31.55.165.109

8     6 ms     6 ms     6 ms 109.159.250.190

9   16 ms   14 ms   14 ms 109.159.255.157

10   13 ms   13 ms   13 ms peer6-te0-0-0-13.telehouse.ukcore.bt.net [109.159.254.138]

11   12 ms   12 ms   12 ms 166-49-211-230.eu.bt.net [166.49.211.230]

12   13 ms   14 ms   14 ms 166-49-211-254.eu.bt.net [166.49.211.254]

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.

[Rahim]

@billybigbrains Everything looks fine from the information you've given. 

You'll need to test the Vodafone Sure SIgnal at a different location, so we're able to rule out any potential faults with the device itself.

[billybigbrains]

Thanks for your suggestion Rahim.

This is my second SureSignal 3 device. If you look at my other posts you will see the messages I posted last time my VSS failed. In that case the cause was VSS hardware failure. I was authorised to get another one and it worked for a while - now this problem happens.

Vodafone have no network coverage where I live, so I paid for a VSS box. It failed. Now it looks like VSS box 2 may have failed too.

I can't believe that the only way you can diagnose a potential VSS fault is for me to "go to another location". Where exactly? A friends house perhaps, for 2 or 3 days on a completely different Internet connection via a different ISP?

If the VSS works, we don't know if some transient fault in the VSS has been cured in its new environment (temperature, humidity etc) or if the new Internet connection characteristics have cured the problem. In either event, it does not help us find out what is wrong with the VSS in my environment and on my connection.

If, on the other hand,  the VSS still doesn't work, we have learned that it is more likely to be a hardware fault in the VSS, but even that is not definite. Perhaps both of the host networks share a characteristic that means a perfectly healthy VSS box will not work for eaither of them!

My point is, to diagnose any fault you need evidence. I have provided evidence of what's happening at my end.

It would be nice to see errors handled within the VSS box itself recorded on some internal log that can be queried, but I understand that the VSS box does not support any such kind of internal diagnosis.

Can you perhaps look at the server error logs at your end, to see if any errors have been thrown relating my my ip address?

If not, can you please arrange for a new VSS to be sent to me so I can try it? If it works, great - I'll send the other one back. If not, forget it and I'll move to another provider.

Thank you for your understanding.

[Rahim]

@billybigbrains Once your Vodafone Sure Signal disconnects after the 2/3 days mentioned, how long does it take for the device to reconnect? 

[billybigbrains]

Once the SS3 has disconnected, if I leave everything alone it never reconnects. That's the problem.

To reconnect it, I have to reset both my router (or HomeHub5) and reset my SS3. I do this with power on/off to both devices. Once this is done, the SS3 reconnects within 15 or 20 minutes. If I don't reset both router and SS3, reconnection does not happen.

Then its OK for two or three days again.

[billybigbrains]

After being connected for a couple of days, my SS3 disconnected again at around 8pm tonight, Tuesday 27th Sept 2016. I will not change anything until I hear from you, but in the meantime perhaps you can investigate why it disconnected, from your server logs?

Thanks

Bill

[Retired-EricChe]

@billybigbrains

Thanks for getting back to us.

I've checked the Sure Signal on our systems and everything is looking fine.

The best advise we can give at this point is to try the device at a friend or family members home. That way we can at least rule out a Sure Signal fault and look into what else could be causing the issue.

[billybigbrains]

I have swapped my SS3 with a neighbour. She has a different Internet connection type to mine. I have BT Infinity, she has Wifi Rural broadband.

Her SS3 box worked reliably at her home (her SS3 Serial Number is 42144406164).

Since Friday we have used each others SS3 boxes. We each registered each others phone numbers in the SS3 registration page.

Her SS3 works fine for me.

Today, my SS3, at her home, stoppped working (as it did for me). She sees no signal on her phone; the Red Power bar is solid, the Internet light is flashing, the signal transmit light is out. This is exactly what I saw with my SS3 at my home previously.

So it seems that my Sure Sginal 3 box has failed in some way.

Again.

[Rahim]

@billybigbrains Thank you for going out of your way and testing this for us. 

I've remotely factory reset your Vodafone Sure Signal in an attempt to resolve the issue. 

Please note it may take up to 24 hours for the normal light sequenece to appear on your device and for it to start working again. You'll need to restart your phone along with any other phones that are set up on the Vodafone Sure Signal. 

Let us know if this resolves the issue. 

[billybigbrains]

Thanks for that - the SS3 is now reconnected and I'll let you know what happens in a few days. But what I don't understand is why you didn't try this reset originally, before you asked me to try the SS3 somewhere else?