Sure Signal - Call Audio Quality Issues

[Retired-George]

This issue has the following symptoms:

• Poor audio quality on both outbound and inbound calls
• Particularly affects customers using a Virgin Media cable connection

If you’re only experiencing poor audio quality one-way (for example, the call sounds fine to you, but the person you are calling reports poor quality), then this is most likely due to insufficient bandwidth on your broadband connection and is not an issue with your Sure Signal.

Troubleshooting:

If the person you are calling can’t hear you, this is usually caused by low upload speeds.

If you can't hear the person you've called, this is due to low download speeds.

Check if your broadband connection meets the 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 and you’ll need to contact them to discuss this further.

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

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:

Sure Signal version 1

• Connect device to internet and power supply

• Press and hold down the reset button (located near the internet port) until end of the process which will be indicated

• Remove the power cable at back of the unit and wait for five seconds

• Reconnect the power cable back to device

• Wait for the LED sequence to flash from top to bottom and back to top

• Wait for five seconds

• Release the reset button

• Within 10 minutes, all the 4 LEDs will start to flash in sequence – 1^st & 3^rd then 2^nd & 4^th then 1^st & 3^rd – with the sequence repeated. This sequence indicates the start of the factory reset procedure.

Sure Signal version 2

• • Connect device to internet and power supply
  • Press and hold down reset button – located near the internet port
  • Wait for all the LED (power + 2 white LED) to light up for few seconds (power LED will always remain lit)
  • Wait for five seconds
  • Release the reset button
    
    
  • Within 10 minutes, 2 white LEDs will start flashing continuously – power LED will always remain constant in addition (unless there is an issue with local connectivity)

Sure Signal version 3

• • Connect device to internet and power supply
  • Press and hold down reset button – located near the internet port
  • Wait for 20 seconds
  • Release the reset button
    
    
  • All the LEDs will temporarily switch off for about 10 seconds. The power LED will then light up and remain constant whilst white internet LED flashes continuously.

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

Move Your Sure Signal Away from the Router
Sometimes the Wi-Fi signal from the router can interfere with the 3G signal from the Sure Signal and this could result in poor audio quality.

In order to prevent this from happening, please ensure that your Sure Signal is moved away from the router as far as the cable will allow.

If you’re still experiencing poor audio quality, post in this thread and we can look into it further.

Thanks,

Jenny

[Retired-AndyD]

Hi StuTyrrell, 

Thanks for the information you've provided thus far. Could you also provide:-

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

Andy
Moderator

[StuTyrrell]

Hi Andy

My ip address is 81.98.35.124

The VSS 2 box SN is 40120547472

Tracert results are below:

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

C:\Users\Stuart>tracert 212.183.133.177

Tracing route to 212.183.133.177 over a maximum of 30 hops

  1    10 ms    26 ms     7 ms  cpc8-oxfd22-2-0-gw.4-3.cable.virginmedia.com [81
.98.32.1]
  2     9 ms     6 ms     7 ms  oxfd-core-2a-ae7-3758.network.virginmedia.net [2
13.106.245.113]
  3    19 ms    10 ms    10 ms  brhm-bb-1c-ae4-0.network.virginmedia.net [213.10
6.244.65]
  4     8 ms    10 ms    10 ms  brhm-bb-1a-ae11-0.network.virginmedia.net [62.25
3.174.97]
  5    15 ms    14 ms    23 ms  nrth-bb-1b-ae2-0.network.virginmedia.net [62.253
.185.85]
  6    16 ms    18 ms    19 ms  tele-ic-4-ae0-0.network.virginmedia.net [62.253.
174.18]
  7    87 ms    88 ms    94 ms  LDNGW1.arcor-ip.net [195.66.224.209]
  8    96 ms    86 ms    85 ms  85.205.116.14
  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.

Hope this helps.

Thanks

Stu

[ahxcjb]

Clearly, it's an issue with virgin media's traffic shaping equipment. I took receipt of my SS2 today; call quality was fine on my VM connection until around 19:00 at which point it was beyond useless. It wasn't until 23:00 (pretty much on the dot) that the call quality returned to what it should be.

Everyone should save their time attempting to fix a problem that only VM can resolve and move ISPs if the SS is critical to you.

Vodafone would be better using their time to liase directly with the guys who run the network equipment in Hook (I can probably get their details as I've done work for them before) and ask them to fix their prioritisation of IPSEC traffic / and or traffic to Vodafone's IP ranges.

Hope that clarifies the issues you're all having.

[mwinckless]

HI, 

I have poor audio quality with  sure signal on BT Infinity, The voice is very choppy.

Speed test is showing o.k. 37 meg down 8 meg up.

Port |Forwarding is configured as described further above.

Reset has been performed.

MTU has been set to 1492 as this is highest value possible in the BT Router.

Sure Signal ID is: 40120920232

Please assist with any other diagnosis.

Many Thanks

Matt

 

[FelixDaHousecat]

What's port 191 used for?

as far as I'm aware 191 isn't needed. All the others look ok though. Upload looks fine as well. is the call quality always bad or does it come and go during peak times?

any other devices possibly using your bandwidth?

i'd disconnect all other devices and see if the quality is still bad. If it isn't, add one device at a time to see if the quality diminishes as more are added.

fdh

[dkat76]

Hi,

We have moved into a new area and the vodafones signal is very bad. I picked up a sure signal and registered it followed by numbers. Even though it connects the voice quality is very bad. I can hear the people but they cant hear me at all or it breaks.. is there a solution to it .

Thanks

[Retired-Lee]

Hello dkat76,

Thanks for your post.

Poor audio quality whilst the VSS is in use can be associated with poor internet speeds.

Could you post back with the results of a speedtest?

Thanks,

LeeH

[dkat76]

Hi There .

Here is the speed test

http://www.speedtest.net/result/2387881031.png

[dkat76]

http://www.speedtest.net/result/2387881031.png

Here you go

[dkat76]

Here is the result

http://www.speedtest.net/result/2387881031.png