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

[Pete747]

Hi

I've had Suresignal for over 18 months and recently the call qulaity has got so bad thats its impossible for me to make a call. I'm with Virgin media uing a Blackberry Storm and the distortion on all calls is appalling - Can you help??

Here's my details

Ping: 24ms

Download 31.91MbpS

Upload 3.12Mbps

Your IP Address is: 82.3.247.98

Sure signal serial no: 40112215302

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6002]
Copyright (c) 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\Pete>tracert 212.183.133.177

Tracing route to cluster4.vap.vodafone.co.uk [212.183.133.177]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 11 ms 15 ms 15 ms cpc10-reig4-2-0-gw.6-3.cable.virginmedia.com [82
.3.247.1]
2 14 ms 14 ms 11 ms hers-core-1b-ae1-1296.network.virginmedia.net [8
0.3.33.169]
3 16 ms 23 ms 15 ms popl-bb-1c-ae8-0.network.virginmedia.net [62.253
.174.213]
4 15 ms 15 ms 24 ms nrth-bb-1c-ae7-0.network.virginmedia.net [62.253
.174.137]
5 15 ms 21 ms 16 ms nrth-bb-1b-ae11-0.network.virginmedia.net [62.25
3.174.109]
6 17 ms 47 ms 19 ms tele-ic-4-ae0-0.network.virginmedia.net [62.253.
174.18]
7 19 ms 18 ms 19 ms LDNGW1.arcor-ip.net [195.66.224.209]
8 20 ms 18 ms 19 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.

C:\Users\Pete>

[Retired-James]

Hi pete747,

A poor call audio issue is normally down to the broadband line however I can see that all of the tests that you have performed seem to be fine.

Can I ask what firmware your Virgin router is using?

The reason that I ask is that we have seen a similar issue when customers are using the R36 firmware however; this only seems to be an intermittent issue.

The first thing that I would recommend would be to perform a reset on both your router and the Sure Signal to re-establish a connection at both ends.

VSS Factory Reset

Hold down the reset button until all the lights show (about 30 seconds)

Keeping the reset button held down, remove then re-insert the power lead.

Once all lights display release the reset button.

The Sure Signal will come online in around 1 hour.

James

[Pete747]

Hi James

I'm running V2.37.01 software and its V2 Hardware on the router.

I have tried a reset but will run through it again when I'm home in a few hours.

The audio has got so bad that I can longer ring clients as this is a Business line so a solution would be really appreciated

Pete

[Retired-James]

Hi Pete,

If you go into your router login screen and click router status and then click on information can you confirm the software version listed?

Also please let us know how the reset go.

James

[Pete747]

James

I have rebooted and still badly distorted sound. Its seems particularly bad when both people try to speak at the same time and then it stays completely inaudible for 5-10 secs by which time I have lost the conversation.

My Virgin Superhub details are below

Serial Number	2HA211UH15ABA
Hardware Version	2.00
Software Version	V2.37.01
CM Certificate	Installed

Hope that helps

Pete

[Retired-James]

Hi pete747,

Thanks for the update here.

Basically I wanted to see if you were running R36 or R37, this is the R37 firmware so will be interesting if there is any difference to previous experiences or not.

Do you have access to a different SIM or handset that you could test whilst connected to the Sure Signal?

Also, would you be able to test the box on a different internet connection (friend or relatives) to verify that it is definitely a connection and not a hardware issue?

James

[Pete747]

Hi James

I know its not the handset as it works fine away from the sure signal. I have resorted to completely turning the sure signal off now as it is totally destroying my calls but the only problem I then have is that there is only one room in the house that I can get a Vodafone signal.

I may be able to take it elsewhere and try but to be honest thats going to be a pain - is that the only option available?

Regards

Pete

[Retired-Lee]

Hi there Pete747,

Thanks for your post.

Testing the VSS on another connection is a really useful test as it will let us know whether the VSS is faulty or not.

Cheers,

LeeH

[Pete747]

Hi 

Right I've tried the sure signal on a neighbours Sky broadband and it seemed to work fine for the calls I made. So does that mean I have some sort of conflict with Virgin Media?

If it does do you have any information or questions that I can have before I contact them as I am not a techie and this is way over my head. 

Is there a known problem between VSS and Virgin as it worked up until recently?

Pete

[Retired-Andy]

Hi Pete747,

All we can advise is that you explain fully what the issue you’re experiencing is.

You’ll need to explain that you’re using a Vodafone Sure Signal via their broadband and it was working fine until recently. Since they pushed the R37 firmware out, your Sure Signal is no longer working as in it can’t create a stable VPN connection to the Vodafone servers, is there a connection between the two?

Let us know how you go on.

Thanks

Andrew