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

[PaulAinscough]

hi had this problem before. had to be re set from the office. iphone 4s down to one bar cannot hols a tel conversation. using virgin  - sure signal 2  ping 80; download 14.50 mbps; upload 1.78mbps; isp 77.96.85.23

thanks

paul

[Retired-Dave]

Hi PaulAinscough,

If you follow these steps, this will both reset and resync your Sure Signal:

• Unplug the ethernet cable from the Sure Signal
• 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.
• Plug the cable back in
• Allow around one hour for the Sure Signal to come back online.

If it still doesn't work, confirm the following for me:

 - Your Sure Signal serial number

 - The lights showing on your Sure Signal

Also, post the results of a traceroute:

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 and press Enter.

On a Mac 

• Open Terminal (Applications, Utilities).
• Type traceroute 212.183.133.177 and press Enter.

Dave

[Shugdoc68]

I have tried all the steps that have been asked, I have rebooted the sure signal I don't know how many times, took the battery out if the phone, moved my sure signal box away from my router, been on the phone about ten times! Still no further forward, still no signal in my house! My ISP is sky, my serial number of my sure signal is 21197247311 and the speed test results are as follows-- download 3.56. Upload 0.95. Ping 36

[Gemma]

Hi Shugdoc68,

Your Sure Signal made contact with the network yesterday at 10.34pm.

If you’re still facing issues please take a look at our Sure Signal Troubleshooting thread. 

If this doesn’t resolve your query, please post your reply either below, or in the relevant thread, together with the details requested, including the following information:

What light sequence you're seeing.

Your external IP address from here.

The results of a traceroute.

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,

Gemma

[Shugdoc68]

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

C:\Users\shug>tracert 212.183.133.177

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

  1     2 ms     2 ms     2 ms  SkyRouter.Home [192.168.0.1]
  2     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  3    21 ms    22 ms    22 ms  02780803.bb.sky.com [2.120.8.3]
  4    21 ms    20 ms    19 ms  ae51.edge6.London1.Level3.net [212.113.9.53]
  5    24 ms    19 ms    20 ms  vl-3613-ve-237.csw2.London1.Level3.net [4.69.166
.82]
  6    20 ms    19 ms    20 ms  ae-225-3601.edge3.London1.Level3.net [4.69.166.1
46]
  7    67 ms    27 ms    20 ms  CABLE-WIREL.edge3.London1.Level3.net [195.50.124
.138]
  8    24 ms    21 ms    21 ms  ae22-xcr1.lns.cw.net [195.2.30.61]
  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\shug>

This is the results of the traceroute command

the light sequence is 1,2,and 4 but not getting a signal

[DaveCD]

Hi Shugdoc68,

I can see that the unit connected last night and has connected to our servers.

Are you still having difficulties?

I notice from the traceroute that it fails at hop 2, this may be down to something as simple as the Ethernet cable, so try a different one.

Another possability is that the router needs to be manually configured, please ensure the following ports are open:

Ports to be opened for forwarding

• 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)

IP addresses to be allowed on the router & firewall

• 212.183.133.177-179
• 212.183.133.181-182
• 212.183.131.128-191

I can see it's registered successfully, so once the above steps have been followed please perform a reset:

• Unplug the ethernet cable from the Sure Signal
• Locate the button on the base of the box next to the Ethernet ports
• Press and hold the button for approximately 30 seconds
• Once the lights come back on, release the button
• Plug the cable back in
• Allow around one hour for the Sure Signal to come back online.

DaveCD

[Shugdoc68]

Hi there
Yes I'm still having problems, not sure what I have to do with the instructions you have supplied, not very good with gadgets!!

[Gemma]

Hi Shugdoc68,

Have you tested another Ethernet cable as Dave suggested above?

If possible please test your Sure Signal at a different location to rule out a faulty Sure Signal.

Thanks,

Gemma

[AnuWad]

I'm having similar issues with my sure signal too. it has not been working for a week now. Despite having all ports opened up on my broadband router and having network connection on the same Ethernet cable connect to the Sure Signal. 

Vodafone wants to test it on another house, till then I have no signal at home. This is the worst mobile carrier in the UK. Should have never moved from O2. Can't wait till my contract runs out and will not let anyone I know move to Vodafone. 

[Ben_H]

Hi AnuWad,

We may ask you to test the unit on another internet connection to rule out a hardware fault. This saves you having a wasted trip to a store and waiting a week on a repair if it's down to your ISP.

If you take a look at our Sure Signal Troubleshooting thread, and then post back your results, we'll see if there's anything else we can suggest too.

Cheers, Ben