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

[scottmidlands]

Hello

Previously I had a SureSignal on TalkTalk, really slow broadband, it wasn't great but we had no Vodafone coverage whatsoever (in a village with a 3000 population?!).  My Blackberry worked perfectly, my wife's iPhone 4 very rarely worked.

We moved a mile away, still rarely any Vodafone coverage, now on Virgin cable on second from top package - iPhone 4 is still absolutely unusable on mobile or SureSignal - I cannot hear a word she is saying, nor can any of her customers.  Sounds like she's underwater.

Is it an iPhone 4 problem?  It is rubbish out and about also...

Thanks for your help.

[Retired-Lee]

Hi there scottmidlands,

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.

Your speed test results from here.
Your ping test results from here.
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

LeeH

[amackay84]

Re-post of my thread below so that all this is kept in once place.  Perhaps a moderator could delete my thread?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have an original vodafone sure signal (VSS) installed on my 100mb Virgin Media broadband.  It has been installed for around 18 months now with no issues what-so-ever.  Call quality was great, reliability was great.

However, the last few days (possible occured earlier than this) the call quality has dropped to being unusable.  Apparently I can be heard fine, however the quality of the incoming call is so poor I cannot understand them - I cannot confirm this though.  During one of the calls I tried a ping test and speed test (multiple sites) and found that my connection is signifcantly better than should be required (~70mb DL and >5mb UL).

Nothing has changed with my configuration, yet the call quality is very poor.  I have tried everything suggested HERE with nothing being identified as a problem.

I noticed on other forums that people have tired replacing the v1 VSS with a v2 and that has solved the issue, however I do not want to have to buy another VSS unit.

Vodafone - can you replace my original unit with a new one?

[Retired-Matt_Vo]

Hi amackay84

You have already posted around this and it can be found here

This will be the one the team will respond to you in.

As soon as an advisor is available they will be along to help

Thanks
Matt
Moderator

[ahxcjb]

@amackay84 - your SS is _not_ faulty. I have a SSv1 + v2 and BOTH have exhibited the same symptoms on Virgin Media. It seems that around at peak period the call quality becomes unusable.  At around 22:30-23:00 the call quality is once again perfect.  

You're wasting your time getting the box replaced, as the fault lies with Virgin Media. Vodafone should start raising this with their contacts at Virgin, rather than replacing a device that doesn't require it. 

[amackay84]

Thanks ahxcjb - I guess there is nothing I can do!

My contract is up in about 8 months so I'll try to hang on until then.  I guess I can start shopping around to a different provider after that since, for example, o2 network has good coverage around my area.

Vodafone - can you get in touch with VM?  This will be impossible for the single customer to handle...

[ahxcjb]

I've attempted to raise it with Virgin, but for those most part it's like talking to monkeys. I did manage to talk to a chap who seemed pretty clueful and have given him the IP ranges that need prioritising as something has clearly changed recently with Virgin's ellacoya's. 

However, as you say, this needs to come from Vodafone directly to Virgin Media. Vodafone have far more weight than we do in getting this issue fixed asap.

[Retired-Lee]

Hi guys,

I'll answer each of you in turn.

@ StuTyrell - Can you confirm you're using the Virgin Media Superhub and could you also confirm the firmware/software version for me?

I've forced a resync of your unit. Please follow the instructions on a factory reset to complete the process.

@ ahxcjb - I'll raise this for you tomorrow with the project leads. I believe we've already been in touch with Virgin about this.

@ amackay84 - can you confirm that the audio quality is not a problem during quieter period like ahxcjb says?

VSS Factory Reset

• Hold the reset button till all the lights come on or flash (about 30 seconds)
• Keeping the reset button held, remove and re-insert the power lead
• Once all the lights come back on or flash, release the reset button
• The VSS will come online within the hour

Let me know how you get on.

Cheers,

LeeH

[joseosanchez]

Hi 

I am also experiencing the voice quality issues that others are reporting In this thread.

My ISP provider is virgin media and I have a super hub the version number Of the hardware is 2.0 and the version number of the software is R36.

My ip address is 86.20.32.185

The serial number from my VSS is 40123227858

My speed test result are 

Ping 36ms

Download 28 Mbps 

Upload 2.2 Mbps 

This problem started last week but I thought it might have been just a temporary problem, but today it was very annoying since I needed to make and receive several phone calls.

Thanks,

JS

[mowax]

@ joseosanchez

Why did you post your IP address on a public web site? remove it matey. 

@ Vodafone, I'm getting a lot of problems with call qaulity and the like, I have 120 meg from Virgin, it's been pretty poor for the past few days, should I factory reset it? 

Thanks