VSS Version 3 - Power - solid, Internet - flashing

[steve0819]

Hi,

There seem to be numbers of threads citing this problem, but no generic one, & the troubleshooting guide doesn't include this light sequence, so I'm starting a new one.

Following a 2 months+ struggle, & with the help of the forum, I managed to get our VSS 3 going last week. It has now stopped working & shows the light pattern of Power - solid, Internet - flashing white. The other lights are off. As I understand it, this means that the VSS is negotiating with your servers, but can't complete the connection. I have made no changes since the set up was working perfectly. Here's what I've done to try & rectify matters.

1. Reset the VSS.

2. Rebooted our router.

3. Checked that the VSS has been allocated an IP address successfully.

4. Run the standard diagnostics. Results are very similar to what we got when we ran them during the earlier problem & are -

Speed Test

Ping - 35ms

Download - 17.83Mbps

Upload - 11.95Mbps

Ping Test

Ping 32ms

Jitter 7ms

Unable to test packet loss

VSS Serial No.

40131565596

Trace Output

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

  1    22 ms     1 ms     1 ms  my.router [192.168.1.1]
  2    16 ms    18 ms    19 ms  254-128-12-86.static.virginmedia.com [86.12.128.
254]
  3    11 ms    20 ms    22 ms  cdif-lam-4-tenge83-3489.network.virginmedia.net
[62.252.208.90]
  4    15 ms    20 ms    17 ms  cdif-core-2b-xe-110-0.network.virginmedia.net [1
95.182.172.49]
  5    59 ms    25 ms    26 ms  brnt-bb-1a-ae16-0.network.virginmedia.net [62.25
3.174.85]
  6    22 ms    31 ms    24 ms  brhm-bb-1b-et-700-0.network.virginmedia.net [62.
253.175.38]
  7    42 ms    34 ms    51 ms  brhm-bb-1c-ae7-0.network.virginmedia.net [62.253
.174.102]
  8    32 ms    32 ms    33 ms  tcl5-ic-2-ae0-0.network.virginmedia.net [212.250
.15.210]
  9    37 ms    31 ms    32 ms  ldngw1.arcor-ip.net [195.66.224.209]
 10    36 ms    32 ms    30 ms  85.205.116.14
 

Everything looks fine this end. I reckon it's down to you. If you want to check out the previous problem, please refer to my earlier posts.

Many thanks,

Steve

[steve0819]

Hi Ben,

VSS still acting up this morning. I'm waiting on you now.

Cheers,

Steve

[Sukhi]

Hi steve0819

I've checked your IP address and this is on the whitelist. Your Sure Signal has still not updated on our servers since the 24th. 

Can you possibly test the SS at a different location? This will help determine if the issues lies with the SS or ISP.

Thanks

Sukhi

[steve0819]

Hi Sukhi,

Thanks for the response & apologies for the delay in replying. I gave the VSS to a mate who plugged it into his business network, but it couldn't get past his firewall. I then took it to our ISP's offices (only 3 miles away) & asked them to try it preferably on the net side of their security set up. It still didn't work, but we got a different pattern of lights from what we've been seeing here. I took it home &, plugged it in & was amazed when I checked a few hours later & it was working. That was yesterday afternoon & all's still fine this morning. I've done nothing this end, so, unless you've found & fixed a fault, I can't explain it. Whichever, problem solved; many thanks for your help.

Cheers,

Steve

[Retired-Dave]

Hi steve0819,

It sounds like when it was forced to completely reconnect from scratch it's cleared something.

Thanks for letting us know it's sorted!:smileyhappy:

Dave

[TCM6218]

Hi,

My SS has been plugged in for the past 24 hours uninterrupted. It has been in the same state since I switched it on (power, solid; internet, flashing; no other lights). It has a reserved internal IP address, which I put in my router's DMZ, so shouldn't have any trouble communicating with the Vodafone server. 

Could you please confirm whether it has made contact with your server and if so re-sync. The serial number is 40140939014. 

Thanks.

[Retired-James]

Hi TCM6218,

The Sure Signal hasn’t connected to the server recently.

Are you still getting the same light sequence?

Also, please let us know the following details.

Your speed test results from here.

Your ping test results from here.

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

James

[TCM6218]

Hi James,

Below are the results of the test. Thanks for your help.

Speed Test Results

Down: 7.41 Mbps

Up: 1.00 Mbps

Ping Test

Packet loss: 0%

Ping: 20ms

Jitter: 5ms

External IP Address

2.25.93.156

VSS Traceroute

Tracing route to cluster4.vap.vodafone.co.uk [212.183.133.177]

over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1     1 ms     1 ms     1 ms  192.168.0.1

  2    15 ms    14 ms    14 ms  213.1.112.4

  3    18 ms    10 ms    10 ms  213.1.114.14

  4    14 ms    14 ms    18 ms  213.1.67.118

  5    15 ms    14 ms    15 ms  87.237.20.136

  6    15 ms    16 ms    17 ms  87.237.20.32

  7    21 ms    23 ms    23 ms  80.157.131.9

  8    30 ms    30 ms    29 ms  87.190.232.58

  9    29 ms    29 ms    30 ms  195.2.30.61

 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.

[TCM6218]

Hi James,

Further to my test results, I should perhaps add a bit of additonal info:

I have tried three routers at my current address. The first two returned errors no matter what I did (i.e. reboots of server, 30 second hold of VSS restart button, configuration of routers, register/de-register of VSS, etc.). Always the same error (Power - Flashing, Internet - Off, Service - Flashing orange, In Use - Flashing orange). 

I also tried the VSS at a friend's house after registering the VSS at that address. The friend is a BT customer with a brand new router. That returned a different error: Flashing power and flashing orange service (others off). 

The router I am currently using is more configurable (Netgear DGND3700v2) and I currently have the VSS set up with a reserved internal IP address, which is in the router's DMZ.

Thanks.

Tom

[Retired-Andy]

Hi Tom,

Everything is fine with your speed test, ping test and traceroute.

Your IP address is on our whitelist, no problems there either.

The light sequences you’ve reported aren’t ones I’ve seen before.

Can you confirm the following ports are open/forwarded on your router:

Port Number

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

Also, try changing the Ethernet cable between the router and Sure Signal.

Thanks,

Andy

[TCM6218]

Hi Andy,

Quick question: Isn't the whole point of having the VSS in the DMZ that it sits outside the router's firewall, and therefore doesn't require port forwarding? I.e. all ports are by definition open? Or do I have to forward those ports to the VSS's internal IP address, even though it's in the DMZ?

Thanks.

Tom