VSS headache!

[DanCull]

So I had given up for a while trying to get my VSS working since the problems I started experiencing around christmas (http://forum.vodafone.co.uk/t5/Vodafone-Sure-Signal/Sure-Signal-Problem/m-p/1388704#M34567); I have been waiting for my BT Infinity installtion in the hope that this may rectify the problem.

My BT Infinity was installed yesterday and I am still not having any success getting my VSS to work.

My current status is just the power light illuminated permanently with no other light activity.  There is not even any lights on or flashing on the ethernet connection to the rear, nor is the VSS showing as connected in to my BT Home Hub 3 when I access the hub manager from my Mac.

I have started from scratch working through the relevant troubleshooting thread for this problem (http://forum.vodafone.co.uk/t5/Vodafone-Sure-Signal/Sure-Signal-Flashing-Steady-Power-Light-No-Other...

Check the physical connection between your Sure Signal and your Router/Modem.
I'm falling at the first hurdle here!  The lights on the back of the VSS are not coming on at all, only briefly when power is first switched on, indicating that there is no link to the BTHH3.  However I have tried lternative ethernet cables, including one I know is definately working, and I have tried swapping the ports on the back of the BTHH3 but I am still not getting these lightes to come on.  Could this point to a faulty VSS unit?  I'm not convinced though because earlier in this saga the lights were coming on!

If the VSS is faulty, do they have a warranty and how long for?

[DanCull]

Further to my last, I dont think there is any hardware fault with the ethernet connection.  I have just taken a Belkin wireless router and connected it to my BTHH3 by ethernet and then connected my VSS to an ethernet port on the Belkin router.  The green link light by the ethernet connector is now on and the orange data light is flashing.  This clearly shows that the VSS is able to make a connection to the router and is passing data.

In fact with this set up, I now have the powerlight on permanently and the @ light flshing slowly.  Still no joy with it progressing further than that.  I dont know whether it is actually connecting through to the internet and ultimately the Vodafone server in this current configuration!?

[DanCull]

The @ light has stopped flashing now and is off all the time, but the ethernet lights on the back are still showing a connection.

[DanCull]

We have some progress!

I am back with the VSS plugged directly into the BTHH3.  I have been going through the settings in the Home Hub Manager to see if there is anything I couls find that may be causing a problem.  I don't know if this is purely conincidental but I have just enabled 'port clamping' under VPN settings (BT Home Hub Manager > Settings > Advanced Settings > Broadband > VPN), reset the BTHH3 and then did a hard reset on the VSS.  I now have lights on the rear of the VSS indicating a connection and communication between the VSS and the BTHH3.

How ever at the moment I still only have a power light illuminated on the front !

[DanCull]

A little more progress!

Now that I have got the VSS connected to the BTHH3 I could set up the port forward configuration as per portforward.com instructs.  When I completed doing this I went back to the VSS and it was at that time showing the power and @ lights on and the tick light steadily flashing.  I dont know if this was because I had just set up the port forward. 

I waited to see if it would connect but it eventually gave up and went back to just the power light on. So I restarted the BTHH3 to ensure the port forward configuration was complete, then did a hard restart on the VSS.  Following this the VSS connected back to the BTHH3 and it started the light sequence again, power light on, @ light flashing steadily before staying on, tehn the tick light starts flashing.

Unfortunately the tick light eventually gives up flashing and goes out, along with the @ light and I am now back to just having the power light on all the time.

Vodafone, please offer some assistance!?

[Retired-James]

Hi DanCull,

Many thanks for all of the updates here and the progress that you have made.

I must admit that I have seen the port clamping mentioned on the BT forum when discussing issues connecting to the Sure Signal.

From what I have read opening the ports and selecting port clamping usually works however there are a couple of customers that have had to also try a different network cable followed by a quick restart to get it working.

Are you able to try this for us?

James

[DanCull]

By network cable, do you mean the ethernet cable between the VSS and BTHH3?

[DanCull]

So I've changed the ethernet cable linking the VSS to the BTHH3.

Prior to the change I had turned the VSS off since it had given up trying to connect yesterday and the ethernet lights had gone off.  Switched back on before changing and current state was power light on only and no lights on the ethernet connection indicating no connection to BTHH3.

After replacing the cable I carried out a reset of the VSS following which the power light came on with no other lights and both the green and orange lights came on solid for the ethernet cable.  The orange light normally flashes to show transferring of data so it was a bit weird that it stayed on.  I left it for a while to see if any change but it didn't so I carried out a further reset of the VSS following which it is now sat with just the power light on and no lights for the ethernet cable.

I am at my witts end with this and becoming more and more frustrated.  Surely with all of the previous problems experienced by customers, Vodafone must have a good idea of how to rectify these failires?  

My main reason for staying with Vodafone for the last few years is because of the Sure Signal as I get very poor recepetion on any provider in my house.  At least two of the contracts in my house are due to expire in the next couple of months and I will probably take them elsewhere for a better deal if we cannot no longer benefit from the guaranteed reception through Sure Signal.

Is it most likely that I am experiencing a fault with the VSS itself?  Can I get a replacement under warranty?  Come on Vodafone I am a long standing customer currently with 5 phones on contract with you!

[Phil]

Hi DanCull,

Thanks for coming back to us with this additional information after you've tried the different cable and reset the Sure Signal.  There are so many different combinations between ISP, routers etc that it's not possible to know the solution for every situation straight away I'm afraid. 

We can certainly send it away for repair so that we can rule it out as being a faulty device.  To do so please follow the instructions in the PM that I've sent to you. 

You can find your PM inbox here. If you can't access this link, please ensure that the box next to "Turn on private messages" is ticked on this page, and let us know if you need any further assistance.

Thanks,

Phil

[DanCull]

Thanks for the response Phil and the PM, before actioning as per your PM I just wanted to try and confirm whether the fault is with the VSS unit or my broadband connection.

I have borrowed a VSS from my work to try on my broadband connection to see if it will work.  The VSS I have borrowed is the newer model (mine is the original tall unit with the four lights on the front, the borrowed unit is the smaller rounder model with a red power light and two illuminating images in the silver strip).  

I am not sure on what to expect in the way of light sequences on this newer model so perhaps somebody can give me some advice.

The power light (red light) is on all the time.  The two image lights, which appear to represent an internet connection and a phone handset, are both flashing steadily.  

I know that the VSS is communicating with my BTHH3 as it is showing up in the HomeHub manager.  I have reconfigured my portforwarding to direct to appropriate ports to this temporary VSS.

Any advice would be very much appreciated.