Version 3 VSS Lights (Power - flashing, Internet - off, In Service - orange, In Use - orange)

[Retired-Lee]

This thread has been created to discuss and troubleshoot the version 3 Sure Signal when the light sequence is as follows:

• Power: Flashing
• Internet: Off
• In Service: Solid Orange
• In Use: Solid Orange

Cause

This light sequence indicates the Sure Signal's not active and it has been unable to authenticate on the Vodafone network

Troubleshooting

Please restart your Sure Signal. If the symptoms continue please add the following details to this thread:

• Your speed test results from here
  
• Your ping test results from here
  
• Your external IP address from here
  
• Your Sure Signal serial number
• The results of a traceroute

Traceroute command:

On a PC:

1. Click on Start and select Run
2. Type CMD into the Run box and press enter/click ok
3. A black box will appear
4. In this box type tracert 212.183.133.177 press Enter
5. Paste the output of this command into your reply

On a Mac:

1. Open Terminal (Applications, Utilities)
2. Type 'traceroute 212.183.133.177'
3. Press Enter

This will help us get the quickest possible resolution for you.

Thanks

LeeH

[steve0819]

Hi Simay,

Have you got IPSec VPN passthrough enabled? Just a thought.

Cheers,

Steve

[cstaley]

Hi dave/ tech team, are you sure the ip address here is valid? I am being asked by home hub 5 for 4 numbers seperated by dots. When i put in your numbers, or an intelligent combination of them, it is not being allowed. I have also tried the prefix 212 and entering the range individually as recommended by another forum user and is not valid either. Please advise, thanks, cathy

[arukDave]

Hi cstaley.

The addresses below certainly work.   They are based on information posted on this list by Vodafone's own people not that long ago...

NOTE though!   Many of those Vodafone Tec' postings, show seriously mangled IP addresses, as you found, often missing the fist "octet" (the 212) while the dash (used to indicate an address range) makes it look very much like a bunch of IP addresses... 

• 183.133.177-179
• 183.133.181-182
• 183.131.128-191

The - between the last two octets indicate a "range" of addresses, the problem is, the most significant 212 is completely missing!

The above should be shown as...  (If they insist on using bullet points)

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

Those shown below do work, and as can be seen are based on the above (corrected) information.

Vodafone Sure Signal Servers:  Public IP addresses:
Three address "ranges":

Start        212.183.133.177

End          212.183.133.179 (Three Addresses.)   

Start        212.183.133.181
End          212.183.133.182 (Two Addresses.)

Start        212.183.131.128
End          212.183.131.191 (Sixty four Addresses!)

That is why this last address range is often quoted as:-
             212.183.131.128/26

or

    Address  212.183.131.128

       Mask  255.255.255.192 (The 26 most significant bits, set to '1')

In all honesty, with anything HomeHub or BusinessHub based from BT, you have an uphill struggle trying to enter any of that.   Other router makers will have any number of ways to specify the above too.

Note too, that the infamous MTU value in the router, needs to be set to 1500, or as high as it can be set if you can't get it to 1500.  If you can't, set as high as you can, and also look for something to select to tell the router to: "Pass Fragmented Packets".   And set/enable that too!

MTU stands for Maximum Transmisson Unit, or Maximum packet size.   Sadly, though the protocol the VSS uses "Could" negotiate a lower value, Vodafone have seen fit to disable that negotiation at their servers, so we need it to be 1500 at our end for the VSS to authenticate itself, and that is one of the stumbling blocks with many low end routers.   (Typified by the crippled devices BT seem to supply by default.)

If you have Infinity Broadband its more like a brick wall with the BT supplied equipment!   Unless you can splash your own cash on a much more capable router (idealy with a built in VDSL modem) at the very least.   Sadly, not cheap.

Lastly, some ISP's (PlusNet recently) were assigning public IP addresses to many of their users, that were not associated with being within the UK!   That too, is a show-stopper for the VSS.

It can be made to work, and they do work very well when they do.   But it is as above, not a trivial task, and can be nigh on impossible without extra cost for users of some ISP's.

Dave.

(Not part of Vodafone.)

[Retired-Matt_B]

Hi @cstaley,

Please try switching off BT Smart Setup. This will be stopping any connection getting through to your Sure Signal. After this, please unplug your Sure Signal and then plug it back in.

Let us know how you get on once this has been deactivated.

Thanks,

Matt

[cstaley]

Hi matt, the tech team have already asked me to do this? It is switched off and has been for days. Can you let me know what to try next? Have you had anyone with a home hub 5 who is able to use the sure signal or is the only solution to get a new router as recommended another forum user? Thanks, cathy

[Jenny]

Hi @cstaley

If you’ve tried opening all ports as Dave posted above and you’re still having problems, I recommend you try using the Sure Signal on another connection (a friend or family member’s for example).

You may need to leave this for 24 hours to make sure it completely updates.

Thanks,

Jenny

[cstaley]

Hi tech team, this isnt a viable option. My friends and family live 70 miles away, and i am not that friendly with my neighbours to be able to use their equipment for a day?! Can you please answer my query regarding whether a home hub 5 is incompatible and if so should i purchase a new router? Thank you, cathy

[Iainsax]

Hi Cathy

Firstly, I'm not tech team, but a fellow customer who is on BT Infinity and has the home hub 5.

I had a nightmare getting my VSS to work, but did in the end. It does occasionally still cause me grief, but I can usually get it working again. I'm going to confirm everything I did and what I do to get going again and hopefully may help. There is alot of patience involved.

So, I assume you've gone on to the BT Hub manager and done the required port forwarding and port clamping, assigning of static IP address? If not and you're not sure how to do it I can help you (not now as I'm at work and will need to be sitting at home with my lap top in front of me so can talk through). If you have done all those things, then the way I get it working again if it reverts back to the flashing power and In service and in use lights on is the following:

1. Press and hold the reset button at the top whilst it's plugged in and hold down for at least 30 seconds. Let go of the button and all lights will go out. Wait about a second and then unplug before any lights start coming back on. Then unplug the cable from your router.

2. Leave it unplugged overnight if you can. The longer the better seems to be best.

3. Plug the network cable back in to the router and then plug the suresignal back in.

Leave it and hopefully will sort itself out. This doesn't necessarily work first time (sometimes not second either) but usually sorts by third attempt.

It's not very scientific I know. I just got a new iphone 6 and this wouldn't pair up with it. I ended up de registering and re-registering again as just couldn't get it working and then took a couple of goes at the above to get it working again.

It is INCREDIBLY annoying, but I find doing the above works eventually. It's just a case of having patience and I don't let it wind me up anymore. If you look back you'll see some very annoyed previous posts from me.

Hope that helps. Sorry if it doesn't....Good luck!!!!!!

Iain 🙂

[simay]

Hi @Iainsax,

Thank you for your reply. I think we are in same situation. VSS 3, BT Hub 5 (without Openreach modem). Could you confirm if you are using BT Hub 5 with ot without an Openreach modem. I attached two pictures for referance.

Regards,

Simay

[Iainsax]

Without Samay.

Cheers
Iain