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

[dodgy]

Hi,

The super hub is just Virgin Media's router/wireless hub and cable modem device. I am technical, been in IT for 30 years but still cant get the thing to talk to Vodafone's service. 

Dodgy

[dodgy]

Hi,

Just to complete the picture

I get a similar traceroute to some of the other entries in this thread where the route disappears one hop past ldngw1

8 38 ms 35 ms 35 ms ldngw1.arcor-ip.net [195.66.224.209]
9 31 ms 31 ms 30 ms 85.205.0.86
10 * * * Request timed out.
11 * * * Request timed out.
12 * * * Request timed out.

Regards

Dodgy

[dodgy]

so a little more digging...

85.205.0.86 is a vodafone server so I can get to VF.

Dodgy

[arukDave]

Hi.

Scroll back through recent history on this list/subject, say two or three months.

There is "A Lot" of information re addresses of Vodafone servers to allow, and the infamous MTU value to max out at 1500, or if you cant accomodate that, to allow fragmented packets to pass through.  No choice, the VSS needs 1500, or a router/firewall/gateway able to let fragmented packets pass unhindered.

Dont' worry too much about protocols and ports, just arrange for these Vodafone server address ranges, to be reachable by the VSS, and in return, the VSS on it's static internal IP be reachable from those addresses on the WAN (and only those if possible.)

Start        212.183.133.177
End          212.183.133.179 (Three Addresses.)   

Start        212.183.133.181
End          212.183.133.182 (Two Addresses.)

                (This one responds to a 'Ping', the others don't!)

Start        212.183.131.128
End          212.183.131.191 (Sixty four Addresses!)

The better firewall's allow you to create rules based on addresses, not just ports and protocols.   If your router wont let you do that, then it's going to be more dificult than it needs to be.

So long as none of the needed ports are blocked, or hijacked by another firewall rule (Office VPN's of the Microsoft flavor for example), it should work.

If not, check your ISP is not blocking any of them.

These are what the VSS is known to need and use, for one reason or another.

Port     -  Protocol's

    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

Oh..  And your public IP address, -must- exist in the RIPE database, and be losted as being located within the UK (or 'GB' as they call it) according to that database.

https://apps.db.ripe.net/search/query.html   (Scroll down for the entry field.)

It is not uncommon these days, for you to be allocated a dynamic IP address, that resolves to being in the USA or elsewhere in Europe!   In that case, Vodafone's servers -will- ignore you.   You will need to talk with your ISP to get that resolved.  No choice in the matter.

(It must also not be blacklisted/blocked by Vodafone.  Only they can reset that flag.)

When it does work, the first time it see's the servers, it can indeed take some time (many hours at worst) for a new VSS to fully update itself (same after doing the master reset thing.)  Plus it will appear to restart once or twice, before settling.   Of course, you do need to register the VSS at the VSS website, and the handsets you want to be able to use it.

Again, scroll back through the history of this list.   There is lots of info, some of it conflicting due to some of Vodafones own tech' posts getting mangled, so they appear to show the wrong IP addresses, for example...

Take care.

Dave B.

(Not part of Vodafone.  But I did get our VSS working, however it was a struggle, and we did end up buying a much better router, than the pile of detritus that BT provided.)

[dodgy]

Tadaaaa....:smileyvery-happy:

It is working now. I checked the MTU size. It was set to 0 by default which should mean 1500. I reset this manually to 1500 anyway. I then also allowed fragmented packets which I am not keen on as I do see a lot of fragmented packets being blocked by the firewall from random servers.

After some testing, setting the MTU size to 0 or 1500 does not make any difference. It is the allowing of fragmented packets that works. I have to have the "Block Fragmented IP Packets" disabled in the firewall otherwise it will not work. 

Thanks for the help

Dodgy

[Island_Ian]

Hi Dodgy

Glad that your system is working but cannot believe what you have had to do.  Such technical gymnastics are way beyond by knowledge or experience and I don't accept that a normal end user should have to be able to do what you have done in order to get the VSS working.

I am now being tolkd that the problem is with my ISP but without any help as to what information my ISP might be looking for.  Not your problem I know.  Is my frustration showing?

Regards

Island_Ian

[Ben_H]

Hi @Island_Ian 

While Sure Signal is designed to be plug-and-play for the most part, we're unable to guarantee this for all internet set ups. This is due to the many external factors out of our control, which is why you've been advised to speak to your ISP.

Vodafone Sure Signal is not an end to end product, so we can only support you so far as the hardware and the connection from the unit to your router.

Thanks,

Ben

[arukDave]

Hi Ben.

It is -not- plug and play, in any way.   Your own documentation tells us to give it a static IP address on the LAN.  You -cannot- do that, without knowing how to do various administrator type things with whatever provides DHCP services on your LAN.  Period.   Plus you have to create an account on the SureSignal website, register it, and tell it what handsets it's going to have using it.   None of that can be considered "Plug and Play".

For some years now, it has been entirely possible to create such devices that use secure connections to backend servers, that "just work", not needing -any- user configuration of their own (or ISP's) hardware.   (Heck, the bad guys do it all the time!)

There are many known VPN technologies that will do full NAT traversal for end to end secure communications, or fall back to using another intermediary server to initialy negotiate and build the tunnel.

Remember the "Hamachi" VPN?  (for one.)   About the only thing that would stop that, was an aggressively configured Proxying Firewall.   Fast, secure (and free in one version.)   Since bought out by LogMeIn, one of the popular PC remote desktop companies.

If the likes of them, GoToMyPC, TeamViewer and others can all do this sort of thing with -no- user config of routers/gateways firewalls, static IP's etc, then a small box running Linux(?), communicating with backend servers (presumably running some derivative of Unix) should be able to do so as well.

This is 2015, not 1995.

Best Regards.

Dave B.

[Island_Ian]

Hi dave

i should have read your post before I replied to Ben.  I agree with you entirely even although I don't understand a lot of your technical arguments.  And that is the basic problem.  There only way that an ordinary computer user would find the VSS useful is if it worked straight out of the box.  For Vodafone to expect non-technical users to deal with the complexities of a non-compliant ISP or router is poor customer relations.

I now have the prospect of four hours on the ferry to Oban and then nearly three hours on the bus to Glasgow to return the unit as I am not prepared for the unit to be at the mercy of Royal Mail or the Vodafone staff at the other end.

Very disappointing.  I will be interested to read Ben's reply to your post.

Regards

Island_Ian

[Island_Ian]

Hi Ben

Thanks for taking an interest in my problem.  I don't want to quibble over wording but given the n umber of similar posts from people with serious problems regarding VSS I would question your phrase "for the most part".  It seems to me that many people have issues but as I do not know how many VSS units you sell and whether the number of units which do not readily work is a significant percentage.

The degree of technical competence required is way beyond my technical skill.  What rubs salt in the wound is that if Vodafone would provide a decent signal on our island (Tiree) I would not need a VSS at all.

My ISP provides a community broadband service (satellite I think) but the resident technical supervisor is currently in Australia until the end of March.  He might be able to fix things but I cannopt afford to wait in case I have no success so it looks like a long trip back to Glasgow to return the VSS meantime and try again in April.

Regards

Island_Ian