Vodafone Connect - can't find various settings

[citixen]

So I moved to Vodafone from BT, as it's significantly cheaper for ostensibly the same service. I've no significant issue with network speeds, though they are markedly slower and show significantly more issues at peak hours (so presumably higher contention at exchange than BT provided) despite being theoretically the same infrastructure. While this is annoying, it's a price I'm willing to pay for the cheaper contract.

What is a total shambles though is the router itself. It's either a complete POC, broken, or I'm just not able to find the things I need in it's kiddie-friendly interface. If anyone can point me in the direction of the following, it'd be a great help : 

- How do I reserve IPs in DHCP by MAC address? I can filter by MAC but I need to reserve specific IPs for specific devices, which do not have the ability to set local static IP addresses.

- Where are the QoS settings? I need to be able to limit bandwidth by both device and traffic type. Can't see it anywhere...

- Where do I see more logs than I can see under "Settings & Support -> Event log"? This only shows me something like 60 entries -and they're useless as a result. For example - I had to reboot the damned thing because it dropped WAN connection about half an hour ago. And it either wipes out all the event log entries, or it loses the current date/time until it reconnects to the WAN, so the first 59 entries I get to see after a reboot are from November 2016, or so it thinks! There must be a store of logs somewhere so I can try and figure out why the bloody thing keeps dropping WAN.

- Can I set it up to record logs to an external storage device? That might help overcome the above issues...

- How can I stop it rebooting itself at peak usage times? The thing seems to restart itself randomly around 10pm, maybe once or twice a week. I presume Vodafone are forcing firmware updates or similar at this time, to try and combat the router being really bad?


In addition to not being able to find these pretty basic things, the router keeps dropping WAN, and when it does so the login page also stops being served, either through a wired or wireless connection. It's almost as if it's just a really poor router, and it's crashing (taking out the web serving component presumably - hence no login page - but not the wifi). To be honest, I'm pretty close to being done with this piece of cr@p...

[citixen]

Ah - I've now found the MAC reservations for DHCP! Happy days..

[Alex]

@citixen Is there anything you still need a hand with, or did you manage to do everything you wanted to? :smileyhappy:

[citixen]

Hi there - could still do with a hand on the following : 

Where to find QoS settings in the router interface?
Where to see more than the last 60 log entries (as a reboot creates more than 60 log entries - rendering logging useless for any crashes)?
How to stop it dropping WAN connection at least once a day? These are caused by router crashes, as web interface stops working on LAN - both wired and wireless - hence router has stopped functioning. These are not a line fault.
How to stop it rebooting itself at inoportune times?


Ideally, just the connection information so I can get rid of the Connect router altogether and use a good one instead would be the absolute best case scenario. You know - like literally every other provider of broadband I've had in the last decade has given me. Thanks!  

[Sukhi]

@citixen

Are you bridging the two routers? If so, this is what will be causing the issues. You need to set up the Vodafone router on it's own.

You can control your settings my logging into your My Vodafone account.

Beamforming is similar to QoS and will maximise your signal towards specific devices.

[citixen]

Sukhi, I am not bridging two routers, no.

Beamforming is absolutely nothing like QoS. I want to shape traffic on the LAN based on traffic TYPE not just device destination. I want to schedule this so that I can apply different shaping profiles dependent on time of day. I want to do this for wired and wireless devices.

It seems at this point the only way to get a decent LAN router with Vodafone is to use a secondary router, and effectively use the Connect POS as a bridge - which you've stated will cause issues with the service.

Just please give me my connection information so I can use a proper router - for the love of god. What is even wrong with this company?

[Becca_P]

@citixen @paulcormack

If you use an alternative router with your Vodafone broadband, we're unable to guarantee that you'll receive the best connection.  

We provide our own router as this allows us to run our own diagnostics.

It also ensures we can troubleshoot the connection if customers are encountering problems.

[citixen]

Hi Becca,

The part of the service Vodafone is responsible for is the WAN connection. Not the LAN. I'm happy for you to provide we with a modem type device, or enable the use of the connect as such so I can serve my LAN from a functional router which I can manage as I wish. As long as that modem didn't crap out like the Connect router does regularly.

If you think that the current Connect device guarantees the "best connection" then.. well, I'm lost for words. I was with BT for 2 years prior to switching over and had zero WAN downtime during that period. Since switching to Vodafone, I have WAN downtime daily - entirely as a result of the router crapping out (as evidenced by the web interface stopping being served at the same time) and not any wider issue. It's the same copper infrastructure up to the exchange that it was when it was BT. The idea that this router cannot be switched out because it provides the best possible connection is frankly laughable.

[paulcormack]

@Becca_P yup I appreciate what you are saying.   However what I take issue with is vodafone, that would be you and your colleagues, telling me what I should be doing beyond your awful modem/router.   If I want to have 20 routers in my house routing the traffic every which way I can think off before eventually sending it down to your modem/router then that would be my choice and my LAN to maintain.   You should concern yourself with your WAN and your modem/routers connection to your WAN, then we'll all get along great.

Also saying things like QoS is sorta like Beam Forming is just a total lack of understanding of some very very basic things and I certainly wouldn't be listening to any additional network advice from somebody who thinks they are even remotely related.

[Becca_P]

@paulcormack @citixen

As your queries relate to using separate modems and routers, something which our device is not equipped for, we're unable to offer any advice or solution to these requests.