WIFI CHANNEL CHANGE

[maughanorama]

hey all 

is there some magical invisible page on the new router that allows me to change the 2.4/5ghz channels ? the auto channel function just isnt working. 

and before anyone says look here and there and posts a link to the app. i have tried the app and im unable to even sync the app with my router.. 

is there a config editor that can open the backed up config so i can change it there and upload it back ? 

why has this function been removed from the firmware ? make 0 sense 

my internet is perfect until i try to use a 2.4ghz device then its hampered by my neighbors devices. theres a free channel i can see but unable to change to it

thanks 

[richardbradley]

Hi Evie,

I am puzzled on several aspects:

1. The link to "contact us on social media" in your message points back to this thread.  So what have we been doing wrong so far?  We are asking Vodafone in this social media forum to fix the problem with the routers' user interface and provide us with the (self-service) ability to set the 2.4 Ghz WiFi channel to a value that is appropriate to our operating environments (though not at the expense of losing the auto select capability if we, the network administrators of our home networks, determine that auto selection is most appropriate). 
2. Are you really suggesting that via this forum we can somehow permit a member of the Vodafone tech team to make a configuration change on our routers?  Or are you suggesting that they are now listentening to our complaint and are ready to selectively release to us a new firmware version so that we can beta-trial it?
3. I see nothing in the user interface that suggests it is possible to configure the router to permit remote administration access.  So either administrative access is on *only* permitted from the LAN - or, if you are suggesting that a member of the Vodafone tech team can make a remote configuration change, there is a serious security flaw (aka back door) which can be accessed by the Vodafone tech team and potentially by bad actors.  (Please don't suggest that my password should be strong enough to protect it from a potential brute-force attack. unless you're also offering administration over https and MFA/2-step authentiaction .)

Also, are you able to provide an explanation as to why someone in this forum has reported that they can configure the WiFi channel when others with the same firmware version are unable to?

Might you provide us with a firware version feature/buglist history so that we can see retrospectively when this functionality was removed?  Perhaps even allow us to make informed decisions about whether we need to be running the most recent version and offer the ability to downgrade to one of several previous versions - a standard IT approach for backing out undesirable upgrades - until the undesirable features (defects/bugs) are resolved in a future release.

[richardbradley]

It is somewhat ironic that my post above would trigger the system to email me to say I am now a "seeker".

... as if this might motivate me to be more active in this forum (or to placate me seeing as I don't seem to get any meaningful response from a Vodafone Subject Matter Expert).

Congratulations richardbradley!

As the result of your contributions to the community, you have earned a new rank. Your new rank is 3: Seeker. View your profile to see the rank [link removed by author]

[maughanorama]

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@richardbradley 

well written but pie in the sky im afraid ,,, we wont get any answers or reasoning for this configuration removal. just lip service 

im just going to change my router and send this POS back.. fed up of not being able to use a stable wifi because the auto function choose the most congested channel on the daily. 

id also like to Know how the vodafone techs can remote to the router and change the configuration. like @richardbradley  say s this would be a massive security flaw and would need some attention

[Cynric]

I just put a better modem device as the only connection downstream. 🙂 

[richardbradley]

I've had the standard OpenReach WAN Ethernet interface since FTTC arrived here a good number of years ago.  I have cycled through several providers since then and in each case switching has been smooth (though one povider insisted I should plug their router into a microfilter on the phone line despite the fact that it had a WAN Ethernet port which worked perfectly well when connected to the OpenReach Ethernet interface).  Whilst I have suffered bugs in the past (like a ChromeCast flooding issue know to affect some router brands) I have never experienced inconsistencies like those affecting this Vodafone router - or ineffective  customer service that isn't even reading off a script.

I will be investing in new router/firewall/AP technology as this is no longer a joke - the potential of a remote admin backdoor which has not been immediately refuted by a Vodafone SME or community moderator.  I will be scrutinising the contract to see whether there are any grounds for early termination (without penality).

If any Vodafone employees are reading this then please escalate it upwards to your management.  There is more at stake than me just swapping out a router - renewal of broadband, landline and mobile contracts will be under scrutiny - but surely the reputational risk associated with a potentially unfounded (but yet unrefuted) security back door should be of concern.

Of course, if a Vodafone SME were to categorically refute the potential of a security hole - ideally with a PEN test report - and customer services were to step up to the mark in this forum (which, frankly, would be much cheaper than having each one of us phone up the contact centres and tie up Vodafone associates on one-to-one conversations), and the software development team would be more visible in sharing firmware version information, sharing known defects and even possibly sharing firmware release plans, the NPS score I generate would increase significantly.

If this forum isn't working then perhaps the convesation might move to more public social media platforms or perhaps there will just be silent attrition.

[dankcushions]

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@Evie wrote:

Hi guys @dankcushions @dan - I can appreciate this must be frustrating, not being able to change channels. We can look into getting this sorted for you with our tech team who have the systems to be able to change WiFi channels - we'd just need to you contact us on social media.

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I want to add I think it's bizarre that we'd need to contact vodafone for these kind of issues - channel congestion changes all the time so you could need to change them several times a week, and surely no-one working for, or using vodafone broadband believes they have the customer service capacity to be handling all these issues (and the troubleshooting from majority that don't know that this is the issue with their wifi).

i have just contacted vodafone and I'm told it could be 72 hours before I get a call back from their wifi team. I need to do this every time? cmon... You need to get this reinstated in the firmware. This is a crazy.

[dankcushions]

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@Evie wrote:

Hi guys @dankcushions @dan - I can appreciate this must be frustrating, not being able to change channels. We can look into getting this sorted for you with our tech team who have the systems to be able to change WiFi channels - we'd just need to you contact us on social media.

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I am actually already in contact due to another issue, but even though I had a previously scheduled callback (so was spared the usual 30 minutes of hold music), I have still been told that it's going to take up to 72 hours for them to get back to me about my wifi issues.

Channel congestion is a moving target and you may need to move channels several times a year - do vodafone really think they have the capacity to handle this remotely for their entire customer base? Seems a waste of time for all concerned...

[maughanorama]

Im with @richardbradley  on this im afraid, the fact that they have made noises about the "techs" being able to remote in and change this setting is worrying.

also these are probably the same techs that when you phone up the just bang on about doing a speed test from a wired device even though it has nothing to do with speed/bandwidth. 

[Jayach]

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@dankcushions wrote:
Channel congestion is a moving target and you may need to move channels several times a year

That's why, if it works, auto selection is a good idea as not everyone is happy to "tinker" with the router.

Shame it just doesn't seem to work on the VF router.

[richardbradley]

Auto select might be fine if it didn't regularly pick a channel between 1 and 6 or between 6 and 10 and then suffer interference from both sides.

Anyway, my complaint has now turned into a concern about security if VF techs can remotely access my router and make changes.  Until I get the necessary reassurance on that one I will not be happy.  A new router has just arrived, set up and under test.  I will probably go for a double-layer firewall as the new router seems happy to proxy through the old and there has been no loss in user performance (rather then fully removing the Vodafone router).

Now I can switch off WiFi on the Vodafone router and I am much happier!