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So far, so s**t

IDG20
3: Seeker
3: Seeker

Having suggested to a friend that he should move over to Vodafone Broadband and subsequently hearing his horror stories from day one of his "connection", I faced today with a great deal of trepidation as I, too, became a Vodafone Broadband victim - having migrated from WalkWalk.

I've been a broadband customer with various ISPs since 2003 - including a happy period with Vodafone when they last did broadband (properly, with UK call centres and everything!) about 10 years ago - and have managed to set up the routers supplied without any difficulties. However, today I experienced the piece of near-useless plastic supplied by Vodafone.

First, I managed to get two PCs connected to the router via ethernet, but only one could access the internet. The other was obviously seeing the internet because I could ping Google's DNS servers without any problems. Connecting my phone via WiFi was a no-go.

I got through to support, who I could barely hear - "working from home," was the reason given (Vodafone, you're a telecoms company for goodness sake; remote working should be second nature to you, COVID or not! Perhaps she was being made to shout all the way from Asia?).

Anyway, the phantom phone whisperer finally got the router to connect to all three clients and went on her merry way.

Now, foolish person that I am, I decided to change the IP addresses so that I could access the rest of my network that is in the 192.168.2.x range; after all, it has worked on every other router I have owned, so surely it would work on Vodafone's latest and greatest, wouldn't it? Not on your Nelly. Everything went mammaries-up and I had to do another reset and have now got one client working via ethernet and my phone via WiFi. The other client isn't playing at all.

As for poor, old Alexa; she's gone off in a huff and refuses to talk to the new router - and who can blame her?

Tomorrow, I will phone the phone whisperer again and get my user name and password, then re-use my old TackyTacky router; at least I know it works. Meanwhile, for this evening, after wasting 6 hours on this, I shall just have to retire, exhausted, to my pit - in the dark, of course, because Alexa isn't around to turn on the lights! Grrrr!

At least I am within the "cooling-off" period and can try and get another deal elsewhere.

8 REPLIES 8

Anonymous
Not applicable

I'm not saying that this is the cause of all your issues, but quite often after changing a subnet range, the only way to get everything to connect is to turn EVERYTHING off!  If you don't there are far too many devices that will try to continue on their merry little way without refreshing their DHCP leases!

 

I'd also say that if you are anything more than just a basic user, then getting your own equipment is probably going to make life easier - *though I've never used the latest VF router.

Hatchett1951
2: Seeker
2: Seeker

Will Vodafone let you use your own router?

They gave me the logon details and then refused to support me if I used a Netgear Router.

As an update, I was given the login details which I have successfully installed on a new ASUS DSL-AC68U AC1900 Dual-Band Wireless VDSL/ADSL 2+ Gigabit Modem Router. I chose this because it supports VPN.

 

I plugged it in, input the username and password supplied by Vodafone Vodafone and all the devices on my network connected without any issues. 

I told the person at Vodafone that I wanted the details because the router they supplied was next to useless. 

 

I realise, of course, that if I have any problems they won't support that router, which is fair enough, but why are they sending out equipment that - having read multiple threads on various forums - is clearly not fit for purpose?

Cheap as chips might be a reason, in bed with banned Chinese company might be another.

Jayach
16: Advanced member
16: Advanced member

I don't think Huawei are making the new router (THG3000) it appears to be a Technicolor.

I have no definitive proof of this.

Mark
Community Manager
Community Manager

Hey @Hatchett1951 Of course you can use your own router if you prefer, but as @IDG20 advised we can only offer support for routers supplied by ourselves. I can see in one of your other posts, you advised you're receiving charges for a service you disconnected in March. If you pop us a private message on Facebook or Twitter, with your full name, account or landline number and a link to the thread regarding the disconnected service, we'll be happy to help. We'll also be able to help resolve any other account related query too 😊

The router supplied was not fit for purpose:

1/ I could not disable remote control/access of the router.

2/ With 5G Wifi enabled wifi connected devices could not communicate with LAN connected devices - really useful on a business network.

3/ Vodafone sold me a business connection and provided a home connection and mickey mouse router.

4/ Vodafone failed to supply copies of the contracts entered into and refused to do so when requested (I never received confirmation of the connection originally ordered).

5/ The overall feature set of the router was completely unsuitable for business use.

6/ Every time I phoned support I was connected to the Home Broadband section who knew nothing about my account and had to redirect me to the business section.

7/ Vodafone would not give me direct access to the Business Support section when requested.

8/ The router was manufactured by a Chinese supplier now viewed by many governments as a national security risk.

9/ Vodafone failed to follow the OFCOM service transfer rules listed from the OFCOM web site:

 

One-stop switch

If your current broadband service runs on the Openreach phone network, and you’re switching to another provider that also uses this network, you can follow a ‘one-stop’ switching process. (Companies that use the Openreach network include BT, EE, Sky, TalkTalk and Vodafone.)

Under this process, you don’t need to contact your current provider at all. Instead, your new provider can arrange the transfer for you.

Once you’ve contacted your new provider to begin the switching process, both your new provider and old provider must both send you a letter to inform you of the switch.

The letter from your old provider must include details of:

  • the services which will be switched;
  • any services which are not affected; and
  • any charges that apply if you are leaving your contract early.

The letters must also give details of the switch, including an estimate of when it will happen.

===================================================================================

Both the new provider and BT (my old telephone provider) managed to follow these rules (as soon as Openreach informed them of the switch - 2nd March 2020). When challenged about this Vodafone maintained that my new service provider had not informed them.  I believe the system works this way:

1/ New provider tells OpenReach of changes to be made (In my case switch telephone from BT and broadband From Vodafone)

2/ Openreach set date for change (to minimize disruption to my service) and informs the Gaining and Loosing Providers what is happening.

3/ Loosing Providers write to me confirming the change and any charges/refunds they will make. 

4/ On change over day OpenReach switch the connections.

 

When contacted (on multiple occasions) regarding this matter Vodafone:

 

1/ Where totally unaware that the service had been switched to another provider.

2/ Told me that they would sort it out after I had paid the invoices raised in error.

3/ Blamed my new Service Provider claiming they had not told Vodafone what was happening.

4/ Most of the support staff spoken to did not have a clue what had happened or how to correct it (I found one eventually that did understand and live in hope that this will be corrected).

5/ They continue to raise invoices for an account that was closed on 16th March 2020 AND flag these fictitious invoices on my Credit Report.

 

I in turn must fire fight the damage being done to my Credit Report by the company with the worst customer service in the industry.

 

 

Hi @Hatchett1951. As mentioned by @Mark, our Social Media team would love to help with this and they can take a look at your credit file query. You can find how to contact the team here 🙂