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Vodafone Wi-Fi Hub bug in web GUI: cannot change wifi settings.

_rik_
4: Newbie

Hi,

Just received the router and went live yesterday at around 8pm.

Before going live, I set the the wifi properly. At 8pm the router was automatically reset by Vodafone (every setting lost).

Now I can see the firmware is different.

Firmware-Version: 19.2.0307-3261013

Productname: Vodafone Wi-Fi Hub

 

A previous bug has disapperead but there is as new but even more annoying: the router doesn't let me change anything in the wifi settings, not even the password despite the router itself pop up a message saying "you should change the password".

 

I'm going to work around this problem with the mobile app... let's see what happens....

 

36 REPLIES 36

Jayach
16: Advanced member
16: Advanced member

Back now.

The button on the router turned the wifi off (but I had to hold it for a few seconds before it took effect), and the GUI on a hard wired PC (using Firefox) showed it as Off. I was then able to use the GUI to turn it back on.

So all in all it seems you can't turn the wifi off with the GUI, but the browser used doesn't matter.

So basically you are in a worse condition than mine because in your case not even other browsers can change the settings in the page Wi-Fi --> General.

 

Keep an eye on the message: are you sure it says "your settings have not been applied"?

I ask that because mine with FF says "Your changes have not been applied" (with a red box) and with other browsers says "Your changes have been applied" (with a green box) and it really works.

If you see a different message, or the "not" is missing but the changes are not been applies anyway, could be a different software with different bugs, despite the firmware versione looks the same.

Jayach
16: Advanced member
16: Advanced member

Just tried it again, this time in Edge(chromium) and it definitely says "Your changes have been applied" on a green background, but the slider returns to on.

The best you can say about this router is it is "flaky" but it seems a solid worker once you leave it alone.

It's surely a nice piece of kit, but it's quite common these days that any good hardware is ruined by a software that seems to be coded in a kindergarten in Tailand. 😄

All major ISP, no one excluded, have routers with bugs in the GUI.

I remember the first hub of BT with problems saving NAT rules.

Plustnet Hub One with other problems in the NAT section.

TT hub: in DSL stat the SNR is empty + renaming devices is useless because everything is lost at the first restart.

and so on...

Vodafone it's in the same trend. 😄

These are problems so simple that could be solved in minutes with the source code, but for some reason they are ignored for months or years.

 

However, no problem, the most important thing is that once set it works! 🙂

And despite its size, has a low power comsumption: around 7w (tested myself).

Another problem: there is no way to change wifi channels!!!! 😱😱😱😱😱

This is quite important because on the 5 GHz band, this router has channels unsupported by many clients. In fact I have some devices that only support UNII-I (the first half part of the 5GHz) and since the router is now on channel 64 (and moves at random) I cannot use such devices.

I can't see the channel setting in the app either.

Jayach
16: Advanced member
16: Advanced member

@_rik_ 

It's not a bug, it's a deliberate decision by Vodafone because they know better than us how to control our WiFi.

Great! Good choice! 🤣 I thought it was only a buggy firmware, instead there are also bad choices by design.🤗

 

It's the first time in my life I can see a router without a wifi channel selection. I think it's the only sample in the galaxy...  just like a car without a gear lever.

 

I have many problem with that because:

1) The automatic choise is rubbish. E.g.: the 2.4GHz is now on channel 11 and that is the busiest (I have other 5 neighbours on the same channel, one of which at -63DB. Channel. Other channels are EMPTY! 🤣)

2) I would prefer channel 1 to gain something through the wall (lower frequencies penetrate walls better)

3) On the 5GHz the router has got channel 64 that is the UNII-2 side of the spectrum, and some devices RTX cannot reach such fq, so I have some devices that only connect at 2.4GHz (including the TV at 3m from the router that was on 5GHz few days ago with the Talktalk router).

4) By the way, since the 5GHz is completely empty here, I would choose the first channels that have a better range, not even thinking about the UNII-2 high channels.

 

So, so far... so bad! 😥

I've had a look at the source code of the page wifi->settings.

 

There are 3 hidden fields:

 

<div class=" vdf-row hide" id="wifiset-lowband-bg">
<div class="vdf-row hide" id="periodic-high-scan">
<div class="vdf-row hide" id="wifisel-auto-mode-wifiHigh">

 

Removing the class "hide" I can see them in the GUI.

 

 

Screenshot at 2021-03-01 08-38-57.png

 

In the screenshot above I've already set "Compatibility" mode. Such input select is a field containing these 2 values

<option value="36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 100 104 108 112 132 136 140">All Channels</option>
<option value="36 40 44 48">Compatibility</option>

The default value is "All channels" and it means it uses UNII-1 and UNII-2 bands. The feature that interests me just "Compatibility"  whose description can be read from the red box and also in the value of the field itself:it limits to channel 36 to 48 (UNII-1 band).

 

Sending such value I can see the json reply saying "Success". So the router receives the new value but.... unfortunately it actually does nothing, so I suppose they have disable the use of it server side (server=the action of ngix server inside the router when it receives this value).

 

So, nothing to do.

I cannot use 5GHz with some devices because of this stupid choice of removing the compatibility setting. I mean... I'm not asking much... I don't even ask for setting the channels, but at least the band!!!! Even routers that cost 10 pounds have the channel selection!☹️

Cynric
16: Advanced member
16: Advanced member

Not to mention dodgy Javascript hiding frequency selection.

I've also played a bit with the javascript script. For example here

var dfsEnable = "36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 100 104 108 112 132 136 140";
var dfsDisable = "36 40 44 48";

I've set the dfsEnable = dfsDisable just to remove the choice of the high band.

However the JS is mainly for the frontend choices, enable/disable, etc. E.g. this is the bit where it initially hides the interesting fields adding the class "hide" accordingly to the memorized settings:

$(document).on("change", "#wifiset-sel-lowmode", function(){
    if (this.value == 'bg') {
      $("#wifiset-lowband-bgn-bg").addClass("hide");
      $("#wifiset-lowband-bg").removeClass("hide");
      $("#wifiset-sel-lowband option:selected").val("20");
    }
    else {
      $("#wifiset-lowband-bgn-bg").removeClass("hide");
      $("#wifiset-lowband-bg").addClass("hide");
    }
  });

But that's a "surplus"... I mean, I've already managed to send the value of the field "Compatibility" with "success" reply, and that's what matter.... but unfortunately they have disable something in the backend and that cannot be modifed.

 

At this point I can say we have only 4 options:

1) Suck it up and go on this way. The wifi could be turned off and another device used for wifi.

2) Complaining about this stupid decision and hope for the best. I would be OK with this router if they only let me see the 5Ghz in compatibility mode. Changing channel manually would be even better though.

3) Ask for the source code and modify it by ourselves (it's all GPL so they are obliged by law)

4) Trash everything, and use a decent router or, even better, a modem (Draytek Vigor 130 would do, or an old HG612) + a wifi router. With 100 pounds we can have a far better hardware/software/speed. This router in my case sync at 39 while an old ECI modem sync at 42.