Vodafone wifi hub disconnects every hour

[Flashy]

Apologies in advance for waffling on...

Switched to Vodafone broadband yesterday. Old router stopped working at about half-seven, Vodafone kicked in at about 11am. Speed ten times greater than I was getting with old ISP, £276 cheaper over the length of the contract and a free Apple TV 4K. Good.

All working fine, speed as advertised. Great. But an hour later it stopped working. Power, internet and wifi lights on hub flashing white in sequence. I can’t find what this light behaviour means anywhere but there was no connection and the router said it wasn’t connected to the internet.

Turned it off and on again and all was fine. For an hour, when it did it again. This cycle repeats every hour. I tried leaving it overnight with the lights flashing but it didn’t right itself (despite someone on live chat saying it would be fine by midnight...). A restart this morning fixed it and, lo and behold, it went again an hour later.

Spent an hour on the live chat this morning going through the usual script of checking connections and having to send a photo to prove I don’t have a normal Openreach master socket with test socket, just a bog-standard one-port faceplate into which is plugged the micro filter.

Apparently the person could see some drop-outs on the line and that was why it was going offline every hour. Yet when in use for the hours it works it is fine – fast, stable, can stream no problem, etc. I haven’t had any problems like this in seven years in this house with two previous ISPs, although this is the first time I’ve had a FTTC connection

Thankfully the connection went again while I was chatting and it has been passed to the ‘tech2’ team, whatever that is, which will monitor it for 72 hours.

I’ve tried unplugging the Hue hub, swapping to another micro filter, checked all cables, etc., just in case. Anything else I can do/anything it might be? Or am I stuck having to restart every hour while hoping Vodafone can do something?

 

[EndlessWaves]

Do you have any other phone sockets in the house? If so you could unwire them from the master socket.

Beyond that if it's happening after an hour rather than on the hour then it does sound like something related to the internet connection itself rather than outside interference. If you've got a spare modem/router then you could try that.

 

[Flashy]

Do you have any other phone sockets in the house? If so you could unwire them from the master socket.

Beyond that if it's happening after an hour rather than on the hour then it does sound like something related to the internet connection itself rather than outside interference. If you've got a spare modem/router then you could try that.

No other phone sockets. Got the just-swapped-out Sky broadband hub (several years old) and an even older BT Home Hub in the loft somewhere. For the hassle of trying to set up and configure I’ll probably be better off seeing what Vodafone come back with.

Comforting in a way that it sounds like the connection. It’s definitely after an hour every time. You could set your watch by it. At least that makes it easy to plan when not to send an email or to pause a film, but not exactly ideal.

 

[RBZ5416]

It's tricky because two things have changed at once, the router & the move to FTTC. So no way for you to tell which is at fault. Hopefully Vodafone can sort it promptly (first time for everything!). I have a spare Vodafone router from my very short time with them. If you want that for the cost of post to try you're welcome to it. At least that will prove the router one way or the other.

Just one thing, are you using the original microfilter or a new one? If a new one it may be worth trying the old.

 

[Flashy]

It's tricky because two things have changed at once, the router & the move to FTTC. So no way for you to tell which is at fault. Hopefully Vodafone can sort it promptly (first time for everything!). I have a spare Vodafone router from my very short time with them. If you want that for the cost of post to try you're welcome to it. At least that will prove the router one way or the other.

Just one thing, are you using the original microfilter or a new one? If a new one it may be worth trying the old.

Thanks for the offer, I’ll let them do their thing and see what happens. For now. They told me it definitely wasn’t the router. They also told me it definitely wouldn’t still be a problem after midnight, so we’ll see.

Using the new microfilter, although I did try the previous one in case that made a difference. Also using the supplied cable from router to filter, not the old one.

 

[RBZ5416]

Also using the supplied cable from router to filter, not the old one.

Worth swapping, it will either work or not. Although a cable causing a regular drop is unlikely. Might also be worth trying the AC adapter from one of the other routers to eliminate that. Just check the voltage & polarity is the same & the current rating same or higher.

Just checked the spares cupboard & the BT HH5 adapter fits & powers the Vodafone router.

 

[Flashy]

Worth swapping, it will either work or not. Although a cable causing a regular drop is unlikely. Might also be worth trying the AC adapter from one of the other routers to eliminate that. Just check the voltage & polarity is the same & the current rating same or higher.

Just checked the spares cupboard & the BT HH5 adapter fits & powers the Vodafone router.

It’s due to go down again in about ten minutes so I’ll swap the cable just in case. At least I can try it at the same time as the inevitable outage!

Will also pop into the loft and see whether the Home Hub 4 adapter will fit, pretty sure that’s what I’ve got up there. Thanks for checking.

Edit: Tried all different cables and power supply, still goes after an hour. I’ll keep restarting it every hour while Vodafone ‘monitor’. Will report back, hopefully with a positive outcome in the not-too-distant future.

 

[noiseboy72]

Can you enter your Vodafone login details into the old HH and see if that stays connected?

 

[RBZ5416]

Can you enter your Vodafone login details into the old HH and see if that stays connected?

HHs are locked to BT/Plusnet & if the OP does indeed have a HH4, they don't support VDSL anyway.

 

[Flashy]

Minor update: still crashing after working for an hour every time over the 72 hours of ‘monitoring’ so I was back onto them first thing this morning.

They’re going to get someone out to check the cabinet etc some time within – you guessed it – 72 hours. On the plus side, they have committed to not start charging me for the service until this is resolved, and my cooling-off period won’t start until then, either. So that’s something.

 

[brunation]

still crashing after working for an hour

Whats the model # of the Vodafone router?

Do you have access to another VDSL modem/router?

 

[MaryWhitehouse]

Minor update: still crashing after working for an hour every time over the 72 hours of ‘monitoring’ so I was back onto them first thing this morning.

They’re going to get someone out to check the cabinet etc some time within – you guessed it – 72 hours. On the plus side, they have committed to not start charging me for the service until this is resolved, and my cooling-off period won’t start until then, either. So that’s something.

That’s good news. Getting an openreach booking can be the hardest bit. It does sound like a line problem rather than your equipment so good luck.

 

[Flashy]

Whats the model # of the Vodafone router?

Do you have access to another VDSL modem/router?

Whatever the current one is, believe they call it the Vodafone WiFi Hub. And no, no access to any other hardware. Hopefully it’ll be resolved soon enough.

That’s good news. Getting an openreach booking can be the hardest bit. It does sound like a line problem rather than your equipment so good luck.

They kept referring to it as ‘one of our engineers’ but I didn’t pick them up on that. They couldn’t/wouldn’t confirm a day, let alone a time, barring ‘within 72 hours’ and that they’d only call if they needed to visit my house.
My fear is that I’ll get to Thursday morning with the problem still there and no way of knowing whether anyone’s been or not. Maybe I’m too cynical. But with good reason, perhaps.

 

[MaryWhitehouse]

Whatever the current one is, believe they call it the Vodafone WiFi Hub. And no, no access to any other hardware. Hopefully it’ll be resolved soon enough.


They kept referring to it as ‘one of our engineers’ but I didn’t pick them up on that. They couldn’t/wouldn’t confirm a day, let alone a time, barring ‘within 72 hours’ and that they’d only call if they needed to visit my house.
My fear is that I’ll get to Thursday morning with the problem still there and no way of knowing whether anyone’s been or not. Maybe I’m too cynical. But with good reason, perhaps.

I don’t use Vodafone for broadband but I’m fairly sure they’ll use Openreach to visit or Openreach will subcontract. If so I’ve always found them helpful and efficient once someone has actually set them on the problem. Plus net are very easy to get an engineer, no one else I’ve used has been. Often but not always if you’ve provided a mobile number for the repair they’ll txt a time window and call beforehand.

 

[Flashy]

I don’t use Vodafone for broadband but I’m fairly sure they’ll use Openreach to visit or Openreach will subcontract. If so I’ve always found them helpful and efficient once someone has actually set them on the problem. Plus net are very easy to get an engineer, no one else I’ve used has been. Often but not always if you’ve provided a mobile number for the repair they’ll txt a time window and call beforehand.

Had a problem while with BT years and years ago and getting someone out was a battle. Once I’d finally convinced them there was an issue it was sorted in less time than I’d spent arguing for someone to come out. Well, not quite, he was here all day and had to call in a cherry-picker. But he did fix it.

No prior experience with Vodafone for internet but I’ve been a mobile customer for ten years without any issues with customer service at all. With this, I do suspect it’s being taken more seriously because As a new customer they know if they don’t sort it promptly they could instantly lose me to a competitor.

 

[MaryWhitehouse]

Had a problem while with BT years and years ago and getting someone out was a battle. Once I’d finally convinced them there was an issue it was sorted in less time than I’d spent arguing for someone to come out. Well, not quite, he was here all day and had to call in a cherry-picker. But he did fix it.

No prior experience with Vodafone for internet but I’ve been a mobile customer for ten years without any issues with customer service at all. With this, I do suspect it’s being taken more seriously because As a new customer they know if they don’t sort it promptly they could instantly lose me to a competitor.

BT were by far the worst for me when I had several years of dropouts each spring. Plus net have excellent customer service. For mobile I’ve found Vodafone clunky for service

 

[Flashy]

BT were by far the worst for me when I had several years of dropouts each spring. Plus net have excellent customer service. For mobile I’ve found Vodafone clunky for service

Ha ha. Maybe I’ve been lucky. Admittedly the only times I’ve needed them were to say ‘give me a better deal’. To be fair, they have done each time.

 

[Flashy]

Absolutely livid...

Just spent an hour on live chat and got absolutely nowhere. In fact, I'm back to square one. They told me the fault had been fixed. It hasn't, it is still the same as it has been since it went live. It even occurred while I was on there with them, not that they would acknowledge that.

Apparently it was logged as a 'no internet' fault and now needs to be logged as a 'drop-out fault', which comes with another 72 hours of 'monitoring'. They will not contemplate sending me another router until that 72 hours is up, 'processes to follow'. Nothing I could do or say would get them to shift. I was already speaking to a manager who couldn't/wouldn't put me through to anyone higher.

I was told on Thursday it would be resolved by midnight, on Friday that it would be monitored for 72 hours and then on Monday that an engineer would be coming out – they would not answer my direct question of whether an engineer had actually attended the cabinet.

I'll email the chief executive's office now and see where that gets me.

 

[RBZ5416]

Sounds exactly like the Vodafone I left within the cooling off period, especially the bit about refusing to escalate. In my short time the call centre was in Egypt & I strongly suspect that if a call was escalated, the rep got some form penalty for failing to resolve the issue.

Somewhere on their site is a link to raise a complaint. It's the only way I ever got anywhere with them. The offer of my router still stands as it's of absolutely no use to me.

 

[scarty16]

Vodafone will give you mobile data if you use VF as your mobile data to act as a hotspot when the router doesn't work, they gave me 50gb, and if you use it up they role it over and they will give you this for each VF user in the house.

 

[Flashy]

Sounds exactly like the Vodafone I left within the cooling off period, especially the bit about refusing to escalate. In my short time the call centre was in Egypt & I strongly suspect that if a call was escalated, the rep got some form penalty for failing to resolve the issue.

Somewhere on their site is a link to raise a complaint. It's the only way I ever got anywhere with them. The offer of my router still stands as it's of absolutely no use to me.

I'd read their superiors viewed the customer satisfaction score from the post-chat surveys as very important. I've just scored them the lowest for everything. I couldn't in all good conscience score them higher than that.

If I were to leave during the cooling-off period, would I lose internet at all (as in for more than a couple of hours)? I can't afford to do that because I can't work without it. And it is great when it works, in its 60-minute bursts. That's infinitely better than having no service for even a day at the moment, sadly. And, actually, until I know it's not a line problem I guess there's little point in leaving, as that would just carry on with another provider, presumably.

And thanks. Which model is it, presumably not the new one I have? (This one: Vodafone WiFi Hub and Vodafone Broadband app | Vodafone Broadband) Showing my ignorance, would it just be a case of plugging it in and it working, in theory?

Vodafone will give you mobile data if you use VF as your mobile data to act as a hotspot when the router doesn't work, they gave me 50gb, and if you use it up they role it over and they will give you this for each VF user in the house.

Yeah, they've given me unlimited data for 30 days. It's a gesture but 4G where I am is patchy indoors and frankly however nice the gesture is it does not make up for the failings so far.

 

[RBZ5416]

If I were to leave during the cooling-off period, would I lose internet at all?

Shouldn't do, you just place an order with another supplier which will typically be for 14 days time. Cancellation is deemed to be on the day you place another order but best confirm with them first.

until I know it's not a line problem I guess there's little point in leaving

That's very true & only a router swap will help eliminate that.

Which model is it, presumably not the new one I have?

Didn't know they'd changed but no, it's this one:

would it just be a case of plugging it in and it working, in theory?

I honestly can't remember as its nearly three years ago now. I do remember an issue with them refusing to supply login credentials for my own router, which seems to suggest that it should be plug & play.

Might also be worth a scan of your local Facebook Marketplace to see if anyone local is giving one away to save time. With post the way it is at the moment you may well not receive mine before the latest 72 hours is up anyway.

 

[Flashy]

Shouldn't do, you just place an order with another supplier which will typically be for 14 days time. Cancellation is deemed to be on the day you place another order but best confirm with them first.
That's very true & only a router swap will help eliminate that.
Didn't know they'd changed but no, it's this one:

View attachment 1419425
I honestly can't remember as its nearly three years ago now. I do remember an issue with them refusing to supply login credentials for my own router, which seems to suggest that it should be plug & play.

Might also be worth a scan of your local Facebook Marketplace to see if anyone local is giving one away to save time. With post the way it is at the moment you may well not receive mine before the latest 72 hours is up anyway.

Thanks, really appreciate it. I'll stick with the process for now and I have it in writing that my cooling-off period doesn't start until the service is working properly, so I'll hold them to that if I have to.

Hopefully won't come to that. Just so frustrating. It all looked so promising for 59 minutes last Thursday.

 

[RBZ5416]

Have you heard anything from Openreach? Unless things have changed, & as alluded to earlier in the thread, you should get notification of the job. This is beause they may want acccess to yor property to carry out tests at the master socket. If no contact I'd be highly sceptical whether this has actually been outsourced & not still being "monitored" internally with Vodafone.

 

[Flashy]

Have you heard anything from Openreach? Unless things have changed, & as alluded to earlier in the thread, you should get notification of the job. This is beause they may want acccess to yor property to carry out tests at the master socket. If no contact I'd be highly sceptical whether this has actually been outsourced & not still being "monitored" internally with Vodafone.

Late yesterday afternoon I went nuclear as I half-threatened in the earlier post and emailed the chief executive (well, his email address, it never would have got near him, I know).

I was called this afternoon by an extremely helpful man and the end result is that Openreach are coming out tomorrow morning to install a proper master socket, check the line, cabinet and connection and, in doing so, hopefully identify and resolve the fault. I've had text confirmation that this is booked.

The last few days and my natural cynicism mean I'll believe it when I see it, but at least something's happening. I'll get another call tomorrow afternoon to check whether it's fixed or not. Fingers crossed.

Only fair to say that while the customer service I experienced over the last few days left pretty much everything to be desired, today's was the polar opposite and was exceptional.