In pulling together our list of Sure Signal compatible routers, we also noticed that some users had reported issues with particular ISPs. So, we thought we’d produce a list of them too in case it’s useful for people when assessing whether to get a Sure Signal or to know which ISP to move to if they’re having issues with their’s.
It is worth noting that if you’ve tried absolutely everything else on this site then Vodafone may be having difficulties geo-locating your IP address. This is the mechanism that stops (or should stop) you taking your Sure Signal abroad and routing your mobile traffic back to the Vodafone UK network over the Internet. Speak to your ISP’s technical support team about your allocated IP range.
As ever, if you’re aware of whether a Sure Signal works or otherwise with an ISP that’s not on this list then do leave us a comment and we’ll get it added in.
ISPs: If you need details of a contact in Vodafone who can help you get your range(s) added to their gateway, do get in touch and we’ll send them over.
| Internet Service Provider | Works with Vodafone's Sure Signal? |
|---|---|
| AOL | Yes |
| Andrews & Arnold | Yes |
| BE | Yes |
| BT Home Broadband | Yes |
| BT Business Broadband | Yes |
| Demon Internet | Yes |
| Easynet | Yes |
| Eclipse Internet | Yes |
| Fasthosts ADSL | No - likely caused by routing via oneandone.net and Init7 in Germany |
| Gamma Telecom | Yes |
| Gradwell | Yes |
| IDNet | Yes |
| Metronet | Yes |
| MurphX | Unconfirmed - routing issues via Isle of Man but at least one user has reported working via GreenISP |
| O2 | Yes |
| Opal Business | Yes |
| PlusNet Pro | Yes |
| Sky Broadband | Possible UPnP issues have been flagged with some Sky routers (rebranded Netgear) |
| Solutios | Yes |
| TalkTalk | Yes |
| Virgin Media | Yes |
| Vodafone Business DSL | Yes |
| Zen Internet | Yes |
Loading ...
Was given this web site due to post on Vodafone forum trying to work out why Suresignal worked on Virgin ADSL but not Fasthosts, having spotted the routing problem.
Suspect that Murphx also non compatible ISP as I checked out the routing (via Isle of Man) of someone in forum who was having VSS non connection problems.
I have now tried a SureSignal working set up with Netgear 834PN router on ZenADSL broadband and confirm it works like a dream
Many thanks for these Richard, added Murphx and Zen Internet to the list.
Andrews & Arnold works fine, as does Solutios
Thanks John, can you confirm if Solutios are resellers of someone else’s network or have their own?
It’s definitely their own network.
Thanks John – updated.
No problemns through Eclipse Internet, using a ZyXel P660H-D1 router [firmware V3.40(BGI.0)]. However the SS has a non-NATed public address from my address pool – I have not tried it in a more conventional NATed configuration.
Thanks Chris – Compatible Routers list updated.
I think there’s a point being missed here. One of the biggest compatibility issues with Suresignal is the packet size.
If you are using a PPPoA connection (which is common if you use a consumer router connected directly to the ADSL line) then you will almost certainly have an MTU of 1500. This should be fully compatible with Suresignal.
The issue is when you are using a PPPoE service (which is very common for business services). In this case you MTU usually drops to 1492 or less. This means the 1500 octet packets that Suresignal tries to use will not get through.
In this case, if the ISP’s network is set up correctly, it will either fragment the packet into two smaller ones, or will “bounce” the packet back to the originator with a “too big” error.
In these cases Suresignal should be compatible.
however, if the ISPs network is broken, it will simply discard the packets from the Suresignal servers. This will make the service incompatible with Suresignal. It may also cause problems for other applications such as console gaming and IPv6 tunnels.
I think your list needs to indicate whether the service is compatible with PPPoA or PPPoE. In most cases all PPPoA based connections will work with Suresignal. In many cases PPPoE will not.
In this case, Eclipse does not work with PPPoE. Their service ignores the negotiated MTU and silently discards the packets.
Eclipse Internet – no problems
Thanks Chris – list updated.
Hi, Firstly the SS works on TalkTalk. Secondly it definitely works with a ZyXel 660HW-61 router. Lastly I’ve just changed my kit as the wireless side of the ZyXel router died. I now use a Draytek Vigor 120 modem and an Edimax BR-6574N router. Nightmare! The broadband and wireless is now fantastic but I simply can’t get the SS to work up to now. I’m not beaten yet however as it apperas the VPN is the root of the problem but so far no good. Paul.
Thanks Paul – updated lists with that info.
In terms of your Draytek if you’ve got a menu structure similar to that of the newer models, have you checked out the guides on here:
http://www.notsosuresignal.com/sure-signal/compatibility/compatible-routers/draytek-vigor-2800vg/
http://blog.hargrave.org.uk/2010/02/vodafone-sure-signal-on-draytek-2600.html
Hi, thanks for all the info on your site. My ISP is plusnet and I use a Netgear DG834G v2 modem/router. According to your compatibility lists, Plusnet Pro is ok, does this mean my basic residential plusnet package is too? Also, the DG834G is listed as OK. I still have the dreaded flashing power light
I have configured port forwarding rules for the 4 ports suggested in your article for any IP address but to no avail. Can you throw any more light on my predicament? Thanks in anticipation! Steve
Steve, have you given your device a static IP? Also, have you checked that all VPN services that the router offers are switched off?
Works on idnet.
Updated. Thanks Martin.
Anyone have any luck on Easynet?
Have a unit works fine on a Virgin link, refuses point blank on Easynet etherstream, even when outside the firewall on fixed non filtered public IP.
Vodafone finally confirmed easynet as a geolocate issue & added our IP range. Took them about 6 weeks though.
Easynet record updated.
hi, it seems that Sky users on Sky unlimited and Sky Talk (SVBN) who have been upgraded to the latest firmware and now on MER instead of PPPoA are no longer able to connect their sure signal box.I guess this will soon be a large percentage of Sky users.
Last week I bought the new model Sure Signal (Alcatel-Lucent 9361 Home Call V2-V) from Vodafone New Zealand and have spent the last three days trying to get it to work with a new Vodafone-branded router (Huawei Home Gateway HG555a HW.C) supplied free of charge by Vodafone at the same time. (The new router’s WiFi range is so poor though that I have re-connected my trusty Apple AirPort Extreme for the multiple WiFi Apple devices around the house.)
In absolute contrast to U.K. customers, I have to say that Vodafone New Zealand has provided excellent customer service and their technical support staff have been outstanding. However, after several resets and hours of trying to get it to do anything, my SS doesn’t want to work either! Vodafone N.Z. is sending a replacement by courier tomorrow and if that doesn’t work our iPhones will have to survive on 1 or 2-bar 2G signal and no 3G at all, but at least Vodafone will refund the NZ$349.00 (About 170 quid)
Perhaps Vodafone U.K. should talk to their N.Z. counterparts about adopting the N.Z. Customer Service Manual and about the quality of staff recruitment…
I’ve been a MurphX customer for 2 years with both ADSL24 and Xilo/UNO. I’ve tried a Netgear DG834, Billion Bipac 7800N and a Zyxel P660HW and none of them work.
I’m not on FTTC with the BT supplied modem, and it still doesn’t work.
However I have a second line with O2/BE*, I plug it into that and it works fine. I plug it into nextdoors Sky DSL and it works.
This leads me to beleive MurphX doesn’t work, so why do you have Murphx = YES?
That was meant to read:
I’m *now* on FTTC with the BT supplied modem
Steve, we had a user confirm MurphX working here: http://www.notsosuresignal.com/?vasthtmlaction=viewtopic&t=5.0
I’ve updated the record to show unconfirmed.
Hi, I have a vodaphone uk SS and have an office in france, is there any chance of getting a good voda 3g signal from it, it’s registered to the phone, works in our office in UK, but suspect because it’s going throgh a french internet connection, that;s the problem. I just need to get a better 3g signal, any advice welcome. Perhaps if I change provider to UK Telecom who say we can acces iplayer in UK so that might work?
Shocked to read some of these intimations, including part of the statement as to why this site was created. Firstly, there was not one guy, training 2 others cause he was leaving. There were in fact 17 – highly skilled employees, who tirelessly created a database just like yours on compatible and problematic routers – hit list of routing issues, ISP’s with latency issues; and all tested and trialled 6 months plus before launch. The problem, it would appear, is that this team were not made available to you the public, but instead handled by an overseas team who knew nothing of Femtocell technology.
MH,
I’m sorry if you don’t feel the figures outlined on the site are accurate, they were communicated directly to me over the phone by someone who claimed (and after the number of escalations I’d been through to reach him, I don’t disbelieve him) to be Sure Signal’s single third line engineer. I’d also note that this was a long time after product launch so likely nothing to do with the pre-launch team.
I have no doubt that there could have been a team of 17 people tirelessly creating a database before launch but the point is exactly as you outlined – this information wasn’t made available via Vodafone’s helpdesk, forum or indeed any other means. If it had I think you could’ve saved yourselves hundreds, if not thousands, in shipping devices to people who had fully working units already.
Further to that – does the team still exist and has the database been updated since the product was seemingly rushed to market? Has there been a constant dialogue between this team and those “supporting” the product, updating them constantly with the latest information? This site’s statistics and the routes people use to get here suggest otherwise…
Disappointed that you left a generic @vodafone.com email address, I’d be happy to discuss the reasons for investing my own time in creating this resource at length.
Mike
Mike, I’m just changing over to BT with a BT home hub 3. I was looking to buy a sure signal to enable my mobiles to work here out of town. Are you aware if I’ll have any probs if a buy a sure signal with this hub? Many thanks. Les
Has anyone had problems with SS interfering with WIFI?
Had a few problems getting SS to work but now it does. However it definately seems to effect my WIFI. Despite locating the SS well away from the wireless router it takes much longer for pages to load when using WIFI. I have an excellent WIFI signal and the broadband speed seems unaffected but without the SS on, pages load much faster. I have tried different WIFI channels but it makes no difference.
@Les
I have a VSS Version 2 connected to a Home Hub 3. It works fine without any intervention required from me during the setup. Your problems will start if you have to communicate with Vodafone Customer Service!
They have total disregard for customers. For inst. this morning (23/12/11) there was a major outage across Southern England. No acknowledgement of this from Vodafone. It only became evident when, having exhausted all the reset and reboot options, I went onto the Vodafone eforums to see if anyone had any ideas how to deal with what I thought was an equipment problem. I started to see post after post describing the same problem as I was experiencing. There was NO acknowledgement of the issue from Vodafone until several hours AFTER they fixed the problem. Then there was a rather self-congratulatory post from them about how they had fixed it.
Their service is abysmal. It’s only the SureSignal (which to be fair, does work most of the time) thant keeps me with Vodafone. Otherwise I’d be off like a shot!
I also had major problems setting up online access to my account. I only got that sorted out by sending an incandescent email to Guy Laurence (CEO Vodafone UK) and telling him what I thought of his “customer service” that he bangs on about so much. Then it got sorted after a few more emails/phone calls.
So… just cross your fingers you never need assistance from them!
================
Useful SureSignal Info
================
SureSignal will not work on Origin Broadband’s VDSL service which is provided over the FTTC digital region network in south yorkshire (www.digitalregion.co.uk)
I did try many different routers d-link dir-615 (with dd-wrt) and tenda w268r and a linkysys wrt54gl (also running dd-wrt)
I also tried port forwarding manually and putting in the DMZ and changing the MTU to 1500 after speaking to my ISP for clarifacation on what they thought would help.
the end result no working SS
================
Rant About Vodafone & What They Offered
================
On a more positive note i have managed to get a £50 refund from Vodafone customer services for my SureSignal box and a £10 discount on my monthly bill price until the end of the contract. However it took hours and hours of explainiung to the call centre people in Egypt, more than half of which was spent on hold listening to the same two songs over and over again.
I was promised three ‘call backs’ from the team managers because my case was escalated and over a period of four weeks they never called back in the suggested lead time or even at all. I had to chase the issue up myself. After going into the vodafone shop the guy said he has had many customers come into the shop and say the same thing.
My advice is if you think you will ever have to call vodafone customer services and ask something more than your balance or what minutes you have then go with a different company because they simply wont understand what you are saying until you have explained over and over again.
Sorry to rant but vodafone have caused me a lot of stress and i needed to vent it.