Known by Vodafone as “the IP address issue”
This issue is normally caused when the device is unable to obtain an IP address or it fails to properly resolve one of Vodafone’s DNS records.
What’s happening behind the scenes
DHCP
The unit will broadcast DHCP Discover messages on 255.255.255.255 if there is no response, nothing further will happen. There is currently no way of setting static IP addresses on the Sure Signal.
DNS
The DHCP server should return a DNS server for domain name resolution (there is currently no way of setting this manually on the device). If the Sure Signal is unable to resolve either of the following addresses then nothing further will happen:
No DNS server specified
The suresignal then attempts to resolve initial-ipsecrouter.vap.vodafone.co.uk
If resolution fails then the IP returned is 198.18.1.15 which is not publicly routeable and is a specially assigned IANA address:
NetRange: 198.18.0.0 - 198.19.255.255
CIDR: 198.18.0.0/15
OriginAS:
NetName: NETBLK-NDTL
NetHandle: NET-198-18-0-0-1
Parent: NET-198-0-0-0-0
NetType: IANA Special Use
Comment: This block is reserved for special purposes.
Comment: Please see RFC 2544 for additional information.
RegDate: 1992-11-23
Updated: 2002-09-16
Ref: http://whois.arin.net/rest/net/NET-198-18-0-0-1
OrgName: Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
OrgId: IANA
Address: 4676 Admiralty Way, Suite 330
City: Marina del Rey
StateProv: CA
PostalCode: 90292-6695
Country: US
RegDate:
Updated: 2004-02-24
Ref: http://whois.arin.net/rest/org/IANA
OrgTechHandle: IANA-IP-ARIN
OrgTechName: Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Number
OrgTechPhone: +1-310-301-5820
OrgTechEmail: abuse@iana.org
OrgTechRef: http://whois.arin.net/rest/poc/IANA-IP-ARIN
OrgAbuseHandle: IANA-IP-ARIN
OrgAbuseName: Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Number
OrgAbusePhone: +1-310-301-5820
OrgAbuseEmail: abuse@iana.org
OrgAbuseRef: http://whois.arin.net/rest/poc/IANA-IP-ARIN
In this scenario, light 1 will continuously flash on the sure signal and provisioning will not complete.
NAT
Sure Signal devices perform best behind NAT routers (it was designed for residential use, there are rumours that a version designed for commercial application is in the works). There are some indications that using the device in a non-NAT environment can actually stop the device working correctly due broken implementation. This may have been fixed in a software update but remains unconfirmed.
If all else fails…
This issue can also occur if the Vodafone service is not able to properly geo-locate the IP address from which you’re connecting. Vodafone’s GSM license agreement requires that it only operates within territories for which its license is valid. This is the mechanism that stops (or should stop ;o) you taking your Sure Signal abroad and routing your mobile traffic back to the Vodafone UK network over the Internet. You’re advised to call your ISP’s technical team to diagnose this issue.
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I am glad to know what is happening behind the scenes, but how do I put this right ? We have a NetGear 2000 router, and the computers are Macintosh.
Hello dude! I completely agree with your opinion.
How to get an ip address?
Sure Signal never gets an ip address despite resetting SS to go through initialisation and its attempts to discover an ip address.
After several minutes flashing front lights from factory reset, the SS’s Yellow and Green Ethernet socket lights are constant with the Green one flickering occasionally ….. to attempt to discover an ip address again? But the front white lights are off and only the front power light is on (red).
SS-V2 happily working previously with BT Home Hub 2.
Moved SS-V2 from BT HH 2 to an ethernet switch attached to a new BT Home Hub 3′s Gigabit ethernet port.
SS is never given an ip address by the BT Home Hub’s DHCP server. Other devices attached to the same switch immediately given ip addresses. hmmmmm
This macBook also plugged into the same Ethernet switch and it can obtain an ip address from the Home Hub 3 and resolve the following addresses via the Home Hub gateway:
iain@iainmacbook:~$ nslookup initial-ipsecrouter.vap.vodafone.co.uk
Server: 192.168.1.254
Address: 192.168.1.254#53
Non-authoritative answer:
Name: initial-ipsecrouter.vap.vodafone.co.uk
Address: 212.183.133.179
Name: initial-ipsecrouter.vap.vodafone.co.uk
Address: 212.183.133.177
Name: initial-ipsecrouter.vap.vodafone.co.uk
Address: 212.183.133.178
iain@iainmacbook:~$ nslookup cluster8.vap.vodafone.co.uk
Server: 192.168.1.254
Address: 192.168.1.254#53
Non-authoritative answer:
Name: cluster8.vap.vodafone.co.uk
Address: 212.183.131.129
Name: cluster8.vap.vodafone.co.uk
Address: 212.183.131.130
Name: cluster8.vap.vodafone.co.uk
Address: 212.183.131.131
Oops! How I wish I could delete my previous comment!
ip address assigned OK now …. Now just awaiting VPN Connection.
My mistake:
To cut a long story short: I had attached a LaCie NAS to the BT Home Hub 3 ; the NAS is also an Ethernet Switch but has one Ethernet port not available to the LAN …. I got the position of this port confused … as soon as I connected SS via a valid LAN port it was allocated an ip address …. phew!
I apologise if I wasted anybody’s time!