topic Re: Blink and EE: connection keeps dropping, and dropping, and dropping ... in Broadband & Landline

Blink and EE: connection keeps dropping, and dropping, and dropping ...

DJI — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 15:35:21 GMT

Hi. I have 3 blink sync modules, and they *all* keep dropping out. Everything else if working fine. I'm at my wits end ...

My system: an EE hub used as a modem for a Synology router & wifi mesh. All sync modules connected to the Synology wifi for years with no problems. Mid-September, they all went off line, and didn't auto-reconnect (they always used to, if we had a power cut for instance). I tried all the solutions in these forums - reboot the EE hub, re-boot the Synology router, re-boot the Blink sync modules; do it all again in a different order. Then factory reset of the Blink sync modules (power-off, press & hold the reset button, re-power on until it flashes red); remove and reinstall the sync modules from the app. In all cases, even when they re-connected, they always dropped out again after a day or two. Blink arranged remote log access to the modules and say its a Wifi/ internet connectivity issue.

Then I activated the EE hub's wifi, and factory-reset - remove and reinstall, etc - but connected to the EE hub wifi, rather than the Synology. And again, they connected but dropped off-line a couple of days later. So the issue isn't specific to the Synology system. I assume we have an EE connectivity issue, but related to the overall system internet service, rather than specifically the EE hub's Wifi. I'm assuming it relates to a change EE made in mid-September.

As mentioned before, I'm at my wits end ... Any help from anyone would be welcome.

Thanks!

Re: Blink and EE: connection keeps dropping, and dropping, and dropping ...

XRaySpeX — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 15:41:35 GMT

Which EE BB plan are you on including its speed? What EE router do you have?

Re: Blink and EE: connection keeps dropping, and dropping, and dropping ...

DJI — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 19:13:02 GMT

I'm on a fibre to the cabinet contract; it delivers about 18-20Mbps download. The router - not sure, it's black, with greeny-blue lights. Neither of these have changed from the 'was working at the start of September' to 'not working now' - on the basis they used to work fine, I'm assuming they're not the problem.

Re: Blink and EE: connection keeps dropping, and dropping, and dropping ...

XRaySpeX — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 19:16:03 GMT

Read the label on the router or post a pix of it.

Re: Blink and EE: connection keeps dropping, and dropping, and dropping ...

DJI — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 20:06:58 GMT

It's management page says it's an EE Smart Hub. The labels show passwords and little more. Photos attached, fyi, I don;t plan to share passwords, so they're not shown. Hope that helps - thanks.

Re: Blink and EE: connection keeps dropping, and dropping, and dropping ...

XRaySpeX — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 20:11:20 GMT

For the black EE Smart Hub, but not the white EE Smart Router, try separating the wireless bands/SSIDs. On the Advanced > Wireless Settings page of the SH there is a button near the top to Separate the Bands. Turn it ON. Then the 5GHz SSID will appear starting with "5GHz-" & the 2.4 GHz SSID not starting with "5GHz-". Then connect your devices to the 2.4 GHz SSID if they can't do 5GHz.

Re: Blink and EE: connection keeps dropping, and dropping, and dropping ...

DJI — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 22:05:20 GMT

Thanks: I wondered about that, too. But I only have 2.4Ghz on; I've left 5GHz turned off.

Re: Blink and EE: connection keeps dropping, and dropping, and dropping ...

JimM11 — Sat, 02 Nov 2024 11:17:04 GMT

@XRaySpeX ?, to your knowledge, do any of the EE current to previous routers have or support modem only mode. Jim

Re: Blink and EE: connection keeps dropping, and dropping, and dropping ...

DJI — Sat, 02 Nov 2024 13:00:06 GMT

Well, they certainly support VDSL in - Ethernet out. Leaving DHCP on, and using just a single Ethernet port to connect to the Synology router, its worked fine for a couple of years.

The new Blink problem only started in September, and seems to affect the Blink devices whether they're connected to the Synology's Wifi or the EE hub's Wifi. On that basis, I'm assuming it's related to a new firmware or setting EE have downloaded, or a new function somewhere in their network (I could test this if I had an alternative VDSL hub to substitute for the EE hub - but I don't, I'm afraid).

Blink have made no mention of new firmware in their devices, so I'm assuming that's not the problem.

Re: Blink and EE: connection keeps dropping, and dropping, and dropping ...

XRaySpeX — Sat, 02 Nov 2024 13:13:36 GMT

@DJI : Never! There might have been some Netgears supplied by EE predecessors in the early days of ADSL2+ but that's now no use to man or beast 😉 .

Re: Blink and EE: connection keeps dropping, and dropping, and dropping ...

JimM11 — Sat, 02 Nov 2024 13:55:41 GMT

@XRaySpeX Thanks for the reply, and clearing it up for me! Have a good one, Later....

Re: Blink and EE: connection keeps dropping, and dropping, and dropping ...

DJI — Sat, 02 Nov 2024 14:53:39 GMT

I've now talked to EE. They confirmed there was no firmware upadte that could have affected me, but are going to send me a replacement hub, to see if that fixes the problem; hopefully we'll know more in a few days. I'm also going back to Blink to see if they have any more ideas.

Re: Blink and EE: connection keeps dropping, and dropping, and dropping ...

JimM11 — Sat, 02 Nov 2024 14:59:02 GMT

@DJI You need to get on the EE hub manager and note the FW version that you have currently, or you have nothing to compare against!!

Re: Blink and EE: connection keeps dropping, and dropping, and dropping ...

XRaySpeX — Sat, 02 Nov 2024 16:11:24 GMT

Don't get your hopes up. It won't make a blind bit of diff!

Re: Blink and EE: connection keeps dropping, and dropping, and dropping ...

Mojieboy — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 08:05:36 GMT

Hi,

Hi.

I have the exact same thing happening .. my sync module intermittently goes offline and the only way for me to get the cameras back on line is to factory reset (long press on the module until you see the red button etc). I raised the issue with Blink who said it wasn't an issue at their end (I kind of agree. I think I have narrowed it down to an EE issue (or an issue with the smart hub at least). I can see in the smarthub logs that the router reboots at the exact same time as the blink module loses connection). Which leads me to think it's something happening with either the broadband connection or the smarthub causing it to reboot (but not a firmware update)..

Just wondering if you were any further forward with a solution?..

Re: Blink and EE: connection keeps dropping, and dropping, and dropping ...

JimM11 — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 08:13:40 GMT

@Mojieboy As blink have said they have no issue, and you agree, then with you suspecting EE is at fault you have to call EE CS tech support to get your request for the fix you need.👍

Re: Blink and EE: connection keeps dropping, and dropping, and dropping ...

DJI — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 21:16:53 GMT

Hello Mojieboy and JimM11,

I am a little further on.

EE did send a new hub, it works well, but didn;t fix the problem. I've tried fixing the IP addresses on my sync modules; didn't fix the problem. I tried setting up a dedicated 2.4GHz Wifi network (twice - once on the Synology Wifi, and once on the new EE hub) specifically for the Blink devices; didn't fix the problem. All my other connected devices were and still are working fine.

As mentioned before, the problem started late September. EE and Synology both say they deployed no updates at that point; and Blink now say they did. On the basis the system was working fine before late September, and the only change then was Blink's update, my current view is that Blink's update was (and still is) in some way incompatible with EE's network. It's notable I'm not the only one on Reddit talking about their Blink systems stopping working late September.

Blink have since updated their firmware again, and I'm seeing 4.5.24 and 16.0.20 - these updates have not fixed the problem.

Blink customer service have been attentive and responsive, but have only just escalated internally to their back end support. I'm looking forward to heraring what they say.

In the meantime, my sync modules are now a model 1201U, 2x 1300s and a new borrowed 1400. They use different software loads (the 1400 is on 16.x.x) and behave differently: when the 1201 and the 1300s go ofline, they need the whole delete - factory reset - reinstall and so on to get working again; the 1400 needs only a power cycle. As a workaround, I've added a remote controlled socket to the 1400, so I can power cycle it from my phone. I've asked Blink to swap my 1201 and 1300s for 1400s to keep me operational while they figure out what's going on. So far, they haven't accepted the idea.

Hope that helps - any new ideas welcomed!

Re: Blink and EE: connection keeps dropping, and dropping, and dropping ...

DuckEE25 — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 16:25:07 GMT

Hi DJI,

Thanks for posting this info, we have same issue with Blink Sync modules. Has there been any progress in finding the cause and the resolution?

Very grateful for a fix 🙂

Re: Blink and EE: connection keeps dropping, and dropping, and dropping ...

Mustrum — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 16:44:20 GMT

@DuckEE25 which router and broadband service do you have?

@DJI did you ever investigate your broadband connection?

Are you able to log into the EE router, go to advanced and find the technical log, and post the details hiding personal details.

Re: Blink and EE: connection keeps dropping, and dropping, and dropping ...

DuckEE25 — Fri, 14 Feb 2025 16:52:41 GMT

@Mustrum

Thanks for the question:

EE smart hub and fiber broadband with landline. Upload speed 30meg and 7meg down. New Blink system failed 4 days after install on 7th Feb 2025. Our old Blink system started having same issues as reported in September 2024. Looks like the same issue @DJI has been having.

Away holiday since 7th Feb Blink died on 11th Feb. I'm not able to test anything for a while which is pretty useless!

Thanks for any pointers 🙂