Wi-Fi calling not working on static IP. EE support handing inaccurate info

Yak3 — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 14:25:40 GMT

I'm posting this because of how I was treated by EE support, not just because of the fault itself.

What happened

Wi-Fi calling stopped working on both my EE phones the day my broadband provider gave me a static IP. Nothing else changed. My O2 phone on the same Wi-Fi still makes Wi-Fi calls, and both EE phones make Wi-Fi calls fine on other broadband.

What EE support told me

I explained this to the first advisor. She told me EE "detects and blocks static IPs" and talked over me when I tried to explain why that isn't possible. I asked for a manager. He told me he has "a master's degree in networking from college", that a static IP "uses protocols" and that it "works like a VPN".

None of that is true:

- A static IP is just an address that doesn't change. It uses the same protocols as a dynamic one.

- It is not a VPN and doesn't work like one.

- EE can't tell whether an address is static. Its servers only see the address the traffic comes from.

I work in a multidisciplinary role across IT and cybersecurity, so I knew this was wrong. Most customers wouldn't, and would take it as fact.

What's actually going on

I sent the same handshake a phone uses to start Wi-Fi calling to every UK carrier's Wi-Fi calling servers, from my connection and from a friend's broadband:

From my static IP:

- EE (all 5 servers): no reply

- Vodafone, O2, Three: reply

From a friend's UK broadband:

- EE (all 5 servers): reply

- Vodafone, O2, Three: reply

EE only ignores my address. My IP range (149.119.0.0/22) is registered in ARIN (the North American registry) to my ISP's parent company, 4th Utility, at a London address, and it geolocates to Manchester. But it sits inside a larger ARIN block (149.119.0.0/16) owned by Cogent Communications in the US, and before that it belonged to Syracuse University in the US for over 20 years. My previous address was in RIPE (the European registry), registered as GB, and that worked. So EE isn't blocking static IPs. It's most likely blocking this range because the parent record still says US.

What I'm asking for

- The 149.119.0.0/22 range reviewed by the team that manages Wi-Fi calling access. I've already emailed EE the full evidence.

- Support staff not telling customers that static IPs work like VPNs.

I'll update this thread with what happens.

Re: Wi-Fi calling not working on static IP. EE support handing inaccurate info

XRaySpeX — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 14:03:30 GMT

@Yak3 wrote:
My IP range (149.119.0.0/22) was registered to a US university for over 20 years and is still registered in the US, although it's now used by a UK ISP. s.

That could well be the issue. EE doesn't support WiFi Calling while abroad. Your non-UK registered IP addy makes it look like you are roaming. It would be the same if your "non-UK" ISP issued Dynamic public IPs.

Re: Wi-Fi calling not working on static IP. EE support handing inaccurate info

Yak3 — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 19:39:41 GMT

Agreed, but the issue is I've had to do all this digging to prove the advisors wrong. They should not be lying to customers, making up facts!

A week on and there's been no response. Called and an advisor tells me there are no notes against my complaint. So the email detailing the issues I was asked for was completely ignored.

Anyway, escalating once again. See if anything happens at all. Abyssmal service so far.

topic Wi-Fi calling not working on static IP. EE support handing inaccurate info in Broadband & Landline

Wi-Fi calling not working on static IP. EE support handing inaccurate info

Re: Wi-Fi calling not working on static IP. EE support handing inaccurate info

Re: Wi-Fi calling not working on static IP. EE support handing inaccurate info