topic Re: When will engineers STOP changing router passwords in Broadband & Landline

When will engineers STOP changing router passwords

MikeWilliams_UK — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 11:28:52 GMT

Yesterday I was called a customer's premisis, as they could not connect a new device to their newly installed smart hub.

When I arrived they said that none of their devices could not find the SSID listed on the card at the back of the router. They said the old SSID was still showing, which it shoud not have done as the old router was taken away.

It turns out that the idiot who installed it had changed it's SSID and password to that of the previous hub (which was taken away). And did NOT inform my customer that they had done this, nor informing them what the SSID and password were set to.

I had no choice other than performing a factory reset using the button at the back of the router, this allowed me to get their new devices connected. Unfortunately this knocked out Digital Voice, which I have subsequently found out needs to be reset by someone from EE/BT remotely.

BOTTOM LINE

Any engineer changing settings of SSID and or password MUST write it down and let the customer know, otherwise the router becomes severly limited due to the custer not knowing the SSID or password.

Or better still not be lazy and set up all the customer's devices to use the new SSID/password.

PS: This trend is not only present in EE/BT engineers I have had a TalkTalk engineer give me the same grief.

Re: When will engineers STOP changing router passwords

JimM11 — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 09:15:08 GMT

@MikeWilliams_UK If the option on connecting was to accept the original settings on startup process, then the system looks at what the previous SSID/Password is and changes the EE Router to match and make the install easier for customers. This stops them having to re-connect Not every customer has an Engineer Installed system. Opinion is open to what is best, hope that answers some of your questions.

Re: When will engineers STOP changing router passwords

MikeWilliams_UK — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 09:26:10 GMT

@JimM11- How would the new router know what the old router's settings were?

If there is a system in process to look up the previously delivered router's details and set them in the factory, then the card MUST be changed to reflect the new settings and the factory defaults MUST be changed to the same otherwise you end up with a DOORSTOP if you have to do a factory reset for any reason.

This practice is very worrying and MUST be stopped as the customer no longer has the information NEEDED to connect new devices.

EE/BT Must ensure that the information on the pre-printed card matches the factory settings (and delivered NVM values)

If they want to make it easier for the customer then the factory settings must be changed to match their old router as well as the pre-printed card.

Re: When will engineers STOP changing router passwords

Mustrum — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 10:39:05 GMT

@MikeWilliams_UK I am curious and not sure your assumptions are correct. This is a customer forum and not customer services, although there are a few EE members of staff on here they may or may not see this thread.

1. EE routers tend to be self install, and although there is an option to have someone (arguably not an engineer) install the router it does cost extra. So why would a customer call on you to sort an issue and not go back to the service provider?

2. Not all routers need to be returned and it is normally the customers responsibility to do so.

3. The process to set the new router to the old SSID is done via an app, which is normally done by the customer.

4. If the customer pays for an instal they would be shown their equipment and devices working before tech left.

Re: When will engineers STOP changing router passwords

XRaySpeX — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 11:54:02 GMT

If the router's WiFi SSID/pwd is not to your liking for any reason there is no need to factory reset it to get it back to default (as per label). You can login to its admin console & change the SSID/pwd manually yourself. Thus preserving DV if it was affected by factory reset.

Re: When will engineers STOP changing router passwords

MikeWilliams_UK — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 12:42:47 GMT

The customer was left by the engineer who installed the router with no means if connecting "new" devices, so I had no choice.

Customer did not have a device that could connect to ethernet, this unable to login to the router.

As I said earlier the engineer did not write down the changed settings.

Training required...

Re: When will engineers STOP changing router passwords

XRaySpeX — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 12:46:45 GMT

Yes, you'd need an Ethernet connected device to do what I suggested.

Re: When will engineers STOP changing router passwords

JimM11 — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 12:47:40 GMT

@MikeWilliams_UK We are customers like yourself. Your no choice is wrong.

Re: When will engineers STOP changing router passwords

MikeWilliams_UK — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 12:51:41 GMT

My customer told me that it was an engineer installation. I have no reason to doubt them.

They don't have an EE/BT app on their phone.

Their phone was not able to connect to the router due to it not being able to see the SSID written on the card on the back of the router.

If the engineer took the dangerous short cut of setting the new routers SSID and password to that of the old router, they are simply cheating to save time. Especially as they did NOT inform the custom that the card on the back of the router no longer contained WiFi login details.

Re: When will engineers STOP changing router passwords

Mustrum — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 13:25:01 GMT

@MikeWilliams_UK still not convinced.

If as you say the SSID and password were changed to that of the old one, then some but perhaps not all of the customers devices would have connected to the router.

And why did the customer let the engineer out if nothing was working and why would they not get back in touch with EE.

Re: When will engineers STOP changing router passwords

MikeWilliams_UK — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 13:34:17 GMT

@MustrumI am pretty sure that the engineer did the minimum that was needed for them to be in and out in minutes.

i.e. changing the SSID / WiFi password to that of the old router, therefore everything was working at that point in time.

However the WiFi network was in an unfit state as NOBODY in the houshold knew what the SSID / password were, hence when they were trying to connect a new device they could not as the SSID listed on the card could not be seen by any device. When I attended them I verified this using my mobile.

I re-itterate the engineer is at fault because they did not supply written information that the card on the back of the router was now useless and supply the "new" values.

Re: When will engineers STOP changing router passwords

MikeWilliams_UK — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 13:36:42 GMT

@MustrumI am sure that the engineer demonstated that their wifi devices were connected. Thus unaware that there was an issue.

The customer did not know the implications of what the engineer had done.

Re: When will engineers STOP changing router passwords

Chris_B — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 14:34:10 GMT

@MikeWilliams_UK Why was an EE customer asking you to sort this when they are the customer of EE. Surely you go to the point of sale/service provider if you have an issue not a 3rd party expecting them to resolve an issue that to be honest has nothing to do with that 3rd party.

Forgive me for being blunt but this customer of yours is paying you to sort this even through they should go directly to EE themselves and your complaining about doing what this customer of yours is paying you to do for no reason at all.

Yes the password should have been given but all current devices that were linked to the old router would have paired to the new router. You don’t have to keep the new router details when then is a switch over that is provided via the EE app or just by logging to the router and manually changing the information. You then don’t need to repair everything back up, Just to point out if any iPhone was paired to the router you can get the wifi password from that device.

Re: When will engineers STOP changing router passwords

MikeWilliams_UK — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 14:49:03 GMT

@Chris_B I got a call from my customer saying "I am trying to connect her daughter's laptop and printer to my WiFi but nothing in the house can see the WiFi listed on the card at the back of the router".

They urgently needed to print some vital documents. At this point they did not know that the engineer had played with the settings because their Ring doorbell was working fine. Her iPhone did not appear to have any problems because it was using 4G as it was not connected to any WiFi signal nor did it show any stored connections.

She then told me that they had an engineer visit to install a new router with Digital Voice.

Normally I would tell them to contact EE (as EE have messedup things they should fix it) but they needed to print the documents before the end of the day so I did what I could. i.e. factory reset which allowed me to connect up the "new" laptop and printer.

Re: When will engineers STOP changing router passwords

JimM11 — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 15:01:15 GMT

@MikeWilliams_UK When you have some time you can read the third pinned post that XRaySpeX has at the top off this Forum page, and it holds true for many reason's, the pinned reset is unfortunate get out of jail and there are way better ways than this. You got them going and achieved what was required, so best left at that.

Re: When will engineers STOP changing router passwords

Chris_B — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 17:21:53 GMT

@MikeWilliams_UK So the iPhone had the WiFi password on it if it was ever paired to the old router. Settings>wifi>click the blue i and then select the hidden password and enter the iPhone password or faceID to reveal the password. All that was needed was to join that WiFi connection from the iPhone for this to be available and seen.

It’s one worth remembering for future use.

Re: When will engineers STOP changing router passwords

MikeWilliams_UK — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 20:40:32 GMT

@Chris_B Just to reitterate this, the iPhone was not connected therefore the i button is not available for unknown network nor for any previously connected networks which are not listed on iPhones.

Re: When will engineers STOP changing router passwords

Chris_B — Sat, 20 Jul 2024 06:23:33 GMT

@MikeWilliams_UK Just to get that right are you saying the iPhone was never ever connected too the old router? Ever ?

Re: When will engineers STOP changing router passwords

MikeWilliams_UK — Sat, 20 Jul 2024 09:02:56 GMT

All I can say for certain is that the customers iPhone would not connect to the SSID of the old router set by the engineer. Therefore as the iPhone does not list previous connections it was impossible to obtain password.

With no working device with an ethernet connection I had no choice other than doing a factory reset via the button on the back of the router.