1.6Gbit connection new smart hub (white, small box) sporadic issues? DNS MITM?

[allamavortex]

Hello all,

So I recently changed my service from 900mbit to 1.6Gbit and that involved a change of router and obviously the OR ONT on the wall.

Ever since having it installed there seems to be an issue with (most likely DNS issues). Whatever is loaded/playing/game continue to work, but I have spells where NO further DNS requests seem to make it through.

I totally forgot to nslookup during one of these issues, but I will the next time it happens (it's pretty frequent and annoying). I can ping 8.8.8.8 (google) whilst being unable to load any webpages on any device/browser. Thus removing the possibility of it being localised to a single machine/device as some were using the router, some were set to DNS over HTTPS and some were using Google's 8.8.8.8 etc. 

It is very much like the router is playing the MITM and intercepting the requests and then slowly, or failing to process these requests at all for a period of time which ranges up to about 45 seconds.

As I said, cached requests, or those already in process are fine, but even something as trivial as trying to watch a YT video is met with 45 seconds of nothing, totally unable to look up ANY address, but established connections and new connections not requiring DNS all work fine.

I'm not really one for conspiracies but I really feel like this new router is intercepting (MITM), attempting to do something with, and failing the DNS requests. This behaviour is only been present since getting the new Smart Hub (the tall, thing white one).

I did a quick google and it seems I'm not alone with this - is anyone else noticing this type of behavior?

Mixture of wired and wireless devices, same behaviour.

[Barneyabz]

Leave it in the drawer until new firmware comes out. I just gave up on my smart hub pro k with WiFi 7l this week. It's plagued by problems. I'm using my old router which is working fine.

[Britboy4321]

Just for fun I gave it a go and you were correct - all the same problems remain.

Firmware:  r2.64.7-R-1303938-PROD-1    is definitely no good and I hereby swear to never plug in that router again until I hear a new version is released.

Router unable to even ping google.com (or anywhere else) about once every 10 minutes, for about 20-40 seconds.  Simply awful.

[TraderTravel]

@Britboy4321 The issue is not really a firmware issue but related to their server side wifi configuration. You need to call EE Customer Service and ask for them to turn off the wifi optimisation for your service (due to the DNS/DHCP/Random Routing Freezes. That should solve the issue for 1.6gbps customers.

If you have another router which is working well for you, I would just stick to using that for the time being (assuming it is capable of 1.6gbps).

[AHarMan2]

What does wifi have to do with it, when the issue also happens on ethernet plugged directly into the router as well ?

[ben_flugel]

I've raised a complaint via the Web form linked above. Give my previous support requests and my previous formal complaint have been closed without a resolution, I'm now asking I be allowed to exit my contract penalty free. 

The issue is still happening and has been for around 8 weeks now and I'm truly at the end of my tether with it.

Yes, I can replace my hardware for something else, but I shouldn't have to. I don't buy other stuff and accept it doesn't work, continue to pay for it, and buy something else instead. So the same shouldn't apply here.

This is supposedly their premium service. It's not. 

[ryajohnst]

I wouldn't expect a response from the form either, I certainly haven't had one and I sent it almost a month ago. But please let me know if you do hear anything back from them.

If it has been over 8 weeks, I'd probably just get the process started with the Communication Ombudsman:
https://www.commsombudsman.org/raise-dispute/ee

I'll be doing this myself when I'm up to 8 weeks at the end of this month.

[ben_flugel]

And to think I moved from Talk Talk for better customer service.... 

[TraderTravel]

@ben_flugel I strongly recommend you call customer service on 150. As you are a 1.6gbps customer, they should know about the issue (which only impacts 1.6gbps customers) and they will manually disable the wifi optimisation. That should resolve the dropped/stalled packets and DNS queries issue.

It has worked for me and a lot of other people, so I have no reason for it not to work for you. This of course assumes you don't have any internal network issues yourself.

Have you been able to create a test script like a few of us and been able to monitor and measure any latency issues? I would create a script which monitors a ping to the gateway (likely 192.168.1.254 for the Smart Hub Pro), a DNS resolution using your gateway to Google (or similar), and finally a ping to Google. This information should be written out to a file which then you can parse using Excel. That should be able to prove whether the hub is causing your issues.

If you need help creating such a script, do let us know. I'm personally more comfortable on Linux writing these are PowerShell is not my forte, but that is not to say it cannot be done and there are some examples shown earlier in this thread. I also tend to find Windows throws its own sets of issues when scripting which is why I prefer Linux, as some delays can be due to your machine rather than your networking equipment. Also make sure you are using ethernet rather than wifi to take any wireless issues out of the equation.

[tnj]

I just arranged for a call back and EE did not seem to know about this issue then they hung up. I now am having a text conversation with a EE Diagnostics bot which probably also does not know about the problem and just wants to REFRESH my router. It's unbelievable that they have not briefed their call centre staff about this issue.

After all these tests and discussion with a EE tech I am now going to be sent a new router "which will cure the WiFi Optimisation problem". I somehow think it won't.

[baldwins1754]

Hi all, 

I got them to switch the WiFi optimization off and that hasn't worked and they admitted they are at a loss and don't know a resolution to it yet. A new router won't work so I put in a 3rd party router and all is great. We have therefore based on this decided to leave the contract penalty free. I recommend this as a serious option, they will not resolve this issue as they are at a loss and the staff are even unknowledgeable to the issue and some even pretend to work for the 1.6 GB team who are dealing with the issue. Leave now whilst you can stating you've had the issue for over 30 days.