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

[DJI]

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!

[XRaySpeX]

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

[DJI]

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.

[XRaySpeX]

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

[DJI]

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.

[XRaySpeX]

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.

[DJI]

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

[JimM11]

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

[DJI]

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.

[XRaySpeX]

@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 😉 .