Dodgy EE Smart Hubs?

[GothonaBrompton]

Is there a history of dodgy firmware on some of the most recent hubs sent out?

Been with BT for years with no issue, but was offered the chance to upgrade to Full Fibre with EE as the BT contract would expire later this month. 

Openreach engineer came on Wednesday and installed the new ONT box.  All the lights on there indicate everything is okay.  But the router is stuck on the constant orange flashing light, despite a restart and reset of both the router and the ONT.

EE Engineer came this morning and plugged his laptop into the router, but said the PPP settings were missing (apparently that is what talks to the fibre line), and that the area in the management console where these can usually be changed is literally not there.  He suggested that the firmware on the router had not been installed properly.

I have seen reports elsewhere that these new black EE hubs are iffy compared to the old white ones, so just my luck if I have received an iffy one.

The engineer did not carry any spare hubs, so he has ordered a new one to be delivered early next week.

Its a bit of a pain as I was WFH all week and am back in the physical office next week, so thought this would be a good time for the switchover.

Thankfully I had the 4G BT Hybrid Connect on my Halo 3 broadband, so have that plugged into the BT router.  Been working off that since Wednesday lunchtime.  

The engineer did try plugging the red WAN cable into the BT router Port 4, but that didn't work either.

[GothonaBrompton]

Yes M, that was my understanding.  There will be a Hybrid Connect on the Fibre when that eventually works, it's part of the package.  Interestingly there is a log on the Hybrid Connect which shows where it has had to kick in, and it's not very many times since 2021 - I think the main hub must restart/update in the middle of the night sometimes, as many of the events are 1am or 3am - and a date in July 2024 when my windows were changed and the old socket moved (the line comes in just under my window frame).

The Openreach guy that installed the new fibre line used the same hole for the new line, so the copper was pulled and replaced and the old big box removed, replaced with the ONT.

[GothonaBrompton]

I've just had another look at the ONT box, and if by pulsing, you mean flickering vs solid not moving, then yes, the EE Router is trying to connect, but not getting anywhere, and stuck on the neverending orange flashing light.

If it's not the green cabinet anymore, maybe someone forgot to flick a switch at the exchange? 😉

[JimM11]

@GothonaBrompton That would be the case, but with the PON on the solid green, you have light on the Fibre, OR know about the ONT and that is back to the Exchange, so Either OR have stuffed the ONT or EE have done so, someone has got a miss match just do not see why the BT and also the EE that is TWO router's both failed to connect on the FF connection.

Again WHY was the copper line take out before the Fibre was fully up and working!

[GothonaBrompton]

I think I had the dumb engineer.  I should have made sure he stayed until it worked.  He did the install bit involving the drilling a bit earlier than the scheduled slot, and then said that once it passed 13:00hrs, the lights would change and I would get connected.

In any event, the copper had already been pulled by then.

The EE guy that came this morning plugged a cable into the EE router to his laptop and accessed the management console to check PPP settings but go nowhere.  TBH he was pleasant enough but I'm not sure he really knew very much apart from the fact that access to what he wanted to check was not there.

I got further with Connor, the guide on the phone, when we tried the BT router and accessed the setting on that one to switch over to Fibre, which didn't work. 

[JimM11]

@GothonaBrompton That's the cutt and run, OR should not have done so, they connect the fibre up, watch the ONT on power up THEY can tell from the ONT light sequence that it works, get's it FW update and that takes a couple off goes if it does not do it right 1st time. When they are happy, it's a let's connect your router to it now, change over is only a couple minutes, yeh the fibre is working thanks, cuppa time just leave it all alone, copper will fade away into the background, as NOT allowed to have BOTH at the same time....

[Mustrum]

@JimM11   You do no know the circumstanses and there are reasons where the option of using the copper cable to pull the fibre through is the only way to get it connected.

Whilst not ideal, not all customers are lucky enough to be able to leave their copper cisruit working until their fibre is up and running.

[JimM11]

@Mustrum Yes fully aware that is the case, when it does not work let's see OR pull the fibre out, the copper back in and address it that way, never going to happen.... 

[GothonaBrompton]

My cables run from the pole, and it does look like there are now two kinda wrapped in each other slightly just outside the window (I am on on first floor) before where it/they came in.

It made sense to me to use the existing hole, but I didn't really consider the implications that way I'm afraid.  I'm not an engineer so trusted that it would just work as the BT copper version did for so many years.

[JimM11]

@GothonaBrompton It's just one off those now, OR back to check there side, serial and mac off the ONT all match up, EE have the right info from OR and someone correct's it when they spot the oop's, at least having the Hybrid saved the day....

[GothonaBrompton]

TBF I'm not a heavy user, and you can hardly tell the difference.  Once the main hub gets working I will definitely be having the Hybrid back on there.

BTW is there any weirdness associated with the fact that any log dates on the EE hub are all in 2024? Or is it just the case that is when it was manufactured/firmware installed, and it has not been able to connect to the time server to update itself?

It may not have broadband, but it knows my Mac is connected.  In February 2024 apparently. 😉

I just got a text that they are sending a new hub so in case it is something there, fingers crossed.

While things may not work as yet, the last Guide, Connor, was very good.  We went through literally everything - and he was sceptical a new hub would fix it, and also very displeased I had the dumb engineer.