Internet always shutting down

[Anon2024]

Hi all,

We've been having this issue with our WiFi since we moved to EE back in April. All devices in the house suddenly disconnect and cannot connect again until we restart the router. I've tested ethernet when this has happened and ethernet also does not work. We have the smart hub plus, and the light remains aqua during this outage. Happens randomly multiple times a week. EE have said the line is showing that it's all good.

Any ideas what this could be? EE's customer service has been absolutely terrible in relation to this issue - have had multiple live chats, with one of engineers adamant on the fact that the issue is to do with poor signal, despite ALL devices in the house failing to connect, even when DIRECTLY next to the router, and even then tried to sell me their expensive boosters which obviously will not help since it is definitely not a signal reach issue (I have multiple pictures of devices saying "connecting" or "unable to connect" with FULL bars of signal)

Thanks for your responses in advance and sorry for the long explanation!

[Anon2024]

@JimM11 

Hi again!

The issue might have evolved since our last discussion, although not sure if these new events were related to what I had described before. Has happened twice since our last discussion but now the router seems to fix itself.

The first time it occurred since the last post, it was flashing orange before going back to aqua. Just happened a second time now and this time the hub remained aqua for a bit before changing to flashing green and then back to aqua. I wasn't able to access the hub manager until it fixed itself. Was about to unplug WAN as you suggested but router fixed itself before I attempted that.

Didn't attempt to access the hub manager for the first time (orange light) since I assumed it was just a one off thing as previously the light on hub never changed.

Checked the logs for the second time and I have seen that it says "DSL connection lost" at 2:20pm. I noticed my devices lost connection at around 2:35/2:40pm on WiFi, and as soon as I noticed WiFi was out, I quickly switched to ethernet on laptop but ethernet was not working either until hub fixed itself.

It also says the following all at 2:20pm:

"Network interface eth1 down"

"Network interface eth0 down"

"Network interface eth0 up"

"Network interface eth1 up"

I noticed it doesn't say DSL connection up or anything like that though.

Any of this relevant at all to anything? I'm absolutely clueless so doesn't mean anything to me!

Do you think this is the same issue as I was describing in the previous posts, or perhaps just bad luck with maintenance timings and stuff?

Thanks again for all your help!

[JimM11]

@Anon2024 When you see in the logs, "Network interface eth0 down" this is you wan interface disconnecting from the Internet, normally followed later by up when it re-connects, Aqua would go to Flashing orange for the period that it is down.

Ethernet 1 down/up is the device that you have connected on this lan port, if it was a pc/laptop, if you pulled the cable out you would see it report down, when you plug it back in then it will report up also same for off/on switching.

If the router is switched of or reset, then the log data in advanced events is lost forever... Pick a time and reset the router via the web interface, and as long as you do not power off or do any kind of reset, when you go to the events then they will always show you from this time when you reset, it is a good method of working out what is going on, you can export the event logs to a file and keep a record, i am doing this on my EE router as checking what is going on, day 40 so far no issues and log is growing as expected.

[Anon2024]

The router hasn't been reset or switched off since our original discussion. The green flashing light means the hub is starting up according to EE website, so perhaps this means the router restarted and lost the logs? Didn't do anything to trigger this, just watched the router and hub went from aqua to flashing green then back to aqua, which seems to have reset the logs unfortunately.

Ah, thanks for clarifying the log meanings. Makes sense now.

I'll keep an eye out and get back to you once I finally get my hands on the log during the outage.

I noticed the fibre cable was exposed outside my property and hoped this would have been the reason for the outages, but I had this cable fixed about a week ago (since fellow forum members recommended getting it fixed ASAP - https://community.ee.co.uk/t5/Broadband-Landline/Openreach-CSP/td-p/1408792) and unfortunately looks like it wasn't the problem. Has potentially affected it though since at least now the hub lights change during an outage!

[JimM11]

@Anon2024 In theory, if EE do a FW upgrade to the router, then the final part of that process is reset and reboot the router, this is normally done in the early hours of the morning, when everyone is supposed to be asleep in bed to minimise upset of customers. Also if OR are messing about with fibre/ upgrading etc in the exchange then your wan connection can go off for a period, you would also expect to see the ONT possibly drop one of its lights.

Spurious faults if it is just your router, then bad power socket where the EE adapter to power the router is, test with an extension cable plugged into another socket, temp measure to see if it is an issue, If you look at the status there are two indications System uptime and network up time, As long as there is NO reset/power off then time clocks together, if you reset and compare that will help you, and to test pull the wan cable out, couple of mins, then put back on, only the network uptime should restart... 

[Ss73up]

same issue as Anon2024. What I believe is important is the time between failures. there is a sequence to the failure, so that the EE app stops communicating, then the access port (hub manager via wifi) and ethernet fails, so you can't access the hub manager, then within a couple of hours the wi fi stops.  This sequence repeats  every 36 to 60 hours. I am not at home to see all of the hub lamp colours, but have not seen amber during a failure or recovery without intervening. The log is cleared every time, as power off/on is the ONLY way to recover, disconnecting anything else does not work. I've put new master socket, new cables, new power supply, operated from different socket, all with no impact. It's likely to fail during the day as much as at night, when there is low traffic. Sometimes I have tried  broadband speed checker, which simply  shows download speed is reduced, but still working. One of the big issues for me, is that parental controls fail to work, so the kids can access all sorts just prior to the crash and having to power off. Theres no warning unless you are CONSTANTLY looking for/at it.  My next option is to try an older hub from Ebay.

[Ss73up]

while i write this, Hub manager is not accessible via wi fi or ethernet, but I can access the ee community and have 34M broadband download speed (normal) . EE App will not work/connect, parental controls are not working (anyone can access, even though not within time). the kids are accessing via phones/x-box  /ipads /laptops - at the moment, but they are saying it is intermittent . We have 30 devices on our network, so reloading everything is mega pain. I expect to have to power down in the next  hour to recover. i've not known it to last longer than 2 hours after a hub manager lock out.

[XRaySpeX]

@Ss73up : The router is always accessible via http://192.168.1.254 particularly over Ethernet even when BB is down.

[JimM11]

@Ss73up Is this fault condition that you have now just appeared recently, and have you run the router diagnostic test's had a look back your posting's see you have the new EE Smarthub but you no not mention specific if it is the black+ model, If you are on the new EE system, you can do the text from a registered phone that your account knows about and it will test line to the router. Link from help will be below.

Contact Us To Request Technical Support for Broadband and Landline | EE

[Anon2024]

@Ss73up @XRaySpeX @JimM11 

Writing this on 4g as WiFi currently locked out. Laptop plugged into router via ethernet but shows up as "unidentified network, no internet" and cannot access the 192.168.1.254. says "this site can't be reached". 

As I am writing, the WiFi just turned green flashing from aqua, then back to aqua. Now can access hub manager but logs have been cleared (to clarify, I have NOT reset router or unplugged the WAN cable, it turned green on its own)

The only thing it says on the log that stands out is it ALWAYS says DSL connection lost around an hour or two before I get locked out.

Seems my issue has slightly changed as I had the same issue as @Ss73up where it wouldn't resolve until I reset router. Now it resolved it self after some time but still have to be locked out of WiFi for a while (maybe 5 10 mins) which is seriously not viable with people working from home and in meetings, etc. 

When WiFi is working normally, if I test my internet using EE's app, it always says "your home network could be improved". Entered my number multiple times and all they've done is restart WiFi. If you try again after they've done this, it still says network could be improved 

Have basically given up at this point. Doesn't seem to be any solution. Unfortunately stuck with this rubbish service until 2026. Never had this issue with previous provider.

Recap of "solutions" EE have given that have failed:

- unplug everything, wait 30 seconds, then plug ONT in first, wait for it to load up, and then plug in router

- new router

- trying to sell me their expensive WiFi boosters, even though I clearly said it is 100% not a signal strength issue. Have pictures of devices standing directly next to the router saying unable to connect. This technician was adamant that it was definitely a signal issue, so I don't know where they get their technicians from as I have no knowledge of internet yet still know signal cannot be an issue with the router side by side! Regardless, I have a TP link repeater anyway so signal physically cannot be the issue.