Last few days smart plugs go offline in the evening

[PaulB2005]

Seen a similar story here but not sure if its the same - https://community.ee.co.uk/t5/Broadband-Landline/Phones-suddenly-dropping-off-the-Wi-Fi-why/td-p/162...

We have EE 1GB fibre BB with a Smart Hub SH32B (Model: F5394-P EE) and its been great for 18 months or so.

Suddenly in the last 4-5 days we've noticed in the evening many (not all) of our TP-Link smart plugs, smart bulbs and WiFi repeater in the house, go Offline.

The only thing that fixes it is to restart the hub and everything is back online until the following evening.

From the hub

App version: 3.14.5

Firmware version: r4.26.1-R-1860948-PROD-83002

Is there a possible issue with the hub / firmware?

Edit to add - 2 x iPhones, 1 x EE TV Pro box, 1 x iPad, 3 x Amazon Alexa's, 1 x dishwasher seemingly unaffected by this. Noticed today there is a 2.4 and 5Ghz Compatible Wi-Fi setting. Would I be right in thinking that switching on the 2.4 Comp and getting the affected devices onto that might help?

[JimM11]

@PaulB2005 As you were working great for the last period, have you tried a power off like the posting you refer too, the other OP is seeing how the Full Factory reset is going to work out currently, if NOT to much off an issue would hobble along for the week first to see how or if the other OP reports back on it. Copied  @Cliff_G so he is aware...

Compatible wifi has been on the Hub for well over a year now.

[PaulB2005]

Hi @JimM11 

Do you mean try the 20 minute power off? If so, I haven't tried it yet... but I will.

I have considered a factory reset but wanted this as a last resort.

[JimM11]

@PaulB2005 Five minutes would be enough time, but as reported was only just a temp fix so hence the Factory Reset which is as you are aware rather drastic to get the hub back, FW updates can have strange effect's at times as now showing to you. Do not have an EE Hub anymore so cannot jump onto and check out! FW update that you have was reported around the 25th May just so you are aware, and that is the version you have now. Your wifi repeater is it an EE one or third party wifi device?

[PaulB2005]

@JimM11 Thanks for the clarification.

The Wi-Fi repeater is also TP-Link.

I'll look at doing a factory reset if it continues and will setup the older devices on the EE Comp channel.

Thanks again

[JimM11]

@PaulB2005 Is it a chance that the Tp is dropping out and then the devices connected to that follow suit?

[Cliff_G]

@PaulB2005 @JimM11  I can update you.  The EE Guide did a factory reset on our router yesterday at ~2 pm. The phones we're having trouble with stayed on the wifi until sometime after we went to bed. I turn my phone's wifi off overnight, my wife leaves hers on. Both had dropped off the wifi this morning.  I had a quick look at the log but didn't really take it in (only just awake!).

I powered the router down for just over 5 minutes (not the 20 as I posted earlier) and the phones came straight back on the wifi.  All the other devices were fine, a modern iPad, and ancient Samsung fondleslab (Android 7), and this laptop.

Conclusions:

1. The factory reset did not cure the problem

2. The problem seems to be limited to certain devices

3. Unclear if it is time of day or time since boot

Musings:

I have the phones (they're a few years old, Android 11, low end phones) now on the Main wifi, not Compatible, and they are synced to the 2.4 GHz signal, on WPA2.  The Main wifi is set to WPA3-Personal-Transition, so these phones, unable to do WPA3, are negotiating a fallback position.  It is only these phones that drop off the wifi, all our other network devices are fine. This laptop is on Wifi 5, 5 Ghz, WPA3-Personal and has never had a problem.

My versions look to be the same: App version: 3.14.5  Firmware version: r4.26.1-R-1860948-PROD-83002

[Stop Press: Wife's phone has just dropped off, mine is still on it.]

[EDIT - the wifi on the phone was off! An accidental swipe down from the top bar. Came straight back on when turned on  /EDIT]

My theory is that this is a memory problem, created by the "alleged" [insofar as EE did not confirm to me - I'm not doubting those here who have said this] firmware update.  It feels like a memory leak / creep, where that bit of the code (which handles the particular protocol these devices fall back to) resides is not being allocated correctly, or is being written over by another bit of code. That error may have been created by a bug in the updated firmware. Either way, it is only certain affected devices that lose connection.  Clearly the factory reset did not work (though it's a necessary step to go through with the EE Guides, or they can't escalate), and what it appears to me to be is time-since-boot. (Mind, a simple reset or quick power down does not work). Time-since-boot would indicate a memory leak, time of day would be something else.

I'm going to wait and see when & if [the] phone[s] drop off then do a 5 minute power down. [=edits]

I shall also export the log before I do, as a power down loses the log.

Hopefully EE will recognise this soon, until then I'm not happy, but do have a proven workaround.

Keep in touch

[PaulB2005]

@JimM11 

Ah i see. Sorry the repeater is a red herring here.

To maximise the speed to my PC i have a TP Link repeater in another room and a CAT 6 ethernet cable run to my PC so the repeater only acts as a Wi-Fi antenna. One day when we get new flooring I'll look at running the ethernet to the hub but until then this is the best i can do.

The repeater broadcasts a new SSID which is my Hubs SSID followed by _EXT (i.e. EE-1234AB becomes EE-1234AB_EXT) and nothing is connected to the _EXT SSID.

All devices are connected to the EE Hub directly.

[JimM11]

@Cliff_G Would also be good if you could throw one off them on the Compatible network, that is alleged to be PURE WPA2-PSK operation, no folding back or trying to play nice on the Main WiFi and fighting the Transition mode to act as WPA2....

I like you have only a couple off devices WPA3, but Asus router is set WPA2-PSK only for All the bands, stuff WPA3 not everything is ready for it, and the EE Smarthub 6 + was set that way from day one on WPA2-PSK and even said so with the FW update that they did to set Main/Comp, although WPA3-T is the only option that is allowed on the Main if that is still so...

Transition can also mean terrible when/if not working correctly.  

[Cliff_G]

That (Compatible) was the first thing I tried.  It didn't work either, but good idea, will put one of the phones back on it for troubleshooting purposes.