EE 4g broadband device stops functioning after 6 days

[Hay66]

Sorry about the long intro and explanation, but I would like to set the scene for those willing to think through the problem. I have had this problem for some time. I will happily state I am not a computer expert, but can navigate myself around computers and networks as a simple user confidently. I hope someone is able to help.

On a dozen or so separate occasions over the past couple of years, after about 6 days away from home for work or holiday, we loose control of our home network and smart devices (cctv, sensors, hubs etc) there is absolutely no communication with anything at home. This has happened without fail on each such occasion, but NEVER happens while we are away just for 3 or 4 days!

Through various troubleshooting exercises over this time I have proven the system fails at the very first item to the home network, ie the internet connection to the household, which in this case is an EE 4g mobile broadband device (we have no landline broadband connection).

On return home, my EE phone has good 4g signal and there have been no reported outages of the ee signal, and the device signal strength is high. The device power is on and directly connected to the router. The home network is fully functional, as the separate router is monitoring the network, registering all devices and reporting no failures domestically. The access points are indicating good communication with the smart devices. I can regain control of the home directly to the apple tv hub with my phone (whilst the apple tv is connected to the router correctly). So the smart home side of things are working fine. Also, I am able to communicate via wifi APs to other non Apple TV operated devices.

I have read other EE devices (EE mini) time out with no wifi traffic, but this unit is connected to the router via ethernet cable, and all smart devices are still on. Also, the wifi channels of the EE router are disabled as we use other access points.  I can’t find any reference to the device timing out anywhere on the web, EE FAQs or having spoken to EE. Neither can I find anything that refers to this type of setting in the device settings dialogue. Whilst away I regularly check home status, so there will be daily traffic via the device between me and my home network prior to loss of communication. Therefore, the subject of the device going into standby, in my opinion, shouldn’t be the culprit.

I have contacted EE via phone only to be told that i need to update firmware, reboot etc etc etc! All the usual basic remedies. The only comment that carries weight is the possibility that the SIM times out, or something equally disabling. Failing that, in my opinion,  it has to be the EE device, which rightly or wrongly, the help team will not acknowledge. The device and the transmitter are the only items that are not working between my correctly functioning phone and my correctly functioning home network. 

Thanks in advance for any solutions.

[XRaySpeX]

How are you accessing your home network remotely from where you are on hols?

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@Hay66 wrote:

I have read other EE devices (EE mini) time out with no wifi traffic, but this unit is connected to the router via ethernet cable

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I'm not clear what is keeping the router from going to sleep / timing out. What is "this unit" above that is connected to the router?

[Hay66]

I access the network from my phone using 4g using the appropriate app, be it apple home for the apple tv hub at home to control most of the smart devices, or yale home to access cameras and alarm or shelly app for the shelly devices. Then, at the other end, the EE 4g mobile broadband device monitors 4g and communicates between the outside world and my network. The LAN from EE 4g mobile broadband device goes to my TP link router and from there on to either the apple tv hub, yale hub or TP link access point to shelly.

I have just got back from hols again today and spent a couple of hours reanalysing all the components. On this occasion, the EE 4g mobile broadband device had a red network status indicator, which according to the manual means "no SIm available or device not registered to network". So the SIM!!! So I am now trying to work out why the EE sim keeps dropping out after a few days!

I have of coarse rebooted and all is well as the sim comes alive again!

[XRaySpeX]

In other words a typical home network of a BB router & its devices. The router is not doing any monitoring. It is simply connecting or not connecting in reaction to the signals it gets. The BB has gone down & you get back to find it still disconnected.  The age-old remedy of a reboot fixes things. It's not the SIM; it's the 4G network connection.

[Hay66]

Excellent Xray, thank you. Apparently the network was indeed down. We get a lot of that here in the sticks! However, when we are home and the network goes down, it hasn't ever knocked the router out of action, like it does every time we are away! Why is this, and is there anything I can do to prevent it happening when we are away?

Thanks for your help.

[Hay66]

When we are home and the network goes down, it hasn't ever knocked the router out of action, like it does every time we are away! Why is this, and is there anything I can do to prevent it happening when we are away?

[Christopher_G]

Hi @Hay66 

It's a difficult one when you're not there to see what happens with it. Does rebooting the router work, when you return home?

Chris

[Hay66]

Hi Chris,

No, this time I rebooted everything individually/separately to see if anything else would make a difference. Nothing did, other than rebooting the EE device.