I was sitting here yesterday at my PC and glanced over at the blue ‘phone 1′ indicator on my T-Mobile@Home router and thinkking to myself, “Man, it’s been at least a few weeks if not more since the last time I lost service and had to reboot the router and cable modem to get it back working…”
I remember thinking that the problem might be something with my cable modem service and whenever it changes IP addresses. Perhaps the router wasn’t automatically reconnecting for some reason? I’m good with PC hardware and software, but networking has never been my strong suit, so if anyone has any clarifications/additional info on this problem please let me (us) know.
Anyways…
So of course this morning my wife yells down to me while I was working from home (at the same desk with the @Home router) and informs me that the phone is not working. Not a big deal for us since we just use our cell phones. So this time I decide I’m going to try the old ‘ipconfig /release and renew’ trick (it’s about the only networking command I know, and seems to have solved everything over the years…). But first, I cycled the power to the router itself (not the cable modem too, like I had done in the past). No luck - still no blue light/service. So then I went into the Windows command prompt and typed:
ipconfig /release
Then, after it does its thing, I typed in:
ipconfig /renew
Bingo. A few seconds later and the blue light is back and service is restored.
In case you were wondering….yes, I am still very happy with the service. Do I like every once in a while having an outage? No. And I never would recommend this service (or any VOIP service) to anyone who doesn’t have a cell phone too. But we have to keep in mind that the Tmobile@Home service is still quite new and I’m confident they’ll get the bugs worked out, eventually. Until then, say it with me:
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
Ahhh……it’s the solution to everything network related it seems! : )
Seriously though - how about a check in from everyone who follows this blog - do you regret your decision to sign up for the service? So far I’ve seen a lot of complaints but it’s been because of things that, quite frankly, I don’t get. Like, ‘my fax machine doesn’t work’ (why would someone in 2008 need a fax machine? Isn’t that what scanners and eFax are for?).
75 Comments
Good information, thanks again Mark. Mine has lost its connection 3 times in about 6 weeks. I always simply unplug the power cords to the T-Mobile router and my cable modem, plug them back in and the connection restores within 60 seconds.
Hi John,
Yeah that’s about how many time mine has lost it’s connection since I started using the service. Prior to this morning, when the service went down I just did as you and power-cycled the router/cable modem. This time I figured I’d try the network release/renew and it worked. I’m not 100% positive that is the fix, but it worked for me this morning when I tried it and I’m guessing by rebooting the cable modem/router it’s doing the same thing - just ‘reconnecting/synching’ somehow.
mark
Marks last blog post..The Dreaded T-Mobile@Home ‘Blue Light Went Out’ Dropped Service Problem and Solution?
Mark,
Sounds logical, perhaps simply ipconfig /renew will do the trick. I will experiment with it the next time I lose the connection.
Another Off-Topic point of interest, T-Mobile sent me a $49.99 off coupon off of my next T-Mobile Bill for renewing my contract with them. I have renewed my contract with them at least 5 times now and this was the first time that happened?
how do you ipconfig release / ipconfig renew on a mac laptop running leapord?
Good to know the “blue light went out” affects others too. I am happy not paying the local telco nearly $30 for basic message rate phone service, caller id ($8/month!!!) and a load of taxes…. but the reliabliity leaves a lot to be worked on.
I’ve tried MTU size, static vs DHCP and other things with no luck. I have my router behind my Netgear Profsafe FVS338 now, but if things don’t change I might just suck it up and put the TMo router in front of the Netgear so that removes that from being a potential cause.
vikram,
You may try that or another configuration. I only lose my connection once every couple of weeks.
Considering the free long distance, all the services included and the fact that coupled with my cellular phone it’s only costing $50 per month I wouldn’t consider any other options.
My cable connects directly to my T-Mobile router which is my only hardware router in use.
Yeah I think a lot of people’s problems with the service is due to trying to do some wacky stuff around it. I had a DLink wirelessN router that I really didn’t want to replace with the 802.11g LinkSys that Tmobile sells, but let’s face it, this service is brand new and we’re what you might call “early adopters” : )
Just about everyone who has been having lots of trouble that has emailed me or commented on the blog has been using equipment like additional routers/firewalls, funky phones, etc. I suggest taking all that stuff out of the loop and then try for a few weeks if possible to see if the problems go away. I have a suspicion they will.
My 2 cents, FWTW.
mark
Marks last blog post..Captivate vs. Camtasia - No Contest…
My IP is static, so my situation is different. I did lose the blue light/connection only once since my earlier post of my solution. I did a hard reset of the Linksys router (paperclip into reset hole for 10 seconds) and reprogrammed it and it is working again consistently.
Since I moved my Linksys physically next to my AT&T Acatel DSL modem and wanted a better wireless connection, I purchased a Linksys Wireless N Router WRT160N. I wired it as follows, after talking to Linksys Tech Support:
The T-Mobile Linksys (WRTU54G-TM) is set to 192.168.0.1 and the WRT160N is set to 192.168.0.2. On the WRT160N, DHCP is disabled, and I have connected it by wire from one of the 4 outputs on the WRTU54G-TM to one of the 4 outputs on the WRT160N. Do NOT connect this wire to the WRT160N Internet input! Tech Support also had me adjust all 3 of my wireless routers (I also have an Apple Airport Extreme N) to the same channel.
Is power cycling the router or release/renew the only workaround to the frequent loss of the blue light connection?
Update….
Unfortunately I’m finding that the ipconfig /release and renew thing isn’t working for me. The blue light went out twice in the past 2 days, both sometime in the morning/mid-morning timeframe. This is approximately the 4th and 5th time it’s happened since I’ve had the @Home service (about 2 months). Both times I tried releasing/renewing but, in the end, the only way to get service back was to power cycle the router.
Unlike before, this time though I was able to take a few minutes to look around and try to determine a cause. I couldn’t determine a cause, but I did look at the ‘error log’ that the LinkSys router generates. It unfornately clears itself once the problem is resolved, but I checked it before I power-cycled the router and the error’s ‘note’ said “ISP error” or something like that. I’ll write up a new post with a pic as I took a screenshot. I’m also going to see if I can find a T-Mobile@Home support email and start emailing them guys this stuff. This blue light/loss of service is probably a real deal-killer for a lot of people because there isn’t any warning….you just lose service.
By the way….resetting the router via the ‘Status’ menu’s ‘release dhcp’ and then renewing it didn’t work. I had to physically power-cycle it.
Marks last blog post..Captivate vs. Camtasia - No Contest…
As a network IT guy, it doesn’t suprise me that the ipconfig trick didn’t help. That really only would affect your computer. I’m guessing that it was strictly timing between you power cycling the router and issuing the command. It probably would have come back on at the exact same time regardless.
Anyway, next time it happens, can you try a few things before touching the router? First, go to http://www.whatismyip.com and write down your ip address while it is working. Might want to check it occasionally to make sure you have the same IP, and when the blue light goes out again, check to see if it has changed. If so, we’re on to something… if not…..
try unplugging the ethernet cable that goes between the cable modem and the router. Leave it unplugged for about a minute or so, then plug it back in and give it a little while to re-connect. If that doesn’t do it, reboot the cable modem too.
If none of those tricks work, it would seem like there is a firmware issue prevening the linksys from reinitiating the connection after it is lost for some reason.
Let me know what you find out.
Joe
Joe,
Thanks so much for taking the time to help with this. The next time my service drops I’ll do what you said, in the order you stated, and report back the results. If anyone else who is running into this issue could also attempt Joe’s troubleshooting steps and report back here then maybe we can figure out a pattern.
Thanks again Joe!
mark
Marks last blog post..Captivate vs. Camtasia - No Contest…
Joe,
My service went out again this morning. It always happens in the morning. When I came home for lunch (my wife called and told me it was down this morning so I asked her to not touch it until I came home to take a look). Unfortunately I didn’t write down my IP address *before* it went down so I just wrote it down and will keep an eye on it each day and wait until the service drops again and then report back.
I did try unplugging the ethernet cable from the modem that goes to the router, waiting a minute, then plugging back in. No luck.
I then just gave up and power cycled the router and, as always, after a minute the service is restored. It’s a shame there isn’t a software feature for the router that would allow a power cycle at predetermined times?
I have a hunch (and I think, based on your comment, you do too) that the problem is that my ISP (Comcast Cable) changes the IP address once in a while and whenever that happens the router can’t synch up with it for some reason. Internet works fine, but no voice/@home service. The other day when it went down I checked the router’s voice submenu and looked at the error log it keeps. It had a note in there saying ‘ISP error’. Once the service is restored the log gets cleared so there is no record. That sucks.
I went to check it today to see if the same error was listed but I forgot to do it until after I had power cycled the router and so by the time I got the error log loaded the service had been restored and thus the error log cleared.
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I just got off the phone with T-Mobile Tech support as I have had this issue of losing the blue light at least 3 - 4 times per week. When you access the web interface of the Linksys WRTU54G-TM router and go to the STATUS tab and then look on the VOICE page, you will see the status of the SIMS card(s). When the blue light goes out, it shows the SIMS for Line 1 is installed but the SIMS status shows “Not Registered”. However, T-Mobile told me their system shows the SIMS for Line 1 as “Registered” at the same time the router was showing “Not Registered”. They are going to replace my router to see if that fixes it. When the phone is working (the blue light is on), the SIMS status should show “Registered”.
Thomas,
My situation is now exactly like yours, except over the past 2 months since using the @home service I had only lost the blue light/service 2 or 3 times over a 7 week period. Then, this week, all of a sudden I’ve lost it 3 times, all sometime in the morning.
Like your router’s admin server, mine also indicates the same thing when my service is not working - it says the SIM is ‘not registered’, but it is inserted.
When it goes out again I’ll put a call in to T-Mobile Support myself and see if they send me a new router, but honestly I think it’s a firmware issue and not a router issue. I hope I’m wrong, but this issue seems to be pretty widespread and I doubt LinkSys put out a batch of bad hardware all of a sudden. We’ll see. Please let us know how the new router works for you.
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Mark,
Actually, they informed me that there is a newer router developed for the @Home service. I am making them replace the WRTU54G-TM with the newer Linksys router. I don’t know the model number and the CSR is supposed to call me back when all arrangements and approvals have been established for the exchange. I thought she would call me back today but I hope I hear something tomorrow.
Please let us know the new model #, because this router is killin me as well. I’m experiencing the same issues as all of you..
Service was out this morning. I assume the blue light was also out, but I didn’t check as the router is in the garage, next to the DSL modem.
I checked the Router through my web browser at htptp://192.168.0.1 and went to STATUS and then VOICE, and it did say NOT REGISTERED.
I went to ADMINISTRATION, FACTORY DEFAULTS and reset the Factory defaults.
After it reset, I restored all of my settings for the router, including disabling firewall protection in SECURITY (as recommended by AT&T Internet tech support).
My phone line came right back.
It would be nice, if there was a way to save the Linksys settings and then just restore them all in one step.
On the Linksys Web Interface screen in your browser, select the Administration Tab and then on the far right column, select Config Management. Select backup to save your current configuration. If you ever have to do a factory default reset, you can reload your current configuration on the same screen from the file you saved. Easier than pie (I don’t bake).
Hope that helps until T-Mobile can fix this issue.
I am soo glad I came across this site. I have been having this “blue light” issue since day 1 (about 3 weeks ago). In my case it goes out at least 5-10 times A DAY. I have tracked it down to my modem (motorola provided by AT&T). For some reason every few hours or whenever it feels like it, the DSL light in the modem starts flashing then goes back to solid green. Obviously during this time I loose my internet connection. This whole process of the modem/DSL cycling off then back on only takes about 30-40 seconds. Everytime this happens though my Blue Light goes out on the router and the only way to get it back up is to power cycle the router. I have had AT&T out to my house 5 times now to figure out why the DSL is dropping off. Everytime they think its fixed. I am starting to think there is something else going on. I have not heard anyone speak of it, but I did bridge my modem and router to see if it would help. It did not. I wonder if this new router will help any. Anyone else having as bad of a problem as me? Blue light dropping every few hours? Any ideas? Thanks
Hey there, just wanted to point out to you and your commenters that Linksys released a new version of the firmware for the WRTU54G-TM today: v1.00.09. It is available here: http://tinyurl.com/5×8o48 Perhaps the aforementioned T-mobile CSR was referring to this update as a “new model”.
I did download and install it; everything seems to work fine. One big feature they added is the ability to assign static IP addresses by MAC address, which was previously lacking
Thanks so much for the heads up! I wrote up a short post so that subscribers are sure to be notified.
Link to post: http://elearninglive.com/wordpress/2008/09/firmware-update-for-t-mobilehome-router-wrtu54g-tm-now-available/#comment-563
mark
Marks last blog post..Firmware Update for T-Mobile@Home Router WRTU54G-TM Now Available
Just from reading the comments from my last post, it does sounds like it is a bug in the router’s firmware which doesn’t allow it to reinitiate the VoIP connection after even a small hiccup in the internet connection.
I tried downloading the updated firmware from the Linksys site, but it didn’t want to work right now. If any of you have downloaded it, can you see if there is a changelog file which says what this new version fixes/adds?
Sean: I think it would be worth calling T-mobile and talking to them about it and letting them know what you found out. It sure sounds like you’ve pinpointed the problem.
For anybody else: Try a test to see if you can make it fail. Disconnect the line from your internet modem for a 15-30 seconds or so, then plug it back in. Leave the power to the modem and the router alone. If you have cable, just unscrew the coax connection, and if you have DSL, unplug the phone line. That should simulate a “connectio failure” and hopefully result in the blue light going out. I’m guessing it may take a few minutes for the light to change so be patient and let me know how the testing goes.
Wish I had the service myself so I could try some of these things..
Joe
Thank you, Thomas, for the tip on how to save/restore Linksys config settings. This is a big time saver.
Today is the first time that following a line failure (and no blue light) a Factory Restore did not restore the phone service. I just did a hardware reset with the paper clip, restored the config file and still no service.
I am going to manually be sure that the config restore is restoring all of my settings…
Interestingly: I did a Factory Restore (Factory Defaults), then entered all of my settings manually instead of using the Config File Restore and now the phone line works. Don’t know if this was coincidental or not. I have not yet upgraded firmware, as I like to wait for feedback before installing updates.
My procedure for manually entering in settings:
SETUP: Basic Setup: Save Settings
WIRELESS: Basic Wireless: Mode - G only, Channel 11, Save Settings
Wireless Security: WPA2 Personal - enter password, save settings
SECURITY: Firewall Protection: Disable, Save Settings
APPLICATIONS & GAMING: DMZ: Enable, enter DMZ Host IP, save settings
ADMINISTRATION: Management, Enter Router password, re-enter router password, save settings
STATUS: Voice: SIM entered and Registered. Phone line works
I just got off the phone with Tmobile and they acknowledged that the Atlanta, GA area is a “problem area” (hence my 10-12 disconnects a day). They are unsure of why this is, but they did recommend the Firmware update. I will point out that Tmobile suggested that the MTU setting should be changed from 1500 to 1365 (in manual mode). This was a recommendation to them from Linksys. After I did the Firmware updated we noticed the MTU was now at 1492. The Tmobile agent suggested I leave it thinking Linksys found a
“happy medium” in the update for the MTU.
So as this point I have done the Firmware update v1.00.09 and have left the MTU at 1492. So far so good, but it has only been about an hour. If the BLUE LIGHT stays on I’ll be sure to let you all know.
well that did NOT work. Ran some errands and when I came home…NO Blue Light. I just went in and set the MTU in manual to 1365. I’m keeping my fingers crossed…
well that did not work either. I am now being sent a new router. I doubt that will help, but it’s worth a try I guess. Anyone else finding any new info?
POSSIBLE SOLUTION. (i will be knocking on wood though) Without repeating what I posted above the last thing I tried was to clone the MAC address. I don’t know if that did it or setting the MTU manually to 1365 did it, but I have not lost the Blue Light in 16 hours! Pretty good considering I was losing it every 3 hours. Just to recap: get the firmware update, set the MTU manually to 1365, clone the MAC. I had it drop off once after changing the MTU, hence my post above. I have had no trouble since then. Maybe it needed one last power cycle to take effect. Best of luck to the rest of you.
Sean,
I had upgrading my firmware & cloned my MAC address yesterday. Today I lost my blue light connection for the fourth time in approximately 6 weeks.
My MTU is set to ‘Auto’ and always has been. Since I am seeming to have fewer problems than most I will likely keep it there unless things worsen.
John, sorry to hear you are still losing the blue light. All I can say is to try and set the MTU to manual 1365. If it works great, if not just set it back to auto. I’m curious if it will do the trick for you as well. If it works for you I’d feel more confident that we actually found a solution.
Hey Guys,
I’m not sure why T-mobile would suggest changing the MTU. All that does is set the maximum size of an ethernet packet going out the Internet port of the router. It could affect call quality, but otherwise if it needed to be at a lower number, it probably wouldn’t work at all at 1492. Just for reference, a standard ethernet MTU size iz 1500, when using a PPPoE connection it’s 1492. Sometimes it needs to be set lower, but the general rule of thumb is that if something’s not going to work at a certain MTU it won’t ever work. Like certain sites simply won’t load.
I know I’m just speaking from observation here, but I feel pretty confident that there’s actually a problem inside the linksys router which is preventing it from re-initiating the connection with T-mobile after a loss of internet service.
Joe
joe,
thanks for the info. i agree with your last point, but im trying to prevent the loss of internet service to begin with, thus eliminating the need for the router to re-initiate. for whatever reason the steps i took above have done something for my scenario. again i was having dsl interuptions about every 3 hours = loosing the blue light as often. my blue light is still going strong almost 24 hrs now (knock on wood). i will keep an eye out for poor quality or problems loading pages as you mentioned. everything seems fine thus far.
WOW, shortly after my last post I realized my internet connection dropped. I looked up and saw the dreaded DSL light on my modem go out, blink, then come back on (its usual off/on cycle) Then, as I assumed the Blue light went out on my router. I was a little disappointed to see this after my last post. Then to my SURPRISE…the Blue Light came on with out me touching the router! I have been in and out all day and have not had a chance to sit near the computer. Earlier I was assuming that I had no DSL interuptions, thus my blue light staying on. Now I am thinking I may still have the brief interuptions, but the Blue Light is “re-initializing” and coming back on.
I’m not sure why it is doing this now, but I just wanted to get you all this update. I’ll be keeping a closer eye on things and post any changes.
I read somewhere that if your internet qos drops below 85% then it will disconnect the T-Mobile@Home phone. I will look into how to know or search for a monitor later but my internet connection has been pretty solid(for Charter) which may be why I am having fewer problems.
Hey everyone, I have been out of town and thought I would give you an update.
I have not heard back from T-Mobile about replacing my router but I upgraded the firmware on Wednesday along with everyone else. Knock on wood also, but I haven’t had to reboot my router since flashing the firmware. It has been 3 whole days. Still a little early to celebrate but hoping this is the fix we have been waiting for. I believe my comcast internet connection to be rock solid but have never collected stats on the health of my network. It always seems to work and has very fast upload/download (1mbs/12mbs) speeds.
I am wondering why you guys are cloning the MAC; is this a DSL requirement? I am actually using my T-Mobile router as a bridge and letting devices plugged into my LAN ports pass through and get network info (DHCP) from my linksys WRT54G router (non-T-Mobile) connected to my cable modem. That router also handles my wireless network. I just have the T-Mobile router handling VoIP functions.
I have comcast cable and started the Tmobile @ home in early September. The blue light was dropping out once every other day or so and I power cycled the modem and router and the light came back on. This past week I cloned the mac address and the blue light lasted almost a whole week. I tried the ipconfig release/renew idea in the original article and bingo the blue light came back on. I have not upgraded the firmware yet.
Sean/Everyone,
Since I have upgraded the router’s firmware if my internet connection drops my phone connection is also automatically restored upon regaining my signal without the need to power cycle the router.
Typically you would need to power cycle the router to regain a connection so the firmware upgrade is strongly recommended if for no other reason that this alone. I have watched my modem lose it’s internet connection twice now, the blue light go out and then shortly after regaining my internet connection the blue light comes back on.
i’ve been asked to receive faxes. and to send them. but i use the scanner (when applic) and the fax app, not a standalone machine. businesses use faxes a lot,but i don’t think they’d get rid of their landline. btw, doesn’t efax charge something? or are the free net-fax services back in vogue? faxing from my computer/modem costs me nothing extra beyond the time to scan (when applic) and choose the fax “printer”. that’s got to be about as easy as a fax “email” attachment.
[posting died, it seems]
efax is free? versus: i have a modem already. and sending a fax should require similar time. businesses still fax a lot. i’ve been asked to send and to receive faxes. less costly than personal visits with paperwork.
erm,
There are free outgoing fax services, and if you need to fax a lot then @home is probably not the service for you (or anyone else in a similar situation). Where I work we use faxes a lot. It doesn’t really make much sense to use fax in 2008, but I guess with all the aging secretaries out there it ain’t gonna change for another 50 years or so. Emails, scanners, online forms, and digital signatures cover everything a fax can do, and actually much better, due to the data parsing/storage/reporting capabilities of those mediums vs a fax.
Bottom line is this: if faxing doesn’t work with @home, then this is not the service for people who feel they need to fax.
Marks last blog post..T-Mobile@Home Monthly Bill - How Much It Really Costs (Me)
About a Week ago, I started Experiencing poor voice quality during a call. the person on the other end could hear me just fine, but all I heard was static and mumbled voices on my side. I tried 2 corded phones and a cordless phone and get the same results. I even moved the SIM from Line 1 to Line 2 with no luck.
Ric,
My ‘guess’ would be that there is a problem with your ISP, such as an overloaded network. I have not experienced any similar problems to those you are describing since becoming a customer of the @Home service.
I signed up with a cable internet service provider when I moved in to a new residence in the chicago land area. I had a lot of issues with my internet only, not on-demand or anything else. The internet issues of course would effect my T-Mobile@home service.
I had multiple cable repair technicians at my home and ultimately was able to get a hold of an area operations supervisor who was very willing to work with me. Once I explained that this could not be my wiring after three technicians were at my home and said every thing was ok. I told him if he did some investigation he would surely see multple complaints in my service area.
The supervisor found my TX (Uplink) was severely degraded and found multiple issue along the line from the headend. This will only be discovered by a technician at a remote location. The technician at your home can only take Rx (downlink) readings.
I have included below a link for the Motorola Surfboard Modem to retrieve your error logs. I can’t define all the logs here but you can google them and get some explanations. Focus on the “Critical” and “Warning” notifications. This is the local IP Address on your Modem. There are other logs and diagnosis capabilities that you can look at.
++++++Warning++++++
DO NOT “RESET ALL DEFAULTS”!!!!!!!!!!! This could possibly lead to you lose your Modem Configuration, invoke a service call to replace your Modem and mask the real issue delaying the technicians ability to troubleshoot your problem.
If you want to reset your Modem unplug it from the wall for 30-45 seconds and plug it back in.
http://192.168.100.1/logs.htm
Once my cable internet service was stablilized I have not had to reset my cable modem or T-Mobile@Home Router for about three weeks and counting.
I hope that these logs will help everyone get a better response from their Internet Service Provider Customer Service who thinks that a reset, although 90% of the time works, is ultimately a short term solution for some internet customers.
GJCAMP,
I’ve not had to do any of that stuff. I just installed the firmware update (which, coincidentally, came out about 3 weeks ago) and I have not had a blue light outage since. Are you sure the firmware isn’t the cause for the fix for you?
mark
Marks last blog post..T-Mobile@Home Monthly Bill - How Much It Really Costs (Me)
My service has been out since September 19th. That day Tech Support had me upgrade my firmware, but no change. I’ve tried all of my “old tricks” but none work. I haven’t had time to really get into it again with Tech Support, but will probably call them today.
GJCAMP:
I thought I’d look at my logs just to see. First of all I had to replace “192.168.100.1″ with the IP of my Linksys WRTU54G-TM, which in my case is “192.168.0.1″. Also in my case it is the following link (the word “log” is singular in my case; I found this by going to Administration, Log):
http://192.168.0.1/log.htm
At this point I have to enable my Log, so I have done so, and I will go back and check them later. Thanks.
Michael,
Disable all that out-of-the-ordinary stuff in your router settings, particularly the DMZ enable. Put it back to stock factory settings and see if that works. I’d be surprised if it wasn’t the settings in your router causing the outage.
mark
Marks last blog post..T-Mobile@Home Monthly Bill - How Much It Really Costs (Me)
Well, so far so good: The Factory Restore did indeed bring back my line this afternoon and so far so good. I did open a couple of ports to one computer for some file sharing purposes, but I have not yet activated the DMZ.
I’ll let it sit this way without the DMZ and see what happens and let you know. But it’s nice to have my phone line (out since Friday, Sept 19th) again!
Went out again last night. Factory restore and reset settings (still turning off Firewall per AT&T Internet Tech Support instructions) brought it right back.
Probably related to either the three ports I opened, or the fact that I use a bittorrent server to send private files. I will keep these ports closed for now and see what happens.
I can’t imagine that opened ports would make a difference. Is your IP address changing? That seemed to have been the culprit for me prior to the firmware update. I would check the IP address now (perhaps using whatismyip.com) and then when/if the next outtage occurs, check the IP address again and then check the error log on the router and see if anything is listed there.
Marks last blog post..T-Mobile@Home Monthly Bill - How Much It Really Costs (Me)
I have a static IP. The open ports are, as I mentioned, related to private peer-to-peer file sharing and the fact that I am uploading files may affect the quality of the upload internet speed/connection and bring down the T-Mobile connection.
MichaelLAX,
This IP “http://192.168.100.1/logs.htm” was to log into the Motorola Surfboard Cable Modem to look at whether or not your ISP is causing the problem and your modem is losing sync. There are other setting to look at like Uplink power and Downlink Power that would help in diagnosing ISP-Cable Modem Connectivity issues.
Depending on your Modem and Service type you may have another IP address for the Modem Logs.
Factory Settings on the LinkSys Router are ideal for T-Mobile @Home service and you should not have to tweak them.
I am suggesting that since this VOIP service is so dependent on having a good, strong, stable internet connection that you might want to investigate your MODEM logs to identify whether or not you are having ISP issues that your at&t ISP has not owned up to or has not identified yet.
Just Google your Modem brand for logging IP’s
My personal issue was my ISP and once I gave them that information from the logs they were better armed to investigate and resolve my issue.
Going on three weeks now without resetting anything. The new firmware was installed about a week ago without issues.
GO BLUE!!! YOUR MY BOY BLUE!!!!
I hope this helps.
Regards
Seems that the DMZ was my issue: since turning it off and opening the few ports needed to replicate what DMZ offered me, I have had consistent Phone service.
MichaelLAX,
Glad to hear you appear to have resolved your issue Michael. If you are in front of your router enough it is entirely possible you may lose your telephone connection on rare occasion, but it should quickly restore itself as it appears linked to ISP issues.
“in front of your router…”
I am not sure what you mean.
T-M Tech Support had me move it to the garage where my AT&T DSL modem is located, so as to eliminate any length of wire issues, so generally I can’t see the blue light. I continue to test it with my webbrowser in Status:Voice to see Registered and of course, by picking up the phone and hearing the dial tone.
I purchased another Linksys N Router to place in my home office so I could continue to get stable wireless signal, since the garage is on the opposite side of the house. I now have 3 wireless routers (my wife uses an Apple Airport Extreme N) and again T-M Tech Support had me place all 3 on channel 11, which does seem to work fine.
MichaelLAX,
By “in front of your router” I simply meant if your router is in direct view of your eyesight you may on rare occasion see that it will drop its telephone signal. But if it is like mine it only does so about once every two or three weeks and restores the signal automatically in a few minutes.
It’s not important that your router is in direct view by any means. My only point was that the signal may drop on occasion but does so for such a brief period of time you typically would never notice unless your router was in viewing distance when it did so.
Came home tonight and found the blue light out. Had to reboot both the cable (comcast) modem and the router. I got a month without dropping the blue light after installing the new firmware back in September - better than it ever did before. The service has been excellent when its up and running.
Worked consistently from 10/15 until this morning. Did a Factory Restore and reset my settings and it is working again.
Michael - did your IP change between the time it was working and the time it went out?
Marks last blog post..T-Mobile@Home Monthly Bill - How Much It Really Costs (Me)
As mentioned in many previous posts, I have a static IP.
Ah that’s right (I get many emails a day now about @home, so I apologize I didn’t remember your specific situation).
Marks last blog post..T-Mobile@Home Monthly Bill - How Much It Really Costs (Me)
Okay everyone, it has been a month since I upgraded the firmware and replaced the router (T-Mobile sent me the same model). I have only lost the blue light once in a month. However, I have a new problem. I get a dial tone when making an outgoing call but after dialing the number, I never connect (It doesn’t even provide a ringing sound). I call my cell phone and other numbers but never connect. Then I use my cell phone to call the Home service and it does connect incoming calls. I called Customer Service the first time it happened but they just had me reboot the router. They had better get this service fixed in a hurry or they won’t have any customers.
In reply to Thomas. I had a similar problem and found out it was because I wasn’t dialing a 10 digit number. I called T-mobile and they said it sometimes will require a 10 digit and sometimes will not. I reboot the router and have been doing okay with 7 digit dialing ever since. But I bet that is what your connecting issue is.
Jeremy, thanks for the tip. The next time I don’t connect to a local number, I will try dialing the Area Code as well and see if I connect (w/o rebooting the router, of course). I will hang with T-Mobile @ Home for awhile longer due to the great price, but I have to say that in my 4+ years with Vonage, I never had interrupted service or had to reboot the router. But T-Mobile is still pretty new to the game and I’m hoping they eventually get the kinks out.
On Tuesday evening, I noticed that although I was getting a dialtone, no calls were going through, including to 611. Checking the Linksys Status Voice Log, it was logging the calls as unanswered, and the normal Status Voice page reported Registered.
This status continued to this morning (Thursday) and I went into the Linksys from my webbrowser, did a Factory Restore, and then re-entered my settings and after about 10 minutes it is working again.
I also have had issues with Charter and my T-Mobile @Home Service. The issue seems to be Charters DNS.
The @Home service needs to Register the SIM regularly via a direct connection to T-Mobile. For whatever reason Charters DNS can not resolve to T-Mobile.
To check this attempt to Ping a website you do not regularly visit. What happens in my case is the I get 100% packet loss. If you ping a site to you regularly visit there shouldn’t be a problem.
Charter does nothing to help.
Hi Jason,
Sorry to hear you’re having problems. Although I’m hesitant to mention it because it seems terrible to have to do this, but perhaps you can try bypassing Charter’s DNS server and using one of the free ones that are out there.
Here is an example:
http://www.wyckedone.net/2006-07-17/opendns-should-you-make-the-switch/
Let us know how you make out if you try it.
mark
Marks last blog post..I’ll be at Adobe MAX 2008 in San Francisco. Anyone Else?
Ok.
So I followed a combination of great advice from these posts.
I first reset my @Home router to factory settings.
Once that was completed I changed the DNS to the OpenDNS addresses.
Within 5 minutes my blue light was back on.
Thanks for info.
I connected my service 2 days ago. I moved from Vonage which I’ve had for about 4 years, but was attracted to the lower price of t-mobile. I’m concerned about the lost connect postings though. Is it still happening for many people? Is there a network availability setting with t-mobile so that if the connection is lost calls are automatically forwarded to another phone?
Marc,
I have posted earlier in this chain in regards to my connectivity @home connectivity issues. The only REAL problem I have had was with my ISP. Once that was resolved I have reset my router once and have had a solid connection for about three months now.
A lot of the issues seem to come from people who have changed their Router making connections to the callserver an issue. I see that from how many issues are cleared up from resetting the router back to factory settings.
I am saying that due to differences in ISP’s (Cable, DSL, Static IP, Dynamic IP, etc.) there may or may not be “TWEAKS”, but I personally have used the default settings and as an early adopter I did update my firmware. I have been very satisfied and happy with my T-Mobile @Home Service and not had any problems.
I see that Vonage has a TON of connectivity issue postings on the internet. I will conclude with:
If your Vonage was stable then the T-Mobile @Home should be also.
There are selective call forwarding features check your manual or give CC a call.
CFNA Call FWD No Answer. If you change your setting to this you lose the VM feature I believe but it will forward to your cell phone. You can set how many rings before the forward occurs or time. I also am not sure if any charges due to call forwarding apply. Ask CC to be sure.
There is also a setting within the VoiceMail to have any messages left on your @Home number to “Page” your cell phone. This is how mine is set up and when someone leaves a message I get a CALL from my home phone. If I pick up the call I will hear a serioes of DTMF tones for a paging service, but I now know that someone has left a VM for me at my home while I am out. This is free or I hasve not seen any charges for this feature being used on my bill and it works well for me.
If someone needs to get a hold of me and they know me they will call my cell. If they don’t know me that well then they leave a message at my home.
I hope this answers your question.
Great tip… My service was out too and this worked for me.
Thank you
Phil
http://MakeCashTomorrow.com
GJCAMP: How do I change my plan to allow for the page cellphone feature such as you have?
You should not have to subscribe to this feature. I am guessing, since I have had this feature ever since I can remember. I will try to walk you through the steps.
Dial into your T-Mobile@Home Voicemail Mailbox.
Enter your Password then # (if necessary).
Below are the Menu Prompts from the beginning:
* (Should get you to the Main Menu) Press this before your messages begin to play.
4 (Mailbox Options)
2 (Paging Notification Options)
This will get you to the Paging Notification Menu.
For you to receive a “Call/Page” to your GSM/UMTS Cell phone you should set this up as a regular pager, then enter your T-Mobile GSM/UMTS Cell phone number.
When someone leaves a message you should then recieve a call from your T-Mobile @ home # on your GSM/UMTS phone. You will then know to call into your T-Mobile @ home VoiceMail Mailbox to retrieve your new message.
I hope this helps.
Regards,
GJCamp
BTW Paging Notification Options will NOT affect or change your CALL FORWARDING options.