TalkTalk Sagemcom Hub - WiFi Issues

[AldridgeAndy]

Hi TalkTalk,

Hopefully you can help...

In March 2024 I updated my iPhone XR to an iPhone 15, since then my new iPhone keeps intermittently reporting "no internet connection" despite a full WiFi signal. A reboot of the router or the handset resolves the issue until it occurs again. All other devices connected via Wi-Fi continue to function as normal.

This is at both my own and my mums house that have the same model Sagemcom WiFi Hub.

At both locations with the Sagemcom WiFi Hub my car (Volvo AAOS) will not connect to the WiFi despite a strong signal.

My brother also has TalkTalk Internet but with Amazon Eero, my car connects fine there, and my iPhone's WiFi functions as expected, no intermittent reporting of "no internet connection".

Aside from buying an OpenReach VDSL2 modem and a set of Amazon Eero, are there any other options available to me?

iPhone is on IOS 17.5.1 but this issue existed with previous iOS versions since brought in March 2024. I've also disabled "Private WiFi Address" within iOS at locations with the Sagemcom router in case it was upsetting things. 

Volvo AAOS has recently had a big update from AAOS 11 to AAOS 12 and the issue persists.

Both Sagemcom Routers are on the latest version of Firmware.

Can you suggest a "next move" please?

Many thanks.

[KeithFrench]

One thing though @AldridgeAndy, I have noticed that an F266 can take up to 5 minutes sometimes to connect from power on. I will address another issue with you by sending you a PM.

[KeithFrench]

Then perhaps @AldridgeAndy there is something wrong with your F266. Would you like me to ask @Debbie-TalkTalk to replace it for you?

[AldridgeAndy]

Hi @KeithFrench after the "big channel change" from 132 to 36 the Fast 266 was showing Power and a flashing red light from memory.

When I took the Fast 266 into the same room as the router (it was only one bedroom away to start with) it still wouldn't reconnect on its own, it was only after I had powered up my laptop, logged in to the router and toggled the two switches to re-enable WPS that it sorted itself out.

I'll disable WPS again and see what happens. On my 5364 it was running with WPS disabled for months without issue. I am still convinced that despite disabling WPS at the router the extender presents to the outside world that WPS is enabled (my car checks for this, and as a security feature won't connect to networks with WPS enabled)

[KeithFrench]

Hi @AldridgeAndy 

For the moment stay off getting your router's upgraded to V202. It is not a problem with the new firmware, but it is down to a minimum firmware combination mismatch of the 266 & router, once the router is running V202. I am currently trying to get more clarification from the TalkTalk Devices team on this.

To answer your question, once a 266 has been connected to a 5364/5464, then it will not need to use WPS anymore & so WPS can be safely disabled, which is what I do. Now the problem in your case would seem that you have lost communication between the 266 & router, rather than requiring a new WPS connection. When this happens what is the middle light showing on the F266, both when it is working & when it has failed:-

Green - Excellent signal strength

Amber - Good signal strength 

Red (Flashing) - Lost connection with the router

The red & amber can easily be mistaken for each other IMHO.

[AldridgeAndy]

Hi @KeithFrench  my 5364 and the new 5462 are both running firmware 174

I do have the original Wi-Fi extender with the three lights (which I went through the re-pairing process to link it to the new router)

I also have at my mums house a 5364 running 174 which will be swapped soon for a 5464.

You message is really timely, so a quick question for you. I re-paired the extender to the 5464 and all was good, and then disabled WPS on 5ghz and 2.4ghz. When Wi-Fi Optimisation moved the 5Ghz Channel from 132 (from memory) to the usual Channel 36 on the first night the extender became disconnected it couldn't see the Wi-Fi hub at all. Only when I re-enabled WPS on the two channels did it reconnect. Can we not turn off WPS any more if you have an extender paired and WiFi optimisation kicks in?

[KeithFrench]

Hi @AldridgeAndy 

Nothing exactly to do with the current problem, but please can I just check, is your router is now on V202? I think that you also have the Sagemcom FAST266 WiFi Booster as well. Is your booster the older V1 model (three status lights on the front) or the newer V2, which only has one light on it?

[AldridgeAndy]

@Deanosafc24  The two TalkTalk WiFi Hubs that I use daily, both seemed to improve with the bandwidth set to Auto and WPS disabled. But after a few days the one located at my mums house went back to its troublesome ways with frequent loss of connectivity for recent iPhones. The WiFi Hub at my house wasn’t as bad after the changes, there would be the odd drop but much less frequent.

Tonight I’ve swapped out the WiFi Hub at my house for a WiFi Hub2, it will be interesting to see if this resolves the issue with recent iPhones. I suspect there may be some different hardware inside as the web interface is much more snappy.

Once I can swap out the WiFi Hub at my mums house for a WiFi Hub2 this will be a great test as there are more devices coming and going there with family visiting all armed with iPhones. Hopefully that replacement Hub2 will arrive soon.

Once I have some feedback (hopefully positive) to share I’ll post an update.

If the Hub2 doesn’t solve the issue, then I may have to hang an Eero mesh off the LAN Ports of the WiFi hub, but the cost is going to smart despite a little bit of future proofing for when I go full fibre.

[Deanosafc24]

How’s your connection been? 

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi Andy

My colleague in our faults escalation team has advised that they will be contacting you again on Monday.

[AldridgeAndy]

@Debbie-TalkTalk 

Had a call today from “faults escalation” from a newish member of the team who wasn’t clued up on this issue at all. What he did say was the Hub2 ordered for my address was ordered and immediately cancelled. Hopefully it has now been reordered. 

My mum has also received today another WiFi Hub, the second one since this issue has been discussed so I’ll be returning that to you as soon as I can as I did the one before it. 

This is really starting to drag on now and is becoming frustrating. 

For starters can you please confirm with absolute certainty that a WiFi Hub 2 is to be despatched to my home address and also to my mums home address? 

Any updates from TalkTalk / Sagemcom? The faults escalation guy didn’t seem to think anything was going on behind the scenes. 

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi @AldridgeAndy 

I've asked our faults escalation team to contact you ASAP about the hub2 routers.

Sagemcom are still investigating. No further updates available at the moment.

[AldridgeAndy]

@Debbie-TalkTalk  Any updates that you can share regarding the whereabouts of the WiFi Hub2 Routers that must have been discussed/ordered/despatched two weeks ago now?

Any progress with the escalation to Sagemcom, if it’s not an issue restricted to TalkTalk firmware I would imagine there are a fair few ISP’s who deploy this kit have equally frustrated customers?

[Deanosafc24]

Any updates please 

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi @AldridgeAndy 

Thanks for your reply.

Let me just check with our faults escalation team. Our Devices Team have chased Sagemcom for further updates again today.

[AldridgeAndy]

Hi @Debbie-TalkTalk  I did receive contact from your colleague on Faults Escalation 7-10days ago. He was going to send a couple of Hub2 Routers to try to see if that eased or resolved the issue. 

We’re still waiting on the replacement routers to arrive. Are you able to see if they have been ordered and despatched? 

Any updates from TalkTalk’s  escalation to Sagemcom at all? 

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi @Deanosafc24 

Apologies, that message was for @AldridgeAndy 

[Deanosafc24]

No 

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi @AldridgeAndy 

Did my colleague from our faults escalation team make contact with you?

[KeithFrench]

Hi Guys,

This was the stuff on Apple's recommendations:-

https://support.apple.com/en-is/102766 

[Deanosafc24]

Ok, I didn’t disable WPS