TalkTalk WiFi Hub Firmware Update Please

[AldridgeAndy]

Hi, could I please request a firmware update for my TalkTalk WiFi Hub as I have been running 136 with the TalkTalk WiFi Booster successfully but I'd like to make use of the mesh functionality.

If possible could I ask if you can push the update "early morning" before 8:45am as I normally launch my work VPN around then and start to open documents?

Many thanks in advance.

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Morning Andy,

Thanks for your post. This has been fedback to our Devices Manager.

Thanks

Michelle

[AldridgeAndy]

I wanted to add to my observations of firmware 174 - after a month or so of uptime the interface is a mess...

You can no longer see the TalkTalk WiFi booster either or any devices connected.

For reassurance my WiFi hub and booster are connected fine but at any point over one month the web interface falls over.

My router has been pin-hole reset and still at the just over one month the interface falls over. I wanted to double check before reporting.

Hopefully this behaviour will be resolved in the next version.

[AldridgeAndy]

No, totally outside of that. You get more features assigning a Google account to Google Automotive, but basics like Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity are totally independent of having any access to a Google account or the app on your phone to initiate anything.

The crazy thing is it can't even see the SSID of the Wi-Fi networks of the two places I visit most that have the Sagemcom router.

[KeithFrench]

Does it require this Google app or another one to initiate the connection?

[AldridgeAndy]

@KeithFrench  it's a hybrid and it has it's own 4G telematics so there is some connectivity there by default and then under subscription once the initial period ends.

The Google Automotive OS has access to the Google Play Store so will do updates etc and the car reports back on various statuses to an app. The car can allegedly update itself too.

It's just that it offers the option to connect to "Home Wi-Fi" and with past cars it's generally been more successful downloading updates over WiFi than over 4G.

It's not a "biggie" but it would be nice to get it working as I progress through the owners manual.

[KeithFrench]

Out of interest @AldridgeAndy what does this device on the car monitor? I assume the car is an EV, so is it charge levels or something?

[AldridgeAndy]

Hi @KeithFrench ,

My previous two cars have connected fine to my home (and my mums) wi-fi either with an indicated modest 5Ghz signal or a full 2.4GHz signal.

At my mums house I'm seeing Virgin Media from the house over the road but not TalkTalk which is literally the other side of a brick wall. At my own home I have the TalkTalk Wi-Fi booster in the front bedroom that's above the garage and looks out on to the driveway. So I have a decent signal at the front of the house and also beyond the driveway and in to the road.

It could be a quirk of the car, I'll aim to see how I get on with my brothers talktalk supplied Eero at his house. "back in the day" there was a Sony BluRay player at my parents house that would not connect to a talktalk HG633 router. As soon as it was swapped for a D-Link and then over time the Sagem box the device has always connected without issue.

[KeithFrench]

Hi @AldridgeAndy 

This can be a problem with WiFi, how far away is the router & how many brick walls does it go through to get to the garage? Have you checked with a WiFi analyser to measure the signal strength or level of WiFi interference?

[AldridgeAndy]

A reboot re-enabled the functionality on the 5Ghz channel.

The car still won't connect, this is at my house and my mums both with TalkTalk Sagemcom routers. My next step is to try at my brothers house as he has TalkTalk but with an Eero system. It's just bizarre how the car can't even see the SSID, yet can see those of my own and my mums neighbours.

[KeithFrench]

Disabling/re-enabling either WiFi band is a known bug on so much as the only way they will work again is to factory reset the router. 

The issues with the booster can depend on if you have left it turned on whilst the router is off. Sometimes when turning the router back on, the 266 will try and connect to the normal 5GHz band rather than the backhaul SSID.

A similar thing can be seen when connecting the the 266 via WPS, if you hold down its WPS button for too long.

[Karl-TalkTalk]

Hi

If a reboot does not clear this, next option would be a pin (factory) reset of the devices / router to see if they are then visible and your car and other devices make a connection.

Karl.

[AldridgeAndy]

Four months in with Firmware 174 I just wanted to feedback another few issues that have arisen.

My TalkTalk mesh Wi-Fi booster is now no longer visible within the Sagemcom routers web interface, neither are some of the devices connected via the Wi-Fi booster. The Wi-Fi booster is working fine as are the devices connected to it. Even the Mesh - Devices table shows no sign of the mesh Wi-Fi booster and any of it's connected devices.

I have brought a new car with Google Automotive. This point blank refuses to see the Sagemcom WiFi at two different locations, and yet can see and connect to neighbours Shell and Virgin WiFi once you have the pass code of course.

In trying to sort the car connectivity I disabled the 5Ghz WiFi and now having re-enabled it the only thing connected to 5Ghz in the Mesh Booster, all other devices have been stuck on 2.4Ghz for around 3 days now. Hopefully a reboot will fix this.

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Morning,

@KeithFrench - thanks for confirming and we've fed this back to our Devices Team.

Thanks

[KeithFrench]

t might possibly have got re-enabled with the firmware update, you never know!

[AldridgeAndy]

@KeithFrench just disabled upnp now as per your instructions. Historically I am sure it was disabled but I don't have any proof.

[KeithFrench]

Thanks for that. They should disappear if you disable UPnP.

[AldridgeAndy]

Just for info I'm seeing entries like this in the system log;

[KeithFrench]

Hi @AldridgeAndy 

I can't say I have seen that one. Yes, UPnP is a big security risk, as is leaving WPS enabled for long periods of time, but both can easily be disabled in the router's GUI.

To disable UPnP go to:-

Dashboard > Manage my devices > Manage Advanced Settings > Access Control > Port Forwarding

Set Enable UPnP Igd to Off

To disable WPS, go to:-

Dashboard > See Wi-Fi Settings > Manage Advanced Settings > Wi-Fi 2.4Ghz gear icon > WPS

Then turn it off & repeat this for the 5GHz band. The only downside is remembering it is disabled when you want to connect a new device using WPS!!

[AldridgeAndy]

@KeithFrench and @Debbie-TalkTalk 

Sorry I forgot to mention I was also seeing when I checked the system log last night loads of entries stating "upnp enabled" every few minutes, but I'm guessing that's been logged too?

I'm hoping it's a bug as you hear that upnp is a security risk.

[AldridgeAndy]

Hi @KeithFrench  I have WiFi optimisation enabled, I'm one of those lucky folk where at most you see one channel channel change a week sometimes less  🙂