Wifi security settings have been successfully saved dropping wifi

[Lee2023]

Hi, I wonder if anybody can help me here. I've been having issues with my wifi dropping since my contract started with talktalk. Having suffered this issue for around 3 months now and trying everything to fix it I'm pretty certain I narrowed the issue down to the spam of 4-6 messages in the router log saying "wifi security settings have been successfully saved". 

This is what I've tried/had done. Firstly I use a sagemcom fast 5364 router. I first requested a new router from talktalk after the line tests came back fine. They refused so I purchased another talktalk fast 5364 router from ebay as I thought the router was faulty. Within a few days of receiving the router I bought I noticed the same issue happening. So I then bought a tplink router and tried that. That router doesn't noticibly drop the wifi. But I shouldn't have to use my own hardware and lose talktalk support for future issues.

So during this time I've been contacting talktalk via live chat and phone, had the usual frustrating script replies and tests. 

And then I noticed in the router logs. Each time the wifi drops the devices there is between 4 and 6 messages in the log stating "wifi security settings have been successfully saved" these all get logged within a few seconds and during that time the logs always show every wifi device gets disconnected. 

I've had a talktalk engineer, an open reach engineer and most recently I accepted their offer of a new router as they insist this issue isn't caused by talktalk. Within minutes of setting the new router up, wifi settings have been successfully saved was spammed to my router disconnecting all wifi devices.

The light on the router stays white, the Internet doesn't disconnect it simply drops all wifi connections and it happens randomly multiple times per day but it's mostly evident during the night. 

Talktalk refuses to accept or even acknowledge these settings that are clearly changing something in the router that causes the wifi signal on my and my partners phones to dissappear for a few seconds, that is the only visual thing that happens.. Obviously we lose wifi for about 10 seconds. 

I did ask the customer services and live chat to turn off wifi optimisation which was difficult in itself as they didn't seem to have a clue what I was talking about. They said it was then off. But still the wifi drops came. 

It seems petty to complain about the wifi dropping for a few seconds but I do play a lot of online gaming which of course gets affected by it. I'm also paying for a service which is faulty. I've been with talktalk for 8 years now and this only started when I moved home. 

Does anybody have any idea how I can fix this or what might be causing it as I truly am at my wits end and I'm going to cancel my contract with them as they completely refuse to accept the issue is being caused by their own systems. 

Ive read a few posts on these forums about these wifi settings being saved and nobody got any resolution. I'd advise anybody noticing these messages, watch your wifi signal on your phones if it dissapears, log into the router and check the logs. I feel this is possibly not only affecting me but maybe they haven't noticed it dropping their wifi. 

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi Lee

I'm so glad to hear that the WIFI optimisation being switched off has helped.

Apologies that this issue was ongoing. If you factory reset the router then the WIFI optimisation will switch back on.

If you do experience any further issues then please post back here and let me know.

Thanks

Debbie

[Lee2023]

Hi Debbie, 

Just a quick update, since you turned off wifi optimisation I haven't noticed any wifi drops or entries in the log about wifi settings being saved. I will continue to monitor it, but so far it's looking good. 

It seems like wifi optimisation is the culprit. I had asked live chat to disable it once, they said they did disable it, clearly they didn't. Also the case manager who's been phoning me about the issue was adamant no such thing exists. 

After 3 months of non stop problems, wasted phone calls, engineer appointments and wasting my time with live chat it seems the issue was coming from talktalk all along. You need a promotion to head of customer services because all those people were useless. Thank you for your help. 

One last thing, will wifi optimisation enable itself if for example I was to reset the router? 

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi Lee

Thank you 🙂

I've let our Devices Team know that the Sagemcom hub is now connected.

I have also switched off the WIFI optimisation as requested.

I will keep you updated.

Thanks

Debbie

[Lee2023]

OK I have plugged it back in, in the meantime could you please disable wifi optimisation for the router so I can see if that helps? 

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi Lee

Our Devices Team have asked if you could connect the Sagemcom WIFI hub to the line for 2 days so they can do some testing/monitoring?

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Thanks Lee

I will post back as soon as I have further information from our Devices Team.

Debbie

[Lee2023]

I only receive the message on the sagemcom routers, I have 3 sagemcom routers at the minute, all have the same problem. Yes I received a replacement router from talktalk on 20th October and within an hour of plugging it in it had dropped the wifi. 

I haven't checked if it happens to ethernet connections, I'd imagine it doesn't since the messages relate to wifi security settings and the Internet isn't disconnecting. It doesn't happen on a 3rd party router or my old talktalk hg633 if I disable remote management and tr069. 

It's not my line, I've had 2 engineer visits, they both say its fine. It can't be the router, it happens on 3 seperate sagemcom fast 5364's.

These setting changes that are getting logged are interfering with the wifi and causing it to drop. 

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi Lee2023

Thanks for your reply.

You receive the same message with the Sagemcom router connected?  wifi security settings have been successfully saved"

Have we sent you another Sagemcom hub for testing?

Is it only the wireless connection dropping, are wired devices ok?

I just want to double check that I have all the information before I ask our Devices Team to take a look.

[Lee2023]

Yes Debbie, I'm still experiencing it. It was so bad over the weekend I unplugged the talktalk router and went back to using the tplink. Talktalk customer services have pretty much exhausted all the solutions they have. 

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi Lee2023

Can I just check, are you still experiencing a fault with the service?

[KeithFrench]

Hi @nasum1 

Are you really seeing the same problem? IWhich make/model of router are you using?

It is very common for the WiFi to go off when your phone is locked to save on battery life. There may be an option in the settings (no mention of what phone it is) to have it on all the time

[nasum1]

I'm currently experiencing the exact same issue as you. The wifi toggle turns itself off after having my phone's screen off for a few minutes.

[KeithFrench]

I have already asked one of TalkTalk's support as promised to pick your thread up and investigate it for you. These staff do not work to scripts and will sort your problems if anyone can. 

I have just re-escalted it for you now.

[Lee2023]

Hi, mrb97

Yes I used the tplink in to replace the sagemcom router and I experienced no issues. I do also have a couple of old Hg633 routers which I tried. On those I disabled TR069 and remote management. Again I experienced no issues as id blocked talktalks system from accessing the router.

But using those 2 routers aren't a fix, if either break, I then have to replace them at my expense.

Also does anyone know if I should be entitled to some kind of compensation for waiting in for an engineer visit who didn't turn up? 

On the 13th of October talktalk customer service called me back and said they would book an openreach engineer visit, they booked it for the next day (14th october) between 1pm and 6pm. 

I sat waiting all day for this engineer who didn't turn up. I called talktalk on the following Monday to ask why he didn't come and apparently the talktalk representative hadn't booked the appointment properly. I eventually pointed out to them if I hadn't been at home  and missed their engineer I would have been charged £75. He eventually mumbled that I should get compensation. But so far I've received nothing. I've mentioned this compensation to them during further calls. But all they seem to do is fob me off, one said they would deal with that after the issue is resolved. 

Should I be entitled to some compensation? 

To be quite honest, I've had nothing but lies and excuses from every talktalk representative I've spoken to for the last 3 months. 

[KeithFrench]

I can give loads of advice on the Sagemcom in all respects including using it as an initial router linking to another router.

[mrb97]

Hi @Lee2023, when using TPLink device, is that completely in place of the TT Sagemcom? As in the TPLink is a modem/router combo and is connected to the phone socket?

As you mention, using own (modem) equipment is unsupported by TT if there were any broadband connection issues. But is there any reason why you couldn’t just make use of the wi-fi portion of the TPLink device?

Would maybe first just need to login and alter the TPLink’s own IP address to ensure there is no conflict with the Sagemcom’s own IP address and connect them together using an ethernet patch cable. Both devices will still be accessible via their respective web interfaces as usual and wi-fi clients using the TPLink would not drop out.

The unaltered Sagemcom device will do its thing providing connection to the internet and the TPLink would cater soley for wi-fi, and since they are on the same network (eg 192.168.x.x) the wi-fi traffic will make its way via ethernet to the Sagemcom and be routed in and out to the ‘net as usual.

It’s not ideal to need two devices but I know it ought to work as an elderly relation when they got self install TT fibre and a new modem/router, they actually connected it via ethernet to their old ADSL2 modem/router/AP and they could use all of their many wi-fi devices without having to individually re-pair them to the wi-fi of new fibre modem.

Don’t know much on the Sagemcom wi-fi issue, but certainly any ISP would be able to query, modify config and eg firmware of their devices using the industry standard TR-069 protocol.

[Lee2023]

Thank you for the reply Keith, I had to buy a router as I was sure the router was faulty at the start and talktalk customer services refused to send me a new router, this was 2 or so months ago. They eventually did send me a new router which I received on the 20th October and within the last 2 hours alone I have had at least 3 wifi drops and the spam of wifi security settings. 

I have already spoken to customer services multiple times about this. I even had a case manager phone me on the 20th October about this. I asked him to try one last thing for me (since between talktalk and myself I believe everything has been tried). I asked him to disable wifi optimisation on my router. He replied.... "There is no such thing, talktalk doesn't remotely change router settings." or words to that effect. He basically called the staff who work on these forums liars, when I stated there was multiple threads where the staff had offered to turn off wifi optimisation he said no such option to turn off wifi optimisation exists. I told him to Google "talktalk wifi optimisation" for proof that their own community forums can do this. He didn't reply to that. 

The talktalk engineer came out and said the issue is probably on my account at talktalk. Of course talktalk refuse to accept this. The openreach engineer said the line was working fine and also the issue must be at talktalks side.

I have exhausted every possible fix for this issue that talktalk can recommend and they still refuse to accept their systems have to be sending something to my router for these log entries. He even claimed talktalk have no way of even accessing my router remotely to send settings or optimise my Internet, which I know is a lie. 

After 8 years as a talktalk customer It's time to say goodbye to talktalk as it seems I either accept the wifi dropouts for another 15 months or cancel the contract. 

[KeithFrench]

You need not have gone to the extremes of buying replacement routers, if the staff here think the router is faulty, then they will replace it for free.

I assume that you are not making the changes manually yourself? I have seen this behaviour once before. I have asked one of TalkTalk's support to pick your thread up and investigate it for you.

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