FF 150 Problems: Slow Speed, Instability, Account Dashboard, IP Blacklisting & VOIP Blocking

[LivingWise]

I am a TalkTalk customer since 2012. I recently moved to a house that has only Full Fibre, so I signed up to 150 with a Hub 2 Sagemcom FAST 5464-2.T4 router running SG4K100158 software. I do not use WiFi (only ethernet) so required the 4 LAN ports on the Hub 2 and was advised on this forum that this would not affect the quality of the service.

The TalkTalk 150 went live on Monday 3rd July. Because there is no copper service to this property now, and TalkTalk do not offer a VOIP service, I took out a phone service with bOnline who provided me with a Yealink T31P deskphone. I also have a Gigaset N300 IP Base Station to run 6 Gigaset C530 handsets. I was told by TalkTalk Full Fibre Sales that this would be fine.

These are my current problems:
1. Speed is only 93 mbps down and 31 up, unstable and keeps dropping. Devices plugged directly into the back of the router keep disappearing from the list of connected devices on the router web interface (eg tablet and phones).

2. I cannot access my online TalkTalk account Dashboard without the error message “Oops. Let’s get you back on course… Sorry we’re unable to find the page you’re looking for”. Doesn’t matter what browser or device I use – this is always the response I get when logging in. Clearing history makes no difference.

3. The IP address of my router is showing as blacklisted with SORBS and Spamhaus on MXToolbox.

4. I have been unable set up my Yealink desktop or N300 Base Station. Following an onboarding session with bOnline earlier today, the phone was activated their end and then we added it to the IP Reservation list under the TalkTalk Wi-Fi Hub 2 settings tab. The phone still shows ‘No Service’. We reduced the Firewall in Access Control to Low so that LAN>WAN and WAN>LAN are both now ‘Allow All’. That made no difference, nor did restarting the phone or the router. bOnline advised that we needed to ensure SIP ALG was disabled and QOS enabled on the router but I cannot find those settings anywhere on the Hub 2 control panel.

I had the most distressing phone call with Angel in TalkTalk technical support who told me that there is nothing I can do about any of this other than to wait for 10 days. This will apparently resolve all my issues of speed, stability, online account access and IP blacklisting. If that wasn’t bad enough, I was then told that I don’t have a phone service so of course VOIP won’t work! It didn’t matter how many times I explained that I have a VOIP subscription with bOnline and that I just want to check the router settings, Angel kept repeating that I have no Voice service! I asked if what she meant was that TalkTalk Full Fibre somehow prevents VOIP from working – because I am able to make calls via my PC from the bOnline app just fine… (well until the connection drops out as the line is so unstable), but that I needed to plug a VOIP phone into a LAN port on the back of my router and use it, and she said “yes”!

I am now extremely concerned that I am stuck with a broadband contract that won’t allow me to have a phone in my house, and a VOIP service I can only use on my PC… which is not at all how I need it to work!

So, my questions are:
a. Is the speed, instability, account access and backlisting really going to spontaneously resolve in 10 days? If so great, but I just can’t see how all these are linked!

b. Is it true that I have been mis-sold a full fibre package by TalkTalk in terms of being unable to use VOIP phone devices with it? If so, how do I get out of this contract as it is not fit for purpose!

c. If it is not true, how can I go about ensuring SIP ALG is disabled, and QOS enabled on my Hub 2 as that may be the cause of the Yealink not working (I’ve not attempted to sort the issue with the N300 yet… one problem at a time!).

I would be so grateful for any advice or signposting as I really can’t take much more stress after what I’ve been through with Solicitors and this house move!!! I joked to my husband just last week that if I had issues with the broadband and phone not working that would finish me off… and ta-da! Here I am ;o)))

[LivingWise]

"If I'm honest until you can get a result from a physical connection then it is unlikely there will be any gain from this discussion.

Powerline adapters and Tablets over ethernet will not give an accurate speed result so your initial question is mute until you can provide accurate results."

I have now connected my PC directly to the router with ethernet and run the following tests:

Ookla - 94.10

FastCom - 85

Broadband Speedchecker - 92.52

Test My Speed - 94.7

Average result from 4 speed check sites = 91.58

I was rather hopeful that the cable trip hazard I've just created would have a pay off with a higher speed, but sadly that has proven not to be the case! 😂

[mrwrighty]

I'm sorry to hear about your issues. I know some people appear to be more sensitive the RF than others.

If I'm honest until you can get a result from a physical connection then it is unlikely there will be any gain from this discussion.

Powerline adapters and Tablets over ethernet will not give an accurate speed result so your initial question is mute until you can provide accurate results. To be honest you are likely to see better results on Wifi, but clearly this is issue for you personally on health grounds.

[LivingWise]

"Have you run a speed test on a device connected directly to the router by Ethernet cable (not going through the powerline adapters)?"

Yes... the speedtest was run using my Tablet connected directly with Ethernet to the router. I'm 100% aware that powerline adapters hugely reduce speeds so I am not taking speed results from anything not connected directly to the router. However, in case the Tablet is limited (as per mrwrighty's suggestion above) I am now trying to rig up my PC to the router to re-test the speed. Just trying to find the box with all my extra long ethernet cables! 😉 

[LivingWise]

I've used all sorts of home networking devices in the past so I am aware of their limitations and the quality of the wiring in this house is dubious so as I said - nothing in my current setup is ideal but I have to work with what I've got for now till I can network everything properly. Good advice about using other speed test sites, I'll try that, and the limitation of the Tablet speed hadn't occurred to me so I'll go and see if I have a cable long enough to reach from downstairs to my PC upstairs 👍

WiFi gives me tremendous headaches and nausea. Can't tolerate it for more than a few minutes hence everything in my house is hardwired. I can't use microwaves for the same reason, and I use Gigaset cordless phones as they have an ECO mode that means they stop transmitting when not in an active call, unlike most other cordless handsets. I can't use the Gigasets for long conversations hence I have the Yealink corded deskphone. The Gigasets are used mostly for intercomming around the property and catching a call when away from my desk. At the moment we are having to rely on mobile phones here which is causing me huge issue also as I also get headaches from my mobile, even on speakerphone, so the sooner I can get my deskphone working the better as even though I can make calls via the PC, they frequently drop. I hope I am not going to attract any kind of abuse over this; I'm sick of such ridicule. I've had this issue for well over a decade and it ruined my career. I have been predominately housebound since 2010 and haven't had a holiday since 2014 as I cannot tolerate being anywhere with moderate to high levels of RFR now, so have to avoid crowds where there are lots of mobiles and buildings with WiFi. The reason we have moved is to get away from new neighbours WiFi that made one half of my house uninhabitable for me, despite adding attenuation coverings to the walls. We are now living in Welsh countryside where RFR is actually zero at times and the difference this makes for me is astounding. I love technology; I used to work in IT firstly for Nortel then Scitor that became Equant Networks before being brought out by France Telecom and rebranded as Orange so I can assure anyone reading this I would not have given up that line of career unless forced to by my inability to tolerate RFR!!!

[Chris-TalkTalk]

Have you run a speed test on a device connected directly to the router by Ethernet cable (not going through the powerline adapters)?

Chris

[mrwrighty]

My thoughts exactly!!! I'm also hoping that the rest of the 'advice' I was given by Tech Support was just as wrong as I absolutely need all my phones working here!!! The fact that the analogue phone service is stopping at the end of 2025 surely means that ALL broadband services have to support VOIP regardless of whether that service is bundled with your broadband or not?! 

VOIP is a bone of contention at the moment. FTTP should not have been allowed to be rolled out without VOIP being in place first. I too are on CityFibre and cannot migrate my number or use VOIP on my service. VOIP from CityFibre has been promised for months but not materialised.

[mrwrighty]

Don't use Ookla in isolation, it very much depends on the server providing the speed test. I've used it extensively but alongside others such as fast.com, ISP speed tests and other services. 

I doubt your Galaxy Tab can handle 1gb ethernet either which is why you are seeing 93mb speeds which would align with a 100mb ethernet connection.

Dvolo Powerline adapters (Other makes are available) will also not give best results. It very much depends on your wiring quality but they never ever achieve the advertised speeds. The losses in the system would also probably account for the slower speeds.

You need a computer/laptop directly in to the router with a 1gb ethernet port to run realistic speeds tests. What you have provided does not really prove anything.

Devices dropping off the network if connected via the power line adapters is the likely cause.

Why the reluctance to use Wifi.

[LivingWise]

My thoughts exactly!!! I'm also hoping that the rest of the 'advice' I was given by Tech Support was just as wrong as I absolutely need all my phones working here!!! The fact that the analogue phone service is stopping at the end of 2025 surely means that ALL broadband services have to support VOIP regardless of whether that service is bundled with your broadband or not?! 

[mrwrighty]

Nope why would a new IP address be blacklisted. Its only blacklisted through abuse. 

[LivingWise]

Agree... from my past experience of blacklisted dynamic IPs, it's just pot luck what you get whenever the router resets (either manually or through drop outs). What was interesting is that Tech Support told me the reason it was showing as blacklisted was because it was a 'new IP' and not 'currently registered' but within 10 days will be resolved... along with all the other issues! Does that make any sense?!! 🤔

[LivingWise]

Hi Chris,

93 Mbps is what I get when running Ookla Speedtest on my Galaxy TabS7+ Tablet connected directly to the router with ethernet. I do not use WiFi so have it disabled. At present, I am having to use Devolo dLan home networking plugs to run anything requiring internet (PC, Laptop, TV etc),  because we have not yet installed an ethernet network (having only just moved!). So speeds on other connected devices are of course much lower and I am not taking those into account, only the speed when tested directly at the router. So far, it has been consistently around the mid 90s when run. The only devices currently on my network are Tablet, Yealink and N300 (directly on the router downstairs - with the 4th port being used for dLAN), and my desktop PC and printer (both via dLAN upstairs). I can see all these devices on the Network - though the N300 and Tablet frequently disappear which did make me wonder if the router was perhaps glitching? 

The ONT is in a downstairs room being used as a bedroom currently and our offices are upstairs, so in truth - I've no idea what happens to the ONT when the connection drops because it's no where near me! By the time I've gotten downstairs it's all looking OK on the ONT and the router is firing up again so these drops are short in duration. Our whole set up is currently pretty unhelpful in terms of location of ONT and offices, but we are not in a position to do anything about it just yet as we are living out of boxes! Once I have an ethernet network and data cabinet installed that should improve, but that's a couple of months away as we have a lot of refurbs to do here, so for the time being it'll be long runs of ethernet cables and dLan plugs!

The Yealink has been plugged into both the router directly and via dLan - still shows 'no service' on either. The N300 is plugged directly into the router on both a LAN port and the telephone port. It's working in the sense that I can register handsets to it, but I've not yet tackled the rest of the setup as it's actually rather complicated (for me!) so I wanted to try to get the Yealink working first so that I know for certain VOIP is possible... which Tech Support told me yesterday it absolutely wasn't 🙄

[Chris-TalkTalk]

Thanks for  that. Do you only get speeds of 93Mbps on all devices? When the connection drops do the lights on the ONT and/or router change?

Chris

[mrwrighty]

I've never had an issue with blacklists on dynamic IP addresses. Static yes as they can constantly be abused. 

If you request a dynamic IP to be delisted, it is conceivable that your public IP address would change and you be in the same situation again.

[LivingWise]

Hi Chris, I've added my account number and also the IP address. Interestingly the IP address is different today and is more blacklisted with SORBS, Spamhaus and now RATS Dyna! Not sure how significant this is, but I know I've had trouble in the past when I've had a blacklisted IP on FTTC broadband so thought it worth mentioning ;o)

[Chris-TalkTalk]

Hi LivingWise,

I'm sorry to hear that you're experiencing problems with your service. Can you add your account number to the private notes section of you community profile and we'll take a look at this for you

Chris