Kernel Panic leads to frequent router resets

[jebus1967]

Hi I am having frequent router reset issues due to a Kernel panic in my router's firmware.

The message reads as follows:

1981-01-01 00:00:10 [Error][Alarm-Log] AlarmID:104001,AlarmLevel:Error,Device reset. Cause: System reset due to kernel panic, Terminal:OTHER

The outcome is that all of my Smarthome devices frequently lose their connection, including (most annoyingly my Sonos surround sound system, my HomeAassistant SmartHome hub and My Harmony IR remote control hub. It seems to be a constant battle to keep all my things connected.

I have attached my full system log below. But please can you resolve this issue, either remotely or directly? I reported this problem once before and you sent me another ADSL router. However it was exactly the same make and model (and firmware version) as my existing router and made no difference whatsoever! I am on your full fibre package, but am seriously considering migrating to another company unless these issues can be fixed!

Please resolve!

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi jebus1967

Thanks for the additional information.

You should be able to connect these devices. @KeithFrench provides great advice on improving wireless performance, could you help please Keith?

KeithFrench is one of our valued Community Stars and can help with a range of issues related to wireless and networking. At times he may ask you to send him test results via a Private Message to help analyse/diagnose an issue.  Although Keith does not work for TalkTalk, he very kindly shares his time and knowledge to help with others.  

If you need further help or, if we need to take any details such as personal information about your account like phone numbers, account numbers etc.  one of the TalkTalk team will jump in and help out.

[jebus1967]

Debbie, I don't know if I got a Sagecom Wifi Hub, on account of even the advanced settings page being extremely basic compared to my last router, so I can't easily look up the device information, or statistics, or anything like this.

However, I did eventually find how to split out the 2.4 GHz network by mostly just trial and error - and following a previous poster's advice I was able to reconnect the majority of my smart home devices (well about 50% to be exact), by simply giving the 2.4GHz network SSID the same network name as I used on my previous router. However, the remainder are all Tuya/Smart Life enabled smart plugs and smart devices and for the life of me, no matter what I try, these all refuse point-blank to connect to this router. I've tried resetting the plugs, removing the app and reinstalling it, making sure the app and the plugs are all on the same network. I've tried removing the plugs from within the app, I've tried resetting the router several times. I have wasted several precious sleepless hours doing this into the bargain. I'm utterly convinced at this juncture the problem is not at my end. Is there something you can do that will enable my home network to play nice with smart home devices, specifically those that are Tuya/Smart Life enabled? I have even tried disabling the 5GHz bandwidth on this router entirely, in case there was some issue with interference. (And since 5 GHz isn't useful in Tuya devices anyway.) I have not got the password mixed up, as I copied and pasted this from my phone's settings into the Tuya/Smart Life app. I mean, I knew it already. But I just wanted to check there wasn't something weird going on when I was typing it.

In case you aren't familiar with this line of products, this is the single most popular type of affordable smart plugs, lightbulbs and other smart devices currently on sale in the world today. Tuya are the parent company and they licence their technology to probably hundreds of subsidiaries. There are also a great many individually branded apps, but that is irrelevant as they are all compatible with the Tuya/Smart Life platform. The point being that any smart device you buy on Amazon (or elsewhere) currently in the sub £30 range, is almost certainly a Tuya compatible device.

In other words, they are quite a big deal. So I hope, given the changing nature of our modern world, where smart home devices are becoming ever more ubiquitous, you won't simply say that you are not able to offer any support in this regard? Why should I have an ISP, or a Wifi that doesn't support over half my connected devices? I also use my smart home devices as a form of 'assistive technology', as I'm disabled and have a number of chronic mobility issues, so having a functioning smart home is far more important to me than just the novelty of being able to use Alexa to turn my lights and other devices off and on.

PS

I just checked the back of the hub. It appears I do have the Sagecom hub.

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi jebus1967

You should still be able to split the SSID's on this router once you log into the router admin page.

Did you receive the Sagemcom WIFI hub?

[jebus1967]

Debbie and Co, maybe I'm missing something? But this router doesn't look like it will be much use either? Most of my smart home devices require 2.4 GHz connectivity. However there appears to be no way with this most recent router to individually change the SSID of the 2.4 GHz network so that I can instruct my smart home devices to connect only to this. If I don't rename my 2.4 GHz SSID, then a great many of my smart home devices will try to connect to whatever SSID I name. But if both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz SSIDs share the same name (and these can't be changed individually), then my devices will be just as likely to attempt to connect to the 5 GHz band  (and fail) as they are to try to connect to the 2.4 GHz band.

I must say that my initial impression of this new router is that the 'advanced' settings page appears to have been massively dumbed down? With the older router I had control over almost every aspect of its function. But with this router the advanced settings page appears to have been massively redacted, so that only a very few of the previously available settings are accessible?

How can that possibly be considered useful in a setting like mine where I have a large number of connected devices in my home, a large percentage of which may need some individual router tweaks and adjustments?

Do you have a router version perhaps that can restore full control back to the user?

[davidl1]

Just change the new router SSID and password to the same as the old one, no need to re set connected  devices 

[jebus1967]

Hi, before I individually reset all 46 of smart home devices to use this router, please can you tell me if any similar issues have been reported with my new router, or if this is likely to play well with my smart home equipment? What are the most common issue with my new router?

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi jebus1967

I'm glad you've received this ok.

If you do need any further assistance once you have tested with this router then please let us know.

Thanks

Debbie

[jebus1967]

Yes I got it, thanks. But I haven't tested it yet.

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi jebus1967

Did you receive the router?

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi jebus1967

Ok, thank you.

Debbie

[jebus1967]

Thanks, Debbie. I'll let you know. There's a small chance it might still be there when I return home.

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi jebus1967

Apologies, the router was ordered before we knew you would be away.

Please post back here once you are home and I will re order another router.

Thanks

[jebus1967]

First your view was neither asked for, nor is it welcomed. So stick that in your pipe and smoke it! Second, the question was asked, did I get the router? I simply confirmed I did not and stated the reason for this. Simple as. You might imagine it would make sense not to mail things during the holidays, however. (As did I.) If there's a card, I will use it when I return on the 2nd. If not, and it has been left outside my flat door, there's a fair chance it will be taken by a random passing thief. Not that it will be much use to them, but there you go.

[Gliwmaeden2]

Staff indicated that they didn't have any way to stop the progress of the router once it was ordered, @jebus1967.

It was ordered around lunchtime on 21st, but the instruction to delay delivery not picked up before the following day. There was no way to stop it.

The instructions about picking it up will be on a card through the door etc.

You would need to have mentioned that you were away for the holidays BEFORE staff ordered it, but you seemed to give the go ahead.

They were simply being efficient!

[jebus1967]

No. As I stated, I am away from home visiting relatives for the holiday. It made no sense for you to send the router before I returned home on January the 2nd. I clearly stated I would not be at home to accept the delivery before then. Although I assume this is what you have done regardless?

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi jebus1967

Did you receive the router ok?

[Chris-TalkTalk]

Hi jebus1967,

I'm sorry, we can't delay delivery but our routers are designed to fit through most letterboxes. If it won't fit through your letterbox then the delivery driver will leave a card with information about arranging a redelivery

Chris

[jebus1967]

Can I ask you to delay delivery until the 2nd of January, or use Royal Mail, so I can go to my local sorting office to collect it? I will be away from home for the holidays until then.

[Karl-TalkTalk]

Hi

I've ordered the router via our manual process and specifically requested the sagemcom model.

Thanks  

Karl. 

[jebus1967]

I did this once before and you sent me exactly the same router. You can try sending me one I guess, but only if you are certain it's a different and more up-to-date router.