BT Business second line support admitted to me that BT Business Hub 5 v230 (last part of version number) has a known issue with uploading that causes the connection to drop. The problem affects some customers not all.
Version affected: BT Business Hub 5 (Type A) | Software version 4.7.5.1.83.8.230. I believe this version has been around from mid-2016 to the date of this post.
Older firmware versions are fine, I can confirm v200 works.
This post is purely informational I don’t want other people experiencing the same pain that I did. The only fix is replacing the BT Hub 5 with something else.
The problem can be easily recreated by uploading to a remote network at maximum upload speed, after around 5 to 10 minutes the PPP connection will drop.
These 2 events will always be logged:
(167840.340000) PPP LCP Send Termination Request [PPPoE PADT received]
(167840.250000) PPPoE is down after 14 minutes uptime [Disconnected]
The connection will come back up in around 30 seconds on a good line, may take longer on a bad one.
I spent several days identifying the exact problem. I can recreate the fault with a factory reset router with a single computer connected with a single Ethernet (wired) connection. I have tried different wires, computers, transfer protocols (FTP and HTTP), and remote networks.
It only occurs when you continuously max out the upload for over 5 minutes. If you throttle down to 9.5 from the 10 max it is fine. If you do a 10 second pause every 2 minutes at max it is fine.
BT made me jump through every hoop possible over the period on a month:
* Opened the case, started off with initial support did the “plug it into the test socket” procedure. Didn’t work we booked an engineer.
* Engineer 1 arrived babbled about star wiring and made a small change to the back of the socket. His test gear showed a pass and he left.
* Problem still exists phoned up support and booked another engineer
* Waited in for engineer all day, he didn’t show. Phoned support they said there is a problem with the booking system and booked another.
* Engineer 2 arrived, nice enough bloke, put his test gear on, showed a pass, suggested I phone support and get them to send me a new router.
* Phoned support asked for a new router, they refused as I was out of contract and booked me another engineer. This engineer would be a “speed promise” engineer, the next level up.
* Engineer 3 arrived, nice chap and very thorough, he spent several hours undoing what engineer 1 did and replaced all the cable from the back of the socket to where the overhead line enters the building. His test gear showed a pass but the problem still exists. He put on the system notes to try a new router.
* Phoned up support and they agreed to send me a new router this time. They asked if any of the engineers had tried a new router, they seemed to think the engineers carried them, I asked all 3 engineers if they had another router to try but none of them had one.
* New router arrived version: BT Business Hub 5 (Type A) | Software version 4.7.5.1.83.8.200 | Last updated Unknown (Note last part is 200 not 230)
* Bingo it worked I tried many test uploads the thing was rock solid kept testing it every day and checking the logs the thing was perfect.
* After 4 days of rock solid connection the connection went down one afternoon I logged into the router and immediately noticed the version had automatically updated to version 230. Maybe it had just restarted for the update? I tried a test upload again, the exact same problem had returned.
* Phoned support they said someone from second line support would get back to me within 4 hours.
* No one called, phoned support the next day, they said someone will call within 4 hours.
* No one called, phoned support the next day, they said someone will call within 4 hours.
* No one called, phoned support the next day, this time they kept me on the line for around 45 minutes and they said someone will call within 4 hours.
* Second line support finally called. I explained the problem he obviously wasn’t listening to a word I was saying.
He kept babbling about wireless, I told him I never use wireless in fact it is disabled on the router. He connected remotely and I watched him enable wireless and continue to rant about wireless, I repeated to him several times I never use wireless I had it disabled.
The next thing he checked was the static IP range, I told him I could reproduce the problem with a factory reset router I have no problems with static IPs, he wasn’t listening and continued to check the static IP settings. He got the network address and router address mixed up in his mind and kept saying something isn’t right here, I told him it is right and he put me on hold for a bit then came back and said the static IPs are setup correctly.
He now asked me to reproduce the problem, I started uploading a 2GB test file with FileZilla to remote network, the connection dropped after 5 minutes.
At this point he really started to have a meltdown he went on about limits for about 10 minutes and I kept telling him I’m on unlimited, he knew this anyway. The fact anyone would upload a 2GB file seemed to blow his mind and he kept asking why I would do this. Then he suggested I install some software to monitor how much I upload, at this point I said “I don’t know where you’re going with this” and he seemed to listen and put me on hold. When he returned he told me someone has just informed him there is a known problem with the 230 firmware. He offered me £50 towards a third party router.
Let this me a lesson be a lesson to anyone who fancies taking on BT support.
I can’t help but wonder:
* Why don’t broadband engineers carry broadband routers? The phone support seemed to think they do, well they don’t.
* Why aren’t known problems reported to support staff at all levels? This could have all been avoided.
* Why does no one ever listen to a word I’m telling them? I have got a bit of a droning voice but I do know what I’m on about.
* Why keep boasting about second line support’s 4 hour turn around? When its 4 days, and then you have to continually chase them.
* What sort of training do second line support receive? My experience was like an exercise in irrational thinking to demonstrate what not to do.
* How do they come up with £50 towards a new router? Their own routers costs £130.
* How can they get away with charging for a service that they can’t deliver? Isn’t this a breach of the Consumer Rights Act?
They say the problem only affects some customers. I just wonder how many people have this problem just haven’t fully identified it. Unless you are transferring large files to remote networks with over 10 down at the other end then you may never see this problem.
Don’t know if it is relevant but the following is out of the ordinary on my setup:
* I’m running business broadband on a domestic line
* I have Red Care on the line
* I have 5 static IPs
None of these things should be a problem I just wonder if v230 may have some incompatibly with any of these. Again v200 works just fine.
I’ve ordered a DrayTek Vigor 2860 Wired ADSL VDSL Router.
I have confirmed I can still use the BT Hub 5 as just a WAP, if I the kids want to connect a DS or something. I can leave it physically unplugged most of the time.
In the end I passed the anger stage and ended up more philosophical than anything else. I knew deep down from the start the problem was with BT’s router, just I felt I was paying for a service and I should be receiving it.
Hope this can help someone out or at least have a bit of a laugh.
Cheers
Sammy