OT: Networking help ?

[Jethro_uk]

VM Internet died this afternoon.

Much arsing about, (and some hints from Tech Support, although they didn't know it) shows that my OG Superhub has decided - all on it's own - not to work in modem mode.

Connecting to 192.160.100.1 showed a network log of error 82000400 (from memory).

Guy at the other end said he could "see" my superhub in modem mode, but that it must be ****ed as he couldn't operate it.

New Superhub is on it's way.

However, because I will probably go mad before the inevitable (Yodel) buggered delivery and extra wait, I had a mess around.

I can confirm by dint of repeated mode swapping, that it's modem mode that won't work. Superhub mode seems to connect fine (hence this post) :)

So 2 questions.

1) Anyone had this before. 2) I should be able to daisy chain a port on the superhub to a port on my router and use it as switch ?

[Pancho]

How do you know/Not necessarily.

From what I can remember Virgin connection protocols are sniffy about what is connecting, different modes require Virgin to assign a different IP address. A new IP can take many minutes to acquire after a change. Can't remember how long, but maybe 15 minutes, maybe more.

It is possible the non modem mode IP could be sticky so it will connect immediately to that. If you switch to modem you have to wait for a new IP address, hence it appears not to work, if you swap back it reconnects immediately to the old address.

Even in modem mode you see this if you change routers, or more precicely change the router's ethernet NIC MAC.

Can you log on to the superhub when in modem mode?

Sure, you can daisy chain, I think you can even have it continue to work as a router.

[John Rumm]

Not exactly, but I did go to configure a new superhub the other day and found that it did not even have the switch to take it into modem mode! (or "disable residential gateway" or some such similar odd term).

So long as you disable its DHCP server, yup you should be able to.

[Jethro_uk]

Have repeated the procedure this morning. With exactly the same results.

Hmmmm. There are 2 MAC addresses inside the SH. It uses one in SH mode and one in modem mode. So it's possible there's something dodgy about the modem mode one. Although (a) it just happened, and (b) the VM tech support agent wasn't aware of it. Mysteriously he said he could "see" my modem on the network (so no fibre issues) but that he was unable to connect to it. So it must be faulty ....

Well I left it over 12 hours ...

Yes - you get a limited interface. But you can see network logs. So I was able to tell the tech support I was seeing:

82000400 Received Response to Broadcast Maintenance Request, But no Unicast Maintenance opportunities received - T4 time out;CM- MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;

and then

2436694062 Unicast DSID PSN startup error

sadly not. My router (TP LINK) has a WAN port where it expects the internet to come in.

Oh well, I've cobbled a fix together - at least SWMBO can pass the time of day ...

[Pancho]

No, in modem mode the SH detects changes in the NIC MAC of the router you connected to it. This is only important if you use different routers, connected into the SH in modem mode. I mentioned it to give context.

Switching between Modem mode and Superhub mode also causes the VM IP change, which can take tens of minutes or be virtually instantaneous if VM recognises a previous connection setup.

Practically all this means is that you might need to wait after making a setup change. I can't remember exactly, but ballpark 10-20 minutes. It makes reliably testing configurations very slow.

AIUI, sending a new SH is cheaper for VM than diagnosing problems with the coax cable connection from your house to the local VM cabinet.

If you are keen you can log onto the SH (in either mode) and look at the cable power levels. Check yours are in the correct range.

Snow can cause problems with electrical connections.

If you left it 12 hours, connected in modem mode, this is not the problem. It was only the case if you were flipping modes and only leaving it a few minutes before deciding that mode didn't work.

Yes, leave it plugged into the SH, you will be double NAT, but from memory it should work.

If it works... :-)

[Jethro_uk]

So despite the combination of Virgin and Yodel being potentially shit squared, the new Superhub was delivered this morning.

All up & running now, in modem mode.

Be curious as to what was going on before. However, reading the VM forums, it seems that the SH3 is on DOCSIS 3.1 as opposed to the original SH DOCSIS 3.0. The difference being 800MBps *and* better network flexibility. So I wonder if I was curated to an upgrade ?

Either way things are flying again. And the beauty of WiFi is SWMBO never noticed :)

[Robin]

I thought you needed the SH4 for DOCSIS 3.1. My SH3 is definitely stick on 3.0. Does yours have a later firmware than the below?

Standard specification compliant : DOCSIS 3.0 Hardware version : 10 Software version : 9.1.1912.302

[Jethro_uk]

Now it's in modem mode I can't see the config page ...

[John Rumm]

I think it shifts the config page onto a different subnet when in modem mode. ISTR it is moved to 192.168.100.1

You would need to add a secondary IP address in that subnet to your ethernet adaptor to be able to browse to it, so something like:

netsh interface ipv4 add address "Alternate Address" 192.168.100.10

255.255.255.0

(or you can do it from the GUI using the advanced button on the IPv4 properties dialogue)

[Jethro_uk]

Oh, it does - and I can access that from my laptop.

Looking again, I see "DOCSIS 3.0" on one of the summary pages. However since that is what I am paying for I can't be too unhappy.

The question is whether this hub helps them manage traffic better their end ?