Superhub : Virgin Business Superhub now has Modem Mode

[huwjr]

Sorry should have been clearer, a predecessor set up the following (static IP stripped):
http://i60.tinypic.com/291djjl.png

This way the downstream router can use the static,public ip as the gw ip and traffic will go in/out happily(ish), for some reason trying to replicate this on the pfsense is impossible.

[rhyds]

The way we've done with out routed subnet (5 static IPs) is set up the superhub with that page and then disabled the firewall (after enabling VPN/Multicast passthrough). That's then fed in to a switch and we run 2x routers and a videoconference machine directly.

[huwjr]

Sounds identical to what I've been doing, only unable to get this method to work either with a newer (but identical) ALIX router.

Clutching at imaginary straws here, I don't suppose anyone has successfully run a non-virgin router on their business line? I'm aware they're 'hardware locked' but figure somebody might have managed it!

[ccarmock]

If you mean replace the Business superhub with another device - no that is not possible.

I do run a Cisco 800 series router behind the Superhub 1 with static routed subnet though with no issue. The public IP addresses appear on the Cisco router with the exception of the first in my range which is on the superhub.

I have a static default route on the Cisco router pointing to the one public IP address I have allocated to the Superhub

[jackbrown1993]

Please see my blog post on this...

http://www.brown1993.com/11/11/2014/...nd-modem-mode/

Thanks,

Jack.

[qasdfdsaq]

Meh, if you have PFSense and 1:1 NAT mapping modem mode is pretty moot anyway. That said I'm surprised you'd get a valid IP but no connectivity...

[jackbrown1993]

pfSense is running a single LAN and Multiple WAN environment and is load balancing traffic over the multiple WAN connections. NAT isn't 1:1 it's overloading on each interface.

Jack.

[qasdfdsaq]

It is 1:1 between the pfSense box and the Superhub though...

[ccarmock]

I see VMB have added a postcode checker to their pages now. if you start to follow through the order process you can see that the existing fixed IP options - single or two routed subnet options are there for the 50 Mb/s and wording as changed if you select the 152 Mb/s to fixed IP address not currently available with that option. By using the word currently there, first slight indication on the website that it; might be coming.

As mentioned VMB sales have suggested in Q1 next year.

[APS]

Originally Posted by InsaneNutter

Virgin has downgraded our Superhub to the previous BUS_V2.37.06 firmware as BUS_V2.37.13 kept crashing our Superhub every 12-14 hours. Two days later and it’s still going strong.

As mentioned earlier we are on the .13 firmware and have noticed an increasing number of loss of connection. Normally we just reboot (now every few days) but this morning I tried to connect to the modem whilst it was not routing traffic with a laptop to check what its view of its status was via the web interface. I could not get any response on 192.168.0.1; it would not even respond to a ping. However, the status light was blue and occasionally flashing, but no device connected to the LAN side could route traffic.

This would imply that some part of the modem software was non-functional or crashed.

Has anyone else seen this yet. Was this the reason "Insanenutter" asked for the downgrade?

[ccarmock]

As I was using the VM Business service I just saw the Superhub reboot and when it came back unable to ping it and the upper blue light was flickering in a different 'pattern' to usual, and then it rebooted again. It has finally upgraded to the BUS_V2.37.13. Supporting the idea that they have been upgraded area by area.

Based on what I read here I am not so sure this is a good thing though!

I did find the SIP ALG option, which was reported to be available with this version, is in the firewall section, and on mine at least, is enabled by default, though greyed out unless the firewall is enabled.

---------- Post added at 01:02 ---------- Previous post was at 00:48 ----------

Unless the newer firmware is reporting slightly differently I have noticed a drop from an average of 41-42 dB SNR on the downstreams to:-

Locked 125 299000000 Hz QAM256 0.4 dBmV 38.2 dB 166 0
Locked 121 267000000 Hz QAM256 0.0 dBmV 39.0 dB 164 0
Locked 122 275000000 Hz QAM256 -0.2 dBmV 38.6 dB 161 0
Locked 123 283000000 Hz QAM256 -0.7 dBmV 38.6 dB 177 0
Locked 124 291000000 Hz QAM256 -1.0 dBmV 38.5 dB 186 0
Locked 126 307000000 Hz QAM256 0.7 dBmV 38.2 dB 119 0
Locked 127 315000000 Hz QAM256 0.8 dBmV 38.5 dB 129 0
Locked 128 323000000 Hz QAM256 0.7 dBmV 38.2 dB 131 0

Having said that still happy with the power levels.


I also see extra reports in the network log about the PPP & L2TP sessions:-

Date Time Error Number Error Description
18/11/2014 00:31:28 82000400 Received Response to Broadcast Maintenance Request, But no Unicast Maintenance opportunities received - T4 time out;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=50:57:a8:88:fe:a7;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
18/11/2014 00:31:14 2436694091 L2tp session up
18/11/2014 00:31:14 2436694086 PPP session up
18/11/2014 00:31:07 2436694090 Starting L2tp session
18/11/2014 00:30:40 2436694078 TOD established
Time Not Established Time Not Established 68000300 DHCP WARNING - Non-critical field invalid in response ;CM-MAC=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx;CMTS-MAC=50:57:a8:88:fe:a7;CM-QOS=1.0;CM-VER=3.0;

[huwjr]

Update since my last post:

As mentioned already we were also periodically being disconnected, Virgin said that 'the internet and hub is working so it must be your problem' (or words to that effect) but as I was also unable to ping 192.168.0.1 from ethernet ports I find it hard to believe.

We disconnected 31 times in September - since the firmware had appeared without warning - and after modem mode literally failed altogether I set about Virgin for a reinstall of the .06 Firmware, which eventually arrived in classic Virgin style with no warning what so ever - despite making it very clear we needed to know when it would be deployed.

Then came the 10 days of blissful uninterrupted internet connection before all of a sudden we start disconnecting and low and behold, we are back on the .13 firmware.

I think it's fair to say I'm ****ed off.

[huwjr]

Called Virgin again yesterday and asked to be put back on .06 firmware AGAIN - haven't heard anything yet.

The SH has dropped a few times today already, for the sake of sanity I've plugged in 2 laptops to the hub (as well as our existing downstream router), when logging in through the external ip address using 3G and the 'remote login' details I am unable to see any of these devices connected.

http://i62.tinypic.com/2ai0tu9.png

[huwjr]

So the update is we are now leasing a line and IP from our neighbour who has fibre to premises - no more ****ing around with the SH, YAY!

We've left the connection plugged in as a VPN service, this is still being monitored by nagios and therefore downtime is recorded. Today we have had a visit from an engineer who tells us that they have seen our SNR dropping as low as 26 and that since the firmware update the minimum should be 29 (apparently it is indeed more sensitive since the update).

The engineer is knowledgable, polite and is checking our line in and out of the building all the way back to the exchange - feeling quite Christmassy today (lol).

I'm not quite sure how the SNR dropping would stop LAN functionality on the Superhubs ethernet ports, but I'm passed caring now.

It's been like getting blood from a stone, each time I've called up quoting the same fault reference it's been handled as if it was a new fault.. no escalation at all and for a 'business' contract a distinct lack of an account manager to chase things up for us.

[ccarmock]

I had a local SNR fault about a year ago where it would drop and cause the SH to re-sync during that time the SH wouldn't respond to pings on it's LAN port. It seems there are parts of it's startup/sync process where the LAN port link remains up but it will not respond to traffic. Maybe that is what you are seeing.

Since being upgraded to the .13 firmware I have had no drop outs at all - stable for 3 days so far.