Work VPN over Vodafone HG658c Router timing out 180s

Orson100

Hi guys,

Hopefully somebody may be able to help.

To be brief; recently moved home broadband from Eir to Vodafone and acquired their obligatory locked-down HG658c router in the process.

Thought everything was fine for a short while (even got a bounce in speed from 2.5Mbps to 3.25Mbps - every little helps!) but have eventually determined that my work VPN is timing out *exactly* 180 seconds after I connect it, this happens every time. During the 180 second window, i have full access to my work LAN and VMs, but then at 180 seconds, everything goes. Note that the VPN connection does not announce the disconnection in a dialog box or anything; the Media State still shows as "Connected" and the connection timer still continues to count; it's just that the actual network connectivity to my work LAN is no longer there). To resolve the failure mode, I have to disconnect and re-connect the VPN and then rush to complete or progress whatever i was doing work LAN-side before the next drop-off.

My previous Cisco Linksys router had no such issues; rock-solid connection throughout the day. I have adjusted the MRU downwards but no change, but this does not seem to be a packet loss issue, more like for some reason, one side of the VPN connection appears to think that there's nothing happening and is timing our the connection as a result.

While I have not raised this issue with Vodafone (to complicate matters, the account is in my wife's name, she is generally away during the day, and with my voice having broken several decades ago, she is difficult to impersonate with any degree of success) my understanding is that I will not have the option to go back to my original router because they will not divulge the WAN access credentials.

i was hoping that some of you knowledgeable guys on here might be able to give me a steer as to what might be causing this timeout, the type of questions I should ask Vodafone and what they might ask me etc. any further troubleshooting or tips I can try etc.

TIA
Orson.

ED E

User Name: vodafone@vodafone.ie
(a.k.a. Network ID, PPP Username, Login or Login Username)

Password: broadband

Encapsulation: PPPoE (PPP over Ethernet)

Multiplexing: LLC-based

VPI: 8

VCI: 35

MTU: use default router setting, otherwise use 1492

DNS: set to automatically assigned

If there is a need to be specified use the following

Preferred DNS: 89.19.64.36

Alternate DNS: 89.19.64.164

Off you go!

CreepingDeath

Orson100 wrote: »

... my work VPN is timing out *exactly* 180 seconds after I connect it, this happens every time.

That is weird.

Up until last November I was with UPC, and had a work VPN.
It timed out every so often, until I set a setting for the DHCP lease time to 8 hours, then it worked reliably.

I then moved to a Eircom/Vodaphone only area, and have the exact same modem as yourself. While my speed is set to 20Mbs or so, I was getting random disconnects from the work VPN 2+ times a day, but I was using powerline adapters from downstairs to the attic. I've recently just used a wireless connection direct to the modem and no disconnects in 8 hours+, even from the attic to downstairs.

Other things... Vodafone downgraded my connection from 25Mbs to 20Mbs to compromise speed for reliability on the noisy copper wire to the nearest cabinet.

So maybe log in to your vodafone router, and look at status => wan => DSL (tab)
Under "DSL up time", check if the time connected ties in with your disconnections.

Also, under "Advanced" => "Firewall" mine is set to "Low"
If your firewall is too aggressive, it might be blocking something in your work VPN ?

Or if you have an aggressive anti-virus program, it might be blocking something.
Try temporarily disabling any anti-virus.

regards,
CD

Orson100

ED E wrote: »

Off you go!

Hi Ed E,

Thanks for quick reply, it was always my understanding that these generic UN/PW combos would work once there was service on the line. I read somewhere however that I needed unique credentials to access Vodafone's broadband service.

This new unique UN/PW arrangement seems to be borne out by the fact that the user name on my new router is "Q8Y7N16324[another six digits]@vodafone.ie" and the password is screened. Maybe these credentials are just required for this router though?

But I'll certainly try the generic UN/PW in my old Cisco tomorrow and see if that works.

Thanks
Orson.

Orson100

@creepingdeath, many thanks for the advice and the troubleshooting tips, I will get going on these and post back, possibly tomorrow.

Cheers
Orson.

Orson100

CreepingDeath wrote: »

It timed out every so often, until I set a setting for the DHCP lease time to 8 hours, then it worked reliably.CD

Where do you set this?

CreepingDeath wrote: »

I was using powerline adapters from downstairs to the attic. I've recently just used a wireless connection direct to the modem and no disconnects in 8 hours+, even from the attic to downstairs.

This problem occurs when I am backboned straight into the router.

CreepingDeath wrote: »

log in to your vodafone router, and look at status => wan => DSL (tab) Under "DSL up time", check if the time connected ties in with your disconnections.

DSL never drops, is rock solid throughout these incidents.

CreepingDeath wrote: »

Also, under "Advanced" => "Firewall" mine is set to "Low"
If your firewall is too aggressive, it might be blocking something in your work VPN ?

Mine is also set to low [default].

CreepingDeath wrote: »

Or if you have an aggressive anti-virus program, it might be blocking something. Try temporarily disabling any anti-virus.

I'm on Windows 7 with the only anti-virus being Windows Defender which was not blocking anything last week with my Cisco and which in fairness would not be blocking something at a consistent interval of 180 seconds in any event, has to be something to do with the VPN tunnnel I think.

Thanks again for advice.

ED E

Orson100 wrote: »

Hi Ed E,

Thanks for quick reply, it was always my understanding that these generic UN/PW combos would work once there was service on the line. I read somewhere however that I needed unique credentials to access Vodafone's broadband service.

This new unique UN/PW arrangement seems to be borne out by the fact that the user name on my new router is "Q8Y7N16324[another six digits]@vodafone.ie" and the password is screened. Maybe these credentials are just required for this router though?

But I'll certainly try the generic UN/PW in my old Cisco tomorrow and see if that works.

Thanks
Orson.

Eircom and Vodafone have always used Calling Station (the port your landline is on) to ID you and thus generic credentials would work. Sky used unique per subscription credentials. Maybe this has changed more recently.

If you do in fact need unique credentials its not super difficult to dump them from the supplied device (as Sky Hub users have done since their entrance).

PeterTheEighth

I set up a vodafone connection a few weeks ago and they told me to use the serialnumber@vodafone.ie where the serial number is the number of the HG658c.

Just curious as to where the endpoint of the VPN connection are.

Orson100

PeterTheEighth wrote: »

I set up a vodafone connection a few weeks ago and they told me to use the serialnumber@vodafone.ie where the serial number is the number of the HG658c.

P8, you are correct, the UN is the SN of the HG658c.

But in any event, I just grabbed my old Cisco there and entered the generic vodafone@vodafone.ie/vodafone UN/PW for the WAN credentials, connected it up and what do you know, connected no problem.

As I type, I am five minutes connected to work VPN and pinging their servers with no issues so simple fix in the end, I was clearly misinformed about the requirement for a 'secret' unique UN/PW for Vodafone's broadband service which is clearly not the case. Clearly the new password arrangement is more to do with locking down their routers from unauthorised use as opposed to locking down the service, as they are clearly still ID'ing by Calling Station as referred to by Ed E.

Thanks all for the input.

Orson.