Spark Launches new Inhome Experience - Spark Smart Modem & Spark Smart Mesh

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Spark Launches new Inhome Experience - Spark Smart Modem & Spark Smart Mesh

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#2473244 29-Apr-2020 11:44

BuzzLightyear:

steve98:

I replaced mine with a Unifi Ubiquiti AC Lite a few days ago and I've not had a single drop-out or issue since. The issues I was seeing were definitely with the Smart Modem.

Did you keep the smart modem as a modem and Unifi as Wifi or replace the whole lot? I'm thinking of doing the same.

I was using the Smart Modem as an AP only, with a Fritzbox as the router. So now I'm still using the Fritzbox as the router, but connected to a Unifi for the wifi.

myopinion

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#2473251 29-Apr-2020 11:57

TBH I’ve never really had much luck with an all in one device modem/wifi router. That’s why I replaced my very old Xtra all in one with the Vigor/Airport express setup years ago. Had hoped the smart modem would work well but it doesn’t. Ive used a power line wifi extender for the other side of the house and the wifi is now great. Using the Vigor 130/Airport express setup I haven’t had a drop out for days now. Thinking I’m going to have to send the Smart Modem back to Spark and go back to open term.

BuzzLightyear

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#2473255 29-Apr-2020 12:07

myopinion:

TBH I’ve never really had much luck with an all in one device modem/wifi router. That’s why I replaced my very old Xtra all in one with the Vigor/Airport express setup years ago. Had hoped the smart modem would work well but it doesn’t. Ive used a power line wifi extender for the other side of the house and the wifi is now great. Using the Vigor 130/Airport express setup I haven’t had a drop out for days now. Thinking I’m going to have to send the Smart Modem back to Spark and go back to open term.

I have a DHCP issue with the Smart Modem which is just annoying. It basically means that random devices from the network drop now and again. I can get them up again but its a pain in the ar**. Considering whether to just keep the Smart Modem as a modem and add a good router/WiFi solution with DHCP for the rest of the network. Not sure if the Ubiquiti solution will deliver what I want or whether I should just chuck the smart modem altogether. Any suggestions would be great.

@Hio77 is there a timeline for the DHCP issue resolution? I have also got a smart mesh which makes the doubly painful as I've just wasted money.

myopinion

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#2473257 29-Apr-2020 12:09

BuzzLightyear:

myopinion:

TBH I’ve never really had much luck with an all in one device modem/wifi router. That’s why I replaced my very old Xtra all in one with the Vigor/Airport express setup years ago. Had hoped the smart modem would work well but it doesn’t. Ive used a power line wifi extender for the other side of the house and the wifi is now great. Using the Vigor 130/Airport express setup I haven’t had a drop out for days now. Thinking I’m going to have to send the Smart Modem back to Spark and go back to open term.

I have a DHCP issue with the Smart Modem which is just annoying. It basically means that random devices from the network drop now and again. I can get them up again but its a pain in the ar**. Considering whether to just keep the Smart Modem as a modem and add a good router/WiFi solution with DHCP for the rest of the network. Not sure if the Ubiquiti solution will deliver what I want or whether I should just chuck the smart modem altogether. Any suggestions would be great.

@Hio77 is there a timeline for the DHCP issue resolution? I have also got a smart mesh which makes the doubly painful as I've just wasted money.

I tried using the smart modem as just a modem, turned off the WiFi and used the AirPort express as the Wifi access point. I still had the same dropout issues.

BuzzLightyear

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#2473295 29-Apr-2020 12:32

I am curious to see whether your drop out issues are wifi or networking related like mine. If they are DHCP related you would get some devices not connecting and saying internet access is available. Mainly because they can't get an IP address. If you force a manual address in or use the guest network they will connect.

My solution was to keep the smart modem, turn off DHCP and that way its functionality is dumbed down. Get another router / Wifi AP to do all the client work (DHCP and Wifi) and thus still an ISP supported modem but my own network.

myopinion

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#2473298 29-Apr-2020 12:36

I suspect DHCP issues as the modem was still the server. The clients weren’t losing Wifi they were just saying no internet was available even though the modem was still connected to the internet.

Quic Broadband

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BuzzLightyear

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#2473301 29-Apr-2020 12:48

myopinion: I suspect DHCP issues as the modem was still the server. The clients weren’t losing Wifi they were just saying no internet was available even though the modem was still connected to the internet.

Ok, sounds like same problem as me then. I'll purchase some other kit and play around. Frustrating though because other than this a good setup for an ISP provided router.

steve98

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#2473312 29-Apr-2020 13:14

myopinion:

Thinking I’m going to have to send the Smart Modem back to Spark and go back to open term.

Funny you should say that. I've been trying to achieve this with Spark and have been having a hell of a hard time. I had a chat agent telling me if I returned the modem they would have to charge an early termination fee etc....

Worst case I will keep the Smart Modem as another "backup" device, but I really don't want to be in another 12-month term for it.

mrhaboobi

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#2473398 29-Apr-2020 15:10

hey guys

so i have an ORBI RBK50 which is killing me with constant reboots. going down the pathway of trying to replace the unit, but failing that, anyone used the smart mesh with smart modem as a replacement for an Orbi or similar mesh system?

Did anyone know what model/brand the two units are? and would there be ay affiliate links or discounted provided by the forums to by the mesh system? i probably need two to cover the area i need .

THanks All

Naithin

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#2473438 29-Apr-2020 15:51

So it looks like I'm not alone in having drop out issues with the Spark Smart Modem then; which is a huge bummer.

Looking at the logs, it seems to be doing some... really weird things.

---

Jan 1 00:00:38 VRV9517 syslog.info syslogd started: BusyBox

Jan 1 00:00:38 VRV9517 daemon.info dnsmasq[3787]: make: family 2

Jan 1 00:00:38 VRV9517 daemon.info dnsmasq[3787]: make: family 2

Jan 1 00:00:38 VRV9517 daemon.info dnsmasq[3787]: make: family 10

Jan 1 00:00:38 VRV9517 daemon.info dnsmasq[3787]: make: family 10

Jan 1 00:00:38 VRV9517 daemon.info dnsmasq[3802]: started, cache disabled

Jan 1 00:00:38 VRV9517 daemon.info dnsmasq[3802]: compile time options: IPv6 GNU-getopt no-DBus no-i18n no-IDN DHCP no-DHCPv6 no-Lua TFTP no-conntrack no-ipset no-auth no-DNSSEC no-ID loop-detect inotify

Jan 1 00:00:38 VRV9517 daemon.info dnsmasq[3802]: read /etc/hosts - 3 addresses

Jan 1 00:00:38 VRV9517 daemon.info dnsmasq[3802]: using nameserver 222.152.42.16#53

Jan 1 00:00:38 VRV9517 daemon.info dnsmasq[3802]: using nameserver 222.152.42.17#53

Jan 1 00:00:39 VRV9517 daemon.info dhcpd: arp replies from this address (192.168.1.64).

Jan 1 00:00:39 VRV9517 cron.info crond[3941]: crond: crond (busybox) started, log level 8

...[SNIP of a series of DHCPOFFER / REQUEST / ACK lines for various devies]...

Jan 1 00:01:09 VRV9517 daemon.notice pppd[5362]: pppd 2.4.1 started by root, uid 0

Jan 1 00:01:15 VRV9517 daemon.notice miniupnpd[5603]: HTTP listening on port 42719

Jan 1 00:01:15 VRV9517 daemon.warn miniupnpd[5603]: no HTTP IPv6 address, disabling IPv6

Jan 1 00:01:15 VRV9517 daemon.info dnsmasq[3802]: exiting on receipt of SIGTERM

Jan 1 00:01:17 VRV9517 daemon.info dnsmasq[5645]: make: family 2

Jan 1 00:01:17 VRV9517 daemon.info dnsmasq[5645]: make: family 2

Jan 1 00:01:17 VRV9517 daemon.info dnsmasq[5645]: make: family 10

Jan 1 00:01:17 VRV9517 daemon.info dnsmasq[5645]: make: family 10

Jan 1 00:01:17 VRV9517 daemon.info dnsmasq[5647]: started, cache disabled

Jan 1 00:01:17 VRV9517 daemon.info dnsmasq[5647]: compile time options: IPv6 GNU-getopt no-DBus no-i18n no-IDN DHCP no-DHCPv6 no-Lua TFTP no-conntrack no-ipset no-auth no-DNSSEC no-ID loop-detect inotify

Jan 1 00:01:17 VRV9517 daemon.info dnsmasq[5647]: read /etc/hosts - 3 addresses

Jan 1 00:01:17 VRV9517 daemon.info dnsmasq[5647]: using nameserver 222.152.42.16#53

Jan 1 00:01:17 VRV9517 daemon.info dnsmasq[5647]: using nameserver 222.152.42.17#53

Jan 1 00:01:18 VRV9517 daemon.info dhcpd: Wrote 9 leases to leases file.

Apr 29 03:37:52 VRV9517 daemon.err mDNSResponderPosix: mDNS_Execute: mDNSPlatformRawTime went backwards by 1546056685 ticks; setting correction factor to -1423358067

Apr 29 03:38:36 VRV9517 cron.err crond[3941]: time disparity of 26468857 minutes detected

Apr 29 03:40:07 VRV9517 daemon.info dhcpd: Reclaiming not used lease 192.168.1.192.

Apr 29 03:40:07 VRV9517 daemon.info dhcpd: DHCPREQUEST for 192.168.1.192 from 30:24:32:d3:a8:dd (NZLT35531) via br0

Apr 29 03:40:07 VRV9517 daemon.info dhcpd: DHCPACK on 192.168.1.192 to 30:24:32:d3:a8:dd (NZLT35531) via br0

---

As you might be able to see from the above; it seems to reset its internal clock, recompile some things(?!?!) and then finally recognise the time has gone haywire and attempt to reset it all.

Only had it (+ the Smart Mesh) for a little over a week now; but seeing several of these each day. Sometimes at rather inopportune moments (such as during a VC just now with this one).

Anyone had any success in resolving this issue? (Assuming not from an admittedly quick scan of the recent pages of the thread so far... but ah well; worth asking. ;))

Take care,

-Naithin,.

BuzzLightyear

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#2473528 29-Apr-2020 16:24

Had my smart modem since Nov and my smart mesh since Jan. My logs don't look quite the same by DHCP lease renewals are a frequent issue. I know the issue is being looked at but not sure if there is a planned solution.

HP

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Naithin

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#2474103 30-Apr-2020 14:35

BuzzLightyear: Yeah, I have popped into the logs a couple times after it's dropped and not seen the compile lines, instead just having DHCP refreshes; but it seems the last several times that it's happened when I've been online and so checked the logs, it has been this.

Hopefully a fix is forthcoming, but likely to go back to my (now unfortunately rather old) Fritz!Box in the interim.

Take care,

-Naithin,.

hio77

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#2474112 30-Apr-2020 14:48

Hey guys,

Issue is being looked into. I've got it replicating daily here so very aware of it.

Requires some special gear that's locked in the office right now. So having to do some alternative options.

Apologies for the delays.

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#2475405 2-May-2020 17:07

Just got one. It improved my marginal VDSL upload 30% over the 630b. Unexpected and welcome.

It has wall mount keyholes. Yay!.

There were no ADSL filters in the box. Maybe someone assumed it was a fibre connection?

Is there a way to know the installed firmware version? I toured admin and could not see a version report.

It took 10 minutes or more to make itself available first time. I did not investigate. Replugging the local network cable got it sorted. Maybe windows interaction and not the router.

hio77

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#2475410 2-May-2020 17:17

gzt: Just got one. It improved my marginal VDSL upload 30% over the 630b. Unexpected and welcome.

It has wall mount keyholes. Yay!.

There were no ADSL filters in the box. Maybe someone assumed it was a fibre connection?

Is there a way to know the installed firmware version? I toured admin and could not see a version report.

It took 10 minutes or more to make itself available first time. I did not investigate. Replugging the local network cable got it sorted. Maybe windows interaction and not the router.

Router Information shows the current build. I'd place my bets on your slow inital boot was it connected through and updated straight away.

firmware is about 50MB and takes maybe 60~120 seconds or so to load up.

we use a single SKU for Fibre and Copper however, agents are meant to send filters out with the order.

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