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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#2517702 5-Jul-2020 19:49

hio77: My, that's really gotten confused!
I'm not quite sure what to advise as I've got more questions about why it's worked the way it has..

6.00.12 is the factory firmware currently. So your other one will have been updated.

Upgrade button will take you to the mesh firmware upgrade screen. So that won't be too useful with a second smart modem.
Currently spark doesn't provide direct links to the firmware.

If you have questions, I am more than happy to answer them!

Should I plug them both into the ONT and let them both update (individually, of course) and then revisit the config pages? How long would the take once connected? I run a different router normally that has a specific config for my network, so couldn't leave it more than an hour or two.

By the way, here's the device list, again showing the 2nd modem linked to the first with devices connected to both units:

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#2517798 6-Jul-2020 09:01

so my quetsions are more about how it's managed to work like that, so more for the vendor and my own testing.

If you plug the unupdated modem into the ONT, it will go Green then Red and green again, and will be updated.

These modems are really good at doing exactly what they are told... so the moment it connects it will be told to update

I'd give it 10 mins and it will be good to go.

6.00.15 is the current version.

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timbosan

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#2517802 6-Jul-2020 09:10

Do you need any logs or anything sent to you? I don't plan on changing this config for a while, and any change would just be a move to replacing the second modem with a Mesh unit

I assumed that this config would force the second Smart Modem to work like a Mesh unit, am I wrong in this assumption? I do notice I have TWO of the same SSID broadcasting on the same channel, which I can easily fix by manually changing the channels, but I know the Mesh unit's 'fix' this and only show 1 SSID, correct?

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#2517853 6-Jul-2020 10:13

Can you explain a little more about what you mean by you see two SSID's on the same channel?

do you mean Two BSSID against a single SSID?

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#2517859 6-Jul-2020 10:28

On the 2.4Ghz channel (NOT on the 5Ghz, I see two SSID's of the same name, with different signal strengths. I assume they are the two Smart Modems, one close to me, the other at the other end of the house, like this (plus these have the matching hidden channels from the modem):

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#2517861 6-Jul-2020 10:31

Oh, that's normal, working as designed.

How the mesh setup works, is it all opperates on the same channel and the modem decides when a client should 'roam'

for the most part this is seamless as there isn't a need to change channels, unlike if you ran on seperate channels (where you need 802.11 roaming - Which is really device dependant)

The hiden channel is Mesh Backhaul, you can ignore it.

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#2517865 6-Jul-2020 10:39

So my current setup is NOT working the same as the Mesh unit would? And with two units broadcasting SSID's I assume it is less efficient for both client handovers (as there are two SSID's and therefore roaming is done via the client with 802.11 k / v / r and not at the modem level ???) and because of the fact the second AP is just making more noise in the same channel as the first AP?

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#2517867 6-Jul-2020 10:45

no, It's working exactly as it would for Mesh.

If the roaming between units is working correctly, I'd need to validate. Based on how it's handled the configuration though I'm pretty sure it's doing it right.

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#2517898 6-Jul-2020 12:03

Ok, that's cool!

I was going to force the modems onto different channels, should I just leave everything as is? I.e. everything on AUTO?

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#2517899 6-Jul-2020 12:09

timbosan:

Ok, that's cool!

I was going to force the modems onto different channels, should I just leave everything as is? I.e. everything on AUTO?

Yes, Leave it be. otherwise it won't opperate as 'mesh'

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#2520987 11-Jul-2020 07:56

Ok, so the drop outs I’ve been getting have been consistently at 7:50am every morning this week. Not sure how long that has been going on as normally I would be at work by then. I’m not sure if this is the Spark Modem. Our HG650b had the odd drop out too.

Basically it’s a 1-2min dropout of internet access. I wouldn’t notice it if I wasn’t actively browsing at the time. I wonder if there are logs or anything I can access. Or a program I can install to monitor drop outs.

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#2521430 12-Jul-2020 13:58

lookout: Ok, so the drop outs I’ve been getting have been consistently at 7:50am every morning this week. Not sure how long that has been going on as normally I would be at work by then. I’m not sure if this is the Spark Modem. Our HG650b had the odd drop out too.

Basically it’s a 1-2min dropout of internet access. I wouldn’t notice it if I wasn’t actively browsing at the time. I wonder if there are logs or anything I can access. Or a program I can install to monitor drop outs.

Dropping at an exact time sounds more like an environment issue as opposed to an issue with Spark equipment. Some on your network, in your home or a neighbour caused interference.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

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#2521454 12-Jul-2020 14:37

MikeB4:
lookout: Ok, so the drop outs I’ve been getting have been consistently at 7:50am every morning this week. Not sure how long that has been going on as normally I would be at work by then. I’m not sure if this is the Spark Modem. Our HG650b had the odd drop out too.

Basically it’s a 1-2min dropout of internet access. I wouldn’t notice it if I wasn’t actively browsing at the time. I wonder if there are logs or anything I can access. Or a program I can install to monitor drop outs.

Dropping at an exact time sounds more like an environment issue as opposed to an issue with Spark equipment. Some on your network, in your home or a neighbour caused interference.

I'd tend to agree, although there is one bug that seems to happen at the same time every day.

Best way to get around that one is to give the modem a proper power off and on, should keep it away for awhile..

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#2521631 13-Jul-2020 07:45

Hi there,

I've read through (most) of the posts on this thread and wondered if the known 'drop-out' issue could be deemed annoying enough to make me want to decline the new Smart Modem/Smart Mesh kit.

Is there an ETA for a possible firmware fix?

Thanks,

Peter.

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#2521633 13-Jul-2020 07:56

Hi,

At this stage no eta unfortunately.

It's quite a complex issue that's requiring extra support to solve.

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