I was at a clients shop this evening. They have a Spark / Telecom Huawei HG659b
Long story cut short - I'm needing to open a port so they can view their security camera remotely.

Set up the application ( port in, port out, etc), set up a static ip address, registered the device , connected it all together, rebooted the router - and nothing.
I've checked the device responds etc so its not my setup. Checked using GRC. Like a lot of others got nothing but stealth on a port scan but when I scan the remote admin port or the remote ftp port they show up as open (port 8080)

I set the device as DMZ, rebooted - nothing.  I'm getting the same result as others have had and from memory I've seen this before on other huawei modem / routers. See the list of links below for other similar stories. huawei routers don't port forward - well at least the spark ones don't.

So why the strange subject title?
I phoned Telecom and got told they had to put me through to Huawei for support. Huawei took my name, the model number asked me the problem and then told me I would have to talk to vodafone for support.

I re-stated it was a telecom branded router, inside and out, from telecom and the model number.
"You need to get support from vodafone"

I reiterated I was a Telecom customer.  - "We only supply those routers to vodafone and you need to talk to them. "

I pointed out vodafone and spark / Xtra / telecom are competitors and sending TCom clients to vodafone is a bad move - especially if you are providing SLA support for TCom.

"It is a vodafone router - you need to talk to vodafone. "

Again I reiterated the competitor angle / issue and it was a TCom router.

"No sir they are are not competitors.  you need to talk to vodafone."

I must admit at that point I used an expletive not suitable here that can be abbreviated as BS (20c in my swear jar) and pointed out BT is a competitor of vodafone, Aussie Telecom is a competitor of aussie vodafone and as shore as ducks quack NZ Telecom is a competitor to NZ Vodafone. I then requested their Supervisor.

The talk with the supervisor went pretty much the same as above, xcept she told me it was a vodafone router I had. My reply, so why does it have a Spark / TCom symbol on the front, a tcom SSID, a TCom 5.8 SSID and Tcom branding all through the user interface, packaging and paperwork?

Who supplied your router sir? - telecom I replied.
But this is a vodafone router.

Holy mumbo jumbo batman - are these people thick?  I gently but insistently explained to her that Telecom put me through to them, that they supplied the router to TCom and TCom has an SLA for support of Huawei supplied routers which doesn't include sending me to vodafone for support.

But you need to go to vodafone as they configured that router.

After 30 mnutes of absolute frustration, forcing the superrvisor to get back on the phone after she put me back to the first "help(sic) desk" user etc she sent me the how to docs.

I checked them  - it runs out they tell you to set up the application settings but not a static IP, a device or anything else.
I pointed out all that had been done, pointed out what the docs they sent missed and when she mentioned vodafone again told her I would be reporting to the Telcom Heirarchy that their provider of routers who have an SLA agreement with them to provide support for those routers are sending their clients to vodafone for support.

"Is there anything else I can help you with today?"  Not likely sister - I dont feel very helped in the first place (click).

Now I expect to have to force me way through to 2nd and 3rd teir support for most Tcom issues as I am bright enough to resolve a lot of issues myself. However I am not expecting to have to go to vodafone to get support for my clients TCom supplied router.

Moral of the story?  Telecom / spark / xtra / whatever or whoever you are now - The Huawei business routers you supply are not only slow and damaged but Huawei are actively sending your clients to the opposition. My advice? Ditch huawei, if not for the crappy routers at least for the completely dumb donkey (a$$ is considered a bad word here - even though its an animal and not a body part)  support they provide. They are double dipping you in the damage to your reputation department.


A sample of huawei router issues with port forwarding.

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=39&topicid=153502
http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?topicid=143156