Three 5g Router issue

[junior]

I've got the 'Three' Zyexel NR5103E V2 router on my boat, with a Smarty unlimited data SIM. 

 

I've had no issues with it since I put it in the boat last October, albeit it's not had heavy use as I don't live on the boat. I've not been on the boat for a few weeks as it's been on dock, however today I've fired it all up and it's not working.

 

It powers up, but then the lights on the front tell me that 'No Internet Connectivity' (the red light) and the 'Cellular Signal Strength' light is not on at all. The section of the manual for this tells me what a blue, red or green light means, but not what no light at all signifies. 

 

I've tried the usual things like turning off and on again, removing and refitting the SIM card with device turned off, and I've even pushed the re-set button on the bottom to see if this would solve it. 

 

I'm on the mooring at the end of my garden and it's worked fine here all winter, without having to plug the external Poynting antenna in. Today I have connected that also to see if it helps, but It makes no difference.

 

Any suggestions?

 

 

[IanD]

Does the Smarty SIM work in something else like a phone?

Do you have another SIM (with data allowance) you can try in the router?

Edited March 12 by IanD

[junior]

15 minutes ago, IanD said:

Does the Smarty SIM work in something else like a phone?

Do you have another SIM (with data allowance) you can try in the router?

Just left the boat (as having no WiFi was driving me mad!). I'll be back on board tomorrow morning so will try my phone SIM in the router and/or vice versa. I'd always assumed my SIM card was locked to my phone.

[jonathanA]

I think IanD is thinking the sim isn't registering with the network for some reason. could be a provider, sim or device issue hence trying some options by swapping sims/devices.  

 

It might also be worth logging into the router and seeing if there are any status screens/messages or system logs that might give a clue. I don't know that router model so can't give any specifics, but hopefully someone will be along who can...

 

[IanD]

8 minutes ago, jonathanA said:

I think IanD is thinking the sim isn't registering with the network for some reason. could be a provider, sim or device issue hence trying some options by swapping sims/devices.  

 

It might also be worth logging into the router and seeing if there are any status screens/messages or system logs that might give a clue. I don't know that router model so can't give any specifics, but hopefully someone will be along who can...

 

If the WiFi (or Ethernet) is working you can log into it at the local IP address (http://192.168.1.1) using a web browser (username "admin", password on router label?), this gives you a lot more information than the Three app. This should work even without any SIM, or a non-functioning one, and there's plenty of diagnostic information visible.

 

https://setuprouter.com/router/zyxel/nr5103e/login.htm

 

Obviously you have to be on the boat to do this... 😉 

Edited March 12 by IanD

[junior]

Just spoke to Smarty via the chat function and they said they've checked my SIM/account and it's showing as active with no faults on the account. 

[magnetman]

Is there an external aerial associated with this ?

[junior]

There is, but the fault exists whether it is connected or not. 

[magnetman]

 AI assisted search indicates the V2 has problems and some people have returned them.

 

(Brave browser)

 

Zyxel NR5103E V2 Problems

Users have reported several issues with the Zyxel NR5103E V2, including connectivity problems, frequent disconnections, and difficulty connecting to devices. Some users have experienced issues with IPv6 settings and have had trouble connecting to most devices in their house, such as Blink cameras and smart bulbs.26 Additionally, there are reports of the router only connecting to LTE and not 5G, despite different SIM cards working with 5G on other devices.5 Users have also noted that the router's performance is inconsistent, with some experiencing slow connections and others finding the device to be unreliable, often requiring reboots to regain internet access.347 Some users have returned the V2 model due to these issues, preferring to keep the older V1 model or switching to alternative routers.

 

Maybe its just a bad piece of hardware.

[matty40s]

See if the router needs a firmware update.

[Liam]

Nor sure whether it's related or not, but the mobile mast in the field behind us has had a bunch of guys working on it for the past few days. It hasn't really interfered with me (Vodafone) but Kez on Smarty has had "emergency calls only" for several hours at random times during the day, so could be related as you're only on the other side of the tunnel.

 

I think the mast is owned by Vodafone but the QoS policy on the masts gives the mast owner's network preference and dumps the 3rd party users so could be why.

[GUMPY]

I used to have one and it displayed exactly the same symptoms as yours, the SIM slot failed.

 

Nice unit in theory but in practice😟

 

 

[junior]

2 hours ago, matty40s said:

See if the router needs a firmware update.

How do I do that?

[IanD]

6 minutes ago, junior said:

How do I do that?

Smarty are on the Three network, so software updates should happen automatically. There should be details of this in the app or via the web interface, you can see the software status and check if there's a newer version.

 

A bad SIM socket on the router is definitely possible, these are known to be a weak point -- and if the SIM works in another device, probably the most likely one.

 

The local network being down is another possibility as mentioned above, as is a SIM that's not connecting. You need to figure out which of these is the problem, which means playing around with SIMs in the router and a phone.

Edited March 12 by IanD

[junior]

So I have put the Smarty data only SIM into my mobile phone (I'm using it now) and it is working fine and letting me use data. So I've ruled it out being a SIM issue. 

 

I've put my Vodafone SIM into the router and it is giving me the same LED combination as yesterday and as seen in the photo in my OP. So not working. I've removed SIM, done a factory re-set on the router, replaced SIM and turned router on, and it's still not working.

I've done all this upstairs on the window sill in the house where there is a guaranteed 4G signal.

 

So that says to me that it is completely an issue with the router. 

 

As someone else pointed out, these units seem to be prone to a SIM slot failure. I've no real way of testing that I don't think, other than ruling out any other potential router issues first. 

 

A Google search does bring back results where people suggest a Firmware update may be required, as Matty has suggested. Can anyone tell me how I know if a Firmware update is required, or how I do one baring in mind my router won't connect to the internet?

 

This is very frustrating as it was all working fine 2 weeks ago when I last used it. 

[IanD]

6 minutes ago, junior said:

So I have put the Smarty data only SIM into my mobile phone (I'm using it now) and it is working fine and letting me use data. So I've ruled it out being a SIM issue. 

 

I've put my Vodafone SIM into the router and it is giving me the same LED combination as yesterday and as seen in the photo in my OP. So not working. I've removed SIM, done a factory re-set on the router, replaced SIM and turned router on, and it's still not working.

I've done all this upstairs on the window sill in the house where there is a guaranteed 4G signal.

 

So that says to me that it is completely an issue with the router. 

 

As someone else pointed out, these units seem to be prone to a SIM slot failure. I've no real way of testing that I don't think, other than ruling out any other potential router issues first. 

 

A Google search does bring back results where people suggest a Firmware update may be required, as Matty has suggested. Can anyone tell me how I know if a Firmware update is required, or how I do one baring in mind my router won't connect to the internet?

 

This is very frustrating as it was all working fine 2 weeks ago when I last used it. 

As I said above, an ex-Three NR5103E on the Three network (which Smarty use) should update automatically, there's no need for you to do anything. But it has to be connected to the internet to do this because it's done via Three's servers on their network. If you're on the network you can check the firmware status in the app (or via 192/168.1.1 as I also described), and force an update if this hasn't been done.

 

It does sound like a router problem, most likely the SIM slot. Are you 100% sure the SIM is in the right way round, it's easy to get this wrong? (I've done just that, as have others...)

[junior]

26 minutes ago, IanD said:

As I said above, an ex-Three NR5103E on the Three network (which Smarty use) should update automatically, there's no need for you to do anything. But it has to be connected to the internet to do this because it's done via Three's servers on their network. If you're on the network you can check the firmware status in the app (or via 192/168.1.1 as I also described), and force an update if this hasn't been done.

 

It does sound like a router problem, most likely the SIM slot. Are you 100% sure the SIM is in the right way round, it's easy to get this wrong? (I've done just that, as have others...)

 

Sorry for being thick about this...

 

I've downloaded the Three app and seem to be able to connect my router to the app, albeit intermittently. But I'm not on the 'Three' network, I'm on Smarty. My router is (was) 'Three', but it's been unlocked. 

 

So there could have been a Firmware update in the few weeks that my router has been off, but when I've turned it on, because I'm not actually on the Three network, it hasn't automatically updated? Is that right?

 

I've tried doing this 192.198.1.1 thing, and i just can't get it to do anything. Do I need to be connected to the router to do this, or can I do I connected to my house broadband? I ask that because surely if I'm connected to my router, it's never going to work because my router is not giving out any interest to me?

[alias]

Smarty uses the three network.

[Liam]

@junior if you're really stuck and struggling with it, you can drop it off at ours if you want for me to look at? I'm out on the boat at the mo but back tomorrow. Would just need the router, power cable and SIM card mate 👍

[junior]

So it seems like to get the app to work with router I have to 'connect' to the router. It does that, and I can go into the maintenance section of the app, and then into the firmware update section.

But when I click 'check for latest firmware now', it comes back with an error that I have no network connection'. 

 

I seem to only be able to do things In the app when my phone is connected to router, but I then can't download or check latest firmware because my router has no Internet.

 

I'm stumped. 

 

As soon as I connect my mobile to the house broadband, the app then stops recognising the router and I don't even get the option to check for up to date firmware.

[IanD]

You can only do the firmware update when the phone/app is connected (via WiFi) to the router *and* the router has an internet connection, because it has to connect to the Three servers to check for and download any update.

 

192.168.1.1 is a local IP address for the router which only works when you're connected to the router WiFi, not your home broadband.

 

It does sound like a router problem, most likely the SIM slot. Are you 100% sure the SIM is in the right way round, it's easy to get this wrong? (I've done just that, as have others...)

Edited March 13 by IanD

[junior]

3 minutes ago, IanD said:

You can only do the firmware update when the phone/app is connected (via WiFi) to the router *and* the router has an internet connection.

 

192.168.1.1 is a local IP address for the router which only works when you're connected to the router WiFi, not your home broadband.

 

So basically I'm stumped then in a chicken/egg situation.

 

The router doesn't have internet because the firmware is out of date, but it can only download the new firmware when connected to the internet?

[alias]

I'm not familiar with the router, does it have a WAN port?  If so (and you are close to home) you could take it indoors and connect it to your home router with an ethernet cable to give the internet connection to check for updates.

[Liam]

3 minutes ago, junior said:

 

So basically I'm stumped then in a chicken/egg situation.

 

The router doesn't have internet because the firmware is out of date, but it can only download the new firmware when connected to the internet?

Can you download the firmware update file to.your computer using the house internet, and then connect your computer to the router to do a manual firmware update by uploading the file to it rather than downloading it?

[junior]

Some handy suggestions there...

 

Can anyone tell from the photos above...

 

Does the fact that the current Firmware is shown in red, suggest that it is not up to date, or would it be in red regardless?